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Three of the most famous treks in the world: how they weigh up.
Annapurna, Nepal
The pain: 18-21 days of moderate trekking; one day (crossing Thorung La pass) very difficult.
The gain: Towering peaks, the world's deepest valley, Hindu sacred sites and amazing scenery.
Maximum elevation: 5350 metres
Nearest town/city: Pokhara
Getting there: Air Arabia flies Sharjah-Kathmandu for (4 hrs, Dhs1690); Kathmandu-Pokhara can be done by aircraft or bus. (All prices based on mid-October fares.)
Best time: Mid-March to mid-April; October to early December
Mt Kilamanjaro, Tanzania
The pain: 4-6 days of difficult hiking and scrambling (Marengu route).
The gain: The buzz of being on top of the highest peak in Africa.
Maximum elevation: 5895 metres. (Altitude sickness is common; care must be taken not to ascend Kilimanjaro too quickly.)
Nearest town/city: Arusha
Getting there: Emirates flies to Nairobi (5hrs, Dhs2650). Air Kenya flies to Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha (45 mins, $357 return).
Best time: Mid-December to mid-March; June to mid-October
The Inca Trail, Peru
The pain: 4-5 days of moderate hiking.
The gain: Mountain scenery of the Andes culimating in the chance to explore the ruins of the ancient city of Machu Picchu.
Maximum elevation: 4200 metres
Nearest town/city: Cuzco
Getting there: Emirates flies Dubai-Miami (15 hrs, Dhs7620); American Airlines flies Miami-Lima (7hrs, Dhs1680). Going from Lima to Cuzco can be tackled by aircraft or a long, all-day bus ride.
Best time: May to September
Eye-Fi Explore Digital Camera Card
The ideal travel gizmo, this 2GB SD card enables you to upload photos wirelessly to your home computer and the web while you're on the move. The card also automatically adds geographic location labels (geotags) to your photos. $130 at http://www.eye.fi/products
October's Travel websites
www.screentours.com
Here you can research and book tours to the locations of TV programmes and movies set in New York City, such as Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Friends and Spider-Man.
www.frommers.com
The grand old man of travel reviews, Frommer's is a pro when it comes to rating restaurants and hotels. After a trattoria in Bologna? You'll find it here.
http://cheapflights.ning.com
Here you can share information with other travellers, post hotel reviews and enter discussions on destinations. Move aside Bill Bryson, citizen journalism is here.
The pith helmets are back!
Tourists, like wild animals, are easily spooked. But with the civil unrest in Kenya easing off, tourism is returning to the country. Kenya Airways is offering a range of airfare-inclusive safari packages, such as the Great Rift Valley Safari (three nights, Dhs4750) and the Best of Kenya trip (six nights, Dhs7800). Conditions apply. Go to www.kenya-airlines.com
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