The dry and barren trail through Havasu Canyon refuses to give up the secret of what waits just eight miles away: an oasis of tumbling waterfalls and lush greenery, with turquoise pools that would seem more at home in Hawaii than in a remote corner of Arizona.

That’s precisely the draw of Havasupai Falls, a roughly four-mile gorge in the Grand Canyon carved over the eons by spring-fed Havasu Creek.

The Havasupai Tribe has for years opened its land to those wishing to explore what may well be the Southwest’s most beautiful tourist destination.

But hiking Havasu Canyon isn’t easy. There are numerous considerations: permits, reservations, weather, hike difficulty and trip planning.

Here are answers to the big questions about planning a Havasupai Falls hike…

The good news is you don’t need to be Sir Edmund Hillary to experience the Himalaya Mountains. In fact whatever your age, abilities or experience almost everyone can hike the Himalaya.

As the highest mountain range on the planet, the Himalaya have long been a draw for explorers heading to Nepal, India, Bhutan, Tibet, and Pakistan.

Furthermore, the countries the Himalayas span are exotic, with very different beliefs, languages, food, flora and fauna to Western countries.

While accessible to pretty much all, trekking in the mountains is not like a walk in the park. There are many things you can do to prepare yourself before you go; to improve your experience whether you go for full on trekking, easier hiking or just a walk in one of the many national parks.

Rocking up in the Himalayas without any prior preparation would be a recipe for disaster. Fitness goes hand in hand with enhancing your overall trekking experience. The fitter you are the more pleasurable your experience will be. Trekking in the Himalayas involves many days walking at a time, up to 8 hours, with distances upwards of 10km/day. The key is to build your endurance level over time.

Get the full list of tips for trekking in the Himalayas…