South Africa's iconic Otter Trail, the five-day trek along perhaps the most beautiful stretch of coastline in the world, the Garden Route, has been listed as the very best hiking trail on the globe.

This is according to Insight Guides, listing the epic trail alongside other big hikes such as the Pacific Crest Trail, which spans the United States of America, as well as the Annapurna Circuit Trek in Nepal. The list has been put together by the travel agencies' local experts, who warn that the ocean vistas seen from the secret nooks of the beloved Otter Trail will leave your jaw on the ground. 

The Otter Trail follows the Eastern Cape coastline from Storms River Mouth to Natures Valley in the Tsitsikamma National Park.

The trail is 42,5km long and takes five days to complete as it follows the rocky shoreline ranging in elevation from sea level to a height of more than 150 m. – www.traveller24.news24.com