Great road trips

The Shandur Pass lies at 3,738 m and is part of the Gilgit-Chitral road. On both sides the road is a rocky and bumpy 4x4 track. Strangely, it's here you find the world highest polo field at the pass, which is still used for matches (Chitral used to win, because their horses are used to the high altitude).

If you take the Pan-American highway all the way south, this is where you will end up. Here, the road ends unannounced in the little settlement of Yaviza and leaves only dense jungle all the way to Colombia. Though Yaviza is a friendly village, the meaning of the place is the real attraction. This is the start (or end) of the legendary Darién gap, which many travellers wish to cross... but refrain from doing the trek. The possible dangers are too numerous, and getting kidnapped by some of the guerrillas seems to be the least of one's worries. There are other alternatives to get to Colombia, like sailing, so why risk it?

Réunion has some crazy mountain roads. They are all sealed and in good condition, but twisted with hairpin bends, blind curves, and oncoming traffic which usually cuts corners. At some sections the road is no wider than a vehicle, but still is two-way. Some of the best (most exhilarating) road trips on Réunion are those to: Takamaka Viewpoint; Piton de la Fournaise; Cilaos (and all the way to Ilet a Cordes); and Le Maido Viewpoint.

Upolu is surpringly mountainous and several roads winds their way over the mountains. There are several waterfalls to stop at, but the journey is worth doing just for views of the mountains and valleys. The bus doing the Lalomanu-Apia route use the Richardson Rd, which is probably the most scenic road on Samoa regarding mountains.

The Al Disah Wadi is really something, but you need a proper 4x4 to drive through it. However, the landscape in the area is so breathtaking, that a trip in a normal car to Al Disah (and back the same way) is well worth the effort. The wadi can be accessed from both the east and west, this is what you can expect of the east route: Along the main road (8900 on Google maps) the stunning mountain scenery is like straight out of a wild west movie, but it gets even more dramatic when turning off to Al Disah (8788 on Google maps). As soon as the road climbs over the mountain ridge, your entire view will be filled with the several hundred metres high cliffs of the wadi. There is good tarmac all the way to the bottom, where it suddenly ends in sand and rocks. The proper entrance to the wadi is a few kilometres further in.

The mountain roads between Abha and Al Bahah are spectacular. They twist and turn over the barren mountain sides and pass through dark tunnels. The rest stops offer one amazing view after another. Unfortunately the roads are there for a reason, so the traffic is mostly heavy trucks and impatient SUVs that try to overtake.

About 30 km outside Abha, at the top of the Sawda mountain range, the road to Rijal Alma suddenly starts to descend. From then on, it's hairpin turn after hairpin turn. The road is so steep and twisting that trucks are not permitted. Several signs instruct to use the low gear, to spare the brakes. Along the road - and particularly at the few viewpoints - baboons are on the lookout for anything eatable.

The island of Praslin doesn't have a whole lot of roads, but the few kilometres it has (less than 40 km), is really pretty and fun to drive. Expect steep sections (20% incline), sharp turns and parts where the sea actually touch the side of the road.

After Cape Town and Kruger, the Garden Coast is perhaps the best-known place in South Africa. Stretching from Mossel Bay in the west to Storm River in the east along the Indian Ocean coast, it is a beautiful and pleasant part of the country. The road passes through dramatic scenery, from forests and cliffs to pristine beaches and quaint little towns. There are some beautiful parks and reserves here, such as Wilderness and Tsitsikamma, but ‘garden’ is not a misleading name; there is a definite lack of truly wild places here. What there isn’t a lack of is walks, cafes, B&Bs, beaches, picnic spots, boutiques and activities. And make no mistake – the many forests, rivers, beaches and mountains in this area are wonderful. Other attractions include seasonal whale watching (June to September) and the world’s highest bridge bungee jump. If you are looking for an untouched wilderness, the Garden Route may not be for you. But if you want to explore some of South Africa's finest beaches and most liveable settlements without ever being too far from a chai latte or glass of wine – well, this is probably one of the most beautiful places on the continent to do so.

The beautiful Dushanbe – Khorog South Route runs mostly along the Afghan border and is a great introduction to what is await further into the Pamir. The landscape starts as rolling hills outside Dushanbe which then rises and become more cragged the closer you get to Afghanistan. For most of the time the road actually follows the Panj River which makes out the border to Afghanistan. And what an excitement the first glimps of Afghanistan are. Just across the roaring river, often less than 100 m away, rural Afhgan villages cling to the mountain side with a single narrow footpath as the only infrastructure. If that wasn't enough, the jagged snowcapped peaks of the majestic Hindu Kush will also appear as you get closer to Khorog. Not a bad teaser for the Pamir Highway.

Disclaimer: Some consider this route (or the northern direct route along M41) a part of the Pamir Highway.