I climbed Hooiberg expecting a quick staircase workout. What I got was a 165-meter volcanic cone surrounded by cacti, wild goats, and panoramic views stretching to…
Author: Ethan Brooks
Ethan Brooks
Ethan Brooks is a travel journalist and photographer based in Austin, Texas. He has covered adventure destinations, travel gear, food tourism, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia for over a decade. His guides focus on honest, experience-based advice for serious travelers.
I hiked to Kozjak Waterfall expecting a quick photo stop. I left calling it the best short trail in Slovenia. Most guides describe this waterfall as…
Montenegro is smaller than Connecticut. Yet it holds five national parks, peaks above 2,500 meters, and the deepest river canyon in Europe. Most hikers drive straight…
I drove four hours to hike Virginia’s highest peak and almost turned around when fog swallowed the trailhead. Most hikers planning the Mount Rogers hike waste…
The parking lot at Hayters Gap holds ten cars. On a Saturday morning in October, it’s full by 8 AM and there is no overflow. That…
I’ve hiked the White Oak Canyon Cedar Run loop in every season and it consistently ranks among the best waterfall hikes in Virginia. Most hikers show…
Benagil Cave looks exactly as spectacular from the inside as every photo suggests. What the photos never show is how confusing it has become to actually…
I’ve hiked the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail multiple times across different seasons and it still stops us mid-stride. This 6 km clifftop route along Portugal’s Algarve…
I spent three seasons researching shark cage diving operators across the Western Cape. The experience I expected and the experience I got were two completely different…
I’ve hiked Lion’s Head at dawn, at dusk, and in blinding midday heat and every single time, the summit delivered views that made the burning quads…