Mountain tips

We are lounging on the terrace of Lapis Turris, a medieval watchtower high in the Sibillini mountains, taking it in turns to name films that remind us of the extraordinary landscape that wraps itself around us. Game of Thrones? Skull Island in King Kong? Tolkien’s Rivendell? It’s difficult to pick; this stunning, empty wilderness is Italy’s answer to all three.

Instead of a four-hour road trip from Koman to Fierzë, relax and enjoy the Albanian fjords via the Drin River. We reversed on to the Berisha ferry, which takes 10 cars, plus foot passengers. Everyone sits on deck, regardless of the weather, to take in the views, which began with an incredibly straight white line high in the rock, showing the water level during the rainy season. The scenery was magnificent with forest-clad hills and high, rocky mountains with various coloured strata. Occasionally, a remote, isolated house could be seen. After two hours, we began spotting small tourist boats and hardy kayakers before arriving at Fierzë.Roy Messenger

With its impressive terrain of imperious mountains, volcano-ravaged landscapes and sumptuous rainforest, Washington State is understandably renowned amongst keen hikers.

This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.

This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.

If you've grown weary of the urban rat race and yearn for stunning wide-open spaces, it's time to grab your bags and head to Washington State. 

While Italy is never a bad idea per se, there are times when the the high-heeled boot kicks better than others. Those times lie in the off-season, when baking heat compounds not with throngs of crowds, and you, the tourist, find yourself with a touch more cool air to breathe. Between October and April and from thigh to toe to rock that the toe kicks (I am referring to Sicily), the entire country comes alive in ways that most tourists will never get to experience if they stick to August.

It’s about to get easier to visit the luxury Swiss mountain town of St. Moritz thanks to the resort joining the Ikon Pass for the 2024/2025 ski season.

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Washington’s nickname, the Evergreen State, fits it well. This is a place rich in alpine meadows and old-growth forests, lakes and rivers, waterfalls and wildflowers. And what makes all this green beauty possible? Rain – lots of it. This corner of the Pacific Northwest (and its largest city, Seattle) have a well-earned reputation for wet, drizzly weather.

New England has eclipse fever. Of course there are themed cocktails and viewing parties, but small towns in the path of totality are girding themselves for some apocalypse-level craziness. A Facebook post from the Plainfield, Vt., (pop. 1,236) Department of Emergency Management and Hazard Mitigation warns residents not to attempt to drive on highways or rely on cell phones, because visitors will be “totally unaware that our cell networks can't handle the traffic.” The post also suggested locals prepare for strangers knocking on their doors, looking for help or bathrooms.

Nestled between the peaks of seven mountains and the frigid waters of the North Sea, Bergen is a historic Norwegian city that rightly sits high on the wish list of visitors to Norway.

The beauty of Branson is in its variety – from touching an iceberg at the Titanic Museum to zooming down a mountain coaster.

From the rush of bungee jumping in New Zealand to the awe of diving the Great Barrier Reef, myriad opportunities are waiting for you to seize them.

Filled the tank? Loaded your playlists? It’s time to set off on an extended road trip across the spectacular and diverse landscapes of Washington State.

For our last night in La Paz, Mexico, we kept it simple: A couple of cans of cold Pacifico, a bench on the malecón, the city’s waterfront promenade, and the sunset glowing orange over the shimmering silver-blue Sea of Cortez. My husband, Alex, and I had spent nearly a week taking scenic desert drives and lazy city strolls, visiting stunning beaches and mountains, and enjoying a steady diet of fish tacos and mezcalitas. But now we were salt-coated and sinking into a blissful exhaustion that comes only after a day spent scuba diving.

High in the mountains of Oman and along its pounding shoreline, I stumbled onto an unexpected slice of heaven thanks to a friend’s recommendation. I even sprang for a few extra amenities for a mash-up of pauper meets paradise.

Wherever you are in Japan, it seems you're never far from a great meal. Restaurants often specialize in just one dish – perhaps having spent generations perfecting it – and pay close attention to every stage, from sourcing the freshest, local ingredients to assembling the dish attractively. And, as you'll quickly discover, Japanese cuisine has great regional variations, a point of pride among its people.

The roads around Yosemite National Park are a driving utopia – these routes carve through expansive backcountry, sublime valleys and pretty meadows, and loop by deep gorges dotted with emerald-green forests, shimmering lakes and ancient sequoias.

Washington is a state of dramatic differences, both physical and cultural. The east mixes vineyards with stark landscapes scarred by past glacial activity, while the west is a patchwork of drippy evergreen forests, clinging to the skirts of snowy mountain ranges punctuated by dome-shaped volcanoes.

There’s a party atmosphere round the lighthouse on Chanonry Point near Inverness, the UK’s best place to see dolphins from land. It’s an hour after low tide and there are pipers, picnics and kids running barefoot over long, evening sands. Already in late spring, the sun barely seems to set in the Highlands. The kelp-strewn pebbles are glowing as I walk from the bus stop near Fortrose cathedral (bus 26/26A from Inverness) along one side of the promontory. The dolphins don’t show up. But, somehow, it’s fine – the first of many reasons to return. It’s still light as I walk back along the beach for a 9pm bus, past wild lupins and views of Fort George and pink clouds over the Moray Firth. I’m in Inverness at the start of a week exploring Scotland’s wild north coast by train and bus.