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14 Epic Trips That Will Change Your Life in 2023

What a thrill, to travel vicariously through the words and images of my colleagues over the past year, as they journeyed to some of the farthest reaches of the globe—and their imaginations—to tell these stories. This series of Epic Trips began with a pitch from AFAR photo editor Michelle Heimerman, who proposed a trip to one of the world’s greatest archaeological sites in the historic region of Mesopotamia, along the northern edge of the Fertile Crescent (aka Türkiye). At a glance, we were sending her to the middle of nowhere, but as she so astutely points out in her photo essay on ancient Göbekli Tepe, “You’re actually squarely in the middle of somewhere, circa 9500 B.C.” With the help of archaeologists and professors at the top of their field, she experienced “the places of our ancient ancestors, to allow space for the unanswered. To use travel as a way to think about who we once were.”

That got my mind racing. What if we could cross deserts, journey up mountains, raft river rapids and sail remote seas, even touch the edge of space to better understand our past? To examine the impact humanity has had on the planet—from different angles—and a future where we can see the world’s most stunning environments responsibly?

We traveled with companies like Lindblad, Modern Adventure, a certified B Corp, and Exceptional Kangaroo Island, an essential local business, to be sure these trips had a positive impact on the destinations we visited. How’s that for a modern definition of epic?

Read on for this year’s collection of Epic Trips to Australia, the Arctic (and Antarctica), Brazil, British Columbia, Fiji, Greenland, Mexico, the Nile in Uganda, Peru, Türkiye, across Europe, and up to the rim of the atmosphere.

-Laura Dannen Redman

When the going gets tough, the tough use hand warmers.
It all starts with a mangrove sapling at Nanuku Resort on Viti Levu.
Breathing in the nutmeg scent and following red-footed boobies in the footsteps of naturalists on this seven-night Aqua Expedition.
Once upon a time, writer Roxane Gay and her wife, the illustrator Debbie Millman, set sail to Antarctica. Here, they each tell the tale—well, their version of it.
Located in Baja California Peninsula, the Great Murals are the oldest cave paintings in the Americas—but they are incredibly hard to access.
In the Brazilian wetlands, we track jaguars and hyacinth macaws on a wildlife conservation tour in the same time zone as New York City.
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Journeys: United States
Journeys: United States
Journeys: United States
Journeys: United States
In 2020, bushfires burned more than half of Australia’s natural wonder. Thankfully, the flora and fauna have begun to return—as have the visitors.
One of the world’s greatest archaeological sites still has scientists guessing.
For one British writer left adrift by Brexit, a cross-continental train trip might be the best way to reconnect with her European neighbors.
During a trip to Wildwaters Lodge, one writer learns why Uganda is rapidly becoming a white water destination.
A space tourism industry is being built on the proposition of personal and existential transformation. But at what cost?
What an expedition cruise in the rugged yet fragile High Arctic can teach travelers about the planet.
One AFAR editor retraces the steps of a college spring break trip with the help of local guides, a celebrity chef, and a few new friends.
On a retreat with the wilderness outfitter Mountain Trek, one writer hikes through some of British Columbia’s finest wilderness—and, finally, hugs a tree.
“Once-in-a-lifetime” vacations. “Bucket list” trips. Both are often celebrated as major rewards. In reality, they can mean putting undue pressure on a destination—and on ourselves.
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Tanzania Safari: Ruaha & Nyerere National Parks
Suites at the Aman New York in Midtown Manhattan start at 745 square feet.
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Hotel Tour: Aman New York
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Hotel Tour: Botánika Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica
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8 Dreamy Overwater Bungalows You Can Stay In
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Climbing La Piedra del Peñol in Guatapé, Colombia
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California Road Trips: The Best Places to Go
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