While still a part of Uzbekistan’s well-trodden Silk Road city route, Khiva’s desert surroundings make it feel like it’s in the middle of nowhere, in all the best of ways. That feeling only grows stronger once you venture out a little further, into the desert fortresses of the Khorezm region. As a small and compact…
When people think of day trips from Almaty, places like Big Almaty Lake, Kaindy Lake, and Charyn Canyon usually get all the love. But if you’re willing to endure an extremely early wake-up call, Altyn-Emel National Park offers some of the most unusual landscapes in Kazakhstan… with a tiny fraction of the crowds. I joined…
Big Almaty Lake used to be one of the easiest mountain escapes from Almaty. Sitting at 2,557 meters meters above sea level in the Trans-Ili Alatau Mountains, the lake’s surreal colors — ranging from milky blue to deep teal depending on the time of year — and dramatic mountain backdrop make it one of Kazakhstan’s…
In Tromso, by day, you can dog sled through frozen landscapes, explore a bustling city, take a cable car up a mountain, or meet Sámi reindeer herders. When darkness falls, you have a chance to see the flashing aurora in brilliant hues of green and possibly even purple swirling overhead at night. I’m ready to…
One of the most iconic activities you can enjoy while visiting Finnish Lapland is taking a husky ride through the snow above the Arctic Circle! It’s a classic winter in Finland itinerary staple and a must-do while visiting Rovaniemi in winter. There are lots of options for dog sledding in Rovaniemi, some better than others….
Taking a day trip to the rugged, icy landscape of the breathtaking Korouoma Canyon is one of the best ways to spend a winter day in Rovaniemi. This deep canyon goes up to 130 meters (427 feet) at its deepest point, stretching 30 kilometers long with beautiful views all along its length. So be prepared…
Of all my memories of the frozen world of my February visit to Longyearbyen, snowmobiling out to a remote ice cave in Svalbard was definitely the highlight of my trip. … even though it was an activity I almost didn’t do because I had the worst anxiety I’d experienced in the last decade. Luckily, my…
The furthest north you can fly on a commercial flight, Svalbard is so far above the Arctic Circle that it’s equidistant to the North Pole and the northernmost point of Northern Norway! Since it’s known for its polar bears, the Svalbard archipelago conjures up icy images, but in reality, Svalbard is generally a bit warmer…
Svalbard is home to the world’s northernmost settlements… and enough polar bears that residents can’t leave the main town without a firearm. In the winter, Svalbard experiences an endless night that, quite literally, stretches on for months. So it might seem rather logical to assume that the Svalbard archipelago, located far north of the Arctic…