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Andrew Bain

Andrew Bain

Travel writer

Andrew Bain is a Hobart-based writer and author who has been writing about travel and adventure for more than 25 years, and is most at home in the outdoors and remote places.

The Western Arthurs in Tasmania is only for experienced hikers.

Hiking should be a walk in the park. Recent events show it’s often not

The reality is that any form of hiking, especially along mountain trails, presents a degree of risk. But it can be mitigated by proper preparation.

  • Andrew Bain
On the beach at Issyk-Kul.

More than 1600 metres above sea level, this beach is 2000km from a coast

The shores of the world’s second-largest alpine lake seem like any other beach, until you notice the snow-capped mountains surrounding it.

  • Andrew Bain
Aurora borealis above the coastline at Hamnoy, Lofoten islands, Norway.

How the world’s greatest light show became a $1 billion bucket-list item

Just a couple of decades ago, the idea of travelling to the far north to see the aurora was relatively niche. Everything changed in 2014.

  • Andrew Bain
Terminal entrance of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

This airport was supposed to be temporary. It’s three years past its use-by date

There’s little to offer beyond the neat structural design at this city’s main international airport. Get in, get moving and get out.

  • Andrew Bain
The high-speed passenger express Afrosiyob at the platform of Bukhara railway station, Uzbekistan.

On board the European high-speed train zooming through Central Asia’s desert

Even Uzbekistan has faster trains than we do, but don’t expect too much from the coffee.

  • Andrew Bain
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Around the valley are nine assisted via ferrata routes, from easy to cliff epics.

To explore this spectacular elevated world, it helps to have a ladder

The origins of these “iron path” routes go back to World War I, when they were built to help move troops over otherwise inaccessible terrain.

  • Andrew Bain
Mount Kenya suffers nothing from being of a lower elevation than Kilimanjaro.

Hiking Africa’s second-highest mountain beats Mount Kilimanjaro

“Most people come to do the Roof of Africa – that’s Kili – and that’s why it’s popular, but it’s not as scenic,” says our guide.

  • Andrew Bain
Lord Howe Island has a surprisingly large number of hiking trails.

This tiny island is home to some of Australia’s most beautiful hikes

It’s just 11 kilometres long, but this volcanic remnant somehow packs in a wealth of trails. None are long, some are tough, all are beautiful.

  • Andrew Bain
Cycling the Bosnian Ciro Rail Trail, here on the  outskirts of Dubrovnik, above the Adriatic Sea.

The spectacular European rail trail with a chilling past

Legacies of the Balkan conflict of the early 1990s linger like scars in the landscape. But behind it all, there’s great beauty.

  • Andrew Bain
Hiking through Purnululu National Park.

The top 10 destinations for adventurous travellers in 2026

If your ideal trip involves epic views and pristine nature, try these grand escapes.

  • Andrew Bain