19 places to get utterly lost

Iceland has many highlights, and it’s nearly impossible to choose one place over another.

A missing phone is never fun. But what if you lost your phone, then had the entire world learn about your list of life goals? 

One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Lost City of Petra hides coyly behind Southern Jordan’s pink sandstone cliffs. The rock-cut ruins of the lost Nabatean Kingdom feature Corinthian pillars, Hellenistic urns, and, in the case of the Treasury, classical relief sculptures fit for a king. The contrast between the jagged desert cliffs and the grand edifices that adorn them is as jarring as a crop circle perfectly etched into a field of corn.

Ghost stories are fun. Though folk tales and flatout fabrications abound, the best of them prompt us to ponder the lives of those who inhabited the world before us.

Despite India’s vastness, foreign travellers tend to clump together in a relatively small number of well-known regions or cities, leaving plenty of destinations to the more intrepid few who are willing to take the challenge of escaping the tourist trail. Here’s a selection of our favourites:

Southeast Asia is the quintessential backpacker destination – all noodle stands, grungy hostels and full moon parties, right? Not necessarily. There are still plenty of authentic Southeast Asian escapes. You just need to know where to find them. Start here.

Ticked off New York City’s big sights and wondering where to go next? From sinking a pint in Brooklyn's Red Hook to sampling Italian delicacies in The Bronx, Stephen Keeling picks the city’s off-the-beaten track highlights.

In a city where it’s possible to pay up to US$250 for a rib eye steak, it is no surprise that most feel daunted at the prospect of visiting the pricy Russian capital, Moscow . Yet there are plenty of quirky cafés, hidden restaurants and expat haunts that will not break your budget. Here is a selection of some of the city’s best.

Marrakesh? Check. The souks of Fez? Been there, bought that. Jebel Toubkal? Climbed it, twice. So what else does Morocco have in store once you’ve ticked off its most popular sights? Plenty, according to Keith Drew, who selects seven places that are far from the madding crowds.

Australia is a vast country, though most visitors stay on the same tried and tested track, ticking off well-touristed pitstops along the way. But, of course, there's plenty more to see beyond the usual Sydney, rock and reef holiday triangle. Here’s our pick of the best places to escape the crowds Down Under.

Psychedelic tourism isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but there is nowhere on Earth where so many shaman serve such magical brews as they do in Peru. The typical setting for a session with an ayahuasquero or jungle shaman, is to meet him at a rainforest lodge on the edge of an Amazon tributory. After giving each guest a bitter, small gourd-full of psychotropic hallucinogen, the shaman begins to rattle, chant or drum. The effects can be challenging – the drug’s purging qualities mean many people vomit, while the colourful visions may be spiritual, sexual or just plain terrifying – but most people, helped by the shaman’s guiding songs and vision, make it beyond this to a healing and ecstatic session.

Freelance travel and wildlife photographer Margot Raggett shares her beautiful photographs of the fascinating kingdom of Bhutan.