Great road trips

This piece of road is the hidden gem of road trips in Ecuador. From the soft rolling hills surrounding Riobamba, it will lead you up into the mountains, through patched farmland and rugged villages. When the peaks turn hard and pointy, the road will cling to the mountainside, while winding its way to the pristine alpine lakes of Atillo at 3,500 m. From here it rolls down to the Amazon basin through the lush Sangay National Park, with spectacular views over the forest canopy and with waterfalls in the distance. This is the "real shit", so if you thought the touristy trip from Baños to Puyo was pretty, this rough journey will knock your socks off.

Pretty much any road trip in the Faroe Islands, is a pretty road trip, but there are sections which are of exceptional beauty. The inland road from Torshavn over the mountains offers amazing views; first over Torshavn and then birdview of Kaldbak fjord.
Another spectacularly road trip is the one-lane road to Saksun, named Hvalviksvegur. It's a narrow sealed road in perfect condition, which rolls through a valley with smaller waterfalls and ends at Saksun, where an old church with turf roof overlooks a cove, where more waterfalls tumbles down the sides.
The main islands are connected by tunnels, but to reach some of the smaller islands, you need to take the ferry. The picture is from Kalsoy Island, which is only reached by ferry. There is one road on the island and it only has one lane - so watch for on-coming traffic... and sheep. Always watch out for sheep!

A beautiful trip following the back road that wind its way through the heart of Guatemala. It is not a trip for the faint-hearted, but will reward the brave one with charming small Mayan villages and stunning scenery. When you first leave the sealed road at San Luis, the trail turns to crap. The road zigzags through bubble hills covered in jungle and tall corn fields, while you pass village after village. Gravel, cobblestones and pot holes will be on the menu until Fray, from where the new highway is under construction. After Fray, the road twists its way into the mountains and gets even nastier (which the highway project will eventually put an end to), but will spoil you with jaw-dropping views over the valleys. The journey can of course be done reverse or extended as far west as Huehuetenango. A road trip that is rough, adventurous, and damn amazing.

Snaking its way through the highland of Fouta Djallon the N22 between Pita and Télimélé offers some of Guinea's best active travel. Travelling east to west the road offers fantastic views over the valleys and flat mountain plateaus, and it passes through many remote mountain villages. The 100-plus km can be completed in just around 8 hours in a 4x4, although to appreciate the journey, travellers should consider braving it by bike (two days) or hiking the road in its entirety (four to six days). Following the locals, the latter two options have plenty of hidden and exciting short-cuts. If hiking the entire road seems too ambitious, the real fun starts at the village of Donghol Touma, from where the road descend continuously for more than 30 km into a valley before the climb up to Télimélé begins.

Probably the most scenic road trip on Big Island is Kohala Drive. It's a loop, which passes through many of the different landscapes of Big Island. The route follows Hwy 270 from Kawaihae along the beautiful northwestern coast through dry grassland. During winter you might spot humpback whales off the coast. Continue now through lush forest and the small towns of Hawi and Kapa'au (statue of Kamehameha) before reaching the lookout at Pololu Valley. Backtrack to Hawi and take Hwy 250, which passes close to the summit of the sleeping volcano of Kohala. Here the landscape changes again to a green world of grassy hills with pasture for cows. After a lot of zigzag Mauna Kea (4,205 m) will appear. On clear days you can see the white observatories on the summit. From this point, it's just downhill back to the coast.

The prettiest drive on O'ahu is probably along the stunning northern coastline from Heeia State Park to the surf town of Hale'iwa. From east to west it follows the Kamehameha Highway along the Windward Coast at the foot of the dramatic sheer cliffs of Koolau mountain range. Some sections of the road are so close to the wateredge, that large waves splash the tarmac. The sights along this section include Kualoa (scenic valley used in movies) and Kahana Bay (serene beach). The road wraps around the most northern tip of O'ahu and continues along the North Shore, which is famous for its beaches and surf spots, which include Sunset Beach (big wave surfing), Banzai Pipeline (tube surfing), Shark's Cove (snorkeling and diving), Waimea Bay (surfing), and Laniakea Beach (green sea turtles).

The spectacular road from Paia to Hana is called Hana Highway. It first follows hwy 36, which then turns into hwy 360. Here the road becomes even more winding with hairpin curves and blind spots. The serpentine road passes small communities, lush rainforest and many waterfalls - almost as many as there are one-lane bridges. As parking along the road often is scarce, you won't be able to stop at every waterfall, beach or lookout, but there are so many to choose from. Some tourists turn their car around in Hana and return the same way, but the brave ones continues along the even more challenging section of hwy 360 to Kipahulu Visitor Centre for more waterfalls at Ohe’o Gulch (or hiking Pipiwai Trail). Again, you can return the same way, but if you are in for a wild ride, continue along hwy 360 on the "Road to Hana, South Route" to complete a full loop around Volcano Haleakala.

When people are talking about the scenic "Road to Hana", they are probably talking about the north route from Paia to Hana. However, if you're looking for an adventure do the rugged south route along the Pi'ilani Highway: It first follows hwy 37, which turns into hwy 31, before becoming hwy 360. The first section starts off innocently with soft rolling hills, but soon the paved road will feel like a rollercoaster as it twists its way over the southern slope of Volcano Haleakala. The views of the wild coast and the barren volcanic landscape just seem to get better at every bend. Though this backside road see less traffic than its northern cousin, there are plenty of sharp curves and blind turns to keep you alert. Around the settlement of Kaupo the road condition gets worse. The rollercoaster ride is now reduced to a pothole dodging zigzag. As you get closer to Kipahulu Visitor Centre the road gets better again. Instead of returning the same way you came, do the ultimate road trip by continuing along the "Road to Hana, North Route" to complete the full loop around Volcano Haleakala.

Spectacular Waimea Canyon is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and for good reason. About 16 km long with green crags, tumbling waterfalls, and deep valley gorges. The twisting drive from Waimea town to Kokee State Park follows the entire length of the canyon, and is the best road trip on Kaua'i. It's littered with lookouts, one more breathtaking than the other. The most established ones have proper parking facilities, while others just have space for a few cars in the curb. Waimea Canyon also offers plenty of hiking opportunities ranging from short walks to further viewpoints, to strenuous hikes deep into the valley.

The Ring Road, or Route 1, is Iceland’s only real highway. Although 'highway' is perhaps a bit of a stretch, since it mostly has only a single lane in each direction, gets partially shut down in winter and, like most other roads in Iceland, turns to gravel when you least expect it. But for the most part it is an excellent road, and a very convenient way to take in many of Iceland's highlights – some of which are located right next to it. 1330 km long, this circular route makes life easy for hitch-hikers and those wanting to make use of the (infrequent) buses, and limits your decisions to which direction you want to travel in and whether you wish to make any detours. Having your own car is the ideal way to experience Iceland though, because while the Ring Road takes you past many of the country’s highlights, there are plenty of beautiful and interesting detours (particularly in the west, north-west and east) that you would not want to miss.