Morro Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers Hill)

Morro Dois Irmãos is one of Rio de Janeiro's most accessible and visually rewarding trails, linking the Vidigal community with a granite peak overlooking the South Zone. The route is defined by its social-geographic transition—starting with a local transport ride through a residential favela followed by a steep but relatively short ascent through the Atlantic Forest. Unlike the more technical and remote Pedra da Gávea, this hike is a staple for fit beginners and sunset observers, providing a definitive overview of Ipanema, Leblon, and the nearby Corcovado massif.

Located deep in the misty mountains outside Guilin in southern China, the Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Rice Terraces offer one of the most serene, visually stunning, and culturally immersive hikes in Asia. Cultivated over 650 years by the Zhuang and Yao ethnic minority agricultural communities, the mountainsides are carved into hundreds of cascading, ribbon-like stepped terraces that trace the contours of the slopes perfectly. A classic half-day or full-day hike involves walking the narrow, stone-paved paths that connect the deeply traditional wooden stilt-house villages, most notably Ping'an, Dazhai, and Tiantouzhai. The hike weaves directly through the working rice paddies, ascending to high panoramic viewpoints (like 'Seven Stars with Moon') before dropping back into the valleys.