Travel Destinations

Fermanagh Lakelands, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland's answer to the Lake District is blissfully unhurried, although the G8 summit being held here this June may bring it fame. Fermanagh is about one-fifth water, and most of that belongs to fickle Lough Erne – a lake in two parts. 



Yukon, Canada
The Yukon is where Canadians go when the rest of the country feels a little too crowded. Hugging the border with Alaska, this area of wilderness that is twice the size of the UK has fewer residents than Liechtenstein – once you've discounted the caribou, grizzly bears, wolves, lynx and bald eagles.



Kiso Valley, Japan
Two hundred years ago, the thickly wooded Kiso Valley was one of the main routes through central Japan. It's more out of the way these days, with the happy result that it preserves a number of old post stations along the Nakasendo – the mountain road, celebrated in the work of woodblock print artists, that ran from Edo (modern Tokyo) to Kyoto.





Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey
A world away from cosmopolitan Istanbul or Turkey's laid-back coastal resorts, little-visited Southeastern Anatolia deserves equal fame. Once the northern frontier of Mesopotamia (the 'cradle of civilization'), the region encompasses an astonishing array of sites, reaching far back into human history. 



Arunachal Pradesh, IndiaArunachal Pradesh, the 'land of the dawn-lit mountains', is surely high on any list of candidates for the mythical realm of Shangri-La. Sitting at a confluence of countries – India, Bhutan, Tibet and Burma – it has historically been inaccessible from any, an unknown place so remote that few of its thunderous Himalayan peaks have been named, let alone climbed. Now, however, easing travel restrictions and improved infrastructure ensure that this extraordinary place is ripe for exploring. Here, nature reserves teem with a diversity of wildlife unmatched in India, forests host delicately tattooed tribal peoples, and mountain valleys are dotted with majestic Buddhist monasteries, such as 400-year-old Tawang Gompa, one of the world's largest. Be sure to visit the Mechuka Valley, a hitherto unexplored Buddhist realm amongst the towering, snow-draped mountains of the region's remote west. Making the trip on the newly opened road is one of the most exciting adventures in India. 



Northwestern Tasmania, Australia
Long known for its apples, Australia's island state of Tasmania is fast emerging as the country's best destination for food, full stop. Its unspoilt countryside and pristine waters provide a bounty of lovingly-harvested local produce, much of it then served up within the state's country-leading crop of restaurants. Tazzie's northwest offers a choice of delicacies that's hard to beat, from seafood and cider to chocolate, cheese and cool-climate wines. 



Ávila, Spain
Pity the army that tried to take Ávila. Set on the cool, high plains of Castilla y León in central Spain, this historic bastion is a sight to behold. Thick, hulking walls loom 12 metres high in a crenellated ring around the city, interrupted only by a series of monumental embellishments: eight gates, dozens of towers and turrets in their thousands. Built in the 12th Century on top of the remains of earlier Roman and Muslim battlements, they rank among the best-preserved medieval walls in the world, and despite their age, can, in part, be walked along.



Jambiani Beach, Tanzania
Even among Zanzibar's embarrassment of powder-sand riches, Jambiani beach is a clear standout. Located on the island's east coast, which is protected by offshore reefs, the beach is a long, palm-fringed sweep of fine coral sand sloping ever-so-gradually into a startlingly turquoise sea. This mesmerising landscape, one of the quietest places on the east coast, is also a good introduction to the age-old rhythms of rural Zanzibari life. 



Ikaria, Greece
If you're after somewhere to eat, drink and unwind, look no further than Ikaria, a place so restorative that living to 100 years here is no big deal. No-one's quite sure what accounts for residents' exceptional longevity, but the sheer serenity of the place must have something to do with it (the hot springs probably help, too). A hilly isle in the northeast Aegean mostly bypassed by tourism, it's strewn with crumbling ruins, secluded bays and tiny villages where residents gather to tell stories, play backgammon and drink.