Good in November

Eighteen days in the Khumbu taking the high circuit rather than the base camp highway.

Ten days on a liveaboard in West Papua, over reefs holding more coral species than anywhere else measured.

The most reliable place in Europe to see free-ranging bison.

Two weeks around the Annapurnas, from subtropical valleys to a 5,400 m pass and down into desert.

The only place on the planet where you can swim in the gap between two continental plates.

A point break town with a wave and a school for every level.

Twelve hundred kilometres around an entire island, temple to temple, in about six weeks.

The 'blue hole of Abisko' — a rain-shadow microclimate with unusually clear winter skies.

The place sport climbing goes on holiday — the most concentrated bolted crag network in Europe.

Four days through Fiordland to Milford Sound, on a track with fifty walkers a day and no more.

Three days on an island where it rains most days, to a cedar that was already ancient when Rome fell.

Five days on the Nakahechi route through cedar forest to the three grand shrines of Kumano.

Sixteen days around Manaslu in a restricted zone — the Annapurna Circuit as it was thirty years ago.

Three weeks down Chilean Patagonia's gravel spine, through temperate rainforest and glacier country.

World-class reef diving you walk into from the beach.

Europe's first World Surfing Reserve.

Six days across the Tasmanian highlands, from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair.

Four days over three passes above a thousand metres, from the temple town of Koyasan down to the Kumano shrines.

Five days paddling mangrove rivers and traversing subtropical jungle on an island that is ninety percent forest.

Eleven days on the Edo-era highway between Tokyo and Kyoto, through sixty-nine post towns.

The most concentrated shore-diving destination in Europe, and the reason Malta trains so many divers.

Five days through sandstone towers and red desert, sleeping under more stars than seems plausible.

Two days on Shikoku's sacred peak, climbing iron chains hung down the rock by pilgrims centuries ago.

Ten days along Turkey's southwest coast, over headlands and through ruins nobody guards.

The best realistic odds of seeing wild wolves in Central Europe.

One of the only places left where you can realistically track wild pumas.

Kilometres of tunnel driven into granite by forced labour in 1943, abandoned unfinished, and never explained.

A working market hall, not a tourist food court.

Poland's best-decorated cave, opened by a quarry blast in 1966 and full of cave bear bones.

Both an easy show cave and real wild systems, five minutes apart.