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1 month ago | 
10best.usatoday.com | Dave Stamboulis
— Our editors and readers independently select what you see on 10Best. When you buy through a link on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Hikers anticipate the slow journey along the Appalachian Trail — Photo courtesy of JeffGoulden / E+Once the snow melts and the spring blooms start, it’s the perfect time to get out on the trails. The U.S. boasts a wealth of spectacular natural beauty and protected national parks and wilderness areas, including the National Scenic Trails.
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Oct 3, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
I certainly didn’t go to Tajikistan for its cities. But after two weeks of Pamir Highway dust and grime, potholed roads, and camping out, I was ready for at least a few of the comforts of home. Little did I know that Khorog, the capital of mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan, would provide far more than just a bed and breakfast, and in fact, turn out to be one of the highlights of my road trip.
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Aug 15, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
Wakayama’s Kii Peninsula only lies a few hours by train from Osaka and Nara. But it feels light-years away from the busy and touristy Japanese cities. You’ll find the traditional Japan here: think tiny, picturesque hamlets with tiled-roof houses, riverside hot springs, mystical deep cedar forests, and beautiful secluded Shinto and Buddhist temples and shrines. The area is so captivating that UNESCO awarded a World Heritage designation to the entire region for its Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes.
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Aug 12, 2024 | 
10best.usatoday.com | Dave Stamboulis
— Our editors and readers independently select what you see on 10Best. When you buy through a link on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Whispering Cave is the best trail that almost never was — Photo courtesy of Josh ZielinskiThe 5-mile Whispering Cave hike in Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park claimed the top spot in the 2024 USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for Best Hiking Trail.
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May 28, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
It can be tough to find the combination of stunning physical beauty, solitude, and a true feeling of getting off the beaten path all in one destination. But Kashmir’s Warwan Valley ticks all the boxes and then some.
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Apr 25, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
No amount of research can prepare you for navigating the Taiwan food scene. The island excels in fantastic eating. And, as I found out, the best bites aren’t necessarily common knowledge. My wife and I make good food a core focus of our travel and do a significant amount of pre-trip research to ensure we can sample some of a destination’s best cuisine. But we realized on our second day in Taipei that there was an even better way to eat here.
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Mar 21, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
Trudging upwards into a frigid, grey, drizzle, I was trying to recollect why my wife and I had chosen to spend our Christmas break climbing a mountain in China. With visibility registering zero and our soggy packs feeling heavier by the minute, I was having complete amnesia as to why we were here instead of some hot stretch of sand in the tropics.
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Feb 25, 2024 | 
10best.usatoday.com | Dave Stamboulis
February 26, 2024 // By Dave Stamboulis By Dave Stamboulis February 26, 2024 — Our editors and readers independently select what you see on 10Best. When you buy through a link on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Photo courtesy of Dave StamboulisHike the entire Colorado Trail or break it into bitsIf you ever wanted to see the best of Colorado, lace up your trail runners or boots and head for the Colorado Trail, a 567-mile mountain journey between Denver and Durango.
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Jan 9, 2024 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
When I ask for recommendations for the top hiking destinations in Asia, responses tend to be similar. The list usually includes Mount Fuji or the Japanese Alps, Everest and Annapurna in Nepal, Mount Kinabalu in Borneo, and occasionally the nod to head to Kyrgyzstan. For some reason, Taiwan never seems to come up. A recent month-long jaunt across its highest mountains convinced me that not only might it be one of the best Asian trekking spots, but one of the best in the world.
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Dec 21, 2023 | 
remotelands.com | Dave Stamboulis |Travelogues Storyteller
Srinagar has long been considered a mystical and captivating place. The Kashmiri capital was initially considered a retreat from the summer heat and haze of the Indian plains. In the late 19th century, British officials of the East India Company got around the Kashmiri Maharajah’s ban on foreigners buying land by renting out hand-crafted houseboats on Dal Lake, setting the stage for what was later to become one of India’s most idyllic vacation escapes.
