Hi mum! Bye mum! Man Skypes parents seconds before skydive
An Irish backpacker gives his parents a shock when he calls them for a Skype call moments before leaping out of an aeroplane
Holiday guide to Costa Rica: beaches and adventures, plus hotels and restaurants
This small country is perhaps the best in Latin America for a tropical adventure, thanks to its misty jungles, incredible wildlife, active volcanoes and glorious deserted beaches
Climber Tommy Caldwell: ‘From an early age Yosemite became the centre of my universe’
Free climbing the Dawn Wall of El Capitan was an intense and exhilarating experience – one of many in a career that has allowed Caldwell to see the world from on high
Laos holiday guide: plan the perfect two-week trip
Laos has so much to offer it can’t be ‘done’ in a fortnight, so cherry-pick from our list of its top sights, treks, homestays, tours and even the Most Secret Place on Earth
Hiking in South America: readers’ tips
With snowy peaks casting shadows on tropical landscapes, hidden ruins of ancient civilisations and deserts punctuated with immense volcanoes, South America isn’t short of dramatic hikes
Patagonia’s controversial new national park
The creation of the Parque Patagonia conservation area – the brainchild of a billionaire US couple – is a step to creating one of the world’s largest national parks. But what’s the hiking like?
Northern lights holiday guide
Tour operators are thinking up new ways to marvel at the aurora borealis. We pick their best trips and activities – plus some surprising places to stay
Adventure holidays in Romania: readers’ tips
From hiking to bear watching to braving Dracula’s castle alone, Romania’s wide open spaces are an adventure playground
Travels with locals: 10 of the world’s best tour guides
The best tour guides bring a destination to life with their passion, storytelling and wit. Guardian writers pick guides who love taking visitors beyond the obvious to shed new light on the places they call home
Yakushima, Japan: an island of natural wonders
Revered by the Japanese for its hiking, hot springs and cedar trees, Yakushima also provided the inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s anime hit Princess Mononoke. Now foreign visitors are uncovering this island delight
Mauritania: a family adventure in the Sahara
Few places in the world are as otherworldly and untravelled by outsiders as the Mauritanian Sahara, yet a family holiday is surprisingly affordable, and full of magic and adventure
Canada’s Algonquin park: How the call of the wild inspires novelist Tessa McWatt
Though born in Guyana, the writer says her experiences in the Ontario wilderness made her feel like a real Canadian
Adventures in the world’s deserts: readers’ tips
Far from being featureless, deserts are fantastic for stargazing, exotic wildlife, ancient architecture and adventure
Remote St Helena island welcomes first flight
A new era arrives for the south Atlantic island of St Helena, one of the remotest places in the world, as it waves goodbye to the mail ship and receives its first flight
Sailing off Iceland … is no holiday
‘Sail with us and you might not have a shower for a week’ says the yacht’s skipper. But orcas, coastal waterfalls and sense of real adventure more than compensate