Great Journeys

Set out on eight of the planet's most extraordinary trips; on trundling trains and local boats, epic drives through the desert, as well as journeys you can make by pedal power or on your own two feet...

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BY: ANDREW MARSHALL

By Boat | Kerala Backwaters | India

India's southern-most state, Kerala lies sandwiched between the Western Ghats mountains and the Arabian Sea - and a travel highlight is watching rural life unfold, while floating along its famous backwaters; a languid maze-like tangle of lagoons, rivers and canals so narrow that coconut palms lean precariously out over the water on either side to form tunnels of tropical green. Constructed of dark lustrous jack wood, with planks stitched and caulked with coir in an age-old manner, old rice barges known as 'kettuvallam' have been plying these intricate waterways for nearly a century. Today, many have been converted into traditional-style thatched houseboats complete with bedrooms, bathrooms and dining areas. The boats typically include the services of a captain and chef and its possible to a take journeys ranging from a few hours to several days, between the backwater cities of Kollam, Alappuzha and Kochi.

By Car | LA to Las Vegas | United States

Road journeys don’t come more quintessential than the 450-mile trip (give or take a few) from Los Angeles to Las Vegas via Death Valley. From lone roadside diners and highways stretching to infinity, to buzzards circling cloudless skies and distinctive Joshua trees dotting the desert landscape - all the classic imagery is here in abundance. From Los Angeles, the most scenic route crosses the eastern Mojave Desert via Interstate 15 through Barstow. At Baker, it turns north onto California 127 to Shoshone, where California 127 runs west and north to the welcoming oasis and overnight stop of Furnace Creek in spectacular Death Valley National Park. Check out some of the best views over Death Valley from Dante's View. From an elevation of 5475 feet in the Amargosa Ranges, the shimmering saltpans and sweeping sand dunes span out in a long corridor hemmed in by the bare bones of the mountains. From Death Valley, it’s a distance of around 125 miles until the neon signs and surreal skyline of the infamous Las Vegas Strip looms into view.

On Foot | The Pilgrim's Way | Spain

Throughout the year, but especially during the longer days of summer, people from around the globe take part in a famous Spanish journey, one made by millions of pilgrims over the last millennia. Starting at Roncesvalles just over the border in France, the 750-km Pilgrim’s Way (Camino de Santiago Compostela) employs walking trails, farm tracks and minor roads to cross northern Spain, weaving through sweeping plains of wheat in Navarra province, vineyards in La Rioja, past ancient castles in Castilla y Leon and finally into the magical verdant hills of Galicia. The Pilgrim’s Way is a totally existential experience, where days merge into weeks of following the familiar yellow arrows and scallop shell signs that point the way. Wake and eat, walk and rest, walk some more, then seek shelter each night. Finally, after four to five weeks you climb the last hill of Monte do Gozo (Hill of Joy) to catch a glimpse of the ultimate goal – the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela with its spires glistening in the sunlight, like a prize waiting to be claimed.

By Bicycle | The Great Ocean Road | Australia

One of the world’s most inspiring coastal journeys - Australia's Great Ocean Road offers all the haunting drama and windswept magnificence of Victoria’s ‘Shipwreck Coast’. From serene bays and rugged cliffs, to the lush dripping rainforests and towering eucalypts of the Otway Ranges. Numerous colorful and characterful seaside towns such as Apollo Bay and Lorne punctuate the road that mostly hugs the coast - and there can be no better way to experience it, or no better speed than by bicycle. Officially, the road runs 247 km from Warnambool through to Torquay. Although many cyclists complete the route in 2 to 3 days there's so much to see and experience that it's more a journey suited to 5 or 6 days, staying in the many idyllic accommodations or camping along the way. One of the many journey highlights are the spectacular natural sculptures of Port Campbell National Park including the Arch, London Bridge and the famous Twelve Apostles.

By Train | Tea Country | Sri Lanka

The Colombo-Kandy-Nanu Oya (near Nuwara Eliya)- Bedulla local line provides a picturesque and colorful journey into and through Sri Lanka's spectacular Hill Country. At every station people board the rickety timber train and wander through the carriages selling mango slices, spiced chickpeas and parcels of curry and rice. Passengers hang outside the open doorways, and from the train windows, the dominant color is a vivid green as far as the eye can see. The hillsides are dotted with specks of bright color, as squads of sari-clad tea pickers move through the meterhigh bushes deftly picking the leaves and buds and placing them into wicker baskets strapped to their backs. Slap bang in the middle of the tea-growing region at 1889 meters is Nuwara Eliya (a recommended overnight stop), which still retains its hill-station atmosphere from the colonial days; hotels with wood-paneled billiard rooms and mounted trophies, country-style houses with rose gardens and a beautifully maintained golf course and racecourse.

By Car | Causeway Route | Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast Route is rightfully known as 'one of the world's great road journeys.' Beginning in Belfast and heading north, the spectacular route hugs a dramatic coastline passing through characterful seaside towns and dipping inland to rural glens and villages, until reaching Derry-Londonderry 195 miles later. One of the many highlights of the recommended four-day drive is the Giant's Causeway – a spectacular World Heritage Site made up of thousands of hexagonal pillars that climb out of the Atlantic Ocean. Other attractions and stop-offs include the stunning Carrick-a-Rede swinging rope bridge that spans a gaping chasm between the coast and a small island used by fishermen; the haunting ruins of 16th-century Dunluce Castle perched precariously on the edge of a rocky headland, fantastical locations such as Cushendun Caves used by HBO's Game of Thrones and Old Bushmills (established in 1608) - the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world.

On Foot | Coast to Coast Walk | England

The late Alfred Wainwright, England's best-loved fell walker devised the 192-mile Coast to Coast walk route in 1972 to follow a number of footpaths known since ancient times as public rights of way, and manipulated the line on the map to find, at the end of each day, a hearty meal and a warm bed. Beginning at St Bees Head beside the Irish Sea, the route winds through the rugged mountains and plunging valleys of the Lake District, into the mid-section of the Yorkshire Dales National Park famous for its drystone walls, then finally traverses the North York Moors National Park, which in late August is transformed into a glorious purple sea of heather. It’s with great anticipation that the walker hurries along the cliff tops, past hideaway coves to the finishing line at the picturesque fishing village of Robin Hoods Bay for a victorious toe-dunking in the North Sea. The walk, which is best done during the warmer summer months takes about two weeks, but it can easily be lengthened with generous rest stops.

By Boat | The Norwegian Fjords | Norway

On the outskirts of Bergen, a beautiful city with a 15th-century waterfront on Norway's west coast, is some of Europe's most spectacular scenery - awe-inspiring, impossibly steep-sided fjords with their jutting fingers of sea that cut shimmering paths into the coastline. Two of these larger-than-life natural wonders, namely Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord (set 120 km from one another) are among the world's longest, deepest and most scenically outstanding examples and were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. Both feature narrow and sheer crystalline rock walls that rise up to 1,400 meters from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500 meters below. Numerous waterfalls tumble into the sea from the forests above, while wooden huts and small farms dot the lower verdant slopes. To really appreciate Geirangerfjord, take Norway's most spectacular scheduled public ferry route between Geiranger and Hellesylt, or for a taste of the fjords, book a 'Norway in a Nutshell' boat tour from Bergen with Fjord Tours.