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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
HARDY IF NOT HEFTY, the 125cc, two-stroke, Soviet-era Minsk motorcycle is the vehicle of choice on the intermittently paved roads between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Put one to the test on this 18-day Easy Rider–meets–The Motorcycle Diaries tour, which parallels the route of the historic 1,500-mile…
The 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.
Real adventure means making a difference. Check out these ways to make philanthropy a part of your trip—and dare to get inspired.
Stash the skis and bust out the sequined thongs—it's Carnival time in the tropics. Seaside adventure and rum-fueled hedonism await.
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.
On February 6, some 100,000 football fans will invade Jacksonville, Florida's Alltel Stadium for Super Bowl XXXIX, making this the worst day of the year to go there. Thankfully, most will depart the next day, leaving behind an oceanside city with 65-degree winter days and fast access to sporting pursuits that don't involve 350-pound men in tight pants. Here's o
Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Thar she... might blow! When Mount St. Helens, America's very own all-natural weapon of mass destruction, threatened to go postal again, 24 years after her last tantrum, disaster groupies rushed to the crater—and hoped for the worst.
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?…
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?
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…
Rod Liberal was climbing in the Grand Tetons when the worst happened—a flash of lightning blasted him and a group of his climbing friends, leaving one dead. What's life like after high voltage rips through your body? You don't want to know.
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
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…
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.
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,…
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…
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
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
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,…
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?
Where can I find a decent-sized conversion pack (those backpacks with the flap that covers the hip belt and shoulder straps)? Eagle Creek's packs are too small, and they have the largest on the market, at least in the U.S. I'm looking for something between 80 and 90 liters; a panel-loader with a sleeping-bag compartment and a zip-off daypack. Bill Atlanta, Georgia
How to see your stomping grounds as a concrete jungle.
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.
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…
The single-malt whiskies of Scotland are a distillation of the rain-soaked Highlands and remote, sea-sprayed isles. Below, our fave picks of 18th- and 19th-century distilleries that combine the picturesque and the eminently quaffable. Single Malt Scotch Reviews Courtesy of ravenscroftcrystal.com »EDRADOUR (011-44-179-647-2095, www.edradour.co.uk),…
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
High-end RVs deliver comfort and convenience, but they typically keep you tethered to pavement and plug-ins—and often have you sacking out among snoring retirees. Enter the EarthRoamer XV-LT, a $155,000 built-to-order luxury rig designed for charging off the grid in grand enviro style. Powered by a Ford F-450 4×4 diesel…
Best-selling novelist and serial muckraker Carl Hiaasen is mad as hell about what they're doing to Florida. His revenge? Vicious mockery of Sunshine State sleazeballs and greedy eco-thugs. An equally pissed-off Bob Shacochis tags along for a day of fantasy bonefishing and literary whup-ass.
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 April 10-16, 1997 Exploring Grand Staircase-Escalante Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu Hiking, biking, and paddling in Maine Learning to sail in the Caribbean Tips for…
Week of May 1-7, 1997 Family hiking, fishing vacations Nice, secluded canoe camping Mount Cook climbing preparations Scenic cross-country road trip Bowl skiing in Western Canada…
Week of May 15-21, 1997 Hiking getaways near Tucson Dry camping in eastern Oregon Diving adventures in Cuba Vacation ideas for Grenada Planning a Mississippi canoe trip…
Week of June 5-11, 1997 Where’s the mysterious Blue Lake? Kayaking vacations near Seattle Family car-camping in the Rockies Campground choices at Yellowstone Do-it-yourself trips to Nepal…
Week of June 26-July 2, 1997 Camping on north Vancouver Island Guided tours through Acadia Park Fall trip to Zimbabwe, Botswana Relaxing vacations in the West Mountain biking around…
Week of August 7-13, 1997 Whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River Helicopter-hiking, fishing in Whistler, B.C. Camping, biking near Duluth, Minnesota Romantic getaways near Atlanta, Georgia Family rock-climbing schools…
Week of September 25-October 1, 1997 Bicycle touring around Vermont Ringing up a polar expedition Car-camping near Washington D.C. Warm-weather trips with kids Renting a house in the tropics…
Week of September 18-24, 1997 “Fall-and-die” skiing in France Discount ski tickets in Colorado Disease risks for travel to Belize Formalizing an outdoor education Penny-saving safaris around Alaska…
Fall Color Guide Fly-fishing the Western frontier By Scott Willoughby Outside Online correspondent very now and again you are lucky to discover a place so pristine, so utterly natural, so God’s-country-gorgeous that…
Andean Adventure New vistas March 8, 1998 We huffed and puffed our way up Imbabura Imbabura, its rocky crown erupting from the folded green ridges of the paramo, is a…
Week of October 23-29, 1997 Hiking the trails in Kauai Road tripping through Mexico Exploring Alaska’s Glacier Bay Solo traveling in Patagonia Justifying frequent, fun vacations…
Week of January 1-7, 1998 Guided cycling trips through Europe Planning a kid-friendly active vacation What should I do with six months off? Honeymooning on Fiji and Bora Bora…
Week of January 22-28, 1998 Skiing into Jap Lake in the BWCA Scenic camping close to Washington D.C. Environmental expeditions from Earthwatch Taking the Silk Route from Turkey to China…
Week of February 5-11, 1998 Sea-kayaking trips in Baja for beginners Awe-inspiring spring break trips in Cuba Finding new road rides in Massachusetts Hiking, scuba diving, and lazing in Greece…
Week of March 26-April 1, 1998 Looking for a challenging NW cycle tour Camping out in the Florida Keys Backpacking in the Yukon’s Kluane National Park A pampered vacation to Acadia National…
Week of April 23-29, 1998 Exploring Iceland by foot Self-guided hiking in the Pyrenees Dengue fever dangers in Thailand Searching for all-women travel groups Self-guided hiking in the Pyrenees…
Week of September 5-11, 1996 Mount Washington: We’re talking cold Question: I heard it’s hellish, but exactly how cold will it get up on New…
Week of September 26-October 2, 1996 Guided treks to sacred Mount Kailas An info source for Southwest cycling Hiking in southwest Pennsylvania In search of perfection in Mexico…
Week of March 6-12, 1997 Making the most of a few days in Oz Where to mountain bike in Arizona Living off the land along the AT Paddling Glacier Bay’s East Arm…
Week of November 21-27, 1996 Sea kayaking schools for beginners Saltwater adventures in Honduras Camping tips for the desert Trekking to the North Pole Backcountry ski trips near…
Week of January 22-28, 1998 Skiing into Jap Lake in the BWCA Scenic camping close to Washington D.C. Environmental expeditions from Earthwatch Taking the Silk Route from Turkey to China…
Week of September 3-9, 1998 Rock climbing spots near Austin and Atlanta A winter honeymoon in Sicily Adventures for wedding guests near Montego Bay A winter honeymoon in Sicily Question:…