landscapes

Rangitoto Island – The Day the Sky Ran Blood in Aotearoa / New Zealand

Rangitoto Island is Auckland's youngest volcano and it punched through the seafloor while Māori stood and watched. This is the story of a 600-year-old island that's still putting itself together.

Jeddah to Al Ula – 7 Manic Days Traveling Glossy Saudi Arabia

Often the glossy tourism overshines. Solo backpacking across Saudi Arabia, with travel tips for Old Jeddah on the Red Sea and the holy mosque of Madinah, then onto the desert canyons of Al Ula and 'Saudi's Petra' at Hegra.

Nujiang Valley – 2 Weeks Along China’s ‘Angry River’

A slow van life journey of 2.5 weeks, following 270 km along and above the startling Nujiang Valley in China's south-western Yunnan Province.

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Protected: Balochistan – Hitchhiking the Wilderness of West Pakistan

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Patagonia – Trekking & Drinking in Argentina

Memories - or lack of them - trekking and drinking (red wine) for 4 days at Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia in southern Argentina.

Band-e Amir Lakes – Afghanistan’s ‘Grand Canyon’ of Water

The Band-e Amir Lakes are Afghanistan's "Grand Canyon" of deep-blue waters, and it'll impress the most experienced of travelers!

Komodo Island – I Dare You to Play With Dragons (and Survive)

Don't follow your David Attenborough urges on Komodo Island... or else. Also, travel advice to Komodo Island in 2023.

storm amid mallegan straits on ferry to puerto williams chile 2002

Puerto Williams: Wild Voyage to the “World’s Southern-Most City”

38 hours by ferry-barge past Tierra del Fuego - The Land of Fire - and onto "the world's southern-most city" of Puerto Williams in Chile.

High-Altitude Haizishan Lakes

The bleak, high-altitude deserts of Tibetan Sichuan get surreal around Haizishan with a landscape of boulders and small lakes against distant mountains.

Van Camping at Huaihe River Estuary

Sometimes we just find plain-weird places to camp - such is the flow of van life in China.

Hitching Snowy Mountains in Armenia – What Could Go Wrong?

On an isolated road in southern Armenia - close to the Iranian border, I attempted to hitchhike from Meghri to Kapan.

Adar Plateau – Searing Sahara Across Mauritania

Across a blistering Saharan summer, I traveled across the Adrar Plateau of northern Mauritania.

Agency Car Ad #2.1 – China

The 'Final Cut' of the Valli car advertisement filmed in the Litang region of Tibetan Sichuan by a Shanghai film agency.

Horse-Trekking to Hidden Ala Kul Lake – Kyrgyzstan

Getting into the mountains of Kyrgyzstan is an epic trip - maybe better done on a horse. Advice and inspiration for horse trekking to Ala Kul Lake.

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Van Camping Amid Pu-erh Tea Plantations

Van camping amid the peace and tranquility of the Pu-erh tea plantations in Xishuangbanna in China's southern Yunnan province.

Yugur Nomads of China’s Desert Mountains

Exploring the desert mountains of Gansu and meeting Yugur nomads while van camping a few days at a waterhole used by their flocks of sheep. In this wilderness, I celebrated my 54th birthday.

Tibetan Plateau Blizzard – Van Life at 3800 Meters

An overnight stay at a high mountain pass on the Tibetan Plateau reveals a stark, monochromatic landscape the next morning.

Lazy Beach Days on Koh Rong Island

Lazy beach days are always good. Some info and tips for 4K Beach on Koh Rong Island - away from the party scene.

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Ruins & Sun-Kissed Sands Along Kenya’s Swahili Coast

The gorgeous Swahili Coast of Kenya has endless beaches but also a long history of Islamic trading towns and Portuguese forts.

Snorkeling Dahab’s Blue Hole – Egypt

I'm no diver and not much of a swimmer - but if you're like me, have courage and follow this advice for sately snorkeling the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt.

Deception Island – Antarctica’s Haunted Beauty

A volcanic eruption left haunting ruins of human occupation at Whalers' Bay on Deception Island in Antarctica.

Hiking Doucki – Guinea’s Grand Canyon

One of the best places to explore "The Grand Canyon of Guinea" is from the village of Doucki, with guide, Hassan Bah.

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Magical Ulisa Bay on Likoma Island – Lake Malawi

Ulisa Bay on Likoma Island in Lake Malawi is a great rest stop - especially if you're traveling the long Cairo to Cape Town overland trip.

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Hiking Eritrea – Matara: A Barren But Beautiful Land

Travels in Eritrea - 1995. Wandering around the barren surrounds of Matara, meeting astonished and friendly locals and checking out ancient Axumite ruins.

Kaluts – Iran’s Strange Desert of Sand-Castles

Within the Kaluts region, you could be forgiven for wondering if you've stumbled into a lost city - as miles of eroded sand towers & blocks stick out of the desert.

Surreal Sculptures in Egypt’s White Desert

Traveling to the amazing wind-sculpted formations for an overnight stay in the White Desert of Egypt is best done from Bawiti (Bahariya oasis), rather than in Cairo.

Changbai – China’s Sacred Mountain & Heavenly Lake

Travel advice and inspiration for visiting China's stunning Changbai Mountain and Heaven Lake; a border shared with North Korea.

Van Camping On Island Yalu River China North Korea Border

Camping on a River Island Beside North Korea

Van-camping in China on Peach Island in the middle of the Yalu River opposite the misted mountains and border towers of North Korea.

Across North Korea in Bleak Winter

Traveling across North Korea on the deserted highway from Pyongyang to the DMZ border with South Korea, on a bleak and foggy winter's day.

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Travel Panoramas

Our world offers some some much natural and historic beauty - come check out these wonderful panoramic vistas!

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Laguna Chicabal – Sacred Center of the Maya Cosmos

The hike thru rainforest to the volcanic crater lake of Laguna Chicabal takes about 2 hours. But don't expect to swim as it's the sacred center of the Mam Maya cosmos.

painted panorama victoria falls with rainbow zimbabwe

Victoria Falls is Better in the Dry Season

Victoria Falls - the largest waterfall in the world - is impressive, even in the dry season. In fact, the views are better as the falls aren't obscured by mist.

Traveling Ladakh – Crossing “Little Tibet”

At last, we arrive in "Little Tibet". Surrounding blue sky. Massive brown mountains. Snow jagged peaks. Tails of bright prayer flags.

Dangerous Himalaya Highway – India’s Srinagar to Leh Road

Traveling the Srinagar Leh Highway - the only road linking Ladakh with Kashmir. Photo-story and advice for this trip into the Himalayas of India.

wrecked ships aral sea moynaq uzbekistan

Aral Sea Disaster & the Cemetery of Ships

The shrinking of the Aral Sea is dramatic at 'the port' of Moynaq in Uzbekistan, with its cemetery of rusting ships - now stranded 170 km from the actual shore!

Vilcabamba trek to the last, lost Inca city in Peru

Trekking to Vilcabamba – The Last, Lost Inca City

Trekking with a mule thru jungle mountains to the ruins of the last Inca Kingdom of Vilcabamba in Peru.

Kawah Ijen – Night Hiking to the Blue-Flame Volcano

The night hike up Kawah Ijen to Indonesia's famous blue-flame volcano, complete with green crater lake and workers extracting sulphur amid toxic smoke.