In search of some top tips to take your travel writing skills from proficient to prodigious? We chat to a selection of authors appearing at this year’s star-studded Hay Festival about how to cultivate captivating travel writing, their favourite destinations to write about, and the travel tomes that inspired them to hit the road.

Horatio Clare, author of Icebreaker: A Voyage Far North © Sam Hardwick

Horatio Clare – beach resort despiser and one-time Arctic sailor

Horatio is a Welsh-British author who has published a glut of literary works, from acclaimed children’s books to personal memoirs. His latest travel-focused text, Icebreaker: A Voyage Far North, details his time aboard a Finnish icebreaker ship traversing the Bay of Bothnia.

What’s your top tip for producing compelling travel writing?

You have to find somewhere that lights you in order to write well. If beach resorts aren’t your thing it’s very difficult to produce a good piece about one. I personally look for a mixture of culture and nature; so for example, the east coast of Madagascar is easy, because the people, landscapes and animal and bird life are all so rich with interest and diversity. For me, combining history and local legends with the mystery and drama of the natural world enables me to produce my best work.

What’s your favourite destination to write about?

Anywhere that is not a beach resort! I love writing about sub-Saharan Africa: Zambia and Tanzania are tremendous. But then Algiers is one of my favourite cities and Sicily is beautiful, and historically rich, and its culture and politics are a whirl of splendour and horror.

What’s your favourite work of travel literature?

It changes but I am a great fan of Norman Lewis. His Naples ‘44 is peerless, but all of his works are wonderful. Voices of the Old Sea, about southern Spain before development and tourism got to it, is the very model of how you need to understand and submerge yourself in a place in order to produce a masterpiece. Of recent writing, Michael Jacobs’ The Robber of Memories, about a journey up the Magdalena river in Colombia, is fabulous.

Patrick Barkham, author of Islander: A Journey Around our Archipelago © Marcus Garrett

Patrick Barkham – history buff and anglophile

Born in Norfolk, England, Patrick is Natural History Writer for the Guardian and author of several travel titles, including The Butterfly Isles, which was shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize, and Islander, which delves into daily life on some of Britain’s smaller islands.

What’s your top tip for producing compelling travel writing?

When I am writing about a place I’m travelling around, I put my phone away and try to get completely in the moment, taking out my pen and notebook and writing obsessively about everything I see, hear, taste, touch, smell and think about. Attention to the small details of a place hopefully makes for more evocative writing.

What’s your favourite destination to write about?

I like writing about Britain because even in a supposedly homogenised and globalised society my home country has noticeable differences between even the most proximate places. It also has so much depth and complexity, and so many untold stories still to tell. Writing about ‘home’ also reduces some of the hazards of cultural imperialism, although the Welsh and the Scots have had to endure a long tradition of enraptured English visitors (such as me!) writing about them.

What’s your favourite work of travel literature?

It’s an obvious choice but I was very taken with Patrick Leigh Fermor’s Between the Woods and the Water – for romance, chutzpah and warm-heartedness. I also admire what must be a fairly creative reconstruction of vivid memories, with the author writing more than four decades after he made his journey across Europe.

Dylan Moore, Hay Festival Creative Wales International Fellow 2018/19 and author of Driving Home Both Ways © Dylan Moore

Dylan Moore – familiarity seeker and hispanophile

Dylan Moore is an English teacher, writer and editor from Newport, Wales. He is the Hay Festival Creative Wales International Fellow 2018/19 and author of Driving Home Both Ways, a book that is part essay collection, part travelogue through life.

What’s your top tip for producing compelling travel writing?

Find equivalence. It may sound like a highfalutin concept, but wherever I go in the world, and however different it is from my home in Wales, I am on the lookout for relatability. Where’s the Cardiff Bay? What do they have instead of Welsh cakes? Who’s the Gareth Bale? More often than not, the practice of holding home and abroad up to each other like a pair of mirrors sheds unusual light on the sense of a place. Once you’ve seen the parallels, it’s often easier to examine the smaller, more interesting ways in which places are different.

What’s your favourite destination to write about?

Spain. Some might stray little further than sun, sand and sangria or a city break in Barcelona, but for me the Iberian peninsula is a subcontinent. From the pilgrimage trail of the Camino de Santiago along the green Basque coast in the north to the majesty of the Alhambra palace in the south, from the intricate Moorish tile designs of Seville to the futuristic architecture of Santiago Calatrava, and from the art of Goya and Picasso to the noise and glamour of La Liga, Spain has it all, and more.

What’s your favourite work of travel literature?

Abroad by Paul Fussell is a work of literary criticism about travel writing between the wars that touches upon many classics of the genre, including works by D.H. Lawrence, Evelyn Waugh, George Orwell and Robert Byron. Though I love the work as a whole, I don’t agree with the author’s argument that the twenties and thirties represented ‘the last great age of travel’; the fact that airplanes have largely replaced ocean liners and long-distance sleeper trains may mean we travel differently now, but for me the pull of elsewhere has lost none of its romance, and if anything the greater accessibility of ‘abroad’ has opened travel – and travel writing – to a wider range of voices.

Jasper Winn, author of Waterways: A Thousand Miles Along Britain’s Canals © Jasper Winn

Jasper Winn – slow adventurer and extreme kayaker

Jasper Winn is a self-titled ‘slow adventurer’ who has spent most of his life travelling the world and now serves as the Writer in Residence for the Canal and River Trust. Jasper has written two books focused around long-distance kayaking: Paddle and upcoming title Waterways: A thousand miles along Britain’s canals.

What’s your top tip for producing compelling travel writing?

It seems to me that the most important commodity for the modern travel writer is having time. Committing a serious amount of time to researching a subject, to talking to people, to travelling slowly, to waiting around just to see what happens, to reading tens of books on a destination, is the key to producing great travel writing.

What’s your favourite destination to write about?

I miss being totally out of touch. For my first long distance trip across the Sahara and through West Africa in the early 1980s, initially hitchhiking and then pedalling a 20 quid bike I bought in a market in Ouagadougou, I had one phone call back to Europe in five months; apart from that and a few poste restante letters I was totally out of touch with friends and family. The internet has changed everything, and mostly for the better, but a good trip is still anywhere that feels wild, where I have lots of time and few plans.

What’s your favourite work of travel literature?

Laurie Lee’s As I Walked Out One Summer’s Morning was the book that sent me off as a teenager, hitchhiking from Ireland to Andalucía, playing guitar on streets and in cafes to eat. Meanwhile, Irish travel writer Peter Somerville-Large’s The Coast of West Cork, about a cycle trip along Cork’s coast where I grew up, made my own corner of the world both more familiar and much richer. That book showed me how writing could travel through time as much as through a landscape, weaving history, nature, social observation and quirky humour into one compelling narrative; an excellent example for anyone hoping to one day produce a great travel tome of their own.

You can hear more insights from all of these authors and many more at the Hay Festival, which runs from 24 May to 3 June. Find out more at hayfestival.org or follow @hayfestival

From seeking out vintage treasures at flea markets to finding the best places to drink France’s rarest spirits, Lonely Planet Local Catherine Le Nevez delves into the intoxicating world of her home city, Paris. She even has tips on how to best tackle the Eiffel Tower.

The sun sets over the Montmartre quarter in Paris, France © Catarina Belova/Shutterstock

What I love about Paris… is the rhythm the seasons bring to daily life. Chestnuts roast on street corners and ice rinks pop up around the city in winter. In spring and summer, old-time dancing outdoors revives the tradition of the guinguettes (open-air taverns/dance halls). Although many restaurants and smaller shops close in August, when most people leave for summer holidays, it can be a really peaceful time to be here; away from the tourist sights, the crowds evaporate. La rentrée, when everyone returns in September, is a great reunion.

My favourite festivals… feature live music, such as the Paris Jazz Festival and Classique au Vert, which are both held at the Parc Floral de Paris in the Bois de Vincennes – the huge forest at the city’s eastern edge (it makes a great escape from the concrete at any time of year). Another highlight is the Fête de la Musique on the summer solstice, when stages set up on street corners and outside bars all over the city – it’s an electrifying atmosphere, and it’s free.

Paris is full of excellent flea markets © Catherine Le Nevez / Lonely Planet

I like to shop… at the flea markets. I am renovating my apartment; it’s ancient, with stone walls, beamed ceilings and a vaulted cellar, so in addition to frequenting hardware stores, whenever I can I search out vintage fittings. The biggest and best flea market is the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen, in the north of Paris, with more than 2000 traders spread across 15 marchés. The Marché aux Puces d’Aligre is a central spot to pick up glassware, silverware and other homewares.

For food shopping… I go to the street markets for the freshest produce. There are great ones all over the city: the Mes Lieux website lists them all by day and by arrondissement (city district) and the metro makes it easy to get everywhere. Department stores also have inspirational food halls like La Grande Épicerie de Paris, next to Le Bon Marché. In Le Marais, gourmet emporium La Maison Plisson also has a brilliant cafe.

To eat out… Paris is a truly multinational city; you can find cheap eats through to fine dining across every imaginable cuisine. My longstanding favourite addresses though are the classic bistros; Chez Paul, near Bastille, is an absolute treasure. For a quick, inexpensive meal, crêpes are perfect. There’s a fantastic concentration of Breton crêperies in the 14e near Gare Montparnasse, where (not coincidently) trains arrive from Brittany; rue du Montparnasse and rue Odessa are lined with them, so you can wander along and take your pick.

The discerning Coutume Café © Catherine Le Nevez / Lonely Planet

For a caffeine fix… quality coffee is now easy to come by (something that wasn’t the case until recently). Parisian roasters Café Lomi, Coutume and Belleville Brûlerie are all outstanding; you can find their beans at cafes all over town as well as at their own premises. Coutume has a great Left Bank cafe, and Belleville Brûlerie’s La Fontaine de Belleville is just near Canal St-Martin; it’s a wonderful stroll along the canal’s towpaths to the Bassin de la Villette.

For drinks… Bar Hemingway, at the Ritz, is legendary for its history (Hemingway allegedly liberated it in WWII and it’s filled with memorabilia) and for its cocktails (its Bloody Marys with fresh-squeezed tomato juice are amazing but pricey, so they’re only an occasional treat). The past few years have seen some really exciting cocktail specialists open their doors, such as Le Syndicat, which uses rare French spirits. Breweries are also booming; waterside Paname has a spectacular tap room in a converted granary on the Bassin de la Villette. And, of course, good wines are everywhere.

A Batobus moored opposite Notre Dame © Catherine Le Nevez / Lonely Planet

When I have friends visiting… the river is a must (especially at sunset). The Batobus is ideal for a tranquil perspective of landmarks like Notre Dame: you can hop on and off spontaneously all day, and it’s a lot less touristy than standard Seine cruise boats. I always recommend first-time visitors catch the lift up the Eiffel Tower (pre-booking to minimise the queues!), then take the stairs from the second floor to the ground – it’s the ultimate way to appreciate its ironwork up close. The Arc de Triomphe’s viewing platform also has stunning views down the Champs-Élysées.

Paris Local Catherine Le Nevez soaks up the sun at place des Vosges © Catherine Le Nevez / Lonely Planet

A defining aspect of Parisian life… is that it’s lived on the streets. Most apartments are tiny (mine included), so parks, squares, cafes and restaurants become communal living and dining spaces. In recent years, there’s been a big push to reduce the amount of cars and open up outdoor areas, such as place de la République, previously a traffic-choked roundabout and now a pedestrian square (similar works are underway at place de la Bastille), and the Parc Rives de Seine: former expressways-turned-riverside parks on the Left and Right banks. It’s refreshing to see pollution being reduced (and not before time!).

Book sellers along the Seine © Catherine Le Nevez / Lonely Planet

My perfect weekend… involves browsing the bouquinistes (the dark-green secondhand book sellers along the Seine); catching some sunshine in a park (the city is filled with tucked-away gems, such as Paris’ oldest square, place des Vosges, surrounded by symmetrical cloister-like arcades, and the Promenade Plantée, the world’s first elevated park); and hitting a cultural centre. Ground Control, a one-time a postal sorting centre at Gare de Lyon, with an urban garden, shops, bars, street-food stalls, DJs and concerts, is a current hotspot.

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Although many travellers to Jordan have their sights set on the architectural marvels of Petra and the magical martian landscapes of Wadi Rum, the capital of Amman is worth at least 48 hours of your time.

It’s easy to fill two days with well-loved historic sites, restaurants and cafes, but be warned: after a couple of days in this spirited city, you may realise you could spend many more.

Some of Amman’s best and most ancient sights are right in the middle of the city, perfect for a short stay © Leonid Andronov / Shutterstock

Food and family are integral to Jordanian culture, so you’ll only truly understand this city if you taste your way through it. From streetside falafel in old downtown to family-run ‘cook and dine’ experiences in historic neighbourhoods to an upscale union of local and international cuisine served on rooftop terraces, Amman dishes up an abundance of authentic eats to suit every palate, with a hospitality so warm you might just feel you’ve arrived home.

Start your exploration of Amman with an early-morning falafel at Hashem © Sunny Fitzgerald / Lonely Planet

Day One

Morning

You’ll need fuel for your Amman adventures, and you’ll find some of the best breakfast options in historic downtown. Head for Hashem Restaurant, a legendary institution serving up authentic Jordanian dishes since 1952. In just one bite, you’ll understand why this street food is a favourite of locals and visitors alike. Their stuffed falafel – with onions and sumac tucked inside and sesame seeds dotting the top – is what to order. You’ll also want to sample the garlicky muttabal (roasted aubergine puree) and the silky-smooth hummus, sopping up every last bite with fresh Arabic bread.

When you’ve had your fill, stroll lively Al Balad, the historic downtown heart of Amman, popping into local shops to barter a good price for your souvenirs. If you’re lucky enough to be downtown on a Friday, join locals looking for a bargain at Souq Al Juma’a (the Friday Market). After all that walking, get off your feet and up above the street at Afra Cafe & Restaurant, where you can sip a hot mint tea and take in the city sights and sounds from the balcony.

Take in a panorama of the city from Amman’s Roman ruins © mbrand85 / Shutterstock

Afternoon

Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, Al Quds should be your next stop, with traditional dishes like mansaf (Jordan’s national dish of lamb, yoghurt and rice) and makloubeh (meaning ‘upside down’, a traditional Arabic dish made of meat, rice and vegetables and then flipped upside down before served). Save room for dessert; Habibah is only a stone’s throw away and offers some of the best kunafeh (a Palestinian pastry filled with cheese, soaked in syrup and topped with shredded Turkish kadaif noodles, pistachios and rose or orange blossom water). With your sweet tooth satisfied, continue on to the Roman Theatre, where you can climb to the top and stretch out on the expansive amphitheatre-style seats before setting out for the Citadel. The ancient ruins sit atop Jebel Al Qala’a, affording visitors a history lesson, panoramic views of the city and plenty of Instagram-ops.

With so much more to see and eat, there’s no time for a siesta. You’ll be ready for a recharge, so hop in a cab to Jungle Fever Coffee and Tea House, where you’ll find a wide selection of Dimitri’s coffees, Turtle Green teas and locally made snacks. Lounge on the hand-embroidered cushions or grab a table on the terrace to kick back with views of the park. On your way out, be sure to browse the contemporary art collection in the gallery.

Learn how to make traditional Jordanian dishes in an old family home at Beit Sitti © Beit Sitti

Evening

Have a wander around Lweibdeh, one of Amman’s oldest neighbourhoods, which has transformed into a lively scene with cafes, shops and startups popping up. Check out some street art and stop by JoBedu for amusing and quirky souvenirs.

After you’ve spent the day sampling local flavours and familiarising yourself with some culture and history of the city, it’s time to go behind the scenes and into the kitchen. Join a ‘cook and dine’ experience hosted in an old family home in Lweibdeh. Beit Sitti, meaning ‘grandmother’s house’, is the brainchild of three sisters who were inspired to carry on their grandmother’s legacy by sharing Jordanian hospitality and Arabic cuisine. After a couple of hours in the kitchen, you’ll have a chance to sit back and savour the rewards of your work. Be sure to book ahead – Beit Sitti only opens upon request.

Wake up with views over Amman at the cafe at Wild Jordan Center © Sunny Fitzgerald / Lonely Planet

Day Two

Morning

Jumpstart your second day with a hearty and healthy breakfast with a view at the cafe at Wild Jordan Center in Jebel Amman. This family-friendly restaurant serves up delightful (albeit pricey) plates of locally sourced, organic ingredients with a medley of Jordanian and international flavours. The cafe’s location directly across from Citadel Hill combined with floor-to-ceiling windows affords visitors exceptional views of the old city and ancient ruins. Wild Jordan also has an activity centre where you can book ecotours, and a gift shop featuring local, artisan-made products to peruse.

Make a happy-hour stop at Sekrab, a bar made from upcycled furniture © Sunny Fitzgerald / Lonely Planet

Afternoon

Head up the hill and hunt for souvenirs in the shops along Rainbow St, one of Amman’s most popular promenades. On Fridays (spring through autumn) Souk Jara is a perfect pop-up marketplace for finding handcrafted, local gifts, and it’s conveniently located across from the entrance to Wild Jordan. Sip a local tea at Turtle Green, enjoy some shisha with a view at Talet Al Jabal or Dust Roof, or – if you still have space in your stomach – stop by Abu Jbara near Second Circle for your daily falafel fix.

You’re bound to be parched after climbing up and down all those hills and stairs Amman is famous for, so you may find yourself in need of a happy-hour beverage. Located just off Rainbow St, Sekrab (meaning ‘scrapyard’) is a colourful ‘junkyard jewel’ with upcycled furniture, a creative cocktail list, treetop views from the terrace and 25-35% off on drinks.

Catch the sunset from one of Amman’s rooftop terraces © Gregory T. Smith / Getty Images

Evening

Keep an eye on the sky and the time – you don’t want to miss the chance to see the city splashed in rose-gold hues by the setting sun. With rooftop terraces aplenty in Amman, you’ll be spoilt for choice on spots to watch a spectacular sky transformation. If you’re seeking a classy setting with unbelievable views of the old city, try Cantaloupe, mere steps from Sekrab, or reserve a table on the open-air, rooftop terrace at District and dine amongst a mix of stylish locals and visitors while the muezzins’ call to prayer marks the moment when day turns to night.

The night is not over yet, and as you are only in Amman for 48 hours, let’s make them count. Head up to Ghoroub, on the 13th floor of the Landmark Hotel. From Amman’s longest bar, take in panoramic views of the sparkling city while sipping a craft cocktail. When you’re ready to be back in the buzz at ground level, catch a cab to First Circle where you can wander down Rainbow St, people-watching and dropping by La Calle for a cocktail on the terrace. Copas, a cosy and cheerful Latin-themed bar where locals and visitors mingle between the indoor bar and outdoor terrace, is a perfect place to end your final evening in Amman. No matter where you choose to wrap up your two-day stay, your whirlwind visit is worthy of celebration.

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Frankincense, an aromatic resin harvested from the sap of scraggly desert trees, has been treasured for thousands of years for its distinctive fragrance and medicinal properties. Because the highest quality frankincense is collected from a rare species that thrives in isolated wadis in Oman’s southernmost province of Dhofar, the region’s history is intertwined with the production and trade of these ‘desert tears’.

From ancient ports, from which frankincense-laden vessels once set sail, to a rock-strewn canyon floor where the papery-barked trees still grow, a series of Unesco-recognised attractions within 180km of Salalah help visitors trace the 5000-year history of this remarkable resin. Even if you’re short on time, visiting one or two Land of Frankincense sites offers an opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation of the significance of one of antiquity’s most sought-after luxuries.

Frankincense trees dot the landscape of southern Oman © dr322 / Getty Images

Wander through the ancient fort at Khor Rori

On the rugged coastline 40km east of Salalah, the ancient fortified city of Sumhuram overlooks Khor Rori, a lagoon where a life-giving freshwater outlet meets the sparkling Indian Ocean. As the closest harbour to the frankincense-growing region, this strategic port was a hive of activity for 800 years beginning in the 4th century BC. Today you can freely wander the atmospheric site, where smooth limestone blocks outline the monumental city gate, storage rooms, original well and a bathroom still sporting an old stone tub. Pottery, bronze coins, incense burners and other artefacts unearthed here show that Khor Rori was an important stop along the long-distance maritime trading routes that linked the Mediterranean, eastern Africa, China and other far-flung destinations. Although sailors from all over the world would dock here to trade corn, oil and cloth for Dhofar’s famous incense, there was very little crime because of a widely held superstition that the god who protected the city would prevent anyone who stole so much as one nugget of frankincense from sailing away.

Frankincense resin seeps out of a cut in the tree’s bark © Tony Waltham / robertharding / Getty Images

View frankincense trees in Wadi Dawkah

One of the best places to see the desert tears’ source is the Wadi Dawkah Frankincense Park, 40km north of Salalah just off the Salalah-Muscat highway. There you can wander amongst hundreds of crooked Boswellia sacra trees, some of which were just recently planted on the canyon’s rocky bottom. The best incense comes from trees like these that grow in a narrow climate band that’s just beyond the summer monsoon’s reach but still under the influence of the coastal winds. As in the days of old, the work to harvest the resin in this wadi begins each April just as the temperatures begin to rise, causing the sap to flow more easily. Using special iron knives, workers remove a small piece of bark and leave the sap to ooze for a couple of weeks. After the ‘pearls’ of resin are scraped off, the same spot is re-incised and the entire process repeated several times until the final harvest, known as the kushum, yields the palest and hence most valuable resin. All told, each tree produces several kilos of incense before being allowed to rest until the following year.

Frankincense would be transported across Oman’s forbidding Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter) on camelback © lkpro / Shutterstock

Journey to a lost city

During its heyday, frankincense was widely used in worship and in burials – in part to cover up the unpleasant scent of decaying corpses – and was also distilled into a heady perfume coveted by royalty, including King Tut of Ancient Egypt, in whose tomb its residue was found. The incense was so popular in antiquity that at times its price was as high as gold in the Roman Empire’s bustling markets. To meet this pent-up demand, frankincense was distributed via a vast overland trade network. As soon as the summer monsoon ended, southern Arabian traders would pack the resin onto their camels and transport it clear across Arabia to Gaza and other Mediterranean ports, a gruelling 2000km-long journey known as the ‘Incense Route’. One crucial rest stop in this network was Shisr, an outpost about 180km north of modern-day Salalah where the caravans would load up on water and other supplies before venturing into the world’s largest sand desert, the forbidding Empty Quarter.

Today the modest town of Shisr is a popular stopping point on Empty Quarter tours. Beyond the crumbling remains of a fortress and the verdant oasis, there’s not that much to see, but there are tantalising hints that the town may overlie the Lost City of Ubar, the ‘Atlantis of the Sands’ mentioned in the Quran. According to legend, the residents of this once-lucrative frankincense trading hub grew so affluent and corrupt that God destroyed the town to punish them. Although archaeologists continue to debate whether this dusty town is indeed Ubar, there’s no doubt that Shisr has always been (and remains) an important desert outpost.

Frankincense has been treasured for thousands of years © JurateBuiviene / Shutterstock

Visit the Museum of the Frankincense Land

Tucked between lush fruit plantations and the dark-blue sea on the outskirts of Salalah, the Dhofar region’s preeminent museum, the Museum of the Frankincense Land, has two halls stuffed with exhibits exploring the nation’s cultural and maritime history. One display in the Maritime Hall explains how frankincense was traditionally sourced and distributed; another explores the history of the adjacent Al Baleed archaeological site, which includes the remains of a port from which frankincense was shipped from the 8th through the 16th centuries AD following Khor Rori’s decline. The 64-hectare site, which is a stone’s throw from a dazzling white-sand beach, encompasses ancient fortification walls and the remains of the city’s Grand Mosque and citadel. Perhaps because of its prominence as a regional trading post, the town was ransacked multiple times during its lengthy history and gradually faded into obscurity after the Portuguese and other European naval powers disrupted the Arabians’ maritime trade routes.

Pick up a souvenir in the incense market of Salalah © John Warburton-Lee / Getty Images

Bargain in the Salalah souq

Although it’s not Unesco-recognised, Salalah’s traditional local market is a great place to observe the continued importance of frankincense to Omanis, for whom the fragrant smoke is an important part of a warmhearted welcome. In nearly every stall, wisps of grey smoke emanate from a few pebble-sized nuggets smouldering in the bottom of a clay incense burner. As you stroll past each storefront, smiling vendors invite you inside to view the overflowing bins and heaps of bags filled with lumps of resin as well as shelves of incense-infused perfumes and lotions and edibles. Many souq shops sell compact frankincense kits, which include a small burner and a packet or two of desert tears so that you can bring the scent of Arabia, along with the indelible memories, back home with you.

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Frank Turner is an English musician with a reputation for always being on tour. He’s taken his folk rock songs to far-flung places such as Slovenia, South Africa and everywhere in between – but you’re as likely to find him playing a jam-packed North London pub as you are to see him headlining Wembley Arena.

We spoke to Frank about what life is like on the road and the impact travel has had on his songwriting. Take a listen to our travel-inspired playlist of his songs while you give it a read…

Frank Turner has a reputation for being on the road almost constantly © Brantley Gutierrez

Where was your last trip?

I’m on a tour right now around the UK, but the last trip I did was to Mexico. We played three shows in four days in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. It was an idiotic schedule, but really fun!

Where is your next trip?

After this tour we’re heading to America for a tour that starts in Detroit. We have a few weeks off in between which is nice!

What is your first travel-related memory?

I spent a lot of my childhood visiting Drombeg in North West Scotland. We used to load up the car and drive all day – it’s a long way from Hampshire! We’d also visit North Uist and the Outer Hebrides. It was a magical place to spend time as a kid because it’s one of the last really wild parts of the UK. It was wonderful to be in a place that was that uncivilised and ruggedly beautiful.

Aisle or window seat?

I always take the window seat so I can sleep. I make sure I’ve got my headphones and a book; I sit down, switch off, sleep and get it done.

Do you have any travel habits or rituals? Something you can’t travel without?

I collect Saint Christopher medals from around the world and I always have one on me. When my girlfriend and I go somewhere together we buy a fridge magnet.

Frank playing at The Masquerade in Atlanta, USA © Nicole C Kibert

Favourite city or country or region?

I’m going to pick the USA. It’s very easy to think you know what it’s like because you’ve watched films and listened to records. To me it’s endlessly fascinating and beautiful. It’s also built for travel – it’s a society predicated on movement. There are only three American states that I am yet to play: South Dakota, Wyoming and Hawaii. My booking agent is aware I want my full 50!

What has been your most challenging travel experience?

I maintain that this is the worst day anyone has ever had on tour… It was 2006 and I left my passport on a bus from Tallinn to Riga – we were heading to Lithuania for a festival. My recovered passport was then stolen and we had to pay the border guards to get it back. At this point we were running really late in my mate’s car and hit a deer at 80 mph, miraculously no one was hurt (except the deer). The car was completely written off.

We then found out the festival had been cancelled so slept in the car overnight until our lift back to Latvia showed up. We had another show that evening on the complete opposite side of Latvia, so boarded a 12-hour bus at 9am having not slept, and arrived just in time for the next show.

What is your best or worst travel souvenir?

I’ve got the Philadelphia Phillies 2013 season flag framed in a glass case at home which is pretty cool. My most prized souvenir from the road is probably a brick from the original Roundhouse in Camden, which I was given after my four-night festival there last year.

Frank’s keen on a return trip to Delphi – this spot would make a great stage! © Anastasios71 / Shutterstock

Quick, an asteroid is going to hit the earth in one week! Which is the one travel dream you’d rush to fulfil?

That’s a difficult question. Russian history is a major obsession of mine, so there is a lot of Russia I’d love to see, but I’d need more than a week! I’d also love to go back to Delphi in Greece. The Greeks believed it was the naval of the world and where history began. I’m not a particularly mystically-minded person but I remember being there thinking, this place feels really special.

You’ve played many impressive venues all over the world. Do you have a favourite and is there somewhere you still really want to play?

My favourite venue in the world is actually Nottingham Rock City, which is why I played my milestone 2000th show there in 2016. It’s the largest independent venue left in the UK. Outside of the UK, Emo’s in Austin was always great to play before it closed and The Art’s House in Melbourne. In terms of where I’d like to play, South America and Japan are very high up my list.

As someone who has a reputation for always being on tour, do you prefer to stay put or escape on a ‘proper’ holiday during your rare time off?

I think most touring musicians will tell you that there are difficult conflicts in the way that we live. When you get home from tour all you want to do is sit in a dark room and not do much talking. But your partner or loved ones want to go out or go on holiday and it’s like ‘I don’t wanna go on holiday right now, I just want to be at home!’. That can be quite difficult – in my past there were relationships that foundered on that rock.

British seaside town Southend was a must for Frank’s latest tour schedule © Sue Chillingworth / Shutterstock

You’re in the midst of a mammoth world tour with your band and crew. How much of an influence do you have on the destinations and itinerary?

I have a booking agent who is responsible for when and where I should play, because it links in to a million different things, such as being in the UK for album release week and hitting the right markets, things like that. I could have as much say over it as I like in theory but there’s not much point in me telling the expert what to do. On this tour I made sure we played Southend because I haven’t played there for about 10 years and I used to play there all the time.

You write many of your songs while on the road. How influential is travel on your songwriting?

I feel like every band is allowed one record about touring; you can always tell the record that came after a band got successful, because suddenly they write an album about missing people. I’ve written my fair few songs about travelling, The Road being the obvious example. Songs like Wanderlust and Jet Lag are about the different facets of living an itinerant lifestyle and being far from home.

In my later years I’ve been trying to move away from travel as a subject. I don’t want to repeat myself and I think there’s a point where that stuff becomes unrelatable for people. But writing songs is a constant, ongoing process for me, so I write lots while on the road.

Do you see the future Frank touring the world as much as you do now?

I like to think so. There was a period of time where I was in this touring arms race, trying to be the hardest touring artist ever and I realised no one else was taking part. I damaged my back and it didn’t do wonders for my personal or mental health either. However, I love touring. It’s the central thing I do with my life and I wish to do it for as long as I can.

However, there are extra challenges that come with getting older. You can do anything in your twenties; you can drink as much as you like, stay up all night and still play a show the next day. We’re currently on the 10-year anniversary of my second record, Love Ire & Song – the tour we did for that was 26 shows in a row. We used to sleep on the floor and share one hotel room; there is no way I could tour like that anymore!

Find out more about Frank Turner, his music and tour details at frank-turner.com and follow his tweets @frankturner.

More ‘Meet a traveller’ interviews

• Meet a traveller: Elizabeth Gordon, African safari queen
• Meet a traveller: Alastair Humphreys, pioneering ‘microadventurer’
• Meet a traveller: Michael James Wong, globetrotting yogi

If you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping action, look no further than Bolivia. Its epic landscapes are giant outdoor playgrounds for thrill seekers, from climbing up glaciers to rappelling down waterfalls and cycling along one of the world’s most notorious roads. Here are ten adventures to take you out of your comfort zone and get your heart racing.

Trekkers make their way across a snowy Huayna Potosi © Subbotsky / Getty Images

Scale a snow-capped peak

Dominating the La Paz skyline, the majestic Cordillera Real is home to some of Bolivia’s highest summits and endless mountaineering opportunities. The Condoriri Massif consists of 13 ice-capped peaks and experienced climbers can summit three of them – Pequeño Alpamayo, Pico Ilusion and Cabeza del Condor, the highest and most demanding at almost 5,700 meters (18,700 feet) – on an unforgettable five-day mountain adventure. Inexperienced – and determined – climbers can tackle Huayna Potosi, often dubbed ‘one of the world’s easiest mountains over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet)’ for its accessibility. You’ll get some basic training, just make sure you’re fit and have spent several days at high altitude.

Operator we recommend: Bolivian Mountain Guide

Surf a sand dune

Lomas de Arena Regional Park, just 30-minutes drive from the city of Santa Cruz, is fast becoming the sand-boarding capital of South America. Its sculpted sand dunes are part of a protected reserve that’s surrounded by forest and home to sloth, monkeys, capybaras and a multitude of birds. The tour includes wildlife spotting from a 4WD and on a guided walk, before whizzing down the towering 12 meter (40 feet) dunes on a specially designed board, either standing up or sitting down.

Operator we recommend: Nick’s Adventure Tours

Rap jumping in La Paz gives you the opportunity to test your superhuman wall-descending skills © AIZAR RALDES / Getty Images

High-altitude rap jumping

If you’ve always wanted to make like Spider-Man, then rap jumping in central La Paz could be for you. This vertigo-inducing adventure isn’t for the fainthearted: otherwise known as “forward abseiling,” the activity involves rappelling face down. After a couple of practice runs you’ll be jumping face first down a 50-meter (164 feet) building with the ground rushing up to meet you. But don’t worry, someone’s working the brakes and if you chicken out you can always go backward, in traditional abseiling style. You can even dress like your favorite action superhero to do it.

Operator we recommend: Urban Rush

Ride the rapids

Bolivia has no shortage of white-water action, for novices to experienced river runners. On a day-trip from La Paz, you can ride the level III and IV rapids on a 38-kilometer (24 mile) stretch of the Coroico River in Yungas. It’s a thrilling roller-coaster ride, but there are enough peaceful sections to take in the stunning jungle scenery. The Huarinilla River can also be experienced in a day trip, or serious rafters can opt for multi-day expeditions on the Tuichi River in Madidi National Park.

Operator we recommend: Liquid Madness

Going underground in Potosí

If heights aren’t your thing, try crawling through the 550-year-old mine shafts of Cerro Rico, the mountain that made Potosí one of the world’s richest cities in colonial days. But this is no museum piece; it’s a working mine and a downright dangerous one at that. On a four-hour tour, you’ll follow a guide – ex-miners are usually the best – around the claustrophobic passageways and witness first-hand the tough conditions that the workers face. Don’t go as a voyeur but try to engage with them – they’ll be grateful for gifts of coca leaves and cigarettes.

Operator we recommend: Marco Polo Tours

The area surrounding the Salar de Uyuni offers up plenty of adventure for the adrenaline-seeking traveler © Sarah Gilbert / Lonely Planet

Explore beyond the Salar de Uyuni

The world’s largest shimmering salt flat and its cactus-studded islands are just the start on this three-day, off-the-beaten-track tour of some of Bolivia’s most extraordinary scenery, from Dali-esque rock formations to the world’s driest desert and colorful lagoons scattered with pink flamingos. You’ll marvel at still-active volcanoes, wallow in hot springs, meet the resident llamas and vicuñas of the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and sleep in rustic refugios or one-of-a-kind salt hotels. And at this altitude, nighttime temperatures often drop below freezing.

Operator we recommend: Red Planet Expedition

Zip through the Amazon

Get a monkey’s eye-view of the jungle on a community-friendly canopy tour near Rurrenabaque. Canopy Villa Alcira is owned and run by indigenous Tacanas and you’ll learn about wildlife-rich Madidi National Park, as well as zipping over it at high speeds. Zzip the Flying Fox offers three lines in Yolosa that can be combined with Death Road for an all-around adrenaline rush; the highest soars 350 meters (1,148 feet) above the jungle floor, you can reach speeds of up to 85 kilometers (53 miles) an hour on the fastest, and the most scenic looks down on a wildlife reserve.

Operators we recommend: Canopy Villa Alcira and Zzip the Flying Fox

Paraglide over La Paz

If you dream of soaring like a condor, why not try a half-day tandem paragliding tour over La Paz? The morning flights take off from Huajchilla in the south of the city, and they might even let you take the controls, at least for a minute; for the rest of your aerial adventure just sit back and enjoy the spectacular views over Illimani Mountain – even better than from the teleférico (cable car) to El Alto. Saphanani is another top paragliding spot just 45 minutes from the city of Cochabamba.

Operator we recommend: Andes Xtremo

Cyclists navigate the twists and turns of Bolivia’s Death Road © Filrom / Getty Images

Cycle down ‘Death Road’

The white-knuckle descent from Andes to Amazon along one of the world’s most dangerous roads is guaranteed to earn you bragging rights. It begins at around 4,700 meters (15,420 feet) among the peaks of La Cumbre Pass close to La Paz, turns from tarmac to dirt and gets gradually hotter and dustier until it ends around five hours later in Yolosa. On route, you’ll negotiate sharp curves and sheer drops, stop to admire the spectacular scenery and zigzag passed roadside memorials to all the motorists who didn’t make it.

Operator we recommend: Gravity Bolivia

Vertical Route

Adrenaline junkies will love the Vertical Route, around two hours from La Paz. The circuit is compact but action-packed, starting with a 15-meter (49 feet) rappel, followed by the Tibetan Bridge – a 30-meter (98 feet) long, triangular suspension bridge made up of just three, thin wires. Next comes the via ferrata ascending a steep wall for around 40 meters (130 feet) before a zipline, another longer rappel, rounding off with freefall jump off the edge of the cliff. And some say that the road to reach it is just as terrifying.

Operator we recommend: Altitude Adventures

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Baroque palaces, cobbled squares and a round-the-clock pilsner moustache – it’s tempting to go with the flow in Prague, but swim against the tourist tide and you’ll surface in some far more intriguing places. Head to eight of Prague’s hidden secrets, as chosen by Lonely Planet Magazine.

1. Upstairs cafes

Prague is well known for its grand cafes but raise your sights: the city’s most refined and atmospheric downtown cafes are all on the first floor, wondrously ignored by the visiting masses. The period interiors are stunning, the coffee unfailingly perfect and the smart clientele look like they’re discussing Milan Kundera or their latest ceramic collectable. There’s the Grand Café Orient above the Cubist Museum, decorated in such detailed sympathy even the cakes come garnished with an oddly angled wafer. The fin de siècle Café Louvre, perched over an entirely forgettable modern rival, was a favourite with Kafka and Einstein, and serves a fabled hot chocolate you can stand a spoon up in.

2. Squares, but not as you know them

To shun the gorgeous Old Town and Castle district would be an act of tourist perversity, but Prague’s story is a long one, and those gothic and Hapsburgian squares tell only a couple of chapters. Few cities blossomed so gloriously as did Prague in the 1910s, when entire new suburbs of magnificent art nouveau mansions were laid out all around the old city, and thankfully the legacy of those breathless years has survived. Lyckovo Square, in the rather sombre Karlin district, offers the best before and after overview. But for a more complete and exhilarating appraisal of Prague’s development since 1900, go to Jiřího z Poděbrad Square, which lies in the peculiar shadow of the asymmetric Soviet-built Žižkov TV Tower.

3. Contemporary art

A dozen gigantic babies now crawl along the Žižkov TV Tower, Prague’s most conspicuous structure; a life-sized Sigmund Freud hangs by one hand from a pole sticking out from a roof high above the Old Town; and in the garden behind a west-side art gallery stand a colossal pair of splayed legs – visitors climb a ladder, wedge their heads where the sun doesn’t shine and enjoy a video of Czech politicians feeding each other slops, as We Are the Champions thunders from a colon-mounted speaker.

4. Pub-breweries

Prague is a nation that downs more beer per head than any other, but it is possible to find establishments where quality is valued above quantity. Most of the big Czech brewers are now owned by multinationals, and their mass-produced output shares little with the dark ales and wheat beers consumed across the land until 1842, when a Bavarian brewmaster turned up to grant the townspeople of Pilsen the gift of bland and uniform lager. The old ways were repressed under the Soviets, but since the 1990s, a scattering of small-scale pub-breweries have opened across Prague, reacquainting locals with a multifaceted drink that can be sometimes nutty, sometimes sweet, and sometimes limb-flappingly potent.

5. Forget crystal, it’s all about ceramics

No-one has more experience of working with ceramics than the Czechs: the oldest finds have incredibly been dated to 25,000 BC, predating all global rivals by well over 10,000 years. You can bag a souvenir that combines this unique tradition with the national fascination for the shocking and new at Qubus, a contemporary ceramics gallery round the back of the Old Town square. Sperm-shaped coffee spoons, a gold-glazed baroque clock fronted with a 1970s LED readout, willow-patterned porcelain wellies, a teacup the size of a punchbowl: everything on the shelves is either odd, mischievous or both, but always beautifully crafted.

6. We’re only here for the…wine?

Don’t mention it to the young male visitors who arrive here in such thirsty droves, but as the city’s beverage of choice, beer is an upstart. Blessed with long, warm summers and girdled by south-facing hillsides, the residents of Prague have been quietly raising grapes with alcoholic intent for over 1,000 years. And although Czech wine can hardly boast a lofty global reputation, there’s no better place to find out what you’ve been missing than at Viniční Altan, an elaborately trellised low-rise pagoda set in the grounds of a grand 19th-century villa. The terrace offers spectacular views over the city across the steeply pitched vineyards; grapes literally cascade onto your table, granting an opportunity to sample both raw material and end product. It’s a world away from the downtown beer halls.

7. Czech dumplings: food of the gods

With its emphasis on beer-friendly stodge, traditional Czech cuisine presents a challenge to any imaginative chef – one that few high-end Prague kitchens have been prepared to accept. A delightful exception is La Dégustation Bohême Bourgeoise, whose 14-course tasting menu pays adventurous homage to classic national dishes. ‘All our recipes originate from a 19th-century book the manager found years ago in a junk shop,’ says chef de cuisine and co-owner Oldřich Sahajdák. ‘It’s some kind of housekeeping manual for new brides.’ This unlikely inspiration, with its faded pages now plastered with coloured Post-It marker strips, takes pride of place in manager Filip Trčka’s office.

8. Urban woodlands

Although it’s just a short tram ride from the centre, Divoká Šárka is made of far sterner stuff than your typical urban park. Divoká Šárka hosts a free open-air theatre in late summer, but that aside, locals and visitors come here in search of soft recreational options: plenty of uphill hiking, then a high dive into the reservoir. Don’t be fooled by the tamer-looking swimming pool across the gorge, which is stream-fed and thus shudder-inducing in any weather. The locals will tell you it is busiest in winter, when bathers have to break the ice with an elbow.

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Watching your kids ‘ride the bull’ through whitewater for the first time, or ‘cowgirl up’ after bouncing off a horse, is the stuff of family memories. So, too, is learning something – how to navigate waters, harness wind, or find balance on uneasy terrain – in the natural elements of a place.

In that spirit, here are experiential trips to stretch comfort zones, forge bonds and immerse the whole family in learning regional American pastimes:

Southern California is the ideal place to learn to surf, and most instructors offer group lessons. © Byba Sepit / Getty Images

Surf’s up, SoCal

In Southern California, surfing isn’t a subculture, it’s mainstream. Schools have surf teams, specially-designed parks encourage practice, even ‘sharks’ in suits catch waves before and after work.

Beach breaks along the greater San Diego shoreline are perfect for ‘popping a stand’, and surf lessons abound. For newbies, a 2-hour lesson is recommended to understand ocean wave mechanics and master the basics. Most instructors offer group lessons, perfect for you and your kids to tally wipeouts and wager on who will be the first to ride a wave.

The learning curve may be steep, so soak in the moment: dolphins cresting in the distance, pelicans skimming the surface, and your kids paddling hard for a wave.

After surfing, admire locally made boards at Surfy Surfy or Bing Surfboards in Encinitas. Savor a family day at Moonlight Beach and search tidepools for starfish and octopus at Swami. Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla is small, but its outdoor, ocean-view patio and hands-on exhibits are ideal for appreciating all things aquatic.

Driving cattle around the dude ranches of Wyoming demands grit and horsemanship. © Peter Adams / Getty Images

Wrangling in Wyoming

In some swaths of the American West, hillsides bloom with wildflowers and red rocks echo with hoof beats. Wyoming, with towns like Dubois (that claims it is ‘where real cowboys work and play’) wears a hard-earned belt buckle when it comes to saddling up in the wild west. The state also boasts some of the oldest dude ranches in America, putting the giddy in ‘giddyup’ for the cowboy and cowgirl at heart.

If it’s bow-legged swagger you’re after (and if you’re committed to the long haul), driving cattle through mountain meadows demands grit and horsemanship, but drums up thrill and meaning. Sharing hard rides and meals in a remote and humbling landscape segues smoothly to sharing stories and companionship.

Off the Dubois ranches, the Wind River Valley is a trove of geological and cultural wonders. Yellowstone National Park, National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center and Dubois Historical Museum captivate young imaginations with petroglyphs, geysers and other remnants of olden days.

Dare the kids to enter the ‘mutton busting’ (sheep riding) competition at the summer rodeo in Dubois, or pick up fancy steps twirling and heel-toeing at the Tuesday night square dance sponsored by the Episcopal Church.

With a couple of lessons to practice turning and stopping, most people feel comfortable taking to some of the easier slopes in New Hampshire. © Noah Clayton / Getty Images

Snow sports in New Hampshire

When learning to ski or snowboard, the size of the mountain matters less than the time spent on the slopes. Accessibility makes the cluster of runs around North Conway, New Hampshire an ideal hub for beginners, and its small-town charisma serves up a quaint taste of New England.

Day one is awkward, with crossed skis, crashes, and bruised bottoms. But power through – with a couple lessons to practice turning and stopping, most folks feel comfortable gliding down cat tracks and beginner runs on their own. Once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.

True snow bums go beyond snow-play, so meander to nearby resorts while nursing sore muscles. Exhilarate in a coaster ride at Cranmore. Cozy-up under wool blankets in a sleigh ride at King Pine. Zip through wooded pathways on a snowmobile at Bretton Woods, or set your own pace while snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at Whitaker Woods.

Young shipmates can learn the language of sailing and knot-tying on the coastline of North Carolina. © Ann Cutting / Getty Images

Set sail: Inner & Outer Banks, North Carolina

There are few sensations as satisfying as the sound of wind filling a sail or the lift of a sailboat into movement. It’s especially nice when it’s your own crew chasing the air. Coastal North Carolina, with its gentle inlets, estuaries, sounds, and speckled rim of islands draws people to its waters, eager to catch their own wind or drop anchor on a beach accessible only by sea.

In towns like ‘Little’ Washington, New Bern and Oriental, Kids as young as 6 or 7 learn sailing in Optis or Sunfish. These small boats, capable of beach-launching, help beginners master technical skills. Great for tandem and relatively inexpensive to rent, a family beached along the Pamlico Sound could be sailing in no time.

For a more involved excursion, charter a boat and captain and spend your days and nights lulled by rocking waves. Young shipmates can learn the language of sailing and knot-tying.

On land, North Carolina treasures its maritime history. In addition to ocean life exhibits, Roanoke, Pine Knoll and Fort Fischer Aquariums house details of shipwrecks, pirates and hurricanes. Washington’s Estuarium displays antique commercial fishing and sailing boats. Beaufort’s Maritime Museum offers classes in wooden boat building, and the town performs an annual Pirate Invasion! Arrr!

Whitewater outfitters guide and teach paddling along the river runs of Idaho. © Paul Richer / Getty Images

Paddling Idaho

Water carves the landscape of thirsty Idaho, snaking and shaping its way through tight canyons. Make your home base in Boise, Garden Valley, Donnelly-Cascade or McCall, and your family will be plugged into the central artery for paddling whitewater.

Winding alongside the Payette River, Highway 55 has put-ins for running everything from Class II novice waves to Class V expert rapids.

A handful of outfitters guide and teach along the Cabarton, Main, Lower Main, South Fork, and Canyon runs. After learning to read the river with a raft guide, up the ante by paddling solo in an inflatable or hard-boat kayak.

Off-days, picnic along beach banks and study experts maneuvering class V rapids on the North Fork. Or plan your trip around the North Fork Championship and spend a weekend camping, cheering and carousing with the world’s best. Kelly’s Whitewater Park in Cascade and Boise Whitewater Park are also exciting spots to catch boaters surfing and cartwheeling.

When learning a new skill starts to seem frustrating, take your cues from the indefatigable spirit of your children. © Stephen Simpson / Getty Images

Choose your own adventure

Gaining new skills involves its fair share of blunders, but when frustration creeps in on fun, turn to your kids. Their infectious zeal and willingness to fail will have you back in the saddle, or skis, or kayak in no time. These unique regional American pastimes, from every corner of the country, are sure-fire ways to make lasting family memories.

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Qatar is well known for its towering skyscrapers, luxury hotels and impressive feats of engineering that have enabled the cosmopolitan city of Doha to spring up in the middle of the desert. Common preconceptions lead many visitors to believe that a large proportion of their time in Qatar is likely to be spent inside air-conditioned buildings to escape the powerful heat of the sun, so it might surprise you to discover that there is actually a plethora of exciting outdoor adventures to take part in, unique landscapes to explore and extraordinary experiences to pursue outside of the constrains of the urban environment.

A 4WD through the dunes © Qatar Tourism Authority

While 92% of the Qatari population reside within the capital, it’s easy to see that their hearts lie elsewhere. During evenings, weekends and holidays, expats and locals alike give in to the magnetic draw of the waters and deserts of the country, flocking out of the city. They are at their happiest when amongst ancient landscapes, partaking in the centuries-old traditions that give Qatar its fascinating culture and memorable identity.

Adrenaline-pumping desert adventures

The untouched, undulating dunes and diverse landscapes of Qatar’s desert are a spectacle to behold. This tranquil and barren environment has a unique kind of beauty to it, particularly at sunrise and sunset, when the famous Arabian sun reflects off the pale sand, creating scenes which have inspired many poets and artists over the years. Juxtapose this beautiful space and serenity with the addition of an adrenaline-pumping sport, and you have a recipe for a whole lot of fun.

Hire a 4WD with an experienced driver for the day to explore the desert to the south west of the city. They will take you on a breath taking white-knuckle ride known as dune bashing, driving up and down steep inclines at pace, sand whipping at the windows of the vehicle. You’ll stop at the inland sea called Khor Al Adaid, a Unesco recognised natural reserve, which, with its towering golden sand dunes bordering pure white beaches and sparkling clear water, is a great vantage point for a photo. Here, you can also peer over the border at Saudi Arabia.

Longer tours often combine a morning and evening of dune bashing, with an afternoon experiencing a traditional Bedouin camp, sand skiing or sand boarding and camel riding, too. Qatar International Tours has an impressive range of desert safaris available.

If you would prefer a bit of a different experience, then Doha Bus has a number of alternative options for your hair-raising desert adventure. Go dune bashing on board a monster bus or don helmets and become a passenger on board a dune buggy, with a guided tour complete with headsets, followed by an adrenaline-fuelled dune bashing experience just inches from the sand.

A traditional dhow in Doha, Qatar © Artie Photography (Artie Ng) / Getty Images

Water sports in unique settings

There’s no better way to view Doha’s stunning skyline than from the water, and for an authentic experience, this just has to be done on board a traditional dhow. These hand-made wooden boats are an important part of Qatari heritage, traditionally used for fishing and pearl diving, and look equally majestic gliding over the sparkling sea during the day as they do when they are lit up with colourful neon lights at night.

Head to the Corniche, where a number of dhows are moored at regular intervals, offering short rides out onto the Gulf, lasting 45 minutes to an hour. Alternatively, book in advance with Arabian Adventures for a half-day experience, including refreshments, a BBQ and a stop at Safliya Island.

For a more hands-on water sports experience, you can try your hand at stand-up paddle boarding around the impressive horseshoe-shaped, yacht-filled marina at Qatar’s manmade island, The Pearl with Club Blue Pearl, or head north of the city to the mangroves of Al Thakira, to kayak around the intricate waterways which attract an array of birdlife including herons and flamingos with Aquasports Qatar.

Camel racing at Al Shahaniya Racetrack © Omar Chatriwala / Getty Images

Animal encounters

Animals are a huge part of the country’s culture, and this passion is visible in the Qataris’ devotion to a wide range of animal-based sports; in particular, horse racing, camel racing and falcon hunting. Visitors have the opportunity to both witness and even take part in some of these sports if they desire.

Qatar Foundations’ Equestrian Centre, Al Shaqab is a great place to start. The sprawling stables and training site is focused on improving the quality of Arabian show horses and preserving the breed by continuing the lineage of Qatar’s finest. They offer tours of their facilities, enabling you to meet some of the stunning horses that are housed there and witness them in action as they train with world class riders and handlers.

A little further outside the city, at Al Shahaniya Racetrack, you can drive alongside camels as they race with mini robots attached to their humps, or head to the resting stables to see the camels a little closer and for some great photo opportunities.

For immersive horse show and camel riding experiences, head to Doha Bus where they have a range of interactive tours that allow you to get up close and personal with these majestic creatures.

Al Zubara Fort © aksphoto / Getty Images

Exploring Qatari culture and tradition

A little more than 50 years ago, Qatar looked very different to how it looks today. The country’s heritage is founded on nomadic Bedouin tribes who lived off the land, caught fish from the sea and dived for pearls. For a taster of what life was like before the bright lights of the city rose from the desert, a variety of tour operators, such as Falcon Tours offer a magical night in the desert on a traditional Bedouin-style camp beneath the stars.

For a day visit, it’s worth making the trip over to the untouched western edge of the country, where the unusual limestone rock formations of Ras Abrouk that have been slowly sculpted by the prevailing wind jut out of the ground at interesting angles. Climbing atop this topography yields an impressive view of the Qatar Peninsular; the very same vantage point that the country’s forebears will have used to scan the land for the perfect spot to pitch their tents decades before. In the same location today, you can find Richard Serra’s East-West/West-East sculpture that comments on isolation and the passing of time.

If you are willing to travel outside of Doha, often across rugged terrain and desert, there are a wealth of historical sites of interest to explore besides: the Al Zubara Fort, a Unesco World Heritage site, one of the best preserved and most extensive examples of an 18th-19th century settlement in the region; the Barzan Towers, built in the village of Umm Salal Mohammed between 1910 and 1916; Al Wajba Fort, the site of a famous battle, built in the late 18th century; and the Al Jassasiya rock carvings (all 874 of them!) which date all the way back to Neolithic times.

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