Kayaking tips

Backroads, a longtime leader in adventure travel, has made its reputation by catering to changing traveler needs and shifting demographics. In 2024, that means focusing on the increasing number of multigenerational families eager to travel together.

With vast wilderness making up most of the state, Alaska’s parks and outdoor spaces take center stage for most visitors. Alaska is home to about 60% of the total national park land in the US, covering 56 million acres. 

Bergen is often referred to as “the city between seven mountains” – which encapsulates its blend of culture and nature. Lose yourself in its charming old town, fish markets, galleries and museums, then hike or take a funicular up Mount Fløyen for views and pine forest trekking. Bergen is a great base from which to day trip. Using direct buses/trains, you can go to Gudvangen to kayak across the fjord to your own secluded beach for a picnic lunch, or pop to Voss for its water sports, hiking and farm-to-fork food (Store Ringheim is my top pick).Seb

At every majestic red, brown and pink turn, Grand Canyon National Park wows, with nature’s utmost beauty on full display.

I am at the back of an inflatable kayak on Portugal's famously scenic Douro River, paddling wildly against the current, when it hits me: River cruising sure has changed.

We’re all familiar with the Scandinavian concept of hygge, which is all about hunkering down and staying cosy in winter. So it will come as no surprise to learn that the Scandis have also got it sussed when it comes to making the most of the summer. Friluftsliv, a Norwegian word that translates as “open-air living”, is all about getting out into the great outdoors, connecting with nature and leaving a minimal environmental footprint. Whether it’s hiring a Swedish summer house, camping on a Danish island or kayaking in Norwegian fjords, we’d love to hear your recommendations for outdoorsy summer holidays in Scandinavia.

You know the saying, “No shoes, no shirt, no service”? Whether you like it or not, the shoe portion of the warning doesn’t really apply to airplanes. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Kayak, dubbed the Unspoken Rules of Air Travel, 44 percent of Americans think it’s OK to take their footwear off while at cruising altitude.

Across more than 1.5 million acres across South Florida sprawls Everglades National Park, a wonderland of marshland, sawgrass and mangroves.

Nearly 200 miles of roads have reopened in Death Valley National Park after they were damaged by a hurricane last year.

Kayak is making it much easier for travelers to ensure they get the best flight deal thanks to the rollout of its new PriceCheck tool.

From a ride one of Europe’s most famous railway journeys that twists and turns through a lush valley from a mountain plateau to fjord, to a gentle stroll past waterfalls and picturesque farms to a historic church, Norway’s Flåm offers something for everyone as a cruise port call.

There’s a palpable sense of the changing seasons at this time of the year – longer days, warmer weather, and the feeling that people are stirring from winter hibernation. The parks are getting busier, tennis courts are being used and pelotons of cyclists are starting to appear on our roads. There are so many ways of enjoying the great outdoors while keeping yourself fit and healthy. You may have enjoyed a kayaking trip, a hiking break, cycling through beautiful scenery or a wild swimming holiday. Whatever gets you up and out for an adventure, we’d love to hear about it.

Forget crossing bridges to get across the Bay – San Francisco locals are notorious for not wanting to leave the city.

Death Valley National Park, which usually known for its record-setting temperatures is making headlines for something truly unique — lots and lots of rain.

Whether you’ve recently started regular yoga classes and want to take your newfound knowledge to the next level or are a complete novice still figuring out the difference between a warrior and tree pose, a yoga retreat can be a great way to deep-dive into this multidisciplinary practice with roots in ancient India

The Grand Canyon, the Napa Valley, New Orleans — the United States' biggest draws need little in the way of introduction, having long captured imaginations across the globe. But in some ways, big isn't always best, at least where carbon footprints are concerned — and there are ways to take in the country's greatest hits without the correspondingly great environmental cost. From kayaking the Everglades to going electric in Washington, DC, here's how you can tread lightly while still enjoying the very best of the US.

I think of it as the “adventure moment”: when the guide says goodbye; when the boat unexpectedly pulls up to the riverbank and the captain tells you to get off; when no one speaks any language you understand; when you have to call on your own resources. The adventure starts when there is no one to tell you what to do next.

In Alqueva, rush hour kicks off at 9.30pm. The area’s roads remain as empty at night as they are by day, but 340 miles above, a queue of Starlink satellites is starting to form. “There’s the International Space Station,” says astronomer Nuno Santos, directing his green laser pointer south. “Give the three people on board a wave!”

Think of Stockholm and it's often the city's cutting-edge modernity, classical architecture and eclectic neighbourhoods that first spring to mind. But if you cast your eye to the east — just over 20 miles from Stockholm's centre — you'll find a little-known, natural nirvana of 30,000-odd islands spilling from the mainland and extending 40 miles into the Baltic Sea. 

“Hello, over there in Albania!”, my kayaking guide Gigo shouts across the water as he paddles along effortlessly. He doesn’t really need to shout, because although we’re in Montenegro, we’re only a few metres away from the Albanians. We’re on the Buna (Bunë) River, a 40km stretch of water which divides the countries and is so tranquil that every sound is amplified, from the dip of our paddles to the rousing tones of the Muslim call to prayer.

The Northern Irish coast is justifiably famous for its beauty, all craggy inlets and brooding cliffs topped by crumbling castles. Most people explore this coastline from the land, walking along the clifftops and driving the winding road that snakes along from the Scotland-facing east coast to the large inlet of Derry in the west.