In a world bursting with incredible and alluring destinations, visiting the largest, oldest, highest or most extreme places provides us with a wonderful sense of achievement and helps us make sense of our place in this big old world.

Take a unique journey of discovery to 100 of Earth’s record breaking places, from swimming in the deepest lake to stepping foot on the largest sand island or spending a night in the largest ice hotel. Find out exactly where the lowest point on dry land, the furthest point from the sea or the oldest restaurant are, and uncover astounding world facts and inspirational photography that will ignite both your wanderlust and give you the ultimate bucket list. With a combination of easy-to-visit and off-the-beaten-track destinations it combines geographical intrigue and astonishing trivia to bring you the travel world’s answer to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Samantha Wilson is a long-time travel writer and author whose journeys have taken her from the Northern Lights of the Arctic to the wilds of Patagonia and the remote islands of Palau. She has inter-railed through Europe, canoed the Swedish lakes and camel-trekked the North African deserts. When she’s not researching her next book she lives in the British countryside with her husband and far too many pets.