Nature tips

With its cobbled historic downtown, fascinating museums and lively dining and bar scene, Bogotá can keep you busy for days. After you’ve made the most of the city’s cultural and historical experiences, consider a day trip to Bogotá’s lush and evergreen hinterland, where you’ll find misty cloud forests, quaint towns, striking mountains and lots of outdoor activities. Most of these places can be reached on a bus, but if you rent a car, you might be able to combine a few of them into a one – or two – day trip. 

Is the traditional role of state fish and wildlife agencies coming to an end? That is increasingly the question as some of the nation’s most important—and often controversial—issues are no longer being decided by wildlife professionals whose charter it is to manage natural resources for the greater good. Instead, animal welfare groups and others have staked a clear strategy to circumvent state agencies through the referendum process. That is, if you want to ban mountain lion hunting or introduce wolves to a state, you have only to collect signatures from a population generally easy to sway with emotional media campaigns and overwhelm your opponents on election day— poor outcomes for people and wildlife be damned.

Barcelona, the charismatic capital of Catalonia, is known for its dynamic energy, sun-kissed beaches, vibrant culture, and awe-inspiring architecture. Yet, even in this thriving metropolis, the iconic works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí stand out as masterpieces of creativity and innovation.

One of the world’s most dazzling destinations, Brazil is packed with steamy rainforests, tropical savannas, wetlands and exciting cities. 

Summer may be over, but beach season doesn’t have to be. In fact, with fewer crowds and cooler temperatures, fall is the best time to explore coastal towns where cultural sites, natural wonders, and tons of history tell memorable stories to take back home. Here are seven seaside escapes that are even better offseason.

Iceland has announced it will soon be introducing a new tourism tax as part of its climate goals.

Oahu’s North Shore is famous for its legendary surfers and its giant waves. I’ve been there several times, and it’s awe-inspiring to see all the surfers shredding in the water.

In this series, Lonely Planet’s team of writers and editors answers your travel problems and provides tips and hacks to help you plan a hassle-free trip. Marco Ferrarese, a Penang-based expert in offbeat travel, has the answers to this Thailand-related query.

The word Patagonia conjures dreamy images of wide-open spaces, remote natural beauty, massive glaciers, soaring Andes, outdoor adventures and iconic wildlife on land and at sea. The Patagonia region of Argentina, which includes the southernmost third of the country all the way south to Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world, delivers all of that and more. 

With its crystal clear lake and rugged snow-capped mountains, Lucerne has long been one of Switzerland’s most popular destinations for an alpine retreat. Europe’s upper strata were drawn to the alps as early as the 1760s, for mountaineering and hiking. But Lucerne really took off in the 19th century, following the opening of the first hotel in 1835, the expansion of alpine health resorts and Queen Victoria visiting the town for a long summer retreat in 1868 as she mourned the death of her husband.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee added 42 sites to its World Heritage List this month, recognizing cultural and natural sites across the globe from Europe and Africa to the United States.

I've lived in Scotland my entire life, but until recently I had never visited the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides.

In the middle of a field in a lesser known part of Ireland is a large mound where sheep wander and graze freely. Had they been in that same location centuries ago, these animals might have been stiff with terror, held aloft by chanting, costumed celebrants while being sacrificed to demonic spirits that were said to inhabit nearby Oweynagat cave.

The flamingo-pink towers at Atlantis, Paradise Island Resort in The Bahamas are instantly recognisable. If you didn’t need your sunglasses to shield you from the Caribbean sun, then you definitely need them when gazing up at the pink structure, the turquoise sea a kaleidoscopic clash beyond.

Visitors to Chile have another reason to make a stop in wine country, to visit the freshly renovated and ultra-luxurious new casitas at Clos Apalta - one of Chile’s most highly-awarded world-class wineries.Previously, this French-inspired winery’s collection of four casitas held the title of smallest Relais & Châteaux property in the world; now with the of debut seven new ones and fully reimagined interiors for the original ones they usher in a luxurious new take on luxury and nature.

Watching the salmon run in Tsútswecw Provincial Park is bucket list worthy and tourists flock from around the world to witness this magnificent natural event. Tsútswecw Park (formerly Roderick Haig-Brown) comes from the indigenous word “Tsútswecw” (pronounced choo-chwek) and translates to ‘many rivers.’ Tsútswecw Park is located on both sides of the Adams River between Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake. It’s northeast of Kamloops and northwest of Salmon Arm in Canada’s westernmost province, beautiful British Columbia.

You don’t need to be more than an occasional cruiser to have noticed a boom of late in fine art displays on luxury vessels. In addition to all the great design innovations to discover on Silversea’s new Silver Nova, one of the most exciting elements is the enormous and diverse multimedia contribution from fifty-nine world artists.

Picasso had his off-kilter Cubism—think of the mesmerizing tableau of skewed ladies in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. And Hollywood has long had its perfectly imperfect idols—few of whom, even Marilyn, were ever symmetrically spot on. As it turns out, we humans actually subconsciously favor the irregular.

In the distance, the verdant North Downs stretch out for miles, the chalk hills gently undulating until their ridges merge with the horizon. Closer, still, are fields of white lacey Cowslip and wild yellow Woodsorrel which dot the landscape with pops of colour. It’s hard to believe that we’re a short drive away from central London.

The ethos of the hotel company Our Habitas is sustainable practices in natural settings with a dose of relevant luxury mixed in. So it makes sense that its latest property is Our Habitas Atacama in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile in the pristine, unique Atacama Desert known to be the most arid non-polar landscape on earth but one also with lunar rock formations, salt flats, volcanoes, geysers and hot springs, a cornucopia of dramatic nature. The hotel opened its doors a few days ago.

Ontario, Canada's second largest province, is home to charming small towns, gorgeous landscapes, vibrant multiculturalism, parks, nature trails, and plenty of ways to celebrate autumn. From apples to pumpkins and cranberries to garlic, Ontario is packed with fun, spooky, and delicious ways to celebrate the fall harvest. Whether you are looking to load up on veggies from farmers markets, pick your own right from the earth, scare your bestie at ghostly Halloween events, or have a magical family day among glowing pumpkins, these five Ontario attractions will keep you busy all season long.