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Amatola Hiking Trail, South Africa

Everyone considers the Amatola Hiking Trail one of the best in South Africa.

Most people do it hut to hut.

Distance is a minimum of 86.4 km. Elevation gain 4,661m.

Stingy Nomads hiked about 100km. Average walking time 7 hours per day, between 14-20 km.



Getting a permit can be problematic.

You can hike the trail all year round though in winter (June to August) days are shorter and temperatures are lower. Snowfalls can occur high in the mountains.

Summer months (December to February) are known as rainy months; it’s warmer than in winter and days are longer but heavy rains can be a pain.

December is as well a peak season due to the Christmas holidays so it can be crowded and you’ll probably have to book the trail beforehand.

October and November is a good time for hiking; the weather is nice and there are very few people on the trail.

We did it at the end of November – beginning of December and were the only people on the trail. It was very easy to book we did it just 2 days before the hike. In 6 days we didn’t see any other hikers or even people (only locals from far away). The trail is well-marked and easy to follow just always check for yellow footprints that you can find painted on trees or rocks.

Accommodation on the trail

Every night you sleep in a hut so no need to carry a tent and sleeping pad. All huts have beds with mattresses, showers, toilets, running water, fireplace, rubbish bin, and outside or inside dining area. No electricity on the trail don’t expect to charge your devices or read with electric light. …

Fantastic Amatola trail – a detailed guide and itinerary

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.

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Zion Narrows Hike, Utah USA

One of our top 10 day hikes in the world.

Why?

Best slot canyon hike in the world.

  • in Utah’s Zion National Park
  • 16 miles (25 km) from Chamberlain’s Ranch to Temple of Sinawava in the Park
  • June through October best months
  • usually closed from mid-March to mid-May due to spring snowmelt and runoff
  • in places chasm up to 1,968 ft deep and 20 ft wide
  • about a 1500 ft descent
  • walk in water up to half the time
  • 9 – 13 hours. Confirm the time of the last shuttle out of the park!
  • a long, tiring day or you can camp overnight. Be aware that there are only 12 campsites available and they book quickly. Start as early as possible if you are doing it in a day.
  • Permit is required

World → North America → S.W. USA  → Utah → Zion Narrows

Water walking shoes recommended.

For details click over to our Zion Narrows information page.

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Outdoor Adventure on Vancouver Island

by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

I’d argue that the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region is the best place to live in Canada — for year round outdoor recreation.

My parents live in Parksville. And — when visiting — I can cycle and hike year round.

Protected by Mt. Arrowsmith, the coast gets very little snow. And temperatures rarely drop below freezing.

Of course this is a rain forest. 😀

Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR) is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve located on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

It was designated in 2000 by UNESCO to protect a large second-growth coast Douglas fir ecosystem in the watersheds of the Little Qualicum and Englishman Rivers from being developed. …

Protected areas located within the biosphere reserve include:[5]

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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#7 Hiking Town – Grindelwald, Switzerland

I stayed in Grindelwald again in 2023. What a terrific hiking town.

Most hikers arrive by train from Interlaken. They share that journey with hundreds of thousands of camera clutching tourists all en route to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe.

Grindelwald is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The village is located at 1,034 metres (3,390 ft) above sea level in the Bernese Alps. …

Long famed as a winter tourist destination with slopes for beginners, intermediates and the challenges of the Eiger glacier for the experienced, there are activities for the non-skiers, from tobogganing to groomed winter hiking tracks. It is the usual starting point for ascents of the Eiger and the Wetterhorn. Nowadays Grindelwald is also a popular summer activity resort with many miles of hiking trails across the Alps. …

Grindelwald has a population (as of 2007) of 3,809 …

Many experienced hikers would pooh pooh Grindelwald as too touristy, basing themselves instead out of Lauterbrunnen, Mürren or even (our pick) tiny Gimmelwald, accessible only on foot or by aerial tramway.

There are no bad hikes out of Grindelwald. It is fantastic in every direction.

vista from the Grindewald hostel

But the Tour of the Jungfrau Region, a 2wk ultimate adventure, is our best recommendation.

See more “best hikes” in the Alps.

The best day hike is the Eiger Trail.

Click PLAY or get a glimpse of my June hike on YouTube.

Most hike June to mid-October but, surprisingly, there are trails open year round close to Grindelwald.

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Heights of Alay Mountains, Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a fantastic hiking destination — BUT we wouldn’t recommend you trek there independently.

The Pamir Trail is a proposed 1000km+ route. A work in progress.

Jan Baaker, author of Cicerone Trekking in Tajikistan, hopes to connect the entire route soon.

Shorter and logistically easier to organize, is the Heights of Alay Mountains trail.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

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Venezuela ➙ Angel Falls

Angel Falls is the the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, with a height of 979 metres (3,212 ft), and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft).

The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyán-tepui mountain in the Canaima National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Canaima), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Gran Sabana region of Bolívar State. …

… there is still uncertainty whether Angel Falls or South Africa’s Tugela Falls is the tallest …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. Amazing.

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In Praise of Pampas Grass

Pampas grass or pampas-grass or Pap’s grass are common names for several similar-looking, tall-growing species of grass.

Cortaderia selloana is native to southern South America, including the Pampas region after which it is named. 

It is widely distributed throughout the world as a cultivated ornamental plant. And it is common in the yards on Vancouver Island where I’m at right now.

In fact, it’s my favourite of the ornamental plants here. Tall, impressive, and pretty.

Jindai Botanical Garden, Japan, height 4 metres (13.1 ft) and diameter 7 metres (23 ft)

That said, many gardeners hate the stuff, considering it an invasive weed. It’s difficult to manage.

Click PLAY or watch a short montage on YouTube.

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Trek Paine, Patagonia, via the Brush Variant

If you’ve already hiked Torres del Paine in Chilean Patagonia on the Circuit or W routes, you might be interested in a new adventure called the Brush Variant.

A 7-day trek from Bernardo O’Higgins national park to Chile’s most legendary park — Paine.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (Guided)