Eating on Backroads trips is not only fun, it's necessary! With great activity comes great responsibility to fuel the body, and fuel the body properly. You may not know this, but Backroads leaders compete with each other to create the best snack table possible...

There's nothing quite like hiking in the Swiss Alps. Over the years, I've thought about what makes hiking in Switzerland unique and I've come to the conclusion that it's not merely the perfect signage. Here are a few of the elements that make the land of cheese and chocolate an exceptional place to hike.

Now this is camping! Imagine pedaling or hiking up to a campsite to find your family's roomy dome tents set up, your luggage stowed inside and your plush sleeping bag unrolled on a raised cot--with a comfortable Therm-a-Rest mattress for extra padding. This is life on a Backroads Deluxe Camping Trip: experiencing the great outdoors in style while your multitalented Trip Leaders, Camp Chef and Camp Assistant look after all the details--like making sure there's always a crackling fire to enjoy as the sun sinks below the treetops.

You might think of coffee as just a hot beverage you drink from a paper cup in the car on the way to work. Here in Italy, coffee is not simply a drink, it's a key aspect of the culture. It's a social event and a tradition that Italians proudly preserve. If you find yourself looking for a pick-me-up in Italy, here are some helpful tips on what--and when--to order.

The Incas weren't keen on crowds and neither are we. In nearly two decades of exploring Peru, we've seen more and more people making the pilgrimage to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We get it - but we also need a little space to take in this otherworldly place among the peaks and contemplate its spiritual past. Fortunately, with our local connections we can get you clear of the tourist trek, hiking off the beaten path and immersing you in the culture of remote communities in the Sacred Valley.

We're proud to announce that our very own leader Kelsey Tonner has made the short list for the Wanderlust World Guide Award, the only global award for tour leaders and guides. Wanderlust is a British travel magazine that focuses on intelligent and inspirational travel, and Kelsey helps provide just that. We caught up with Kelsey to learn more about him and the award.

Waffles in Belgium have a distinct connection to the city or town in which they were developed, and many families and regions guard their recipes as precious secrets. When my Belgian grandma made waffles, drafts of warm air would billow out of the kitchen, filling the house with a delicious smell.

We've been bringing guests on Multisport Adventures in Costa Rica for 20 years. Our Regional Expert has lived here for more than half that time, raising her own family near Manuel Antonio National Park. We've found the best hiking and biking routes, and built relationships with the most accomplished local guides, all so we can take you off the beaten path to discover the real Costa Rica. And we offer more active trips over peak holiday periods than any other company.

Like many first-time travelers to Ireland, I had a vision of what lay ahead as my flight cruised towards the Emerald Isle. Lush hills and the rugged coastline, sheep and their shepherds, whiskey and Guinness, the melodic Irish lilt. What I didn't yet realize was that, while the landscape and natural beauty of Ireland are majestic, it's the Irish people who make the country truly captivating. It's the Irish spirit—a magnetic, almost irresistible pull—that drives visitors to return again and again.

Though the Dutch may claim the title for Amsterdam, Copenhagen is considered by many to be the biking capital of the world. In fact, half of all Danes commute to work by bicycle. While bicycle commuting is gaining momentum in many major cities in the United States, touted as a mode of transportation that is friendly to the environment and the waistline, it hasn't quite infiltrated American culture in the same way. If one looks closely at Danish society, you'll see that the impact of bicycles on the physical and cultural landscape of its cities runs deep.