For the Italian-born photographer, a trip to the Caribbean to shoot W. Hodding Carter for August's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin Swimmer" was more than an assignment, it was a rum-soaked adventure.

It's time to take a fresh look at how to make the most of your 48 hours of weekend freedom. From high-adrenaline blasts to ultimate Zen sessions, we've created 37 custom plans to match every mood. Start packing—your adventure starts Friday.

When a study this past spring revealed that the British are significantly healthier than Americans, we went looking for the wellness benefits of warm beer. But it turns out there are plenty of more wholesome buzzes in the UK.

My family is interested in a two-day rafting/camping trip. However, we have a seven- and nine-year-old. Both swim pretty well. Any trip suggestions? Would later in the season be an option when the flow is down? Paul Brunswick, OH

Strap in for a road trip through the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan with Robert Thurman—Uma's dad and one of the planet's most magnetic Buddha boosters—and get set for stunning scenery, harrowing S-curves, and face time with the wild side of your soul

Here's how to ship your ride without snafus

With on-call mechanics, high-energy meals, and leg massages, boutique bike hotels turn cycling into a destination sport on par with skiing

What happens when a Type A relaxation-phobe takes his first vacation in years? Life gets good again.

My fiancée and I are interested in a wedding that incorporates our love of the outdoors, preferably with an ecotourism spin. Do you know of any ecotourism companies that plan weddings? What would you recommend we do?

Snowbound in the Andes after their plane crashes, the starving members of a Uruguayan rugby squad are forced to live off the flesh of their fallen teammates. Now, for the first time, the hero of their ordeal writes his own story. In this exclusive excerpt from Miracle in the Andes, Nando Parrado reveals the untold horrors of their suffering—and the

What is the best way to walk the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu? How can I find the best guides? Richard Oviedo, Florida

Biking & Nightlife

BRIDGE CLIMBING— scaling the trusses and cables above suspended roadways—has been popular in Australia for years. But if you tried it stateside, you’d likely land in jail—until now. Cincinnati-based Purple People Bridge Climb has received permission to lead patrons on half-mile scrambles from Newport, Kentucky, across five spans of the…

Costa Rica's Nature Air gets an emissions-free face-lift

It seems like every time I've looked at the weather this year, ski areas out West are getting hmered with more snow—even in April. Can you tell me the best places for spring skiing? Pete Salisbury, Maryland

Hook up with Carmichael Training Systems and Santa Fe Mountain Adventures for one of the most comprehensive adventure racing camp in the country.

Refugee rockers JJI Exile Brothers give Tibetan youth a new attitude

SCOTT LINDGREN, whose first descent of Tibet’s deadly Tsangpo was chronicled in our July 2002 issue, continues to paddle and film the world’s most dangerous whitewater. His upcoming DVD, Burning Time II (out in May), features first descents in China and Turkey. And during a recent trip to Zambia,…

Get steeped in Sri Lanka's tea country at four new lodges in the southern highlands

Get behind the wheel for the Banger Rally, a 4,500-mile blitz from England to the Sahara in which globe-trotting wrench-heads, posh speed freaks, and sand-blinded adventurers crank up the crazy and stomp on the gas

Where is a good place to stay in Australia's Cape Tribulation without breaking the bank? Karin Olympia, Wa

I'm traveling to Germany this June for the World Cup. I'd like suggestions for both daylong and overnight hikes. Is there a hut-to-hut system? Bill Coral Springs, FL

A virtual tour of South Asia's pearl-shaped island.

Scientists turn to Hollywood for the origin of species names

…Or Just Go

All it takes is one trip to change your life - and we've got 40 of 'em. Dreaming of close encounters with cheetahs or penguins? Want to climb a mountain in Peru? Experience an epic trek in China? One trip, one world - that's all it takes.

Don't let the info revolution leave you dazed and confused. Here's how to boot up the best of the new and classic travel media so you can filter, focus, and get out the door.

There's no substitute for the natural world, but engineers are catching up. Ten years ago, an indoor climbing wall turned heads; now developers are mimicking mountains, rivers, and oceans. As urban centers swell, so do the latest man-made achievements.

Is it a bird or a haunting memory? Wells Tower tracks an uncertain resurrection of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the big woods of Arkansas.

I going to Argentina for work and have one to two weeks of personal holidays at the end. What would be the best thing to do in Argentina or South erica? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Michael Griffith, Australia

The Golden State gets set to host America's richest bike race ever

Here's why ten Winter Olympics have been staged high in the Alps: James Bond glamour, beautiful slopes, and raging après—ski that lasts till 3 a.m.

Syria is an enthusiastic state sponsor of terrorism and a fiendish fan of torture and oppression. But have you tried the stuffed grape leaves? PATRICK SYMMES invades before the coalition of the willing can.

Seamus Murphy's recent trip to Syria with writer Patrick Symmes was one of many in a long list of far-flung adventures across the globe. Read about his experiences in Syria, then view an exclusive photo gallery of the country.

I like to road cycle, and a good workout for me is 35 to 60 miles per ride. My husband doesn't enjoy this. Do you know of any vacation spots where I can ride while my husband hikes and/or mountain bikes or can otherwise entertain himself? A spot where he can meet me at the end of my ride as we travel would also be nice. Denise St. George, Utah

Can you suggest lodges in the US or Canada where we can take our 1,4 and 6 yr old boys for hiking, fly-fishing (beginner), beautiful vistas, rafting and decent accommodations (preferably our own cabin with meals in the lodge)? Imran Shelocta, PA

I'm planning a trip with my family (two daughters, ages five and one). When our oldest daughter had turned one we spent a month in South Africa (Cape Town & the Garden Route). It was great! I would like to see more of that country, but my wife is lobbying hard for Asia (Thailand). What should we expect from Asia that will differ from South Africa, concerning weather, safety, and general standard of living? We plan to stay away for six to eight weeks. Jan Stockholm, Sweden

For the veteran adventure photographer, Bhutan broke the mold.

When it comes to adventure kingdoms, all roads eventually lead to California. Here's where to find the Golden State's secret stash.

Time to tune up that garageful of gear (we don't mean lawn chairs) and devote your next outing to full-throttle fun.

IN JANUARY, ARIZONA’S Hualapai tribe, whose 2,000-person reservation covers 1,500 square miles along the Grand Canyon’s south rim, is opening a glass-bottomed, horseshoe-shaped walkway that will jut 70 feet from the edge, 4,000 feet above the canyon floor. Located 200 miles west of the crowded lookouts of Grand Canyon National…

Now you can explore Easter Island's famed stone statues in style

I'm trying to plan a winter backcountry/nordic ski trip in Yellowstone or somewhere else in the Rockies and not sure where to go. I'd like to stay either in cabins along a set route or ideally in some sort of base lodge and do day trips from there. I've got some experience nordic skiing and alpine skiing but not much backcountry skiing, so it can't be too technical. Any ideas? John Washington, D.C.

Fight back! Don't succumb to the cold-weather blues this winter—head south to the Caribbean and Central America, where the sun comes up early and the ice comes shaved. Presenting the six freshest surf-and-chill outdoor adventures this season.

Surrounded by the beauty of the world's highest range, thousands of people live without sight. The Himalayan Cataract Project is curing blindness—literally overnight—in the most remote villages of Nepal and India. And, hey, as long as you're performing mass miracles, why not run up a 21,000-foot peak?

Some two to three million people have been left homeless by the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck South Asia, according to a press release issued by the North Face and GlobalGiving. Here, find out where you can donate gear to the help in the relief effort. Donated gear will be collected…

Patagonia's wild peaks and blue glaciers have long been the ultimate lost frontier. Now an American gone gaucho is carving out an incredible new trekking kingdom in Chile's vast, unspoiled Ays�n region, and adventure's South American dreamscape just got a whole lot bigger.

So it's a vast, faraway adventure mecca,no worries, mate! Here come ten abso-bloody-lutely awesome Australian odysseys—from Sydney to the bush—plus locals' picks and all the beta you need to get there.

A veteran documentary photographer, Teru Kuwayama frequently finds himself on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan—the latter of which he calls his “hands-down favorite country on earth.” This despite the fact that he and Outside Reconnaissance Agent and Hard Way columnist Mark Jenkins were arrested after traversing Afghanistan’s northeastern…

Whoa! It's the best new trek in Queensland.

From Caribbean hurricanes to the Asian tsunami, last year was hell in paradise. A special recovery report.

Thirty vehicles, 16,000 miles, and not a single tank of gas

In the brave new world of Eastern Europe, a bond forged in adventure�then nearly forgotten�is reborn. Just in time.

Ride the rails in style on these six epic train odysseys

Luggage

Nevada may be big and windswept, but don't dare call it empty. An adventure road trip through the Silver State turns up a secret-stash playland of backcountry splendor, high-end diversions, and a horizon that never stops beckoning.

How to deal with layover purgatory? Make airports more fun. We've created the ultimate—a fantasy composite of our favorite terminal amenities from around the world. Airport developers, you are cleared for takeoff.

Think Utopia doesn't exist? Maybe not yet—but these ten towns are making a play for perfection with adventure-friendly innovation and cool ideas for building smart communities. Plus the hottest concepts in urban revival, combating sprawl, and better hometown living.

What does a naive environmentalist discover when he buys his own forest? He's got to log it to save it.

Until early last year, the ivory-billed woodpecker was presumed extinct—there hadn’t been a confirmed sighting of the 20-inch-tall bird, once common in the southeastern United States, since 1944. But in April, after a yearlong hunt involving sophisticated remote sound-recording technology and plenty of neck craning, ornithologists announced that at least…

You can't buy it in any store, can't send away for it online, can't meet the author (there are thousands), and you probably won't be able to read it if you do find it, since much of it is written in Hebrew. PATRICK SYMMES follows the trail of an underground global legend: the everywhere-and-nowhere travel bible of Israel's combat-fatigued, footloose vagabond yo

Our two-week pleasure tour samples the best of Canada's most bountiful province

On the southern end of Italy's boot—Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, and the island of Sicily—you'll fall in love with the creamy gelato, unspoiled beaches, and the rhythms of a simpler life

A family of four takes on the Big Five in Kenya

Dreamy spots in the U.S., Mexico, and the Caribbean to tie the knot

From chic clubbing in Dublin to cycling the Ring of Kerry, Ireland's got a bit of everything

Witness the evolution of the houseboat, from floating shack to marine Cadillac

Don't just hike—follow in the footsteps of famous explorers and naturalists

If your big-day fantasies include a crescent beach or a mountain vista, you're part of the hottest trend in nuptial bliss: destination weddings

The past is present on Ireland's windswept west coast

It's so nice to have you back where you belong

For travelers whose outdoorsy yang seeks an inner-journey yin, these yoga retreats offer balance year-round.

Ten tempting all-American lodges with style and ambience to spare

Catch a glimpse of these five heavenly cascades

Discover Yunnan, an uncommon convergence of rushing rivers, ancient villages, and snowy peaks that's fast becoming China's premier adventure playground

From the red-rock vistas of Abiquiu to the dunes of White Sands—with a few shots of tequila mixed in—New Mexico is another world. Try these 12 perfect days in the Land of Enchantment. Horseback Riding into the Sunset Cerrillos Twenty miles south of Santa Fe, where the southern Rockies peter…

A new breed of luxury camping mixes fresh air and fireside fun with crisp linens and five-star dining

Welcome to Croatia, the melting pot of hot. Where East meets West, the old is new, the young are worldly-wise, the wilds are pristine, and the 20th-century shadows of war are giving way to a hip and happening 21st-century place to find peace.

Thirty-three years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, New York’s 315-mile Hudson River, long an icon of industrial and municipal pollution, is running clean enough that native fish species like the striped bass are boosting their numbers even in the waters off Manhattan. And they’re not alone. About…

Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Fl Little Palm Island FLY IN, BOAT OUT: Little Palm from your taxi window This 28-bungalow retreat is as off the grid as it gets—120 watery miles south of Miami, accessible only by boat or floatplane. Snorkel and kayak off white beaches, or…