5 of the best YouTube adventurers, from glorious landscapes to practical guides for your own travels

There are thousands of travel blogs and channels across the internet, but not all are created equal, we’ve picked five we think are worth your time

Trail running and hiking

Steve Thomas

Published: 2:00pm, 20 Jan 2024

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With seemingly thousands of travel bloggers and vloggers flooding social media with occasionally compelling but often disappointing content, it can be hard to find people worth paying attention to.

But scratch beneath the surface of this viral sludge and there are some gems to be found, especially if you’re looking for inspiration when it comes to having adventures of your own.

From visually stunning films to practical tips and guides to exploring the world, here are five of the best channels to check out on YouTube.

Harmen Hoek

Describing himself as an “adventurous film maker” Hoek is a man of few words, something reflected in his superb hiking travel videos.

Unlike others, Hoek focuses on producing films that ensure the landscape is the star, with sublime cinematography accompanied by music rather than narrative. A bold step away from the fast-paced content that is the norm.

These are some of the finest hiking films around, and they force the viewer to stop for a while and immerse themselves in the simple beauty of the subject matter.

From the Himalayas to Patagonia, since starting the channel two years ago Harmen has produced 19 films, proving that there is still a place for quality on YouTube for those who are prepared to pause everything else for a moment.

World Wild Hearts

Created by Zac from the USA and Ina from Belgium, the channel is a travel and hiking guide that features regular updates from their on-going travels around the world.

This includes lots of recent and relevant Southeast Asian material, although the more in-depth hiking guides are mostly not Asian based, as of yet.

Ultimately this is a light and entertaining channel with lots of useful information for those considering visiting these destinations and taking on a hike in with it.

Wheels to Wander

Created five years ago by Dutch cycle touring adventurers Maudi and Eric, Wheels to Wander is all about their two-wheeled travels around the world, which have been almost continuous since they first started, and their long ride has taken them to some of the most amazing places on the planet.

Their approach is free and easy going, making this a relatable channel for independent and curious travellers. During their years on the road, they have pedalled and pushed their bikes through many countries in Asia.

Gabriel Traveller

Gabriel Morris was one of the first travel bloggers and vloggers to emerge pre-YouTube, and has spent around 30 years of his life travelling all around the world.

Although not a full-time YouTuber, he does take on a lot of great active travel, especially long treks and he has produced some rustic long form and slow-paced videos from several of the classic Himalayan treks.

Perhaps the best thing is that he is never trying to sell you anything either.

Harald Baldr

Known as “The Northman”, Baldr is a travel vlogger from Norway who produces regular content of his adventures from all over the world, with lots of Asian material in the mix.

Locations of his films are rarely revealed until he’s ready to roll with them and they have a real-life edginess and occasionally uncomfortable feel.

In recent times he has spent a significant amount of time producing Nepalese trekking and travel-based films.

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