...Tucked against the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan has been declared both an UNESCO world heritage site and a world biosphere reserve.

It is undeniably beautiful, boasting clear lakes, snow-capped peaks, and primeval forests. It is the last preserve of a number of endangered plant and animal species, including the giant panda, Sichuan golden monkey, the Sichuan takin and numerous orchids and rhododendrons.

...The last large expanse of coastal temperate rain forest on the planet, the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia is a vast land of ancient cedars, mossy waterfalls and ‘Spirit Bears’, the rare, cream-colored Kermode bear considered sacred by the local T'simshian people.

...A short train ride from Kyoto, this magnificent bamboo towering forest in the district of Arashiyama has become a must-visit destination for locals and tourists alike.

Visually, the forest is stunning. But stop for a moment and listen to the wind rustling through the creaking bamboo. That sound has been declared one of the "100 Soundscapes of Japan" by the Japanese government, a selection of everyday noises intended to encourage locals to stop and enjoy nature's music.

...California redwoods are the tallest trees on the planet and the Redwood National and State Parks are where you’ll find 45% of them. The last of their kind, these old growth giants are spread across four parks and cover 158 square kilometres.

...Named after the nearby town of Monteverde, this 26,000 acre forest reserve sits high in Costa Rica’s legendary cloud forests...

...The Crooked Forest is a grove of pine trees located outside of Nowe Czarnowo, West Pomerania, Poland. It is named for the 100 oddly shaped pine trees that grow there. It is not known exactly how the trees grew this way, but it is believed to be due to human interference of some kind. The grove was planted in 1930.

...The Taiga is a biome that stretches across Asia, Europe, and North America. It is not one forest, but it is an ecosystem that manifests in the form of a coniferous forest. The Taiga of Russia is nearly 12 million kilometers in size, which is larger than China and India combined. It is the largest forest biome on Earth.

...The Puszcza Białowieska is an ancient forest that extends from Poland into Belarus. In is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve. It is the largest remaining piece of the primeval forest that once extended throughout Europe.

...Kinubalu National Park is a park located in northern Borneo. Like the Amazon Rainforest, this park's forest is extremely biologically diverse. More than 1,000 species of orchid can be found living in this one forest alone! This park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but even though it has that protection, it is still threatened by industrial development.

...The Amazon Rainforest is the second largest forest in the world at about 7 million square kilometers. It is the most biologically diverse forest in the world. About 10% of the world's species of plant and animal can be found living somewhere in the Amazon Rainforest. This rainforest is also one of the most important forests in the world for climate stabilization...

...Best accessed from: Tanah Rata, where days spent exploring the surrounding mountains are rewarded with steaming hot-pot dinners and local tea.

Best hike: Tours outfitters bring adventurers up to either a slippery boardwalk or to a root-ridden dirt trail -- the forest takes under an hour to experience...

...Inland from Australia’s famed Great Ocean Road, the cool rainforests of the Great Otway National Park are home to massive tree ferns and cackling kookaburras. The rainforest is dotted with impressive waterfalls like the Erskine and Henderson falls, and in the park’s south, swaying eucalyptus trees along Otway Lighthouse Road teem with lazy koalas...

...Best accessed from: Tulum -- tour companies will arrange day trips to Sian Ka’an, but the more adventurous may be able to reach the Muyil entrance to the park via public transport.

Best hike: Aside from a couple of short walks through the jungle here, the focus is on a boat tour through a submerged forest of mangroves along the ocean’s edge.

...National park Tara is one of 5 Serbian national parks and it stands out from other parks by its forests of Serbian spruce (a protected species and classified as endangered) , which was discovered by botanist Josif Pancic ...

...Best accessed from: Baden-Baden, where a soak at the spa is the perfect follow up to a day in the woods.

Best hike: The region is known for its long-distance hikes (the famous Westweg Trail spans almost 200 miles), but from Baden Baden, the impressive Hohebaden Castle ruins can be reached in under an hour.