The top 5 extra-terrestrial landscapes

We’ve all waited in a cramped airport for hours because of a lengthy layover. But what if you could ditch the busy terminal to stretch your legs on an African safari? Kenya Airways is making that fantasy a reality by offering passengers a free safari during stopovers in Nairobi.

AirHelp, the online service that files complaints against airlines on behalf of passengers entitled to compensation for air delays or cancellations, knows a thing or two about air travel. Because it’s hard for the average person to understand air passenger rights and pursue a legal claim when they’ve been wronged, AirHelp is always going toe-to-toe with airlines and airports—and reveals once a year which ones that treat their passengers for the better (or worse).

If you want to stay at the best hotel in the United States, head to the French Quarter Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. And if you’re looking for the best bargain hotel stay in the world, it’s in a small town in northern Spain. That’s according to TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards, which just shared the best hotel ratings for multiple categories heading into 2019.

There’s no shortage of unique hotels in Cape Town, South Africa, that show you how a vacation should be done. Positioned between ocean and mountain, the breathtaking landscape is matched by a thrilling downtown district dishing up farm-to-fork fare and wines from the local vineyards. With international and boutique hotels vying for your attention, whittling down where to stay in Cape Town is the biggest hurdle. Complete with swimming pools and views for days, these luxury hotels in Cape Town’s top neighborhoods have you spoiled for comfort and location.

As demand for travel to Asia surges, United Airlines is capitalizing on travelers’ renewed interest in the region. The Chicago-based airline on Tuesday announced plans for three new or returning routes between the United States and the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan as part of a larger plan to continue to beef up its international flight map.

Serengeti, Maasai Mara, Kruger – everyone who’s ever dreamt of going to Africa will know these safari big-hitters. Famous for their wildlife, they’re also famous for hordes of visitors that flock to them in convoys of Land Cruisers. If you want to get away from the masses, these are the best little-visited African national parks, each with extraordinary wildlife but far fewer humans.

For anyone planning a trip to the Philippines, Stephen Keeling has picked out ten top films that showcase the country’s landscapes, history and culture.

It's that fateful A-level results day again, when hundreds of thousands of hard-working students will be taking one last trip back to school to discover the outcome of those arduous and intense exams they took at the beginning of the summer. Essentially, two years of hard work will all culminate in one single letter today, and while many will be hoping they got the grade for their first choice university, others will start looking for adventure as they begin a gap year.

If you like your holidays with a pinch — or even liberal lashings — of adrenalin, then you may want to check one of these life-changing experiences out. Taken from the pages of Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth, here's ten ultimate trips for thrill seekers.

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.

Whether we dwell in city centre or suburb, we nearly all dream of escaping the humdrum and finding somewhere truly off the grid. As the world shrinks, more and more places that promise isolation find their offerings increasingly crowded. Here's five destinations, drawn from Rough Guides' Make The Most Of Your Time On Earth, that still deal in true escapism.

In last week’s #RGchat, we asked our Twitter followers to tell us what ‘wild’ meant to them. We didn't expect to get such a beautiful response.