Destinations
ArchiveThe catastrophic Christmas tsunami hit Thailand's climbing meccas hard. Railae Beach resident SAM LIGHTNER JR. reports on the nightmares and miracles of the aftermath—and on the Thais and expats rebuilding their slice of paradise.
No one denies that our 50th state is Paradise, USA. But anyone who's ever been to this lush chain knows a simple truth: Not all the islands are created equal. So which is best? Welcome to the Great Hawaiian Island-Off. Read on, and pick your perfection.
An 812-mile effort to revive the spirit, if not the tactics, of the West's most notorious monkey-wrencher
Stash the skis and bust out the sequined thongs—it's Carnival time in the tropics. Seaside adventure and rum-fueled hedonism await.
On a planet crowded with six billion people, isolated primitive cultures are getting pushed to the brink of extinction. Against this backdrop, a new form of adventure travel has raised an unsettling question: Would you pay to see tribes who have never laid eyes on an outsider?
An ANWR defeat would deal a major blow to the entire concept of wilderness protection. In this exclusive essay, Senator JOHN KERRY vows to take the fight to the GOP leadership.
Does President Bush have the votes to drill Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? The world is about to find out.
What do you want—a printed invitation? OK, here it is: We’ve scouted the year’s coolest travel offerings—from new classics like cruising the Arctic, exploring the wild Caribbean, and journeying across Russia’s heartland to bold new frontiers like trekking Libya and tracking wildlife (and luxury lodges) in Sri Lanka. Going somewhere?…
Real adventure means making a difference. Check out these ways to make philanthropy a part of your trip—and dare to get inspired.
Read “The Light of Seven Mountain Suns,” about the Himalayan Cataract Project and Sight-to-Summit Expedition, by senior editor Nick Heil in the December issue of Outside, now on stands, then see more of photographer Ace Kvale’s shots here. Sight-to-Summit Gallery To view an exclusive gallery of the expedition, click…
WHEN OLYMPIC ORGANIZERS reintroduced the old-school sport of skeleton at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, after a 54-year hiatus, they had a hit. Skeleton, which sends competitors headfirst down icy tracks at up to 80 miles per hour, is the “moonshine of winter thrills,” as American gold-medal winner Jim…
A long-imagined journey to the spires of Africa marks the end of a dream—and the start of something new
Travel: Seven destinations where fine food complements a taste for adventure
They say the Himalayan hideaway of Malana is Lotusland, home to the world's highest high. But here's what they don't tell you: Getting there can mean surviving a late-winter forced march over an avalanche-choked mountain pass, and dealing with locals who treat you like a loathsome alien. Wow. Sometimes Shangri-La can really suck.
An ANWR defeat would deliver a major blow to the concept of wilderness protection – and environmental leaders know it. Backs against the wall, green lobbyists are planning to fight, and one group at the forefront will be the D.C.-based League of Conservation Voters. Long feared by legislators for its…
In the February 2005 issue of Outside, Senator John Kerry argues that oil development in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would bring irreparable harm to a uniquely American treasure. His essay is the latest in a series of Outside reports exploring the pros and cons of drilling in ANWR. Here,…
Freed from a conflicted past, Mozambique's sublime islands are coming alive—and they've never been more spellbinding
This luxury-travel company delivers your wildest adventure dreams
From beach to jungle, cottage to castle: eight great island hideaways
Colonial Seduction Golden Rock Plantation Inn, Nevis Don’t fret about the colonialist fantasies you’ll start entertaining during your stay at Golden Rock Plantation Inn, a converted 1811 sugar mill and estate tucked into the hilly interior of Nevis. Here you are, with your run of the bougainvillea-and-bromeliad gardens and cool,…
Sea World Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge, Isla Colón Tranquilo is the operative word at Punta Caracol, located just off serene Isla Colón, 75 minutes by puddle jumper and boat from Panama City, via Bocas del Toro. Sheltered by the surrounding archipelago and mainland Panama, the resort’s six two-story cabanas with…
Twelve authentic islands, luscious resorts, genuine fun
Excellent animal encounters abound on winter's five best wildlife cruises
In these grand landscapes, there's hidden vitality and subtle beauty. Find adventure and renewal—not to mention some tasty tequila—at five fine oases in the Southwest and Mexico.
Forget hiking the Kalalau Trail on Kauai’s famed NA PALI COAST. You’ll get a much better view of these fluted green cliffs by boat—and winter is prime time to see humpback whales that have migrated here from Alaska. This season, Na Pali Explorer, a Kauai-based outfitter, is offering morning whale-watching…
The wedding's a wrap, the guests are gone, and now the real fun begins. these eight perfect honeymoons will launch your new life together.
This fall, workers are finishing construction on the world’s largest tree house, set among 16 lime trees in the Alnwick Garden, a 40-acre public space 30 miles north of Newcastle, England. Hardly a glorified kiddie clubhouse, the three-story, 10,000-square-foot turreted spread will contain a 120-seat restaurant, private dining rooms, a…
With a swell of rebel violence this past summer and a fresh attack in early November, climbers and trekkers are weighing the risks of travel to Nepal. How real is the danger?
How to see your stomping grounds as a concrete jungle.
Americans like to keep score. What better way to keep track of who’s good, better, and best than by casting bronze busts and collecting premium castoffs, then sticking them all in one place? Baseball may have Cooperstown, but surfing gets Lihue, Hawaii. Here’s what else you’ll find in our favorite…
Leave it to Bhutan—the Switzerland-size Buddhist kingdom wedged between Tibet and India that’s become the pinnacle of exclusive adventure travel—to be the new home of two ultra-indulgent lodges. Opening this month, Uma Paro, owned by Como Hotels and Resorts, is a 20-room, nine-villa mountain getaway set on 38 forested acres…
Can extreme pleasure and adventure coexist? Yeah, baby! Hop on a bike for a long, winding tour through the gourmet sweet spots of southern France.
Panama's mythic Darién Gap—a 10,000-square-mile swath of jungle on the border of Central and South America—has swallowed explorers for centuries. Today, guerrillas, drug smugglers, poachers, and jaguars rule this vast no-man's-land. Our explorer spent six weeks trying to penetrate Darién's heart of darkness, but the Gap still fiercely protects its secrets.
Four luxurious north-woods hideaways where you can chill into fall
Bike racing's most hellish climb isn't L'Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux; it's New Hampshire's Mount Washington
On the high plains of the West, tough men still ride herd on the open range. But the new riders are lonely gauchos from Chile and Peru, and their 21st-century frontier is a place where the cowboy myth meets a harsh reality.
Drop in for a day, stay a week, or put down roots for a lifetime. In these soulful, just-under-the-radar hideouts, distilled small-town pleasures still go down smoothly.
If British Columbia didn't invent the adventure lodge, the province sure has perfected the genre. Here are four that do it right, with a twist: You can't drive to any of them.
Welcome to the anti-Himalayas, a happy land of sunshine, frothy water, and extra-large boulders
Which of our 2004 Dream Towns is the best place for unbridled fun and outdoor adventure? Cast your vote now! Results will be reported in an upcoming issue of Outside. Lanesboro, Minnesota Etna, California Cashiers, North Carolina…
There’s more than one way to take in the adventure and splendor of America’s national parks. So we’re serving up a prize package of SECRET TRIPS—locals’ no-tell favorites, from Acadia to Yellowstone to wildest Alaska—along with a roundup of DREAM TOWNS nearby, the places to eat, drink, and dance after…
Week of February 14-21, 1996 Camping at Point Reyes Seashore, CA Alabama backpacking destination The new Crater Lake Lodge Camping on Florida's barrier islands Bike touring Nova Scotia and the Maritimes…
Week of September 5-11, 1996 Alabama's scenic Pinhoti Trail Question: My wife, Carolyn, and I want to take a four-day backpacking trip September 11-14, but we don't want to travel too far from Indy. We are thinking about Alabama but…
Week of July 16-22, 1998 Dodging lightning in the mountains and canyons Off-roading in South Dakota’s Black Hills Navigating Nova Scotia Touring Asia by bike Off-roading in South Dakota’s…
June 20-July 4, 1995 Dream Towns Debate Your kind of town? After a cross-country quest to find the best towns in which to hang your bike helmet and your shingle, Outside correspondent Mike Steere got online to discuss his…
Don't miss out: Make plans now to experience the classic rites of summer
 Outside magazine, May 1998 Another Day Under the Black Volcano Picture a life in the shadow of the rumbling Soufri`ere, from whose vicissitudes come ash and rock and a possible scorching death. Would you flee, as have most of your neighbors? Or…
There's still California gold in the mellow space between Napa and the Sierra
Travel Guide, Winter 1995-1996 All-Inclusive Resorts Margaritas for nothing and the chips for free By Matthew Joyce In the notoriously high-priced Caribbean, it doesn’t take long to max out a credit card or burn through a wad of traveler’s checks–those $50-per-day equipment…
 Outside magazine, November 1996 There Must Be a God In Haiti Beyond the madness, beyond the fatalism he had succumbed to, was a far more complicated and blessed place. A possibly redemptive journey through history’s most battered nation. As close as the…
 Outside magazine, December 1996 Mush, Mush, Mush, Dammit, Mush! As it preps for its 25th running, the Iditarod considers a mangy history of PCism, marauding polar bears, and the occasional random murder. Trail notes from America’s last great race. By Elizabeth Royte…
Outside magazine, Family Vacation Guide The Islands of Summer Where your only concerns will be what time the tide will turn and where you left your flip-flops Santa Catalina Island, California It may seem hard…
Australia finally lays tracks to the outback from Adelaide to Darwin
Skip the well-trodden tourist routes and join this trek through a pristine mountainous area virtually unknown to Westerners.
It's climbing season again on Everest. And as hundreds of summit hopefuls converge at Base Camp, the great debate persists: Has the Big E become the Big Easy? Alpinists Greg Child and Dave Hahn take sides.
The Big Dig hits pay dirt—in the shape of a new island playground in Boston Harbor
Go straight to the source and taste the good life at these organic farm getaways
Our word-of-mouth report: adventure lodges that belong on your radar screen