As the cold settles in, we’re thinking about those places we know will have sun, blue skies, warm turquoise waters, and amazing adventures all winter long. Start dreaming and maybe scheming. We’ve made it easy for you by choosing the top 10 places to go, along with the best things to do there. See you on the beach.

Hike Coast-to-Coast in Costa Rica

Since Costa Rica became the spokesmodel for ecotourism in the 1990s, its natural treasures—the cloud forests of Monte Verde, the gently active Arenal volcano—have attracted millions of visitors every year. But you can still escape the crowds. a 174-mile trail stretching between the Caribbean and the Pacific, was completed in 2018 and showcases largely untrodden parts of the country, like the coffee-growing region of TarrazĂș and the Indigenous territory of Nairi Awari.

Funded by the nonprofit Mar a Mar Association, the 16-stage route spans four provinces and half a dozen or more microclimates; borders protected areas; and passes through remote villages, Native lands, and more than 20 towns that receive little benefit from conventional tourism. Trekkers can eat with locals in their homes and sleep in family-run lodges, campsites, or boutique hotels set on farms with hot springs.

Expect to hike between four and twenty-four miles per stage, cross rivers, and do plenty of up and down—more than 70 percent of the route is hilly, with a peak elevation of upward of 19,000 feet. If you push the pace, you can complete the whole thing in 11 days. But if time permits, allot 16 days so you can tack on experiences like whitewater rafting the Pacuare River or visiting the Pacuare Nature Reserve’s turtle hatchery.

You could technically go it alone, but given the trail’s isolation, a guide is advisable. Five local outfitters, including Urri Trek and Ticos a Pata, operate group and individual trips, and their naturalist guides will school you in the unique flora and fauna, like purple tibouchina flowers, massive guanacaste trees, glasswing butterflies, and broad-billed hummingbirds. —Jen Murphy

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In Fiji and 99 other countries, the same Sawyer water filtration technology used by outdoor adventurers is helping to solve the global water crisis. Watch to learn about how the partnership between and is improving accessibility to clean water, and read more in One of the World’s Most Widespread Health Problems Has a Simple Solution.

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The Wainibokasi River flows languidly past tropical trees and taro fields for about seven miles across Viti Levu, the largest of čóŸ±Â៱’s 300-plus islands, before it eases into the Pacific not far from the capital, Suva. On a muggy September morning, I’ve traveled here to watch 264Ìęadventure racers from 30 countries gather near its banks. Overhead, a twin-engine BK 117 helicopter circles and then crabs in low. Bear Grylls, the survivalist and adventure-television icon, leaps out the door and into the sand.

Grylls, 46, carrying a daypack with a big knife strapped to the side, storms up onto a small wooden outdoor stage erected near the river. The racers gather round.

“You ready?” Grylls prods them, and the crowd explodes with glee.

Behind Grylls stretches a giant map that shows a cruelly twisted red line traveling across Viti Levu, with loops to outlying islands. It summarizes the suffering in store: the 417-mile-long course of the reborn Eco-Challenge, a race that’s making its return to television in a ten-episode Amazon Prime series,Ìę,Ìęthat premiers on August 14. Each team includes five people—four racers and a support person—and those that make it to the finish will climb 30,000 vertical feet over as many as 11 days. And that’s if they don’t really sleep. The winning team will take home a $100,000 cash prize.

Grylls gives the field some racing tips—respect the wild, embrace the hurt, never leave a team member behind—before leading them down to the river, where traditional camakau outrigger canoes wait tethered to the shore. The plan is to paddle downriver and out to the Pacific, where racers will hoist a small sail for a 20-mile open-water push out to the island of Ovalau, which they must then hike around. From there, they’ll sail back toward Viti Levu,Ìęfreedive to collect a medallion hidden near a coral reef, then swap the canoes for paddleboards to push into Viti Levu’s interior. Finally, a grueling 35-mile mountain-bike ride takes them to camp one, which they must reach in three days or be disqualified. That’s leg one. There are five of these legs.

“It’s going to punch them all in the face,” Grylls told me earlier, when I asked him what he thought of the course. “I guarantee not all of them will finish. It’s possible none of them will.”

After some last-minute futzing, the racers hop into the tippy camakaus and await the signal to begin. A nervous energy crackles in the humidity. A drone buzzes overhead. Lisa Hennessy, an executive producer, approaches Grylls. “Time to rock and roll,” she says.

“OK!” Grylls shouts. “Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Go!”

Airy, mournful notes sound from conch shells being blown, and the river erupts into action. Paddlers dig their blades furiously into the green water. One boat flips, then another. A pileup ensues. With the waterÌęa complete cluster, Grylls faces a camera and beams: “The world’s toughest race is underway!”

If this sounds like a jacked-up version of a reality show you caught decades ago on cable, that’s because it is. Between 1995 and 2002, Discovery Channel, ESPN, MTV, and USA Network broadcast Eco-Challenge: The Expedition Race, which had teams sprinting across extraordinaryÌęlocales, from British Columbia to Borneo to Morocco. Created by former British army paratrooper Mark Burnett, it was the marquee event for the then blossoming adventure-racing scene and a foundational moment for modern reality television. Burnett, who is 60 and now chairman of MGM Worldwide Television, would go on to become the indisputable king of unscripted TV, creating Survivor, The Apprentice, and Shark Tank, among other shows.

For many viewers, Eco-ChallengeÌęwas their first glimpse intoÌęthe growing world of adventure racing, which saw a surge in interest during the late 1990s and early 2000s as weekend warriors yearned to use their outdoor toys to traverse exotic landscapes with friends. “Eco-Challenge was the show that put the sport on the map,” says Jason Magness, the navigator for Team Bend Racing, an elite squadÌęcompeting here in Fiji.

But then, in 2002, after eight editions, the Eco-Challenge went away. “Everything has a season,” Burnett shrugs after I spot him observing the race start from under a large party tent and ask him why. But he says he always wanted to revive the brand, and now he has, nearly two decades since the last Eco-Challenge aired (that contest was also in Fiji). In the Netflix era, when so many streaming services are hungry for content, it’s no surprise that Burnett had an easy time finding a buyer. “I knew word would leak about what we were doing,” heÌęsays. “Once it did, distributors started calling.”

What sets World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge FijiÌęapart from the earlier editions is the supersized scope of the endeavor. The course is bigger and much more demanding. The event and its broadcast budgetÌęareÌęenormous; nobody will share numbers, but Burnett hints that it ranks somewhere between the Tour de France and , the legendary international off-road race. Amazon alone gave each of the 66 teams $50,000 to buy gear and get to Fiji (the two Fijian teams used their money to fly to California, where they raided multiple REIs and bike shops for socks, hydration packs, and proper mountain bikes). Then there’s Grylls, who brings star power as an executive producer and a high-octane host. He comforts exhausted racers in one scene and does a backflip out of a helicopter in the next.

But the biggest change of all is the technology behind the show. Each team carries a tracker for safety that also allows Grylls to pop into a race command post to see where everyone is at any given moment. GoPros, drones, and helicopters fitted with gyro-stabilized ultra-high-definition cameras capture the suffering up close. All told, the series will be the distillation of about a million gigabytes of footage. The production crew required is massive—about 700 people—and it includes indefatigable pros like lensmen Christian Pondella and Corey Rich. The ocean-safety coordinator, Colin Philp, built a boat and sailed it from Fiji to California with no navigational equipment, then sailed it back. Six of the camera operators have summitedÌęMount Everest.

Having watched early screeners of the first three episodes, I can tell you this: Eco-Challenge isÌęfun, it’s gritty, and it makes the Ironman Triathlon look like golf. “It’s the toughest, longest, most extreme, baddest adventure race in human history. Period. Nothing else even comes close,” Grylls tells me. “We want to show people how incredible our world is, how beautiful, how extreme. For me, this isn’t about the winners. It’s about those who finish against all the odds. Those stories will make you cry.”

That’s reality TV in a nutshell, of course, but Grylls isn’t lying. The series’ hyperemotional narratives are there to manipulate your sense of belonging—to a family, to a cause, to a badass group of unstoppable humans. There’s the tale of Travis Macy, an ultracompetitive runner who forgoes a shot at theÌępodiumÌęto race, slowly, with his lovable father, , an old-school Eco-Challenge legend who now has early-onset Alzheimer’s. There are wounded veterans who’ll break your heart, and a team of sexagenarians who grapple with the ravages of their years. Then there’s Coree Aussem-Woltering of Team Onyx, an all-Black team, who packed a different Speedo to wear for each day of the race.

“What would not make someone smile other than some random Black dude running around in the woods in a Speedo?” asks Aussem-WolteringÌęin the first episode.

The big question is whether viewers will binge-watch a series about a niche sport that had its heyday alongside Rollerblading. With millions of people stuck close toÌęhome waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic, the scenery of Fiji will certainly help. And according to media-tracking agency TV[R]EV, viewers have been watching more reality TV since the lockdowns began in March. Then there’s the fact that sports fans are so hungry for entertainment. With pro ballÌęteams competing in truncated seasons inside empty stadiums, an all-out coed race in the jungle offers an alluring alternative.

In Fiji, I’m only allowed to observe the first few days of the race, during which time Amazon handlers whisk me to various checkpoints around Viti Levu, which I accidentally keep calling “the set,” making them cringe. Nothing is staged, they insist (OK, maybe that knife Grylls was packing). There are some hiccups. One of the camakaus breaks before the eventÌęeven starts. A team gets pinned in a flooding canyon. The biggest surprise for me was learning that the racers must ride in vehicles for a portion of the route, for what my handler calledÌę“logistical reasons.”Ìę(I later learn this isn’t new—in the past, such breaks have provided opportunities for, say, a truck sponsorship.)

It’s anyone’s guess whether any of this will be enough to spur another race once it’s safe to stage a mass-participant competition again. But for now, at least, an amped-up remake of an event that lets us vicariously escape into the wild? Pass the popcorn.

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For some of us, a “private island” means pristine, golden beaches without another soul in sight and a lavish cabana where you’ll sleep to the sound of ocean waves. But private islands don’t have to be just for the ultra-elite. From far-flung luxury hideouts to more affordable, easy-to-reach cottages, here are six private islands you can rent for the night.

Miavana, Madagascar

Located on Nosy Ankao, off the northeast coast of Madagascar, the five-star resort of opened this June. Dubbed a luxury eco-resort, the place runs on solar power and was built with sustainable materials like thatch and grass. The resort is made up of 14 oceanfront villas, a communal square, and an infinity pool on the edge of the Indian Ocean. Your nightly rate—starting at $2,500—includes meals, butler service, and guided outings like kite surfing, snorkeling through shipwrecks, and whale watching.

Lanai, Hawaii

One of the most pristine and secluded of the Hawaiian Islands, Lanai is a 90,000-acre private island purchased in 2012 by Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle. In 2016, reopened after a massive renovation, offering views of a marine sanctuary to go with extravagant accommodations. Rooms start at $1,075 a night. Out of your budget? Try the 11-room , a historic inn in the old pineapple plantation town of Lanai City, where rooms start at $186 a night and include breakfast. While on Lanai, you can hike to secluded beaches, snorkel among spinner dolphins, or mountain bike rugged red-dirt roads.

Cuckolds, Maine

is a two-room establishment inside a restored 19th-century lighthouse, about 15 minutes by boat from the town of Southport, Maine. Breakfasts and afternoon tea are included in your stay. You can book the east- or west-facing suite for $500 per night, or get the whole island to yourself for a loftier rate (whole-island rentals start at $1,450). By day, take a sail or kayak tour of Boothbay Harbor.

Kokomo Island, Fiji

This new luxury resort opened in March on a private island owned by Australian billionaire Lang Walker. Located among čóŸ±Â៱’s Kadavu Island Group, is a 140-acre tropical haven with white-sand beaches and lush rainforests, accessed via seaplane or helicopter from čóŸ±Â៱’s mainland. You’ll snorkel and dive through the Great Astrolabe Reef, the fourth largest in the world, trek through the rainforest, and sleep in private beachfront villas with infinity pools overlooking the ocean. It’s pricey—starting at $1,995 a night—but your rates include all meals, plus butler and nanny services.

Eagle Island, Georgia

To get to , you’ll leave from a dock in the fishing village of Darien, Georgia, and take a 15-minute boat ride to your own private ten-acre island. This isn’t a resort—it’s a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house that can sleep up to 12 people and starts at $475 a night—but you’ll get resort-like services, including a stocked kitchen, kayak and boat rentals, and a friendly boat captain named Andy who answers your questions. Watch the sunset from a hammock, hike a nature trail around the island, or go crabbing off the dock.

Hatchet Caye, Belize

, a seven-acre private island an hour-long boat ride from the coastal town of Placencia, Belize, is home to a laid-back resort that first opened in 2011. Here, you can book one of eight oceanfront cabanas or four rooms in the main house starting at $433 per night, or you and up to 30 friends can reserve the whole island for $3,000 a night. Spend your time atop a kayak or paddleboard, or book a trip with the on-island dive shop to dive among whale sharks in the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second largest coral reef in the world. The resort’s restaurant serves good ceviche and fried lionfish tacos.

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Warning: unless you’re an annoyingly carefree bon vivant with a hefty trust fund, reading our annual Best of Travel awards may trigger a deep sense of dissatisfaction with the pathetic state of your mundane life. There are so many cool places to go, you’ll think as you scroll through our 30 epic selections. And not enough time! Why am I stuck at this desk! Do not panic—this is a totally natural reaction. And that’s the beauty of our annual awards.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű has been covering the adventure-travel beat for nearly four decades, and our two veteran Best of Travel writers, Tim Neville and Stephanie Pearson, have spent months poring over the latest trip offerings and scouring the globe to uncover surprising new ideas. We know this beat, and now we’ve narrowed your choices of hotels, destinations, and outfitters from approximately 10.6 million to 30. The final choice is still on you, but the task is at least manageable. Or maybe you’ll get that trust fund. —Chris Keyes

1. Best Island: Bermuda

A subtropical archipelago of 181 volcanic islands, Bermuda won the bid to host the 2017 America’s Cup, thanks to near perfect North Atlantic sailing conditions. Beyond wind, the British Overseas Territory, just a two-hour flight from New York City, has 75 miles of pink-sand beaches interspersed with jagged limestone cliffs, many of which are perfect for deep-water soloing and hucking into the Atlantic from the top. Stay at , a 50-acre hideaway with a private stretch of sand on the southern shore (from $455).

2. Best Dive: Cuba

Already sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department as an educational tour, this 11-day live-aboard yacht excursion helps fund research ‹and conservation work by trip leader David Guggenheim, a marine scientist, underwater explorer, and founder of the Washington, D.C., nonprofit . The location: , an archipelago of 250 coral and mangrove islands, located 60 miles off Cuba’s southern coast, that Fidel Castro established as a marine protected area and a no-take fishing zone. Only 1,000 divers are allowed each year, so you’ll be one of the few to see whale sharks, sperm whales, sea turtles, goliath groupers, and some of the most pristine coral reefs anywhere on the planet. The package includes a chartered flight from Miami and a night at the five-star in Havana. From $7,474.

3. Best Street Food: Austin, Texas

The scene here is so fast-paced that today’s sweet chile chicken lollipops at or kimchi fries at the Korean-Mexican fusion truck may be gone tomorrow. (Though we sure hope not.) Hit eight trucks in one location at the Barton Springs Picnic Park, and find more worth seeking out at and .

4. Best River Trip: Fiji

Lined with vertical cliffs and cascading waterfalls, the 18-mile-long Upper Navua River Gorge on Viti Levu is like a tropical Grand Canyon, which is why formed and worked with local landowners, villagers, a timber company, and the Native Land Trust Board to establish the 10.5-mile Upper Navua Conservation Area in 2000. Bask in the fruits of their labor by paddling this pristine Class II–III warm-water river lined with swaying palms. As long as you’re here, add a couple of days kayaking the Middle Navua, sea-kayaking and snorkeling among the coral gardens of Beqa Lagoon, and sprawling out on white-sand beaches. $2,899 for eight days.

5. Best of the Wild West: Montana

Since 2001, the nonprofit has been working to restore the northern great plains to the pristine condition Lewis and Clark found them in more than 200 years ago. The resulting reserve, in northeast Montana, is now 305,000 acres. The aim is to reach 3.5 million by 2030, creating a U.S. Serengeti and the largest wildlife park in the lower 48, where herds of elk, mule deer, and bison thrive. But don’t wait to go. You can sleep under the stars now at the 11-site ($10), four miles north of the , and take a DIY mountain-biking safari on old ranch roads, passing grazing bison and scanning the skies for American kestrels, Sprague’s pipits, and Swainson’s hawks. Or paddle the Missouri River past pioneer homesteads and historic tepees to , a set of five luxurious yurts, each with AC, a hot shower, and a veranda for sundowners (from $4,800 for six days).

6. Best Place to Tie One On: Portland, Maine

The other Portland may have the microbrewery rep, but it distributes its beers to half the country. Many of the best brews in Portland, Maine, can only be quaffed here. , a classic American farmhouse brewery, just opened a tasting room downtown where you can try local favorite Space Cowboy, a low-alcohol ale, and full-flavor European-style beers like the Continental. Then head to , one of the country’s best beer bars, with 33 rotating taps, including roughly ten Maine brews. Or join , which offers two-and-a-half-hour tours along the Old Port area, with stops at distilleries and breweries like and (from $59).

7. Best Splurge: Greenland

’ brand-new eco base camp, with high-thread-count linens, hot showers, and a gourmet chef, is as close to a luxurious safari-style camp as you can get in these parts. Set on Sermilik Fjord at the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet, one of the least explored regions of the Arctic, the camp is within view of 5,000-foot peaks that plunge into the sea. Why pay top dollar to sleep in polar bear country in temperatures that barely hit the fifties in August? Because as Olaf Malver, the Danish camp founder who has spent 26 years exploring this coastline, says, “You will be dazzled by its dizzying beauty, strength, and simmering silence.” Guests can take guided ten-mile hikes through tundras, kayak among humpback whales, and visit Inuit villagers who live by centuries-old traditions. From $8,995 for nine days.

8. Best Way to Get Strong Quads: San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Elevation, elevation, elevation. That’s what I recall about the through the San Juans, from Durango, Colorado, to Moab, Utah. Much as I want to write about the towering vistas and cascading ribbons of singletrack, you have to reach them first, and my memory of the 200-plus-mile ride is the 25,000 feet of elevation gain. The pain is worth it, with climbs ending at huts with glorious views. Note that these aren’t your gorgeous, timber-pegged cabins—they’re two-by-four-and-particle-board huts, hauled up on trailer frames. But you’re not here for raclette and a hot-stone massage; you’re just happy that you don’t have to carry your own food, water, and shelter. The cabins are well stocked, including cold beer and a warm sleeping bag on a soft pad. A couple of suggestions: carry the hut system’s maps; where it says singletrack option, take it; and read the log books (some of the comments are hysterical). When you get to Geyser Pass Hut at the end of day six, start smiling, because you’re at the top of the La Sal Mountains, and a 7,400-foot descent, aptly named the Whole Enchilada, awaits. As do the Colorado River, Moab, and a Milt’s malted and cheeseburger.
—Dave Cox

9. Best New Jaw-Dropping Hotel: Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman

Oman is one of the most peaceful and stunning nations in the Middle East. Start your exploration of the vast Arabian Peninsula at amid date, peach, and pomegranate trees, perched at 6,500 feet on the edge of a deep gorge in the Hajar Mountains. Ffrom $325.

10. Best International șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Hub: Chile

Running 2,610 miles north to south, Chile is the longest country in the world, and 80 percent of it is covered by mountains. With vast wild spaces like 650,000-acre (which opened to the public this year), pristine rivers with big trout, classic old-school ski areas, and pisco sours and damn good wine, it’s hard to go wrong. Consider these dream itineraries: (1) Fly into the capital city of Santiago, then work your way south to 370,000-acre in Tierra del Fuego. The former cattle ranch opened in 2013, but very few people have been lucky enough to explore this swath of untouched glaciers and peaks. Be one of the first to take it all in on a 16-day boat-assisted hiking and sailing epic with ($8,000). (2) Mid-country, two hours south of Santiago in the Millahue Valley, stay at the brand-new , a 22-room retreat and wine spa in the middle of an 11,000-acre vineyard with stunning views of the Andes (from $1,200). Mountain-bike the 65 miles of vineyard roads, then laze by the infinity pool. (3) Eleven hundred miles north in the Atacama Desert, explore the lunar landscape on horseback, relax poolside at the luxurious (from $1,350 for two nights, all-inclusive), then set out after dark to to view the universe through the clearest sky on earth.

11. Best SUP Odyssey: Belize

With the 180-mile-long Belize Barrier Reef, this laid-back country has long been a heaven for divers and snorkelers. It just got better with the world’s first lodge-to-lodge paddleboarding trip. On this through Belize’s 118,000-acre , you’ll paddle four to eight miles per day through calm turquoise waters, jumping off to snorkel where spotted eagle rays and barracuda glide in reef areas too shallow for motorboats. You’ll visit with researchers at Smithsonian’s to learn about reef biology, stop for a beachside fresh-catch lunch at a Garifuna fishing camp, night-snorkel at Southwater Cut (a deep channel where the coral blooms after dark), and sleep in rustic overwater bungalows on tiny Tobacco Caye and in the seclusion of private Southwater Caye, 12 acres ringed by white sand in the Belize Barrier Reef. $1,829 for six days.

12. Best Place to Get in the Car and Go: India

Mention driving in India to veteran travelers and they’ll recount white-knuckle cab rides and six-hour traffic jams. But on a ten-day driving trip with , you and a caravan of like-minded adventurers gain access to crowd-free luxury lodging and villages far from the tourist hordes. You’ll pilot a Mahindra Scorpio (an Indian four-wheel-drive SUV) up to 90 miles a day, charging through the dirt roads of the Himalayan foothills or over the sand dunes of Rajasthan. A mechanic will be right behind you for on-the-fly repairs. From $1,500 for ten days.

13. Best Beaches: South Carolina

The Palmetto State has over 200 miles of coastline and an ample supply of gorgeous beaches, with comfortable water temperatures from May through October. Start in Charleston and head 20 miles north to uninhabited Bulls Island, part of the stunning 66,000-acre Cape Romaine ‹National Wildlife Refuge, for a hiking or kayaking tour with (from $40). Farther north lies Pawleys Island and its laid-back beaches, and three miles north of there is our favorite stretch of the state: Litchfield Beach. The northern end is the protected . You won’t find any putt-putt here, just wide-open white sand for miles.

14. Best Small Cruise: Doubtful Sound, New Zealand

As my wife and I planned our South Island road trip, the big debate was: should we do an overnight cruise into Doubtful Sound on a 70-person, three-masted sailboat? We didn’t really think of ourselves as cruising types. Then we looked at pictures of Doubtful Sound, which seemed too stunning to be real: ridiculously lush forest clinging to sheer cliff walls, pods of dolphins, towering waterfalls. So we booked the trip with . While we did some unbelievably cool stuff while we were in New Zealand, including helicoptering into a swanky lodge in the Southern Alps, the defining moment came during a rainy afternoon on that boat. Temperatures were in the mid-forties, and we had just returned from a short sea-kayaking excursion, wet and cold. But when I saw a few of my fellow cruisers (who, it should be said, were mostly young and adventuresome) lining up to jump off the rear deck, I stripped down to my skivvies, climbed onto a platform, and launched into the scrotum-searingly cold water. And then I did it again. My wife looked at me like I’d lost my mind. And maybe I had, at least temporarily. From $310.—SAM MOULTON
—Sam Moulton

15. Best Comeback Country: Sri Lanka

The first decade of the new millennium was rough on Sri Lanka, with a devastating cyclone, the tsunami, and a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009. Today, this largely Buddhist island in the northern Indian Ocean, with 8,000-foot peaks and 830 miles of coastline, has bounced back big time—foreign travel grew 19 percent in 2014. There’s no shortage of fun to be had at these base camps: Book a deluxe safari-style tent at and Spa in the center of the country and hike to sacred rock Sigiriya (from $221). , a brand-new clifftop hotel on 12 lush acres, 30 minutes east of the port city of Galle, hovers 100 feet over the Indian Ocean, with mountain biking, diving, and paddleboarding nearby (from $767). On the east coast, the village of Arugam Bay, sandwiched between miles of beaches and an inland tropical jungle, has consistent right breaks. Rent a beach cabana at the (from $38). Twenty miles south is Yala National Park, with herds of elephants and solitary leopards.

16. Best Outfitted Trips: Anywhere with Wilderness Travel

This 37-year-old team in Berkeley, California, dreams up more than 30 unique trips across 75 countries every year and is known for pioneering adventures that other outfitters copy later—kayaking tours through remote stretches of Tierra del Fuego, the world’s highest trek (at 23,000 feet) across Tibet—and doing it all with an eye toward supporting locals and minimizing environmental impact. But what makes truly exceptional are the company’s trip developers and guides. Take Barbara Banks, a polyglot who’s spent 23 years with the company traveling hundreds of thousands of miles setting up local connections. (Norwegian ferry captains know her so well, they’ll make unscheduled stops to allow Wilderness Travel groups to disembark directly at their waterside hotel after a day of hiking fjords.) Some recent new trips: sea-kayaking and camping on isolated beaches in Palau, visiting little-seen pyramids in Sudan, and tracking desert lions in Namibia with Flip Stander, a Ph.D. who has spent decades living among the big cats.

17. Best Domestic șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Hub: North Carolina

Take California, make the mountains greener and the beaches and restaurants less crowded, and replace all the digital millionaires with hospitable southerners, and you get North Carolina. On the coast, you’ll find some of the East’s best breaks on the Outer Banks, and stand-up paddleboarders cruise through the 160,000-acre , filled with salt estuaries and flooded pines. In the west, there’s world-class singletrack and road riding in the Blue Ridge mountains (pros like local Matthew Busche of Trek Factory Racing train for the Tour de France here), 96 miles of Appalachian Trail, and some of the country’s best whitewater at the . That’s to say nothing of cities like Asheville, Wilmington, and Chapel Hill, which are full of farm-to-table restaurants, local breweries, and great music venues. Where to start your trip? Get a room at the two-year-old in Asheville (from $159) and mountain-bike the Big Avery Loop, a challenging 13-mile romp through rhododendron tunnels and way-off-the-back rock steps. Or rent a house on the Outer Banks in the spring or fall and learn to surf with the folks at (from $100).

18. Best Base Camp: Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, Namibia

Yes, getting to Namibia involves at least a full day of travel, but the payoff is worth it: no other landscape is like the surreal Skeleton Coast, which was carved out of lava rock 130 million years ago. One excellent way to see it is via , a fly-in oasis that opened last August on the banks of the Hoanib River in one of Africa’s most extraordinary wildlife-viewing regions. Desert-adapted rhinos, elephants, and other charismatic megafauna like springbok (a gazelle) linger near the camp’s spacious, fire-warmed common area and eight luxury safari tents (think pitched canvas roofs, big decks, and twin-bed interiors). A small plane can drop you off near the shipwrecks and seal colonies at Mowe Bay. From $500.

19. Best Road Biking: California

The Golden State has 800 miles of coastline and half a dozen mountain ranges—and you can ride practically all of it year-round. From coastal tours like the supported eight-day, 525-mile from San Francisco to Los Angeles, to foodie-friendly tours along the back roads of Sonoma (visit for routes, rentals, and outfitters), to epic climbs like the five passes and 15,000 feet of elevation gain through the Sierra Nevada during the annual ($135), California has greater variety than just about anywhere. Get route maps online at the , or sign up with an outfitter like . Its supported, self-directed six-day tours from Yosemite to San Francisco or through Death Valley National Park let you decide where to ride, sleep, and eat, but a leader in a van sets up snack stops and water refills and hauls your gear. It’s like an egoless, six-cylinder domestique ($1,495 for six days).

20. Best Place for a Meal in Ski Boots: Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico

After a morning spent charging Taos’s famously steep West Basin chutes, there’s no better place to refuel than the ’s festive outdoor deck. With its waitstaff in dirndls and lederhosen, German fare, and view of Kachina Peak, this ski-in, ski-out chalet is about as close to the Alps as you can get in the southern Rockies. I start with the soft-doughed pretzels and house-made sweet grain mustard. They’re the perfect warm-up for the goulash, bratwurst, or spaetzle (a German version of mac and cheese) and an Asam Bock, a beer on tap from Germany’s . On powder days, I often don’t end up at the Bavarian until dinner, which is served inside the log-built lodge, where you can still dunk bread in cheese on fondue Tuesdays during the winter. If I’m sleeping in one of the Bavarian’s four luxe suites, waking up to easy access to Taos’s new Kachina lift, which expands the mountain’s lift-served advanced terrain by 50 percent, is heaven. During summer, trails to Williams Lake and New Mexico’s highest peak—13,159-foot Wheeler—are right out your door.—Mary Turner

21. Best Urban Upgrade: Philadelphia

It may be better known for its cheesesteak, hoagies, and underdog sports teams, but lately the City of Brotherly Love has been gaining ground as an outdoor town. This year it’s launching a bike-share program and adding three miles of multi-use trails to its 220-mile citywide system. In 2014, it transformed 20,571 square feet of cemented wasteland into . You can even do paddleboard yoga along the Delaware River with (from $45).

22. Best Outfitted Trips for Families: Anywhere with Bicycle șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs

Roughly 10 percent of ’ trips are now geared specifically toward families with preteens in tow. This year the Washington-based company launched three multi-day rides in Oregon, Idaho, and South Dakota that follow car-free bike paths and pass through kid-captivating areas like Mount Rushmore and Idaho’s Trail of the Hiawatha, with stops for ice cream, rafting, and swimming holes. Have younger kids? They’ll pedal tag-alongs hitched to adult bikes, and toddlers and infants can ride in provided trailers. From $2,295.

23. Best Place to Eat and Drink Yourself Silly: Scotland

A decade ago, when restaurants like Noma ushered in a Scandinavian culinary renaissance, a bunch of Scots headed north and took jobs in those kitchens. Now they’ve returned to make use of their homeland’s nearly 6,800 miles of coastline, abundant mushroom and strawberry harvests, and massive beef industry. Which is part of the reason the country named 2015 the . Just about every town has at least one restaurant with a creative menu. To experience the best of it, go to the , on the edge of Loch Dunvegan. Chef Michael Smith serves Sconser king scallops, Skye blackface lamb, and lobster from practically right out the door. And don’t forget to take in a Scotch distillery tour.

24. Best Places to Stretch Your Budget: Japan, Europe, and Brazil

With the economy bouncing back, the dollar is getting stronger—especially in these three destinations, where the exchange rate has steadily improved over the past 12 months.

Japan

Three nights at the ski-centric

• February 2014: $260
• February 2015: $220

Europe

One-week tour with

• February 2014: $4,000
• February 2015: $3,395

Brazil

Three nights in the Amazon at

• February 2014: $850
• February 2015: $750

25. Best Deal: Kolarbyn Hostel

These , located about 80 miles west of Stockholm, are made from wood and earth (you can pick blueberries off the roof) and set you up in the middle of a spruce forest straight out of Endor. Spend your days napping, hiking, or paddling nearby waterways, and end them with a visit to the floating sauna on SkÀrsjön lake. $120.

26. Best Effort to Mitigate That Carbon Footprint: Indianapolis International Airport

Air travel is tough on the environment. So it’s nice when there are initiatives like the . Last year, workers more than doubled the number of solar panels at Indianapolis International Airport to 76,000—enough to power 3,210 homes for an entire year.

27. Best Safari: Kenya

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű GO’s 11-day was put together by owners Sandy and Chip Cunningham, who lived in Kenya for five years, in response to a simple truth: Africa’s most worthwhile destinations are often some of its most vulnerable. You’ll visit three remarkable locations on the cutting edge of both conservation and accommodation in the wildest sections of East Africa. Take Campi Ya Kanzi, nestled in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, which has exclusive access to 300,000 acres of wilderness with lions, elephants, zebras, and giraffes, and not a single tourist in sight. You’ll be hosted by local Masai and sleep in a lavish tent without the humming generators that mar other properties—the camp gets 24-hour power from solar. The trip culminates in a visit to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s elephant orphanage, where young pachyderms that have lost their parents to poaching are fostered. You’ll get a once-in-a-lifetime, up-close look. From $9,585.

28. Best Viral-Video Opportunity: Bay of Fundy

Go with on a sea kayak with pods of humpback whales in the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick. From $85.Ìę

29. Best Airbnb Property: Mary May’s

A morning spent at outside Bozeman, Montana, presents a dilemma. Do you fire up the professional range, swing open the French doors, and have a leisurely breakfast? Do you head out and explore the property’s 100 acres of trails and trout waters? Or do you hop in the car for a quick trip to Yellowstone? There’s no easy answer, but few places let you experience as much for so little. $125.

30. Best Surf Trip: Baja, Mexico

There are lots of ways to enjoy Mexico. But I’ve found that the very best is to cross the border in a 4×4 truck with surfboards, a few extra tanks of gasoline, and a couple of bottles of mezcal. If you don’t count the border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali—and, frankly, you shouldn’t—the Baja peninsula has a population of just over two million spread across 55,000 square miles. That’s fewer people than Houston. The region’s 2,000 miles of wild and desolate Pacific coastline are littered with fantastic, almost always empty surf. Many of the most famous breaks—Quatros Casas, Scorpion Bay—now have hostels and other amenities on the bluffs, but the rule of thumb is that the farther you get from San Diego, the more challenging and rewarding it becomes. You get to work for your dinner: spear-caught fish for ceviche and a lobster as big as a small dog. Lodging options that far south are limited—we slept in tents or our truck bed—so if you go, remember that when the wind starts whipping and the night gets cold, dead yuccas burn hotter than tumbleweeds.
—Matt Skenazy

More of șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű's 2015 Best of Travel

• Gear: The 5 Best Pieces of Gear for the Road
• Guides: 5 Travel Guides You Need to Know
• Coming Soon: The Best of Travel Runner-Ups

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Weeks before the start of the World Cup ski racing season, Julia Mancuso decided to go surfing. That’s not so unusual—Mancuso has long surfed from her off-season base in Maui. This time, however, she chose to try the thunderous wave in Fiji, using a tow-in assist from a jet ski to notch four rides on the double-head-high swell. The photos of her session show her charging down the face of a beastly wave with all the poise of the veteran ski racer she is. We caught up with the four-time Olympic medalist to ask how surfing big waves helps her ski—and if she sees any future in the water.

OUTSIDE: How does surfing a big wave compare to downhill ski racing in terms of skill level, confidence, fear, and the adrenaline rush when you nail it?
MANCUSO: Surfing and ski racing are veryÌęsimilar in the sense that you have to be totally focused when you decide to ‘go,’Ìębut I don’t think that you can compare the skill level. With any sport you take on, you have to start with the rightÌęequipment. I was really lucky to have a great board and an amazing jet ski driver to put me in the waves at the perfect place. It’s like having a greatÌętechnician and good downhill skis: You have to trust what you have on your feet so you can focus on moving forward. Whether it’s the next turn on the slopes or down the line on the wave, you get the same feeling.

Making the wave is like going through a difficult section or nailing a jump in a ski race, it’s a combination of adrenaline and pure joy.

Does surfing make you a better skier or is it the other way round?
I think every sport canÌębenefitÌęskiing in one way or another. Surfing is great because it trains all your proprioceptive muscles and nervous system in anÌęuncontrolledÌęway, just like skiing, helping your nervous system get stronger and moreÌęresponsive. Surfing has taught me to trust my natural instincts and skiing has helped me have the confidence to ride those big waves. The waves are like a never-ending mountain where you have to ride down the wave face as well as across it, which brings another element into the whole riding part. Ìę

What should we be on the lookout for in 2015? Are there any big waves that you might like to try?
Unfortunately, my skiing goals get in the way of my surfing goals as the best big waves at my home in Maui are in the winter. I would love to improve my paddling so I can go with my friend Paige Alms, who is a professional surfer, to surf [off of Maui].

Mancuso’s Top Water Training Tip: Hold Your Breath

“Skiing is very anaerobic,” Mancuso says, “and you need a good aerobic base to recover faster. When I started to do breath holds and rock running [running underwater while holding a rock to weigh her down] I noticed that my biking was getting better and I was breathing easier, so I really believe that breath holds help increase your VO2 max.

“A great way to startÌępracticing your breath holds is to simply look at a clock. Start with one minute and go up from there. Holding your breath is much easier in the water, but obviously itÌęisn’t as easy to find a pool or ocean all the time.

“Anytime I get in a pool, I like to do underwater laps and I try to go until I get thatÌęawfulÌędiaphragm contraction, which reminds me: If you’re going to practice breath holds—especially underwater—be safe and always have a friend with you nearby and take turns holding your breath.” Ìę

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As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true: there are private tropical island resorts that you don’t need to take out a mortgage in order to afford. Look hard enough and you’ll find a bunch of them tucked away on quiet sandy crests dotting the sea around the world, but I’ll focus on two of the finest ones close to the United States—to keep your flight costs down—and another in a more exotic locale.

Coco Plum Island, Belize
Cooper Island Beach Club, British Virgin Islands
Robinson Crusoe Island, Fiji

Affordable Island: Coco Plum

The low-end “no-frills” package offered by this palm-shaded 16-acre island off the coast of Belize is actually pretty frill-full. You’ll be in one of the resort’s 14 bungalows, where you can watch the reef-protected Caribbean lap onto your private pier from the hammock on your porch. Meals are included, as is use of the resort’s kayaks. The only catch: a minimum stay of four nights. Rates start at $280 a night.

Affordable Island: Cooper

The 500-acre island near Tortola that gives its name isn’t completely private to the resort—but there are barely any other signs of civilization on its tree-carpeted expanses. The property’s 11 rooms all have a kitchenette, bug-net-enclosed beds, and a luxurious sense of seclusion from the outside world. The popular activities are diving, kayaking, sitting at the long, expansive beach, and lingering on the outdoor sofas at the bar. Rates start at $250 a night.

Affordable Island: Robinson Crusoe

is as close as it gets to summer camp for adults. You don’t go there for seclusion—rather, the island, known for its dormitory housing, which caters to backpackers for $27 a night, is like a warm, party-going, outdoor activity center. You can surf, kitesurf, fish, kayak, climb trees, or go for a medicine walk within its 30 acres across the bay from the main island of Viti Levu. There are also private cabins, which start for about $120 a night.

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It’s time for a real vacation in your own shack by the sea, where the sun is hot, the waves are perfect, and checking your Twitter feed isn’t an option. When it comes to pure, hedonistic escapism, it’s tough to beat these ten places, whether you’re looking to walk long white sand beaches where elephants swim nearby or dive with eagle rays and recover with a dinner of recently spearfished red snapper. Go now, before reason takes hold.

Azura Quilalea, Mozambique

Go wild next to the Indian Ocean

Best For: An on-water, multi-sport marathon.

In the middle of an underexplored marine sanctuary in the Indian Ocean, this 86-acre island is thick with baobab trees and is a hot zone for wildlife—from Olive Ridley and Green Hawksbill Turtles to humpback whales and dolphins. There’s a -certified dive center on site. Sign up and swim with 375 species of fish, including schools of potato bass and hunting jacks, or stay above it all by sailing in a traditional dhow or rowing a kayak. Deep-sea fishing is also an option. The ways to commune with the water are endless.Ìę After a $2.5 million renovation, the nine-bungalow resort is state-of-the-art, but still low energy—the owners designed the coral stone villas to have two options: Eco or Luxe. With the flip of a switch, you decide how much power you want to burn. Our suggestion: Go Eco, which provides only basic lighting and a fan. The alternative: Air conditioning and a minibar. Eight villas are spread out over two white sand beaches that are plenty long enough for privacy.

When to Go: April through October is hot and dry.

How To Get There: Fly to the closest major airport, Pemba, Mozambique, then take a puddle jumper to the Quirimba Island, followed by a 20-minute boat ride to Quirea Private Island; from $595 per person, per night;

Barefoot at Havelock, Andaman Islands, India

Explore the best beach in Asia

Barefoot at Havelock bar

The bar at Barefoot at Havelock

Best For: Dive fanatics who think they’ve seen it all.

OK, so you’ve crossed every shark in the ocean off your diving life list, but have you ever swum with a ? The coral reefs surrounding Havelock Island teems with sea turtles, barracuda, tuna, stingrays, and, yes, even an occasional endangered dugong. The trouble will be gathering enough motivation to leave the comfort of legendary Beach No. 7, a 1.5-mile stretch of sand so pristine that once rated it the best in Asia. The 18 bungalows, with hardwood floors and palm-thatch roofs, are nicely spaced on seven acres—each within spitting distance of the sand. Go austere and book one of the eight Nicobari villas, which have no television, Internet, or telephone. Fill your days with snorkeling, diving, jungle walks through 100-foot-tall maruma trees and wild orchids, expeditions to distant volcanic islands, and Ayurvedic treatments.

When to Go: December to May is the best time for scuba diving.

How to Get There:Ìę Fly to Port Blair from Calcutta, Chennai, or New Delhi, then take a two-hour ferry to Havelock Island. The resort is a 30-minute drive from the ferry; from $91 per person, per night for a Nicobari villa;

Vatulele, Fiji

Take your pick of dive, sailing, and fishing options

Best For: Honeymooners with cash flow.

A splurge to this 12-square-mile island just off the south coast of čóŸ±Â៱’s largest island, Viti Levu, will cost you. But it’s the spot to indulge every tropical fantasy there is, from diving underwater fortresses to dining on fresh lobster in candlelight on the sand. With at least 14 offered, you can aim to see everything from rainbows of coral to barracuda. You could also wile away the day sailing, kayaking, fishing, or swimming. Go ahead, just save some time for the villas, all 19 of which are just a stone’s throw from the perfect white sand. Keep it basic with a beach bure, a two-tiered palace with a king-sized bed, AC, a wine cooler, and twelve doors that open on to a private terrace facing the South Pacific. For the quietest experience, rent a villa farther down the beach, which offer a freshwater plunge pool and an outdoor shower shrouded in the jungle.

When to Go: April to early October

How to Get There:Ìę Fly to Nadi, Fiji from Los Angeles, then take a 25-minute flight to Vatulele. Price: Doubles from $751;

Che Shale, Malindi, Kenya

Kite surf when the wind blows. SUP when it’s not around.

Best For: Kitesurfers who dream about consistent 18 to 25 knot winds that blow all day, almost every day, 300 days a year.

At Che Shale, a chic cluster of seven bures that sits on a 3.5-mile long deserted beach, there is nothing to get in the way of a kite. The owner, Justin Aniere, is a third-generation Kenyan who 12 years ago. When the wind dies around November some of the best deep-sea fishing spots in the world are off Malindi and Watamu and the glassy bay out front is perfect for SUP lessons. Sleeping quarters are open and breezy thatch-roof bures with designer furniture, comfy daybeds, and open-air showers. Out back, for the budget-conscious, there are solar-powered, basic bandas with a double bed, a covered verandah with table and chairs. Not convinced. They are built on stilts, and only 30 steps from the beach. On the unlikely days when the kiting conditions aren’t right, walk the beach, hike the dunes, or explore the bustling city of Malindi, with its Swahili food and African markets, 30 minutes away.
Note: Be sure to check before you book.

When to Go: July to April

How to Get There: From Nairobi, fly to Malindi. Che Shale is a 30-minute drive from Malindi; Che Shale bures from $105 per person, per night; Kajama rooms from $46 per person per night;

Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia

Become one with nature

Best For: Eco-minded travelers who like to be first.

This brand-new, beautifully designed, luxury resort with 27 strategically placed villas is the first of its kind in Cambodia. Built on two islands known as “The Sweethearts,” which are connected by a footbridge, the place is so in tune with its surroundings that it established its own marine sanctuary, a no-take zone covering 247 acres and extending more than 656 feet out from the farthest edge of the coral reefs. The seven ocean view villas, each with their own private beach, are decked out with a daybed, sundeck, swimming pool, and, for those who want to wax poetic, a writing desk. Don’t waste your time inside. Circumnavigate the islands with a mask and snorkel, explore the archipelago in a kayak, or take a nighttime boat cruise to swim in the ethereal phenomenon known as bioluminescence.

When to go: February-May; November-December

How to Get There: Fly from Siem Riep to the city of Sihanoukville, which is only a 30-minute boat ride from Song Saa. Ocean-view villa from $1,415 per person, per night, all-inclusive;

Niyama, Maldives

Find urban chic in the middle of nowhere

Best for: Hipsters who want to take cocktail hour underwater.

Niyama ups the ante of resort decadence with “Subsix” the first-ever underwater club where djs spin world music and you overlook swimming creatures through glass walls while dancing. With a nightclub vibe and 87 ultra-modern villas, you won’t exactly be stranding yourself alone on a desert island here. But you will have plenty of escapist diversions like guided snorkeling tours to coral reefs teeming with fish, a private sail around the atoll on a traditional wooden sailing dhoni, a spa open 24 hours a day, and dreamy stretches of palm-lined sand beaches. Reserve a studio with a pool, where you can lounge on a deep, elevated couch that sways in the breeze and overlooks a pool lit by fiber optics, just a few steps to the edge of the ocean.Ìę

When to Go: December to April

How to get there: Fly to Malé, the capital of the Maldives, on nonstop flights from a number of cities, then take a 40-minute seaplane flight right to the resort. $1,300 per person, per night;

Jashita, Tulum, Mexico

Escape the hustle and rest easy in the Caribbean

Best For: Quick, luxurious escapes from the East Coast.

Technically, you won’t have your own cabana at this new boutique eco-hotel just north of Tulum. But the top two suites are still worlds away, each with a giant palapa roof and private terrace where sunbeds present a sweeping view of the Solimon Bay. It’s all in the Venetian family: Enrico, the father, designed the chic space, his wife Monika, decorated it, and Enrico’s son, Tommaso, not only manages the hotel, he spearfishes dinner. Just a few steps off the protected beach, the Mesoamerican reef runs all the way to Honduras. Dive and snorkel with eagle rays, turtles, and tropical fish or help Enrico catch dinner by deep-sea fishing for marlin, sailfish, dorado, wahoo, or kingfish. Lounge by the pool, take a yoga class, sign up for a kitesurfing lesson, or venture inland to snorkel in cenotes and explore the Mayan ruins of Tulum.Ìę

When to Go: Year-Round

How to Get There:Ìę Fly into Cancun from any major U.S. City, rent a car and drive 1.5 hours south on Mexico 307; Doubles from $350 per night, three-night minimum;

Punta Teonoste, Nicaragua

Surf’s up and nobody else is around

Best For: Serious surfers who have time to explore.

Forty-five minutes down a dirt road from the town of Tola, no one just happens upon Punta Teonoste, a beautiful cluster of palapas on the “Pacific Riviera” near the fishing village of El Astillero and Popoya, one of the best surf breaks in Nicaragua. Sixteen freestanding, two-story palapas with hammocks out front and a private outdoor shower in a tropical garden out back are nicely spaced around a massive thatched-roof open-air dining room where the French chef uses only the freshest local ingredients like shrimp and lobster harvested by local fishermen. The half-mile-long deserted beach out front is not only gorgeous; it’s also the perfect spot to take a two-hour lesson from the on-site instructors. Serious surfers, however, will want to expand their horizons and take advantage of the boat tour that prowls the coastline, hitting some of the best breaks in Nicaragua. For the non-surfers, Punta Teonoste employs two local men to run an on-site to protect and nurture the hundreds of turtles born on the beach. There’s also lazing around the pool in a chaise or hiking a mile up a well-marked trail for a gorgeous sunset view of the beach and beyond.

When to Go: November to April

How to Get There: Fly into Managua, rent a car, drive to Rivas, then follow the directions found ; five-night surf package including all meals, transportation to and from Managua, three days of two-hour surf-lessons, and a massage, $1,450 per person.

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef

Go on safari, Aussie-Style

Best For: Going beyond the back of beyond.

This solar-powered Northwest Cape tented outpost that sits on the World Heritage , is as far away as it gets. The digs may be tents, but they aren’t lacking in the essential amenities: cozy king beds, plush towels, a compostable toilet, and, beyond the flap, a veranda with forever views of the Indian Ocean. But you’re not going to be inside much. The coral reef just a few strokes off the beach supports 500 species of fish, 250 species of coral, and 600 species of mollusk. This is one of the best places in the world to dive with whale sharks, manta rays, and Hawksbill, Green, and Loggerhead turtles. Less than two miles behind camp is Mandu Mandu Gorge, a geographic wonder with fossil limestone formations, red kangaroos, rock wallabies, and a 30,000-year history of Aboriginal use. As if that’s not enough, there are also deep-sea fishing charters, kayaking excursions, and an unpolluted sky to gaze toward every night.

When to Go: Year round, but April through June is ideal.

How to Get There: Sal Salis is 838 miles north of Perth. From Perth, fly to Exmouth (flights on Qantas Airlines offered Friday, Sunday, Wednesday). From Exmouth Sal Salis is a 47-mile drive. Arrange for transfers in advance; doubles from $787 per person, per night;

Bosque del Cabo Rainforest Lodge

Earn your sand

Best for: Jungle lovers.

From Tucan, a beautifully intricate thatch-roof cabana with a private outdoor shower, there are stunning views of the Pacific. It just takes a few steps to get to the beach. This lofted aerie with a deck out front, sits on precipitous, Cabo Matapalo on the Osa Peninsula, where the Pacific meets the Golfo Dulce. It’s 500 feet above the ocean, but the waves crashing on the beach below are omnipresent, the hike to the sand through the dense jungle is awe-inspiring, and the palm-backed Pacific beach that stretches for miles is worth the walk. That’s only the Pacific side. Backwash Beach and Pan Dulce Beach on the Golfo Dulce side, a 45-minute walk away, are idyllic for swimming. The surf breaks of Cabo Matapalo are some of the least visited in Costa Rica and the deep-sea fishing for marlin, sailfish, tuna, and dorado is the stuff of trophies. But Bosque del Cabo, with its 20 cabinas and casas scattered throughout the 750-plus acre property, is primarily a nature lodge. A labor of love started by expat Americans Phil and Kim Spier in 1990, the lodge sits among manicured gardens and every day a deluge of wildlife, from scarlet macaws to agoutis to pumas, visit. Over the past 20 years the Spiers have created a community in paradise, supporting everything from the to a bilingual school in nearby Puerto Jiminez to , a non-profit conservation group committed to preserving the region’s unbelievable biodiversity.

When to Go: Year-Round

How to Get There:Ìę From San Jose, Puerto Jimenez is an eight-hour drive or a 50-minute flight. From Puerto Jiminez it’s an hour drive over a dirt road. Bosque del Cabo can help arrange in-country transportation; deluxe cabinas from $190 per person, per night;

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Iridium makes the most reliable SAT phone on the market. They run for around $1300. Most guiding companies carry SAT phones and many will even rent them out in the off-season—which is a more affordable solution than purchasing one for a trip. SAT phones are not impact or water-resistant so they should be stored in a Pelican or Otter box. I wrap mine in a bandanna and stow it in a Pelican. For longer trips, consider carrying an extra battery.

Tony Nester

Tony Nester

Despite what secret agent Jack Bauer can do with his SAT phone, they need to be handled with care and used outside—not three stories underground. The antenna have contact satellite(s) overhead. Once you receive a signal, get out your critical information first (nature of the emergency/injury, your location, etc…) then talk about pizza and beer for the post-trip fiesta. You may have contact for two minutes or 20 minutes, depending on your location.

For a trip to Fiji, you may want to consider augmenting your SAT phone with an ACR Personal Location Beacon and an ACR Firefly Solas Strobe Light. With this gear, you will possess three essential signaling tools for remote travel.

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Easy Does It

What a tough guy can learn from an island off Belize

EXACTLY 12 HOURS after walking out the front door of our Brooklyn apartment into a snowstorm, my wife and I stood on the dock at St. George's Caye Resort, in Belize. I was holding my fly rod while she sipped a fruity cocktail and teased me about my bombastic claim that commercial flights do not count as real travel. Any self-respecting adventure traveler, I often say, needs to follow his flight with a couple of days on a train or the top of a bus in order to feel as though he's actually gotten somewhere.

My perspective on the issue was not well supported by St. George's Caye. It's only a 20-minute boat ride from Belize City, yet it feels like a place that should take a couple of days to reach by outrigger canoe. The two-mile-long island is sandwiched between the Belize Barrier Reef and hundreds of square miles of mangrove swamps and bonefish flats that support raucous colonies of seafaring birds and a few local manatees. You could count the permanent human population on your fingers and toes. But my wife didn't need to mention any of this or cite the relevant statistics. Instead, she simply pointed to the school of tarpon lolling in the shallows 30 feet away.

For the rest of the trip I continued to eat my words—along with immense amounts of spectacular food, such as spiny lobster delivered directly to the kitchen by local fishermen. Between meals—served communal style, on the beach, by a smiling crew in flip-flops—we joined a few planned expeditions. There was snorkeling and diving on the reef; a night cruise in search of crocodiles; and fishing for bonefish and permit with a private guide. But, mostly, we took off on our own makeshift adventures. The resort provides plenty of kayaks and sailboats without the fees, rules, and boundaries that too often turn island getaways into chaperoned walks on the beach. We discovered secluded sand, secret swimming holes, hungry schools of fish, and a curious manatee. At night, we kicked back in one of a dozen thatch-roofed cabanas. We could hear the Caribbean roll in just beyond our front porch. Beyond that, nothing. This self-respecting adventure traveler slept well.

GET THERE: St. George's Caye Resort (om) provides guest transport from Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport. Cabanas for two from $218, including meals and local rum punch. One-tank dives, $60; half-day fishing trips, $325.

Fire on the Mountain

Playing in the shadow of a volcano in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea

New Britain's Tavurvur volcano gets feisty

IN 1994, a 2,257-foot volcano erupted on the island of New Britain, Papua New Guinea, burying the city of Rabaul under seven feet of ash and prompting 30,000 people to evacuate. Only 3,000 returned, leaving the town essentially like Kauai pre–Captain Cook, only with more pyrotechnics: The island is populated mostly by members of some 50 indigenous tribes, and the resident volcanoes, Tavurvur and Vulcan, are still very much active. Go now and you can lounge on a black-sand beach and watch Tavurvur burp up lava and small columns of ash as many as four times an hour.

I arrived two years ago to find an ashy town—the swimming pools were gray—set on an active caldera with countless adventure options just beyond the city limits. One can scuba-dive at a reef wall that served as a berth for Japanese submarines in World War II; sample grilled crocodile at a sustainable farm in New Britain's jungle; or take a helicopter flight over inland waterfalls so remote, nobody has bothered to name them. But the highlight of New Britain is the paddling. On my third day in Rabaul, I drove five minutes south to Matupit Island and rented a dugout canoe with a guide from the Tolai tribe. We paddled across Simpson Harbor while a hot ash cloud boiled overhead. Afterwards, my guide brought me back to the Tolai village and served me bananas poached in coconut milk, which he said was a traditional feast commemorating the arrival of Fijian missionaries—whom the Tolai ate.

GET THERE: Air Niugini flies here at least twice daily from Port Moresby, on the south side of PNG's mainland (from $300; ). Lodging in Rabaul is limited to the Hamamas Hotel (doubles from $59; ). Ask the staff about tours of the OISCA farm ($18 with crocodile lunch; ) and rides to Matupit. The Tolai guides will find you; a day trip is $9.

Vieques Rising

Puerto Rico's Vieques has come a long way from when the Navy played war games on its beaches.

Back in 2001, the Navy was still using Puerto Rico's Vieques for war games on the beaches. There was just a handful of restaurants and hotels on the 21-mile-long, four-mile-wide Caribbean island, and it was the kind of place where guests didn't wear shoes. Today, the Navy is gone and the old bombing ranges have been designated a national wildlife refuge. Now, Vieques is exploding in a different way: New roads are being built; old ones are getting paved. One of the military's old bunkers is now a sports bar by day and a disco by night. Swanky hotels, like the W, which opened in March (doubles from $379; ), and restaurants, like El Quenepo (787-741-1215), are popping up.

But don't worry. While it's now possible to have the resort experience, Vieques is still funkier and more laid-back than most Caribbean islands. Book a łŠČčČúČčñŸ±łÙČč—one-room cottage—at La Finca (doubles from $125; ), a clean but rustic joint with outdoor showers and mismatched towels. Then head for the sand. There are more than 50 beaches—perfect for everything from kayaking (Green Beach) to snorkeling (the islet of Blue Beach) to paddling at night in one of the biggest bioluminescent bays in the world (Puerto Mosquito, a.k.a. “Bio Bay”). The best way to see the latter is in a clear canoe from the Vieques șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Company (two-hour rentals, $45; ), which, should you start getting antsy for more action, can also set you up with decent mountain bikes to explore all the old military roads ($25 per day) or take you kayak fly-fishing for tarpon ($150).

Twilight Zone

Happily lost on a Croatian island haunted by vampires.

Lustava

Northern Lustava

Dalmatian dinner, Croatia

Dalmatian dinner.

BY THE TIME we reached Lastovo, we were made of salt water and octopus. For a week, my family—14 of us, from age 78 down to 16—had sailed along Croatia's Dalmatian coast in a 100-foot Turkish gulet, gorging on grilled fish and pickling ourselves with local wine. We'd come far from the cruise ships of Dubrovnik and left the nightlife of Korcula behind. Lastovo (pop. 800) was the last and most remote island, one big national park with, from the look of the charts, great sheltered kayaking. But even our guide, adventure writer Maria Coffey, had never been.

We'd heard there were vampires on Lastovo—in the 1700s, the island had a little problem with vukodlaci, undead corpses that rose, as our guidebook said, “to visit the beds of bored wives and pleasure them in the night.” This sounded fine to some of our clan, but the island still emitted a creepy vibe. Even today, one of Lastovo's biggest celebrations involves the ritual humiliation of a straw puppet led through town on a donkey.

Sure enough, the crags showed little sign of life—just crying gulls and the colorful towels of naked Germans, the predominant pink-skinned species here, found sprawled along Dalmatia's rocky coast. But the little harbor of Skrivena Luka was a miracle, a still blue bay ringed with stone cottages. At the lone restaurant, Porto Russo, the proprietor brought out homemade verbena-infused Croatian grappa, then white wine (from his own grapes), home-cured olives, and local squid cooked for hours pod pekom—under a metal bell in a wood-fired outdoor oven. Later, in Lastovo Town, a 15th-century wonderland of vineyards and minaret-topped churches teetering on the island's summit, the local street sweeper—who still uses a broom—dragged us into his courtyard for thick, sweet coffee.

Did we come here by plane? Was the World Cup still going on? What was my name again? The Dalmatian islands aren't exactly off the beaten path, but in Lastovo you can feel like you sailed in and discovered them yourself.

GET THERE: Hidden Places owners Maria Coffey and Dag Goering guide ten-day kayaking-and-sailing trips along the Dalmatian coast for $4,550 per person ().

Sweet Bondage

There's no vacation quite like a Colombian-prison-island vacation.

BETWEEN 1960 AND 1984, visitors to Colombia's Isla Gorgona arrived shackled and blindfolded and slept behind barbed-wire fences, on wooden bunks without mattresses. The 2,500 inmates of Gorgona Prison were warned that, if they escaped, the venomous snakes on the tropical island would kill them and, if they braved the ocean, the sharks would get them instead.

Today, the lush, 6.5-square-mile island, 30 miles off Colombia's Pacific coast, is a national park; the lodging here has been managed since 2006 by the winner of the Colombian version of the TV show The Apprentice. Which is to say, this is one strange escape. I arrived last September via speedboat from the coastal town of Guapí. Upon touchdown, military police searched my bags for alcohol (it interferes with the requisite antivenin) and weapons. The other guests—the island hosts 130 at a time—were mostly schoolchildren and besotted couples, enjoying king-size beds in the updated guard quarters by the beach.

I spent my days exploring: first, the grisly ruins of the mammoth stone penitentiary, said to be modeled after a Nazi concentration camp and now overrun with capuchin monkeys and foot-long basilisk lizards, then the dense tropical jungle that covers 85 percent of Gorgona, for which the island provides obligatory boots. There really are pit vipers and coral snakes here, as well as easier-to-spot (and mostly harmless) boa constrictors.

The trekking's good and the kayaking better—I spent a few afternoons dipping into the equatorial water as blue-footed boobies and frigates flew overhead—but the main activity on Gorgona is diving. The island has a fully equipped dive center, and I'd regularly see 20 to 30 moray eels at any site, many as thick as my thighs. Gorgona's nature preserve extends to a six-mile radius around the island, so fish and turtles are plentiful, intrepid, and big. But size is relative. From July to September, humpbacks come to Gorgona's banks to mate and calve, and to see them breach and slap the surface with their gargantuan tails is to forget that once this was a place no one ever, ever wanted to go.

GET THERE: Three-night packages, including three meals daily, island transfers, and flights from Cali to the coastal town of GuapĂ­, in the Cauca department, from $463 (). Two-dive day trips from Gorgona's dive center, $90. Kayak rentals, $5 per hour.

King Kauai

Lush greenery, volcanoes and an endless supply of hidden beaches.

The Big Island has size on its side, not to mention fun volcanoes. Oahu has the storied North Shore. And Maui—well, let's just say that the honeymooners storming its beaches year after year don't come for nothing.

But little Kauai has it all: lush greenery, volcanoes, small towns not yet overrun, and a seemingly endless supply of hidden beaches for surfing, snorkeling, and sunbathing.

This year, all those options are more accessible than ever. On the island's north shore, the St. Regis Princeville opened its doors last October (doubles from $385; ); after taking over the historic Princeville Resort, St. Regis revamped the whole place with a classy retro look. (Think coconut palm floors and a new spa and restaurant by ĂŒber-chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.)

But you don't go to Kauai to lounge. Join the locals for stand-up paddleboarding in Hanalei Bay—there's a great SUP surf break by the Hanalei Pier—or along the flat calm of the Hanalei River. Kayak Kauai offers lessons and boards (rentals from $42 per day; ). In the nearby Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge, a coastal wetlands teeming with endemic bird species, you'll find the Okolehao trail—a windy, two-mile path offering views of Hanalei Bay and the mind-blowing Na Pali coastline. If it's surf you're after, head 45 minutes south to Poipu, rent a board at Nukumoi Surf Co. ($6 per hour; ), and try the Poipu Beach surf break, one of the island's best. Afterwards, crash just 50 yards away at the year-old Koa Kea, the first and only boutique property here (doubles from $299; ).

Trippin' on Indo

Short-term memory loss in the South Pacific.

Indonesia

Shrines decorated for the Hindu Odalan festival.

Indonesia

Lembongan traffic

LEMBONGAN ISN'T EXACTLY out of the way—just seven miles southeast of tourist-clogged Bali—but it stays perfectly out of your way. Nothing about the place gets between you and your vacation. A three-square-mile speck of coral reefs, empty beaches, and hillside bungalows, the Indonesian island is what Henry Miller meant when he said of Big Sur, California, “There being nothing to improve on in the surroundings, the tendency is to set about improving oneself.”

The easy access from Bali—plus the presence of several consistent surf breaks and dive spots—has given Lembongan a small but steady tourism economy to supplement the traditional kelp farms. My wife and I thought it might be a nice change of pace during our 16-day honeymoon on Bali. It ended up being the highlight of our trip.

It's hard for either of us to say exactly why. I know we surfed and took a beginner scuba excursion. But mostly what we have are hazy recollections of long naps, afternoon strolls, and laughing over dinner about how we'd managed to fill another day doing … er, well, we were never quite sure. And still aren't. We barely even have any photos from our stay. That's Lembongan's gift: letting you let go.

I imagine this empty-mindedness is the sort of self-improvement people seek from meditation retreats. But this retreat has cold beer and a really hollow reef break—from what I can remember.

GET THERE: Island Explorer Cruises offers day trips to Lembongan for $85 per person, including food and activities, and beachside bungalows for two from $90 per night ().

Have Lots, Want Not

The curious challenge of living it up on a private island in Fiji.

Fiji

Three acres of paradise: Wadigi

Indonesia

Wadigi's open air suites

I HAD TWO WHITE-SAND beaches and an infinity pool that overlooked an endless sea. I had a boatman ready at a moment's notice to take me snorkeling, water-skiing, windsurfing, fishing, or paddling in a glass-bottom kayak. I had two chefs waiting to prepare any whim; an open-air villa; an on-call masseuse; and a statuesque hostess who greeted me with a fruity cocktail in a fresh-cut coconut. In other words, I had Wadigi, a tiny islet in Fiji's Mamanucas, at my command.

I'd been sent there by a dive magazine to experience the singular indulgence of a private island. And, as a chronically underpaid writer, I planned to soak up every last perk. But after a couple of days of diving among spiky lionfish at half a dozen world-class sites, dinners with too many courses to count, and enough gin-and-tonics to get me kicked out of any self-respecting American bar, a funny thing happened: I found myself doing absolutely nothing.

As it turns out, when you have everything you might want, your wants start to subside. OK, so I never did get bored with that glass-bottom kayak, but I spent most of my free hours simply lolling around and contemplating the preposterous views. On my last evening, instead of ordering extravagant cocktails and back-to-back massages, I ate all the home-baked cookies in the jar and then simply sat in the pool watching the sun dip below the horizon and the clouds sweep across the mirror-still sea.

GET THERE: From $2,327 per day for two, including meals, most activities, and lodging; two-tank dives, $100;

New Outposts

Seven island getaways to fit every fantasy.

Anguilla

The Viceroy, Anguilla

FISH
Islas Secas, Panama
A group of 16 private islands, Islas Secas sits 25 miles off the Pacific coast, close to the wahoo, marlin, and grouper crowding Hannibal Bank. On land, the place is Gilligan's wildest dream, its seven solar oceanfront yurts holding only 14 guests. Go for the surfing or diving, but mainly go fish: Last winter, fishing director Carter Andrews helped a guest set seven world records here. In a week. Six nights, $6,600 per person;

SAIL
Scrub Island, British Virgin Islands
This 230-acre private island, which opened in February, is the first new resort in the BVIs in 15 years. At the heart is a 53-slip marina, the perfect base to launch a sailing excursion of the BVIs. Or stick around in one of the island's 52 rooms to enjoy day sailing, diving, hiking, and three restaurants. Doubles from $359;

DIVE
Shearwater Resort, Saba
Set some 2,000 feet atop Saba, a five-square-mile volcanic island in the Neth­erlands Antilles, Shearwater offers panoramic ocean views but is only a ten-minute drive from the docks. There, dive boats will take you out to some of the Caribbean's best snorkeling and scuba. (Ask Shearwater about custom packages.) The newly renovated rooms offer flatscreens, iPod docks, and wi-fi. Doubles from $175;

WATERSPORT
Viceroy Hotel and Resort, Anguilla
With three restaurants and three pools, you might be inclined never to leave the grounds of this year-old, 35-acre resort on the shores of both Barnes and Meads bays. But do: The 3,200 feet of coastline on the two bays offers spectacular sailing, snorkeling, and swimming. Doubles from $595;

SURF
The Atlantis Hotel, Barbados
Following a complete refurbishment in 2009, this swank, eight-room lodge on Barbados's east coast offers fast access to Sand Bank, a beginner-friendly beach break, and Soup Bowl, a tenacious reef break that Kelly Slater has called one of the best in the world. Doubles from $255;

MULTISPORT
The Landings, St. Lucia
A 19-acre waterfront resort on the northern tip of lush St. Lucia, the Landings offers complimentary 78-foot sailboats, snorkel gear, and sea kayaks . Pick up one of the latter and paddle 400 yards to little Pigeon Island for a hike to an 18th-century British fort. And don't forget to look inland: St. Lucia's Piton mountains offer some of the Caribbean's best hiking and vistas (you can see neighboring St. Vincent). Six nights, $1,755 per person, double occupancy;

INDULGE
Terre di Corleone and Portella della Ginestra, Sicily
Until recently, these properties were owned by mafia bosses Bernardo Brusca and Salvatore Riina. Thanks to a 1996 Italian law that uses government-seized mafia assets for social purposes, they've been converted into inns and cooperative farms producing fresh pasta, honey, legumes, and, of course, plentiful red and white wines. Doubles from $45;

Fresh Trips

Seven island getaways with the perfect balance of adventure and indulgence.

Belize

Off Ambergris Caye, Belize

PADDLE
Palau
Boundless Journeys' Oceania Odyssey starts with infinity-pool luxury at the Palau Pacific Resort, on Koror, before going rustic: For the next week, no more than ten guests camp on two smaller islands; snorkel over sunken World War II planes; sea-kayak the saltwater Black Tip Lake, accessed by marine tunnel; and dine on fresh-caught parrotfish. January–October; from $4,695 per person;

SAIL
Isle of Skye, Scotland
On the new seven-day Sailing & Walking Around Skye trip from Wilderness Scotland, local skipper Angus MacDonald Smith will ferry eight guests around Skye on his 67-foot yacht, Elinca, seeking out the old pirate anchorages, hailing passing fishermen to buy prawns, and cruising up inlets to launch guided hikes in the steep Cuillin Hills. Go in May or June for 20-hour days and peak seabird nesting. $1,400 per person;

MULTISPORT
Madagascar
Gap șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs' Madagascar Experience focuses on inland beauty. From the capital of Antananarivo, your crew will head south by minibus, stopping to hike in lush rainforests, bike around (and swim in) Lake Andraikiba, and explore the eroded sandstone Isalo Mountains. March–December; $1,449 per person;

FISH
Seychelles
On Frontiers Travel's new six-day Desroches Island Flyfishing șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű, guests cast for hard-fighting bluefin trevally at offshore atolls by day and crash in private villas by night. Casting arm need a break? Explore the 3.5-mile-long island with kayaks, bikes, or snorkels and fins. $7,600 per person, double occupancy;

MULTISPORT
San Juan Islands
REI șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs' San Juan Islands trip is a six-day mash-up through Washington's Puget Sound, including a 50-mile road-biking spin around Orcas Island, sea kayaking with killer whales near Sentinel Island, and one night at a remote campsite. (The other four are spent at the Lakedale Resort's tent-cabins, which have real beds.) From $1,899 per person;

DIVE
Half Moon Caye, Belize
On the seven-day Lighthouse Reef trip from Island Expeditions, you'll kick back in safari-style tents and napping hammocks strung in coconut groves on 44-acre Half Moon Caye, some 50 miles off the mainland. Of course, you'll probably spend most of your time in or on the water, diving the Blue Hole—a famous, 400-foot-deep well—snorkeling in shallows, and exploring the reef by kayak. From $1,789 per person;

RIDE
Crete
Backroads' new six-day Crete cycling trip starts from IrĂĄklion, on the northern coast, and ends, after 268 miles of pedaling, at Akrotiri Cape, in the west. In between, you'll spin past lush vineyards and olive groves and Venetian harbor towns, where fresh seafood and plush inns await. $3,598 per person, double occupancy;

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