What better way to enjoy the gorgeous islands of the Seychelles than on this relaxing cruise adventure through the archipelago with Intrepid?
Sailing aboard the small but luxurious ship, Pegasus, you’ll explore the far reaches of this stunning part of the world, dropping anchor beside uninhabited islands and swimming in bays the big cruise liners can’t reach, over eight days.
Sailing times are never longer than four hours, so you’ll get plenty of time to kayak through lush mangrove forests, go birdwatching or simply kick back on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, including Anse Lazio and Anse Source d’Argent.
Encounter breathtaking scenery and an intriguing mix of French and African culture on this extraordinary walking holiday on Reunion Island with KE Adventure Travel.
This far-flung volcanic island rises to over 3000m and its rugged interior boasts a network of walking trails which would not look out of place in Nepal. Three vast eroded cirques, Salazie, Mafate and Cilaos, dominate the centre of the island and provide the backdrop for an adventure that will take you across high passes and through villages and luxuriant vegetation.
Expect exotic bird species, towering waterfalls and hot springs as well as plenty of R&R at the lovely coastal village of Saint-Gilles.
Sample the best that Madagascar has to offer – or simply unwind and relax –on this tropical beach trip to Anjajavy with TravelLocal.
Staying in a luxurious hotel, right on the beach, Anjajavy is the perfect base for exploring the deserted creeks, little fishing villages and Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve.
The UNESCO World Heritage site is home to wild lemurs and bird species, but you’ll also see the coral remains sculpted by erosion and overlapping baobab roots, that this area of Madagascar is famous for.
Or you could just relax on Anjajavy’s gorgeous beach, taking cocktails among the mangroves and enjoying fresh seafood feasts.
Combine the ruggedly beautiful mountain scenery of Reunion with the golden sand beaches of Mauritius on this delightful twin-centre Indian Ocean holiday with Rainbow Tours.
The best way to explore Reunion is by car. The roads are well-maintained, the scenery breathtaking and you can explore at your own pace. You’ll enjoy Creole dishes and traditional French cuisine at local restaurants and cafes. And there are hikes to suit all levels – a trip to the volcano, Piton de la Fournaise, is a must.
Mauritius by contrast is all about the beach. Your hotel, the Maritim, has just about every conceivable water sport on offer as well as horse riding and big game fishing.
Enjoy the best of the Indian Ocean at your own pace.
Snorkel, dive, kayak and standup paddle board your way through the beautiful islands of the Seychelles on this live aboard adventure with Dive Worldwide.
You’ll explore the Seychelles’ inner islands from the comfort of a modern yacht or traditional schooner, with a nine day itinerary that includes a minimum of eight dives, introducing you to extraordinary coral gardens and abundant marine life including turtles, eels, sharks and rays.
You’ll visit remote islands. Some are so lost in time, the only mode of transport is a bicycle. Others are totally uninhabited. That’s on top of seeing nature reserves, national parks and conservation initiatives, coming face to face with a giant tortoise and spotting endemic native bird species.
Other water-based activities include snorkelling, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Or you may prefer to relax on board or a secluded beach – it’s your trip, after all.
Indulge all your senses on Nosy Be, the jewel of the Indian Ocean, on this luxury paradise break in northern Madagascar with Evaneos.
Known as the Perfume Island, and voted the 8th most beautiful island in the world, Nosy Be is the perfect place to unwind and escape the pressures of the modern world.
Indescribably beautiful and incredibly laid, Nosy Be offers the chance to kick back in the shade of coconut palms, explore the island in search of exotic flora and fauna, or treat yourself to luxurious treatments available in your spa hotel.
Winding road across Plaine des Sables (Dreamstime)
Get on your bike and experience the volcanic peaks, deep ravines, tumbling waterfalls and emerald forests of Reunion up close on this cycling holiday with Rainbow Tours.
Reunion is a dream destination for nature enthusiasts and outdoor lovers, and cycling is arguably the best way to explore this extraordinary island.
Ride to Piton de la Fournaise, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, where you can trek to the crater’s rim to see the striking colours of the peaks and calderas littering the landscape below. Pedal down the exciting mountain pass Col de Bellevue before ascending the winding mountain road up to the volcanic caldera of Cirque Salazie.
Each day reveals new landscapes and new wonders. Each evening, a luxurious hotel and a Creole feast. There’s simply no cycling destination quite like Reunion.
Thurston Lava Tube in Hawaii Volcano National Park (Dreamstime)
Discover beautiful beaches, lush rainforest and fiesty volcanoes on this ten-day adventure to the island of Hawaii with Tucan Travel.
After walking to Punalu’u Beach to spot turtles, you’ll head to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – home to Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Watch the lava flowing freely from the safety of the Jaggar Museum Observatory before exploring old lava tubes on the many hiking trails here. An evening spent just outside the national park will allow you to experience the awesome activity of the volcano at night.
The Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s far east is one of the most awe-inspiring and elemental places in the world. It is a land of fiery volcanoes and diverse wildlife, and you’ll encounter it all on this 13-night cruise with Wildlife Worldwide.
You’ll explore the stunning volcanic landscapes of Kamchatka and Chukotka, cruising through the remote wilderness of the Commander Islands on board the Spirit of Enderby. Zodiac outings ensure memorable views of vast seabird colonies, particularly on the cliffs of Verkhoturova Island, and superb sightings of Steller’s sea lion, Pacific walrus and Kamchatka brown bear.
You’ll also share these waters with orca, beluga, humpback and grey whales, as well as beaked and fin whales, who all migrate through this part of the Pacific.
Arenal Volcano, as seen from Lake Arenal (Dreamstime)
Combine climbing active volcanoes with scuba diving off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast on this multi-activity adventure with Dive Worldwide.
This is a unique opportunity to experience the incredible diversity of Costa Rica, climbing Arenal Volcano and relaxing in the Tabacon hot springs before heading over to the Gulf of Papagayo. Here you’ll dive with sharks, turtles and mantas before finishing your trip in the lively capital, San José.
Vicuñas grazing near an Ecuadorian volcano (Dreamstime)
Encounter Ecuador’s colourful colonial past and its awesome volcanic present on this 10-day journey from Quito to Guayaquil with Holiday Architects.
Starting with a few days exploring colonial Quito, you will drive through the dramatic Avenue of Volcanoes, breaking your journey in the towns of Riobamba and Cuenca. From here, the cooler heights of Cajas National Park await, before you descend through banana and cocoa plantations to tropical, steamy Guayaquil.
Experience the fiery side of Sicily and its beautiful volcanic archipelago on this exciting walking holiday to the Aeolian Islands with KE Adventure Travel.
It’s a journey that will take you from the UNESCO World Heritage islands of Vulcano, Salina and Lipari to the slopes of Mount Etna and the medieval town of Taormina. Along the way you’ll enjoy a picnic dinner on Stromboli, hike on the slopes of Mount Etna, visit a caper farm, and taste wines in Catania. Expect fireworks!
Trek through Iceland’s thermal heartland on this full-circuit trekking adventure with Exodus.
Starting in the Thórsmörk Valley, you’ll explore the new craters created by the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, before heading to Vatnajökull National Park, home of the huge Vatnajökull ice cap. You’ll also trek the mountains of the East Fjords and the lunar-like Lake Mývatn landscape before moving to Kerlingarfjöll Volcano in the central highlands and the massive Hofsjökull ice cap. Experienced guides will ensure you tackle the most spectacular hiking trails.
Gunung is the Indonesian world for volcanoes, and you’ll encounter some of the archipelago’s most spectacular ones on this 14-day tour through its western isles with Selective Asia.
The highlight, of course, are the views from the peaks of two of Java’s mighty volcanoes, Bromo and Ijen, both of which you will climb to watch the sunrise. You’ll also visit the cultural highlights of Yogyakarta and the astonishing Borobudur temple complex, before finishing with some much-needed down time on the beach, where you can do as little, or as much, as you wish.
8: Wildlife and hot springs in Yellowstone National Park
Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park (Dreamstime)
Encounter extraordinary landscapes and incredible wildlife on this journey through the USA’s most famous national parks with Intrepid.
It’s a journey that will see you trekking across Yellowstone National Park, coming face-to-face with the giant presidents of Mount Rushmore, and spending a night camping under the stars in the shadow of Devils Tower. The Yellowstone caldera, one of the most active in the world, is a highlight, as is the chance to spot bears, bison and even rare grey wolves as you explore the park.
Here’s a ride you’ll never forget: a helicopter flight over the incredibly beautiful island of Reunion, including its fearsome volcano Piton de la Fournaise. It’s all part of a once-in-a-lifetime Indian Ocean island adventure with Rainbow Tours.
Your trip to Reunion will take you to two of its three magnificent natural amphitheatres or cirques, from the black volcanic sand beaches of the east coast, to the white sand beaches of its drier west coast. The rugged interior offers treks and spectacular waterfalls, while St Gilles-les-Baines is a haven of laid-back charm and exceptionally fresh seafood. What are you waiting for?
The cliff walls were definitely getting closer. Looking out of the helicopter window at the impossibly steep-sided gorge, thickly coated in an array of green vegetation so near that I felt I could lean forward and pluck a leaf from one of their branches, we edged closer still.
I glanced towards the pilot nervously. Beyond him the canyon walls seemed to be closing in further and I had to work hard to steady my breathing. The blades whizzed above, slicing through the air with every rotation, and I stole a second to peer ahead only to see yet more slabs of vertical rock coming fast.
Speaking would have been futile: the only voice I could hear in the helicopter was that of the pilot, so all I could do was watch as we slalomed through yet more precipitous bluffs. Then, suddenly, there it was. The rocks dropped away beneath us to reveal a trio of waterfalls, each one cascading down into a single gouged pit, frothing white. This was the Trou du Fer (the Iron Hole).
If the scene hadn’t been so mesmerising, I think I would have screamed. Just as our proximity to the water started to feel unbearable, we began to corkscrew upwards. With each spiral we gained lift, pulling our way out of this naturally formed pocket in the folds and pinnacles of the greater volcanic landscape. We emerged back into open airspace just in time for me to spy what looked, from a distance, like a toy helicopter snaking its way along the gorge below us.
It was a dramatic and exhilarating introduction to Réunion Island, the French-owned territory seemingly dropped into the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mauritius. Though something of a hotspot for our cousins across the Channel, outside of France, very few people have heard of it. At least that was until 2015, when the first piece of the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared in March 2014, washed up on its shores.
While the lemur-filled forests of Madagascar are well known and Mauritius will always be the last refuge of the dodo to many, Réunion was a blank to me, like finding a place you never knew existed on a map. My interest was piqued: what would France’s most far-flung easterly département, an 11-hour flight from Paris, offer the intrepid traveller?
I’ll admit that, on arrival, Réunion was something of a shock at first. Driving from the capital of Saint-Denis, with its high-rise buildings, stuffed baguettes and Carrefour supermarket, it was as though I’d spent a day’s travel to reach a smaller, albeit slightly more tropical, version of France. That all changed, however, once I left the ease of the coast road and began heading inland, into volcano country.
Formed over two million years ago, when a heat spot under the ocean began seeping out magma, Réunion Island only took shape after a series of major eruptions. First came the Piton des Neiges, which has since become extinct, then the still-active Piton de la Fournaise. When the smoke cleared, what was left was a 2,500 sq km blot of land around the size of Luxembourg, protruding from the Indian Ocean like a round, puckered pimple on an adolescent’s face.
Volcanoes have shaped everything here. When the Piton des Neiges collapsed a long time ago, it created a trio of depressed calderas in its centre – the cirques of Salazie, Cilaos and Mafate – in which communities have sprung up. It was these that I set out to explore, as I drove first to Cirque de Salazie, snaking along the highway that followed the valley floor.
A single main road circles the circumference of the island, with other, smaller carriageways veining off it into the towns and communes of the interior. Crossing gorge-spanning bridges, I found my way up into the village of Hell-Bourg (within the Salazie cirque), where the road ended. Although the official language here is French, as soon as I began strolling along the main street I could pick out the sing-song intonation of a different tongue – Creole.
When the French first claimed the island in 1642, there were no humans living here (despite the Portuguese discovering it first in the early 16th century). And so a new nation was formed, made up of European settlers as well as African slaves and, later, workers from Madagascar, India and China. With the different populations mixing over time, the island’s national identity became a blend of peoples, and those born here proudly declare themselves Creole, to distinguish from those recently arrived from the European mainland.
This Creole spirit had even seeped into the architecture of Hell-Bourg, in the colourfully mismatched houses that lined its streets. The village itself was created around a hot spring that was discovered in 1830. People would come from miles around to bathe in what they thought were its healing waters, bringing money to the town. However, over the century that followed, the water cooled significantly and nowadays most local residents farm to earn a living.
After a lunch of chou chou gratin – the signature gourd grown in this caldera, smothered with cheese and grilled – I headed back down towards the coast, still in awe at the lush landscapes that greeted me at every turn. I had to constantly remind myself I wasn’t in the Caribbean or Costa Rica.
My search for the even more exotic side of Réunion next took me to Cirque de Cilaos, the second of the collapsed calderas and another once famed for its natural hot springs. Its name is a bastardisation of the Malagasy word ‘tsilaosa’, which – fairly ominously – means ‘a place that you do not leave’. It makes sense once you realise that this was once a sanctuary for escaped slaves in the early 1800s, long before the abolition of slavery in the French colonies (1848).
Nowadays, as I would soon discover, it’s the wine and walking that keeps most visitors from leaving, either those or the nerve-shattering 200 hairpin bends that line the 34km road leading up to it. My way in started easily enough, following the flow of a spooling river along the valley floor, but soon the ascent kicked in and the tarmac narrowed to little over a car-and-a-half’s width, chicaning backwards and forwards like a bitumen concertina.
I was relieved when I emerged from what must have been my fourth or fifth tunnel to find a lay-by to rest in, where an old man had set up a small fruit stall. The sweet smell hit me as soon as I opened the door: its source was hundreds of tiny yellow fruits stacked atop each other.
“Qu’est-ce que c’est?” I asked, but couldn’t understand the reply, so I asked him to write it down instead. It turned out that these were bibasse, also known as loquat or Japanese plums. They tasted as explosively sweet as they smelt, erupting on my tongue like a bag of juicy sugar, giving me the energy to continue.
After passing through some truly tiny hamlets and the bustling but miniscule Salazie town centre, where a wedding was in full swing, I reached a spread of vineyards clinging desperately to the sloping hillsides. This was Cilaos, and a festival celebrating the harvest (lentils, apparently) had taken to the streets.
“Try the wine,” a stall vendor advised as I passed, and I stopped to sample some white. I winced as I sipped, its taste even sweeter than the bibasse I’d tried on the road. As I meandered, music began to play on the bandstand, an upbeat fusion between the horns of traditional Gallic ditties and the rhythmic drumming of Caribbean beats. It was hard not to move my feet.
After all that driving and feasting, the next day I thought I’d give my legs a proper workout and left the town on foot, walking a trail called Cascade du Bras Rouge. Thanks to its proliferation of saw-toothed mountain ridges, the island is something of a mecca for hikers, with several Grande Randonnée (marked walking trails) spanning its rocky centre, while the neighbouring cirque of Mafate is only accessible on foot.
After seeing the Iron Hole waterfalls of Mafate from the dizzying heights of a spinning helicopter, I was keen to visit one in Cilaos with my feet firmly on the ground. It only took a couple of hours to walk, on a trail almost as narrow and dramatic as the road I’d taken to reach the village.
The path edged along a chasm that dropped to unknown depths on my left, while the lush forest extended high up to my right. It deposited me atop Bras Rouge (the Red Arm), the source for the Saint-Etienne River that crashed into the sea at Saint-Louis on the north-west coast. Sat on the edge, as the water plummeted into the rock-strewn valley below, I peacefully watched bright vermillion fody birds search for crumbs left over from walkers’ picnics.
On the walk back, I heard a rustling in the leaves. Stonechats flitted between branches, but this was something bigger. Peering further, I was thrilled to come face to face with a tenrec, a small creature that looks a little like a tailless hedgehog, even if the mammal is actually genetically closer to an aardvark or – more bizarrely – an elephant.
Its nose twitched as it looked up at me curiously, perhaps sensing another soul far from home. Like the peoples of Réunion, these animals were not native to the island (bats are the only endemic mammals here), but arrived smuggled aboard ships bound from Madagascar hundreds of years ago. I couldn’t help but smile as it wriggled off into the undergrowth.
“You know we used to eat them,” said my guide Sully Chaffre, when I told him of my encounter the following morning, as we drove out of Cilaos. “Tenrecs?” I asked quizzically.
“Yes, older people on the island still do, but the younger ones aren’t so fussed. We should be protecting the mammals we do have here anyway. We only have a few after all,” he confessed.
Endemic mammals may not be so common on Réunion, but it has plenty of other sights to compensate. After an early start, we arrived at the access road to Piton de la Fournaise, the island’s volcanic centrepiece, which had been active just a week before my visit.
Sully pulled over to show me a view that looked down a giant crack in the landscape that had formed along with the cirques. It formed a plateau that ran as far as the eye could see and was covered entirely by vegetation.
Further on, the landscape changed again, this time to a Martian-style desert, completely flat and coated with thick red sand. We drove through it while the wind gusted, spitting up mini whirlwinds despite the sunny conditions. At the end of the road, we walked to the viewing platform, perched on the edge of a giant crater that only a few days earlier had been filled with magma.
The pyramidal volcanic peak loomed on the horizon, its slopes a mottled shade of brown. From our elevated view it was difficult to get a sense of scale, but Sully was quick to help. “Look down there. They must have re-opened the path. You can see people hiking on one of the volcano’s vents.” I looked to see a much smaller circular depression. In comparison with the summit, it seemed barely a molehill, but then I realised that what looked like little ants crawling over it were actually people.
Sully explained to me how locals were still bewitched by the volcano’s power, and gathered to watch it explode in the spot we were now stood. “In the early days of settlement, people used to believe it was embodied by the spirit of a local plantation owner who had died; she would cause it to erupt if she was angry,” he explained.
Later that day, below the volcanic slopes in the town of Piton Sainte-Rose, I saw a more tangible reason for why such beliefs persist. There sat a little pink church, Notre Dame des Laves, that, during an eruption in 1977, while the rest of the town burnt, was spared when the lava seemed to part ways at its doors.
Leaving the church, I passed the ruins of old brick sugar plantations – once the main income on the island, now crumbling and unused – and smelt the unmistakable scent of chicken being cooked at several roadside stands. Then the buildings and greenery stopped and everything either side of the road turned a silvery grey; a hoary wasteland.
I had reached Le Grand Brûlé (The Great Burn). This was the area where lava from Piton de la Fournaise spilled down to the sea, and with such regularity that it’s now forbidden for people to build houses in the so-called ‘exclusion zone’.
I pulled over and set out on foot, studying the hardened lava up close, which still had distinct ripples embedded within, as though it had only recently cooled. My boots crunched noisily as I hiked towards a sign that advised me that nearby was the entrance to a lava tunnel. As I hunted for it, eager to peer inside, I noticed little green shoots starting to appear between the cracks in the lava. Despite the great burn, life was still finding a way.
A few steps further on, I reached an arch-shaped hole in the terrain, just big enough to peek inside. As I did, I felt the same sense of exhilaration whizz through my body as when the helicopter had been navigating through the narrow gorge, and indeed when my plane first landed here on this mysterious island.
It seemed a fitting way to end my visit, staring down into the darkness of the unknown. It may have taken a piece of debris washing up on its far-flung shores to get me and the rest of the world to notice it, but Réunion’s blend of European history, African culture and geothermic power deserves to be better known. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before more people discovered its volcanic seductions.
The author travelled with Rainbow Tours (www.rainbowtours.co.uk; 020 7666 1266), who can arrange a similar eight-night trip to Réunion with accommodation (including breakfasts), car hire, a 45-minute helicopter flight with Corail Hélicoptères and return flights in economy class with Air Austral. Contact the company for the latest prices.
Main image: Cirque de Mafate, Reunion Island (Dreamstime)
Harddraw Force. Naked Robin Hood not shown. (Dreamstime)
Hardraw Force is a waterfall on the Hardraw Beck in Hardraw Scar, a wooded ravine just outside the hamlet of Hardraw in the Yorkshire Dales.
It’s the largest single drop waterfall in the UK, and is reached by walking through the Green Dragon, a country inn dating from the 13th Century.
Hardraw Force also featured in Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves, in a scene where Maid Marian spies Robin bathing underneath it.
2: Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA
Multnomah Falls. In the Fall. (Dreamstime)
Multnomah Falls is a waterfall on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge that flows all year and drops over two tiers.
For a fully immersive experience, follow the trail to Benson Bridge, which spans the falls at the first tier’s misty base. From here you have a perfect view of the top tier’s full 542-foot height, as well as the second tier’s 69-foot drop below.
The Trou de Fer (‘Iron Hole’) is a canyon on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, carved by the Bras de Caverne River, fed by six waterfalls streaming over the cliffs above it.
It’s best experienced by helicopter, where your pilot will navigate through the gorge to the face of the main waterfall before corkscrewing to the top for a spectacular view of all six from above.
4: Huka Falls, New Zealand
Huka Falls Waikato River near Taupo (Dreamstime)
The Huka Falls are a set of waterfalls on the Waikato River, where the river narrows from 100 metres wide into a canyon only 15 metres across.
The glacial blue waters churn dramatically through the gorge, dropping 11 metres along the way, before dumping 220,000 litres per second into Lake Taupo. It’s one of New Zealand’s most spectacular sights.
5: Ban Gioc–Detian Falls, Vietnam/China
Ban Gioc–Detian Falls on a misty morning (Dreamstime)
Picturesquely set against limestone karst peaks, the falls cascade over a three-tiered cliff, separating into three falls. At 200 metres wide and 70 metres high, Ban Gioc-Detian Falls are the largest waterfall in Asia.
6: Cascata dell Marmore, Umbria, Italy
Marmore waterfall (Dreamstime)
The Cascata delle Marmore is a man-made waterfall in Umbria, created by the ancient Romans to divert water from wetlands where malaria was rife.
At 165 metres in height, it’s one of the tallest in Italy and the tallest man-made waterfall in Europe.
This being Italy, there’s a ‘Lover’s Balcony’, tucked behind the first drop of the falls. The curtain of water is meant to symbolise a bridal veil. Wearing a raincoat here is strongly recommended.
It gets its name from the pearly droplets of water it creates as it cascades down the shoal towards the fall. For the best view, follow the wooden boardwalk that runs across the shoal and down one side to the foot of the falls.
8: Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca, Mexico
Petrified waterfall at Hierve el Agua (Dreamstime)
This is not a waterfall as such, but rather a natural rock formation that resembles cascades of water.
The petrified waterfall of Hievre el Agua has been formed over the millennia in the same manner as stalactites in caves, and as with all good waterfalls, there are two large natural pools for swimming. But here, 70 kilometres east of Oaxaca, there’s no danger of being swept over the edge.
9: Tugela Falls, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Tugela Falls (Dreamstime)
High in the spectacular Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal, Tugela Falls is a network of seasonal waterfalls that spring to life when the winter ice thaws.
Divided over five tiers, it is world’s second-tallest waterfall, with some claiming that if you measure it using a particular method, it is higher than Angel Falls in Venezuela, which is regarded as the world’s tallest.
A tiered–cascade waterfall, it is reached by following a path through towering swamp gums, the tallest flowering plant on earth. At night, the darkness is pricked with the tiny lights of thousands of glow worms.
Scattered halfway between Fiji and Tahiti, visitors to the coral atoll of the Cook Islands will arrive on Rarotonga. Here, a swift driving test allows you to rent scooters to zoom the island’s coastal roads. Alternatively, follow the Cross-island Trail, trekking ancient warpaths into the lush forest interior, then grab front-row seats off shore to the annual migration of humpback whales (Jul–Oct) – a truly remarkable sight.
If you have time, hop over to Aitu to see its incredible makatea (raised coral) coastline. Be sure to visit the burial cave of Rimarau, where nearly 600 skeletons lie in situ, or the candle-lit Anatakitaki, in which dwell chittering Kopeka birds, a cave-dwelling species endemic to the island that navigates entirely by echo-location.
Getting there:Air New Zealand fly daily from Auckland to Rarotonga (four hours). From there, Air Rarotonga has connecting flights to nine of the other islands.
2. Angel Falls
Canaima NP, Venezuela Population: 8,000 Good for: Record-breaking falls set in a 30,000 sq km lost world
Angel Falls, Venezuela (Dreamstime)
Deep in the rainforest of Venezuela‘s Canaima National Park, where the Pemon people live, lies the highest waterfall on Earth. But reaching Angel Falls (979m) isn’t easy. A motorised canoe trip through thick jungle (you may need to get out and carry it at times) offers the kind of drum-roll the site deserves, as the crashing Churún River gives way to the bestial roar of the falls.
Local cooperatives run tours and lodgings within the park; try to combine with a visit to Sapo and Sapito Falls, where a tunnel leads you behind the downpour for some stunning shots. Alternatively, a guided trek up Mount Roraima (2,810m) takes you to the highest point in the Pakaraima chain of tepuis, where the views are simply heart-stopping.
Getting there: Canaima NP is inaccessible by road. Single-propeller return flights can be chartered at Ciudad Bolivar (1 hour) or Caracas (1.5 hours).
3. Easter Island
Chile Population: 5,800 Good for: Iconic ancient statues – 2,000km from anywhere
Easter Island (Dreamstime)
Despite lying 3,500km west of Chile’s mainland (its nearest neighbour is the equally remote Pitcairn Islands, 2,000km away), Easter Island remains firmly on travellers’ wish lists, thanks largely to regular flights and its mysterious moai (statues). Carved up to 900 years ago, why and how Polynesian settlers erected the famed 800-plus ‘heads’ – weighing up to 86 tonnes – remains a mystery that draws visitors from near and… well, mainly from afar. Answers to that question range from rope pulleys to bored aliens, and they remain an enigmatic sight.
Visit iconic Ahu Tongariki, where 15 moai stare imperiously out to sea. Elsewhere, Rano Raraku afford great views across an island seemingly on the edge of the world.
Getting there:LATAM Airlines fly six times a week from Santiago to Easter Island (5.5 hours).
4. Fernando de Noronha
Brazil Population: 3,000 Good for: Pristine beaches and great snorkelling among incredible sea life
Once a remote outpost of forts and fishing villages, Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha archipelago is no stranger to tourism, despite lying 350km from the mainland. Yet strict limits on visitors make it a rare gem. Its skies are home to the largest population of tropical seabirds in the western Atlantic, while the waters below teem with opportunities to snorkel and dive alongside sea turtles and friendly nurse sharks.
Explore the main island and relax on the idyllic Praia do Sancho beach (one of many), then trek the Baia dos Golfinhos Trail, eyeing pelicans and blue-footed boobies as they plummet kamikazelike into the azure seas and spotting pods of spinner dolphins from the cliff top. This truly is a remarkably wild island.
Getting there:Azul offer flights daily from Natal and Recife to Fernando de Noronha (both around one hour).
5. St Helena
British Territory Population: 4,200 Good for: History, hiking and Napoleon’s last stand
Part of a single British territory that includes Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, St Helena lies 1,950km off the coast of south-west Africa. Few find their way here, with the RMS St Helena voyage from Cape Town currently the only way onto the tiny volcanic island – where Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled after his defeat at Waterloo – at least until its new airport is up and running.
Once there, pay a visit to Longwood House and Briars Pavilion, the one-time homes of France’s first emperor and full of relics of his time here. His tomb (he died six years after arriving, in 1821) still lies in the lush Sane Valley, even if his body has long-since been removed to France.
Capital Jamestown slips between steep ridges, with great views of its colourful Georgian buildings to be had from up on Jacob’s Ladder. Outside the capital, the old Plantation House is home to Jonathan, the island’s resident 180-year-old tortoise. Plenty of endemic wildlife fills the forested peaks of the central island, while hikes from the coal-black beach of Sandy Bay up into the lush valley above are well worth the effort.
Combine with a trip on to Ascension Island to see 5,000 green sea turtles nesting on Long Beach (Dec–Jul), or to hike its Green Mountain, a once barren rise seeded in the 1840s as part of a Charles Darwin-inspired plan to transform the island and now a remarkable mini cloudforest.
Getting there: British Airlines fly direct from London Heathrow to Cape Town (11.5 hours). RMS St Helena sails from Cape Town to St Helena (5.5 days), with its final voyage on September 9.
6. Shetland Islands,
Scotland, UK Population: 22,400 Good for: Seals, seabirds and fire in Britain’s Viking north
Explore the British Isles’ distant north, exploring the Shetland archipelago across more than 100 windswept islands. Just 15 are populated, with the best time to visit in January, when whole towns light up for Up Helly Aa, a raucous Viking-style fire festival to mark the end of Yule.
The biggest festival is held in capital Lerwick, which flickers to the licks of torchlight as its main procession gets going. But if you want to escape, tranquil Bressay Island is a short ferry ride away, where you can spot rare birds and seals in peace.
Elsewhere, Unst is the northernmost inhabited island in the Shetlands, its wind-scored tip host to the battered ruins of Muness Castle. Above it circle flocks of sea birds from the colonies in Hermaness reserve, in autumn grey seals pup in the caves below and 25,000 puffins burrow its cliffs. Pure wild escapism.
Getting there:Logan Air fly daily from Aberdeen to the Shetland Islands (one hour), with flights connecting the rest of the UK.
7. Wrangel Island
Russia Population: Research staff only Good for: Arctic wildlife; this is the Galápagos of the far north
Visitors to the UNESCO-listed Wrangel Island have a limited window of opportunity – such is the difficulty in getting there. But few make the journey these days. By the 1970s, the last of its Chukchi people had mostly been relocated, and today it is one of the world’s most isolated zapovednik (nature reserve), with just a small military and research presence. Only in late summer is the Chukchi sea ice passable enough to make the trip. Then, the sight of its 80,000 Pacific walruses is a sight to behold.
A remarkable density of polar bears (up to 500) roam the island’s steppe and tundra, alongside musk-oxen, arctic foxes, lemmings and nesting snowy owls, with treks on land and overnight stays it’s like stepping into the Ice Age – complete with remarkably preserved woolly mammoth skeletons.
Getting there: A handful of tour companies run trips to Wrangel Island, with Heritage Expeditions tours departing in August from Nome, Alaska.
8. Kangiqsujuaq
Nunavik, Canada Population: 600 Good for: Hikes and wildlife in Pingualuit National Park
Just 600 people live in Kangiqsujuaq, a village seemingly dropped at nature’s behest into the hollow of a vast, sweeping valley in the far north of Arctic Quebec. It’s the kind of landscape that makes you squint for a divine signature, raw and beautiful at once – see the double fjord of Douglas Harbour. It is also the gateway to Pingualuit National Park, where a short flight (or snowmobile day-trip in winter) spirits you to a mountainous world of arctic foxes and migrating caribou.
Kayak on Lake Manarsulik, watching the sun drop over its crystal waters, or trek the tundra to the immense Pingualuit Crater (10km in circumference) and gaze square into the vivid blue pupil of the lake inside, known to the Inuit as the ‘Crystal Eye’. An Arctic wonderland.
Getting there: Kangiqsujuaq is not accessible by road. Air Inuit fly daily between Kangiqsujuaq and Montreal (nine hours).
9. Christmas Island
Australia Population: 2,100 Good for: Being overwhelmed by the island’s famous crab invasion
Perched atop a 4,500m-high underwater mountain, deep in the Indian Ocean, Christmas Island lies closer to Indonesia than its motherland of Australia (1,500km away). It certainly has a tropical feel, covered in rainforest and rich in endemic species. The island is 63% national park, but the draw here is the incredible annual migration (during October or November) of its 50 million red crabs, when a scarlet tidal wave of crustaceans emerge from their forest burrows, scuttling over anything that gets in their way to spawn in the seas. It is difficult to predict, so check with Parks Australia for specific dates. But there’s plenty else to do, with good hiking, wildlife-rich waters (spot whale sharks from Nov–Apr) and 80,000 nesting seabirds.
Getting there: Virgin Australia fly six times a week (Tue and Sat) from Perth to Christmas Island (4.5 hours).
10. Pitcairn Island
British Territory Population: 49 Good for: Birds and diving historic wrecks
Not only can you visit Britain’s most far-flung territory (14,000km from the UK), you can even claim a plot of land if you choose to move here. But reaching this tiny tropical archipelago is the first challenge. A rather lengthy cargo-boat ride across the South Pacific culminates in arrival at capital Adamstown by longboat transfer, since there isn’t a port here – or indeed a hotel; visitors usually arrange to stay in islanders’ homes.
The main island is Pitcairn. Begin here with a trip to its only museum, which houses wreckage from the HMS Bounty; descendants of its mutinous crew still make up many of the islands’ 49-strong population. After, dive Bounty Bay for a closer look at the scuttled vessel itself. Alternatively, take a trip to the UNESCO-listed Henderson Island; this raised coral atoll is a mini Galápagos, with endemic land birds such as the native crake, lorikeet and fruit doves all having evolved away from man’s reach. Bliss. ~
Getting there:Air Tahiti flies weekly from Pepeete, Tahiti (5.5 hours) to Mangareva. From there, a three-day trip to Pitcairn aboard passenger-cargo ship Claymore II (only four times a year).
11. Ürümqi
Xinjiang Province, China Population: 1.7 million Good for: Experiencing China’s ‘Wild West’ and some great food
You might wonder what a metropolis of 1.7 million people is doing on this list, but in a nation as vast and weighted towards the east as China, north-western Xinjiang (three times the size of France) is frontier country.
Capital Ürümqi – the remotest city from any sea on Earth – lies along the old Silk Road and is perhaps best used as a base to explore the region, riding horses among the snow-capped Tienshan mountain range or heading south to the ancient city of Jiaohe and beyond, to where the region’s Uyghur minority live in greater numbers. But be sure to stick around long enough to embrace the local cuisine at the city’s night market; this is China’s comfort food and trying everything from chuan’r kebabs to filling dapanji (‘big plate of chicken’) is a privilege.
Getting there: China Southern fly daily from Beijing (four hours) and Shanghai (5.5 hours) to Ürümqi.
12. Komodo Island
Indonesia Population: 2,000 Good for: Exploring the last home of the giant Komodo dragon
Komodo Island (Dreamstime)
The Komodo dragon is a fearsome oddity, all muscles and raking claws wrapped in an ill-fitting scaly overcoat. Yet the giant lizard remains one of nature’s most unmissable anachronisms: a genuine dinosaur complete with toxic bite. They only live on a handful of Indonesian islands, with overnight stays on Komodo taking you within hissing distance.
An early-morning 5.5km trek into Poreng Valley brings you up close before the first tourist boats even beach. After, explore Komodo village, largely made up of former inmates of a prison that used to stand here, then snorkel the island’s rich waters alongside curious dugongs. Finish the day offshore, when thousands of flying foxes blanket the burnt-orange skies, gliding the islands in search of food. Unforgettable. Getting there: Multiple airlines fly from Bali to Labuan Bajo (1.5 hours). From there, Komodo Island is just a four-hour boat-ride from the city’s port.
13. Palagruža Island
Croatia Population: 2 Good for: Escaping the crowds on Croatia’s mainland
Palagruža Island (Dreamstime)
Palagruža represents the furthest (and loneliest) fingertips of Croatia, and in truth lies closer to Italy than the Dalmatian coast (120km away). Its only occupants are a pair of lighthouse keepers, who share lodgings with you in the lighthouse on the main island, perched atop a precarious 90m cliff.
The island is quickly explored (it’s just 1.4km by 300m), revealing isolated pebble beaches and good snorkelling off its narrow shores, but boat trips elsewhere can be arranged. A local fisherman can even deliver fresh seafood to your door, but it’s best to stock up on supplies beforehand or risk going hungry. Getting there: Multiple budget airlines fly between the UK and Dubrovnik (two hours). From there, ferries connect to Korcula Island where a speedboat takes you from the port to Palagruža (2.5 hours). Book accommodation between May and October at lighthouses-croatia.com.
14. Cocos Islands
Costa Rica Population: Park staff only Good for: Diving with hammerhead sharks off this ‘little Galápagos’
Hammerhead sharks swimming in Cocos Island (Dreamstime) Costa Rica has its share of parks, but few are more remote than the Cocos. Only 3,200 travellers a year make the 550km voyage to this former pirate colony – still said to be riddled with buried loot. Today, the tiny UNESCO-listed islands are home to just a handful of rangers, with access limited (10am-4pm). You can’t stay overnight onshore and guides are required on trails.
This doesn’t stop you exploring, though, and walks wind through dense rainforest alive with endemic cuckoos and finches to waterfalls that tumble freely into the ocean. But its real jewels lie offshore, among an undersea terrain of lava-hardened ridges thick with hundreds of hammerhead sharks and some of the best remote diving on the planet.
Getting there: Ten-day liveaboard boat trips to the Cocos Islands (36 hours) sail from Puntarenas. Undersea Hunter offer visits, including permits, plus the option of diving in a deep-sea submersible.
15. Azores
Portugal Population: 245,000 Good for: Volcanoes and sperm whales
On a visit to the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, the islands’ origin is rarely far from your thoughts. Black-sand beaches, coal-coloured soils, calderas and the towering Mount Pico volcano (2,351m) are all potent reminders. Discover Europe’s largest volcanic cavern on Graciosa, thermal pools on São Miguel and chilly underground lakes in the magma tunnels of Algar do Carvão.
Above ground, Terceira has fine cycling along its Darwin Trail, winding the coast past the UNESCO-listed town of Angra do Heroísmo, but its waters are the lure for many. Snorkel a clear sea, then take a boat offshore to spot fin and sperm whales frolicking during the summer. Getting there: Multiple airlines fly daily from the UK to Ponta Delgada, São Miguel; flights with Ryanair go from London Stansted (four hours).
16. Ogasawara Islands
Japan Population: 2,400 Good for: Aquatic fun and Second World War history on forgotten islands
Ogasawara Islands (Dreamstime)
Over 1,000km south of mainland Japan, the Ogasawara (or Bonin) archipelago is actually part of Tokyo, even if it couldn’t be more distant in spirit. The 30-plus islands are home to just 2,400 residents, the majority living on Chichi-jima where snorkelling the coral reefs off its northern shores and strolling barefoot on the isolated white sands of John Beach provide vivid contrast to the neon adrenaline shot of the capital.
Bob in its waters alongside humpback (Jan–Apr) and sperm whales (May–Nov), while hikes inland reveal snippets of the islands’ brutal past – the twisted wreckage from old Second World War fighter planes still rusting in its jungles. A side of Japan that few witness. Getting there: The islands have no airport. Weekly ferries leave from Tokyo’s Takeshiba Pier for Futami Port on Chichi-jima (25.5 hours).
17. South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
UK Population: Research staff only Good for: Shackleton, penguins and seals
Penguins in the sandwich islands (Dreamstime)
At the frozen tip of the world lie some of Britain’s most inaccessible territories. Cruise ships arrive at South Georgia’s Grytviken settlement, a former whaling station with plenty of rusted reminders of its past. Get your passport stamped at the post office and pay your respects at explorer Ernest Shackleton’s grave – or better still, relive the last few footsteps of his fateful 1916 trek after his ship, Outposts The Endurance, was crushed by ice and he had to traverse South Georgia to save his crew.
It’s wildlife that rules here, with fur seals, shags and a half-dozen species of penguin. To be truly overwhelmed, head to Salisbury Plain to see hundreds of thousands of king penguins huddled tight on the shores of the north coast.
Getting there: The islands are only accessible by sea, with Antarctic cruises from Ushuaia, Argentina, including visits to South Georgia. Trips are possible only from November to mid-March.
18. Galápagos Islands
Ecuador Population: 25,000 Good for: Evolutionary history and the ultimate wildlife break
The volcanic islands of the Galápagos are flush with cerulean lagoons, verdant highlands and beaches stuffed wing-to-snout with nesting boobies and lolloping sea lions. Lying 1,000km from the mainland, its isolation gave rise to Charles Darwin’s famous 1859 theory of natural selection and it remains just as inspiring today.
Despite its 200,000 visitors a year, tours here are well-timed to avoid clashes. And though five of its 13 main islands are inhabited, much of it remains protected and as close to a paradise as you’ll find. Hot-step swivel-eyed iguana on Islote Las Tintoreras, admire giant tortoises up close and swim alongside the world’s most northerly penguin colonies under pale blue skies in one of the finest places on Earth for spotting wildlife.
Getting there: Multiple airlines fly daily from Quito to the Galápagos’ Baltra (Santa Cruz) and San Cristobal airports (both two hours).
19. Barrow
Alaska, USA Population: 4,400 Good for: Dog sleds, polar bears and a woozily disorientating 65 days of night
Life is not hectic in the USA’s northernmost town. Even the sun takes its time, and from late November the area enters ‘polar night’: a full 65 days of perpetual darkness that only lifts at the end of January. During this time the northern lights run their full gamut across its clear skies, and while temperatures rarely skirt above freezing, dog-sledding treks more than get the blood pumping.
Polar bear-spotting tours (Oct–Jun) along the Chukchi Sea coast are best before the long summer hits, when the ice is at its thickest. After that, the sun doesn’t set for 82 days and the whole incredible cycle starts over.
Getting there: Barrow is not accessible by road. Alaska Air flies daily from Anchorage (two hours) and Fairbanks (1.5 hours).
20. Skellig Islands
Ireland Population: 0 Good for: A mysterious monastery (and movie spotting)
A pair of tiny, rocky outcrops just 12km off south-west Ireland house what was once Europe’s most isolated – and inhospitable – monastery. Skellig Michael is a spiky prospect, all shardlike rock carpeted in lush green scrub. Hidden at its peak are beehive-like monastic cells, recently made famous as Luke Skywalker’s hideaway in the latest Star Wars movie.
Little is known about the settlement, which is thought to have been built in the 6th century, but a precariously breezy 670-step climb leaves little doubt as to its former residents’ zeal – only the puffins and cormorants look at ease here. Sadly, you can’t stay overnight and private boats are the only way to reach the UNESCO-listed site, but it’s worth braving the rough seas to discover. Getting there: Boat tours to Skellig Islands regularly depart Portmagee, County Kerry (45 minutes each way).
21. Cirque de Mafate
Réunion Island Population: 700 Good for: Hiking hidden villages inside a giant caldera
Sandwiched between Madagascar and Mauritius, the tiny island of Réunion hides a secret. Deep within its northern interior lies three vast hollows, revealed after its Piton des Nieges volcano (3,069m) collapsed.
The most difficult of these to access is the mysterious Cirque de Mafate, a steep-sided caldera that shelters a nest of truly remote villages dating back to colonial times. Utterly cut off from the world, many were founded by escaping slaves looking to flee the harsh rule of the French. Consequently, the only way in and out is via a steep hike or a helicopter ride (supplies are constantly being buzzed in).
These days it’s not so hidden and gites now dot its hundreds of kilometres of trails, fording tropical forest, lush grassland and waterfalls amid plenty of wild flora that is endemic to the area. Nevertheless, this is a genuine lost world. Getting there: Multiple flights (Air Austral, Air France) connect the UK to St Denis (13 hours). From there, drive to the Col des Boeufs car park, where a 20.4km pedestrian trail leads into the Cirque de Mafate and back.
22. Myeik Archipelago
Burma (Myanmar) Population: 2,000 (est) Good for: Island hopping and culture-swapping in a remote part of travel-hot Burma
Myeik Archipelago (Dreamstime)
As little as 20 years ago, Burma‘s Myeik Archipelago was off-limits to travellers. Even today, permits to explore its 800 or so islands are all but impossible to get independently, with tour companies your best bet. Because of that, it remains relatively untouched – and in places, uncharted – while few but the archipelago’s native Moken minority (often called ‘sea gypsies’) set foot beyond a handful of islands.
Visit the nature reserve of Lampi, spotting elusive wild elephants and wandering its monkey-packed mangroves, then drop in on Bo Cho’s settled Moken village to learn more about its people. Most boats keep their schedule flexible – you go where weather and time will allow – but no matter where you end up you’re sure to be kayaking and snorkelling where few others have visited.
Getting there: Multiple internal flights link Yangon to Kawthaung via Dawe (two hours). From there, multi-day tours deep into the archipelago are best booked with tour companies, who can pre-arrange permits.
23. The Arctic Circle Trail
Greenland Population: 500 (Kangerlussuaq) Good for: Hiking 164km of Arctic trails
To be honest, we could have picked anywhere in Greenland, with east coast Ittoqqortoormiit often credited as its most remote town – and paradoxically now on plenty of cruise tour itineraries. But as far as adventures go, the Arctic Circle Trail offers true isolation. Away from the ice caps and polar bears, it begins in the tiny town of Kangerlussuaq and follows backcountry paths stretching 164km to coastal Sisimiut.
In midsummer, there’s no nightfall as the desolate tundra shines under the relentless gaze of the sun, with musk-oxen and arctic foxes spotted while hiking. There’s basic huts en route for shelter, and when you get bored of walking there’s often a kayak on hand to traverse some of the larger lakes. A truly epic journey.
Getting there:Air Greenland has daily flights from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq (4.5 hours). The 164km Arctic Circle Trail takes 9–11 days to complete, from Kangerlussuaq to Sisimiut, with hiking season from June to August.
24. Falkland Islands
British Territory Population: 2,900 Good for: Raw nature, just an easy 12,650km from the UK
There is a rather old-fashioned quality to the Falklands, where passenger lists for local flights are still announced daily on the radio. Colourful capital Stanley cuts a civilised air, with a fine dockland museum that narrates the islands’ unusual past, away from the battlefield tours. Sheep account for a third of the population’s employment here, yet it’s wildlife on a more Darwinian scale that catches the eye.
On Sea Lion Island, bull elephant seals bellow blood-curdling challenges while mid-winter boat trips afford front-row seats to the pods of orca that stalk their newborn pups. Spot braying Magellanic penguins huddled against the thaw on Sandy Bay as quivers of cormorants arrow through its rough waters. This is nature at its most resilient on some of the UK’s most far-flung islands. Magical. Getting there: LATAM Airlines fly weekly from Punta Arenas, Chile (1.5 hours), while twice-weekly flights from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire to the Falkland’s Mount Pleasant airfield take 20 hours.
25. Port Lockroy
Antarctica Population: Research staff only Good for: Colonies of penguins and getting your passport stamped at the end of the world
Crossing the stomach-churning seas of Drake Passage to the seat of the Earth is no mean feat. The lucky few who get to land at Port Lockroy are met by a restored version of its old British naval base, which doubles as a museum and the UK’s most southerly post office. Partly made out of timber scavenged from whalers in the 1940s, exhibits range from old wooden skis to war rations.
Grab your Antarctic passport stamp here before exploring the wilderness of tiny Goudier Island, where some 800 pairs of gentoo penguins gather to breed in the brief spring/summer (Nov–Feb). Many of the birds waddle cheerfully in front of the research hut under the watchful gaze of staff and bullying squas, allowing you to get amazingly close. Sadly, you can’t stay overnight, but even setting foot on land here is a badge of honour.
Getting there: Many Antarctic Circle cruises will try to stop at Port Lockroy, but be aware that it is often left off official itineraries, as weather will determine access. Two-week cruises departing Ushuaia, Argentina or Puerto Williams, Chile to the Antarctic Circle.
See lava turn into land on The Big Island by exploring Volcanoes National Park. Follow Crater Rim Drive along the caldera – if recent eruptions allow – and get glimpses of the hot molten rock exploding as it hits the ocean. Walk through old lava tunnels within the native rainforest or take a trek into a crater. The best time to visit is April-June or September-December, when the weather’s great and the crowds smallest.
2. Mount Bromo, Indonesia
Situated on the island of Java, this still-active volcano is best seen smoking gently through the mists at dawn. Take a horse ride to get closer to the bubbling peak, or visit during the annual Yadnya Kasada Festival (August) to witness locals trek up en masse to appease the gods by throwing food and money into the caldera.
3. Mount Etna, Sicily
Europe’s tallest (3,329m) and most active volcano dominates eastern Sicily. Ride a cablecar up the snow-clad slopes from Rifugio Sapienza to the upper station, from where you can take a 4WD to the viewing area. Walks on the crater are also available, but always go with a guide.
4. Piton de la Fournaise, Réunion
The Indian Ocean isle’s ‘Peak of the Furnace’ is considered to be one of the world’s most active volcanoes. You can still explore it though: helicopter tours fly above and there are 20 designated hikes in the area. The three lush, volcanically created amphitheatres, or cirques – Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie – are particularly rich stomping grounds. Those seeking extra thrills can go canyoning among the waterfalls.
5. Caldeirão Corvo, Azores
The cluster of islands that make up the azores were born from volcanic eruptions. The collapsed caldera on Corvo, filled with lakes and small cones, is the most impressive remnant. Paraglide over it, or explore on foot.
6. Los Maribios, Nicaragua
This chain of 20-plus volcanoes sits north of León; five are active – but most are climbable. Hikes can take a full day but you’ll be rewarded by views stretching all the way to El Salvador. Camping is possible on many of the cones; don’t miss the black sands of explosive Cerro Negro.
7. Avachinsky, Russia
In Russia’s far east, plum on the Pacific Ring of Fire, sits Kamchatka, a 1,200km-long peninsula peppered with 300-odd volcanoes. It’s not easy to get there – Kamchatka is closer to Los Angeles than Moscow (a nine-hour-flight away) – and you’ll need a helicopter or serious wheels to get around. But if you do manage to make the journey to this wilderness, don’t miss a climb up ‘Avacha’ – not as high as many of the peninsula’s other volcanoes maybe, but one of its most feisty.
8. Mount Yasur, Vanuatu
Tanna Island boasts one of the world’s most approachable live volcanoes, which has been continuously erupting since before Captain Cook sailed past in 1774. You can stay at the base, walk right up to the crater and look in at the bubbling lava, then ash-board back down. At night, it’s a natural fireworks display, especially in March-April (end of the wet season) when it’s most active.
9. White Island, New Zealand
Get up close to roaring steam vents, bubbling pits of mud, hot volcanic streams and a lake of steaming acid on this erupting island in the bay of Plenty, off the east coast of the North Island. It can be accessed by air from rotorua and Whakatane, but the best way is by boat (80 minutes) from the latter, looking out for dolphins and whales on the way.
Opinions are split as to which is the definitive view: the one from Bromo’s rim at dawn, with the Javanese landscape spread at your feet; or the one from nearby Penanjakan, where Bromo lines up with its more-active brother, Semeru, spluttering and grumbling behind it. Whichever view you go for, Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park won’t disappoint. The long-dead Tengger caldera is 10km wide with walls up to 700m high. Within these confines sit a number of perfect volcanic cones of which Bromo is the most impressive, its corrugated greenery sticking up like a chameleon’s eye from the Sea of Sand.
Do it: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is (controversially) still advising against all non-essential travel to Indonesia. Rumour has it this might have changed by the time you read this.
Or try… Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
2. Best for education: Mount St Helens, USA
Want to see what an eruption with the power of 21,000 atomic bombs can do? The 1980 rumblings of Mount St Helens left the glacier-clad peak 400m shorter, with a 1.6km-wide crater on its northern side. Today, it is designated a National Volcanic Monument, and is the best place to learn about volcanoes and see first-hand how a landscape recovers from such devastation. Pop into the visitor centre, walk along a 2.5km lava tube or explore one of the interpretive paths that cover the scoured landscape.
Do it: It’s the States, so you need a hire car. There’s good camping at Seaquest State Park.
Or try… La Palma, Canary Islands
3. Best for peak-bagging: Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
It’s the biggest free-standing mountain in the world, and one of Africa’s most recognisable icons. These days Kili’s a busy place: chances are your next-door neighbour’s uncle has climbed it, but at 5,895m it is still the challenge of a lifetime.
Do it: You can’t climb Kili independently, but lots of UK travel operators run treks there, or you can book locally in Moshi or Arusha.
Or try… Cotopaxi, Ecuador
4. Best for social types: Mount Fuji, Japan
Yes, there is a souvenir shop at the top, even though – at 3,776m – this is the highest mountain in Japan. And yes, it does get ridiculously busy – about 180,000 people cram themselves onto the cold summit during the July-August climbing season. But that’s why every visitor to Japan should climb Mount Fuji: it’s a rite of passage for the Japanese, making it a rare chance for gaijin (foreigners) to do something with them on an equal, if chilly, footing.
Do it: At least three buses a day run direct from Tokyo’s Shinjuku bus terminal to Kawaguchi-ko 5th Station on Mount Fuji during the climbing season.
Or try… Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, USA
5. Best for jungle trekking: Réunion, Indian Ocean
Even if you know where it is (and most people don’t), Réunion will still delight you. It sits in the Indian Ocean 800km to the east of Madagascar, but it’s administratively part of France.
It’s also a world-class trekking destination. The round, 55km-wide island is the tip of an ancient submerged volcano, and its centre rears up to over 3,000m, so you can walk up through the climate zones – palm beaches, tropical fruit jungles, rainforest, alpine meadows and moon-like lava fields. Best of all, though, there are nearly 1,000km of mapped footpaths, with a network of mountain huts at convenient breaks and, of course, plenty of fantastic French food and wine to enjoy.
Do it: Maisons de la Montagne in St-Denis and Cilaos can give you route information, book mountain huts and arrange tours.
But beware: the huts need to be booked well in advance.
Or try… Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
6. Best for sunset: Santorini, Greece
Popular it may be, but there’s no denying that Santorini – or Thira, as the Greeks call it – is one of the world’s most dramatic geological sights. Today the Cyclades island is touristy, but about 3,650 years ago it was the site of the biggest explosion in recorded history. The volcano literally emptied itself into the atmosphere in a gargantuan blast, leaving its hollow centre to collapse into the Med. What was a large, round island became a star-and-sickle-shaped caldera rim. The best way to appreciate the scale of the place is to arrive by ferry. As the boat enters the caldera you are dwarfed by cliffs of black, red-brown and grey pumice.
Try to get away from the tourist hordes, find yourself a quiet spot among the blue and white buildings of Fira, the capital, and watch as the sun sets over the caldera and the sea sparkles below – you’ll feel the earth move.
Do it: Regular ferries link Santorini with Piraeas (near Athens), Iaklio on Crete, and the other Cyclades Islands. The island also has an airport, with regular links to Athens.
Or try… Vesuvius, Italy
7. Best for sulphurous stink: Mount Etna, Italy
This 3,323m monster is not what you expect from Europe. It’s too wild, too elemental. Up at the top you can watch one of nature’s most spectacular shows: rivers of orange sludge ooze almost continuously from fissures beneath the main craters. Just remember to wear thick-soled shoes – even the solid ground can get pretty hot.
Do it: One early morning bus per day runs from Catania up to Rifugio Sapienza. From there you can either walk up (four hours) or, between April and October, take a guided minibus.
Or try… nearby Stromboli
8. Best for constant rumblings: Pacaya, Guatemala
Guatemala is rife with volcanoes but for the ultimate lava experience head for lively Volcan Pacaya, near Guatemala City. The climb is tough – you’ll spend the last hour of your ascent going two steps up, one step down on jet-black pumice – and at the top you can feel the heat through the soles of your shoes. Fissures glow orange and, if the wind suddenly changes direction, you’ll find yourself coughing through thick, yellow, sulphurous smoke.
Do it: Gran Jaguar Travel Agency in Antigua de Guatemala runs good-value trips.
Or try… Arenal, Costa Rica
9. Best for divers: White Island, New Zealand
Diving a live volcano might not seem like a good idea but in the home of the bungee jump, common sense has never stopped anyone having fun. NZ’s most active volcano is 50km off the coast of North Island, and offers unique diving opportunities. Underwater cracks turn the ocean into a giant Jacuzzi where kingfish, stingray and blue mao mao swim between the bubbles.
Do it: Dive White, based in Whakatane, organises trips.
Or try… Sangihe Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia
10. Best for hot springs: Kamchatka, Russia
Best known for appearing in the board game Risk, Kamchatka is a 1,000km-long peninsula dripping down from the eastern end of Russia. Like Iceland, it is often called the ‘land of fire and ice’ and, as in Iceland, the earth’s crust is wafer-thin here. Getting around isn’t easy – distances are big, and infrastructure nonexistent – but hire a helicopter to take you to the Valley of the Geysers and you’ll see one of the weirdest places on the planet. Giant mushrooms grow next to steaming lakes, and geysers belch at the wandering bears. Watch where you tread – in some places an insubstantial crust disguises pools of boiling mud.
Do it: Independent travel in Kamchatka is very difficult. EWP is a trekking company that specialises in this area. Its Kronotsky Reserve trek visits the Valley of the Geysers (www.ewpnet.com).
Or try… Geysir, Iceland
11. Best for the brave: Montserrat, Caribbean
You’ve got to be a keen vulcanologist to visit Montserrat – the volcano is still far too unpredictable to be a tourist attraction. The bottom two-thirds of the island have been uninhabited since the 1997 eruption, when most of the island’s 11,000 African-Irish inhabitants fled; a further eruption in 2003 covered the island in volcanic debris.
Do it: The runway is covered in lava, so get the ferry from nearby Antigua (www.visitmontserrat.com).
Or try…Rabaul, Papua New Guinea
And three of the world’s most…
1. Active: Kilauea, the Big Island, Hawaii
The Pu’u O’o crater has been erupting continuously for 20 years.
2. Devastating: Krakatoa, Indonesia
The eruption of 27 August 1883 killed almost 40,000 people.
3. Wierdest lava: Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania
See spatter cones, lava flows, lava lakes and low lava fountains.