Jiantanshan Trail, Taipei

My favourite hostel in Taiwan — Meander 1948 — offers a weekly free special event. Often a hike.

My week we signed up for the Jiantanshan Trail, easily accessible by bus or subway.

This trail is famous for its unique vistas from its various lookout points.

The “Old Place Lookout” is the most sought-after spot, which provides a thrilling, unobstructed view of airplanes taking off and landing at the nearby Songshan Airport.

The hike also features classic, postcard-worthy views of the iconic, red-pillared Grand Hotel and the Keelung River.

The trail system consists of a well-maintained network of paved paths, wooden boardwalks, and stone staircases that wind along the ridge.

PJ, our guide, prefers this hike to the more popular, nearby Elephant Mountain as the vistas are more varied.

This section in the city is just one part of the much longer Taipei Grand Hike which PJ completed in 2022;

The most amazing sight for me was the giant orb weaver spider. Adult females are very large, with a body length of 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 inches). Happily, it’s rare to have cases where humans are bitten.

I’ve seen hardly any spiders nor biting insects after months in tropical S.E. Asia. (But huge spiders are common on Hong Kong hiking trails.)

After the hike, PJ took us to a couple of spots for local specialities.

This is a variation of red bean cake. Most of us opted for whipped cream filling, rather than the more savoury alternatives.

November 11, 2025November 10, 2025

Remembrance Day

November 10, 2025January 3, 2025

BestHike #1 – West Coast Trail, British Columbia

West Coast Trail is our top hike in the world.

Click PLAY or watch a 1-minute preview on YouTube.

West Coast Trail

Challenging in many ways.

So much VARIETY in pristine Canadian coastal wilderness.

Mystic dawns and mind-blowing sunsets. Hidden pocket coves and weird coastal geology.

You’ll never forget the West Coast Trail.

AT A GLANCE

75 km (47 mi), 5-7 days Pachena Bay <> Gordon River
3-5 day routes possible via Nitinaht Village trailhead
southwestern edge of Vancouver Island
Pacific Rim National Park
Permits required
May 1 – September 30
extremely rugged, requires a high level of fitness
6,000+ backpackers / year

Read more on our WCT information page.

November 8, 2025

Teapot Mountain Trail, Taiwan

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

I’d heard good things about this short day hike —Teapot Mountain Trail — a final approach to the summit needing a fun scramble through a narrow passage in the teapot-shaped rock.

The hike begins with a steady ascent up a well-maintained stone staircase. With every step, breathtaking views of the Ocean and the rugged northern coastline improve. The path winds up the green, rolling hills that characterize this scenic area.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. You can see the scramble. It’s short, not difficult, BUT very narrow. I had to take off my day pack.

3.2km out and back (though you can descend on different trails and extend the hike)
283m elevation gain, mostly on good stone steps
slippery coming down in the rain. GOOD SHOES needed.
some road walking, depending on route
easy access by local bus from Jiufen, a super popular tourist trap.

I returned via the New Taipei City Gold Museum. Very interesting.

There are a number of tunnels still open for exploration.

Up and down there are many rest stations, shrines, and temples.

John Marvin Raganas had the trail almost to himself. (It was crowded to the point of being dangerous when I was there. I spent as little time on the summit as possible.)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

For MORE in this area, check out Complete Guide of Mt. Teapot in Jiufen, Plus Mt. Canguanliao, Mt. Banping, and Mt. Nanzilin

November 8, 2025January 3, 2025

Top 10 Hiking Destinations ➙ Southwest USA

South West USA

Capitol Reef, Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Glen Canyon, White Sands National Monument, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. This part of the world is awesome.

We hike the SW USA every year and have yet to be disappointed.

Fascinating, diverse and mind-boggling. The best WOW geological zone we’ve seen anywhere.

The high desert plateau intersection of the four U.S. states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado Plateau is not the deepest nor largest, but it’s by far the most stunningly beautiful on Earth.

Most of the best slot canyons and natural stone arches in the world are here. A desert, your views are unobstructed. The light is perfect for photography.

The best weather is Oct-Nov, Mar-May. Summers are too hot for most hikers.

Most of the hikes in the Four Corners are short due to lack of water and the real risk of getting lost. People die in this wilderness every year.

Our favourite hike in the Four Corners region is Paria Canyon on the border of Arizona and Utah. You enjoy many days beneath huge walls in a slot canyon.

15 Awe-Inspiring Waterfalls Around the World

I’be been to about a third of these gorgeous falls.

Iguazu Falls – Argentina/Brazil
Niagara Falls – U.S./Canada
Angel Falls – Venezuela
Skógafoss Falls – Iceland
Shoshone Falls – Idaho
Multnomah Falls – Oregon
Kaieteur Falls – Guyana
Horsetail Fall – California
Khone Phapheng Falls – Laos
Victoria Falls – Zambia/Zimbabwe
Plitvice Lakes – Croatia
Havasu Falls – Arizona
Ruby Falls – Tennessee
James Bruce Falls – Canada
“Underwater Waterfall” – Mauritius

That list is from Daily Passport. Click through for details on each.

No doubt you can add some of your favourites.

For example, Mulafossur waterfall in Gasadalur, Vagar Island of the Faroe Islands.

November 5, 2025November 5, 2025

SINGAPORE’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN 😀

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Ok … Bukit Timah Hill in Bukit Panjang is only 164 metres (538 feet) high — but it’s STEEP.

Ideal for trail runners looking for a good workout.

Some call them the ‘Devil’s Stairs‘.

I saw plenty of Monitor Lizards and long-tailed Macaques.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

November 3, 2025October 25, 2025

3 Days Hiking Mt. RInjani, Indonesia

Flora Gonning:

At 3,726 meters, Mount Rinjani is Indonesia’s second-highest volcano and one of the most popular treks in Southeast Asia.

The classic 3-day / 2-night Rinjani trek is famous for its epic summit views, turquoise crater lake (Segara Anak), and hidden hot springs.

But this hike is also notorious for steep cliffs, loose volcanic ash, unpredictable weather, and long, exhausting days – factors that have led to many accidents and even fatalities.

In this video, I take you along on the full Mount Rinjani trek in Lombok, Indonesia – from the crowded trailhead at Sembalun, to the 2am summit push, to descending into the massive caldera.

Hiking Rinjani was both beautiful and brutal, with ash slopes that made every step slide back, camp life above the clouds, and endless hours of climbing and descending.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

November 2, 2025October 30, 2025

MacRitchie Reservoir & TreeTop Walk Loop, Singapore

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

MacRitchie Reservoir is Singapore‘s oldest. One of the island nation’s most popular parks.

Highlight for me was seeing 2 of the world’s smallest hoofed animals, the lesser mouse deer.

Not expecting these little guys — about 45 cm (18 inches) and 2 kg (4.4 lb) — my first thought seeing them in the foliage is that they were GIANT RATS. 😀

You can hike a multitude of trails at MacRitchie ➙ or go kayak / canoeing.

I tried the MacRitchie Reservoir and TreeTop Walk Loop.

12.2km
3–3.5hr
281m elevation gain
Zig Zag bridge
Performing Arts Pavilion

Unfortunately, I arrived at the TreeTop Walk about 15 minutes after it closed — and, no, you cannot sneak across when locked up. 😀

I had to backtrack a bit. Then continue to the next landmark, Jelutong Tower.

I’m finding the flat jungle walks in Singapore mostly offer views of … jungle.

The tower finally gave me a chance to get up high and see the surrounding vista.

A big surprise is to see so few insects and spiders in October. Nice.

After a couple of months in S.E. Asia, I’m well used to macaques. You see them many times on this hike. But most on the Singapore Island Country Club.

Somewhat marshy in places, this park has a lot of high quality boardwalk.

I was on boardwalk as darkness fell. Lovely over the water.

I shortened the loop somewhat because it got very dark on narrow boardwalks.

Because I was still in the city, I caught a nearby bus and was quickly back to my hostel.

MacRitchie is a terrific urban hike.

November 1, 2025October 31, 2025

Singapore Botanic Gardens

by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Singapore Botanic Gardens is a huge tropical green space located at the fringe of the Orchard Road shopping district.

I walked the Singapore Botanic Gardens Loop. Plus some side trips.

This 3.9km trail offers a delightful walk through the a lush tropical oasis and the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

IF you wanted to walk every trail, it would take perhaps 3 hours. The park is huge.

Singapore Botanic Gardens Map (https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbg/visit-us)

More than 10,000 species of flora are spread over its 82 hectares (200 acres) area, which is stretched vertically; the longest distance between the northern and southern ends is 2.5 km (1.6 mi).

The Botanic Gardens receives about 4.5 million visitors annually. …

The National Orchid Garden is the main attraction within the Botanic Gardens. Located on the mid-western side of the Garden, the hilly three-hectare site has a collection of more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids. …

Vanda Miss Joaquim, the national flower of Singapore

The park is free. But there is an extra admission cost for the Orchard Garden.

It’s Singapore, so everything is done with quality.

You’ll see many different birds. Chickens. But the most interesting for me are the many Monitor Lizards. Mostly carnivorous. Growing to a length of 1 – 1.5m.