The Purros Conservancy in Kaokaoland is a beautiful wilderness based around a rural village next to the Hoarusib River, 55km east of the Skeleton Coast and approximately 200km south of the Kunene River. The area is home to the Himba tribe, nomadic pastoralists with a culture that is fast being usurped by modern ways. The … Continued
A narrow mountain valley stretching north from the town of Juyjuy in Argentina’s extreme northwest, the Quebrada de Humahuaca follows a major cultural route for almost 100 miles to the cold desert plateau of the high Andes. The vast gorge shows evidence of use as a major pre-Inca and pre-Hispanic trade route dating back 10,000 … Continued
The huge Queen Elizabeth National Park (1,978 km2) extends down the western edge of the country adjoining Kibale in the north and almost reaching Bwindi to the south. The north of the park is dominated by flat, open grasslands where lion and buffalo are often seen, punctuated by dramatic crater lakes, the dramatic Kyambura Gorge, … Continued
Dating from 850 AD, this impressive citadel, built into the mountainside, was once home to up to 5,000 members of the Quilmes people, one of the Diaguita tribes of Tucuman province. They fiercely resisted conquest by the Incas but, despite early successes against the Spaniards, they eventually capitulated in 1667 and the 2000 survivors were … Continued
South of Santiago Island, Rabida has a distinctive red sand beach made from eroded cinder cliffs. Pelicans can sometimes to be seen nesting in the saltbush which backs the beach, and sea lions and the occasional flamingo in a saltwater lagoon behind the beach. There is a steep, looped trail where some of the island’s … Continued
The most easterly and one of the least populated provinces of Indonesia, the main attraction for visitors to West Papua, formerly known as Irian Jaya, are the stunning, remote islands of Raja Ampat. There are over 600 islands in total, the four main ones being Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. The diving in Raja Ampat, … Continued
The discovery of the endangered golden bamboo lemur in 1986 and rediscovery of the greater bamboo lemur soon after led to National Park status in 1991. The montane rainforest hills beside the rushing Namorona River harbour 12 species of lemur and around 120 bird species. It is also renowned for its many orchids, bright day … Continued
The forests of Ranthambore National Park were once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The desire to preserve the game for sport was responsible for their conservation and subsequent rescue by Project Tiger. The Park sprawls over an estimated area of 400 sq kms. Steep crags embrace a network of lakes and … Continued
Found in the far northern province of León, the little-known mountain range of Riano sits to the south of the spectacular Picos de Europa National Park and forms part of the extensive Cordillera Cantábrica that traverses Northern Spain. The landscape is characterised by extensive forests of beech, holm and Pyrenean oak, and broom covered hillsides … Continued
Around 161 km long and purporting to be the second largest canyon in the world (after the Grand Canyon) the magnificent Fish River Canyon drops nearly 550m in unexpected fashion from the surrounding flat desert plains of the Nama Karoo. The canyon formed around 500 million years ago from a fissure in the rock due … Continued
The 14,000-hectare park contains the eponymous active volcano consisting of nine contiguous craters, geysers, waterfalls, thermal pools, mud pools, cloud forest, dry tropical forest with many mammals and birds and a profusion of orchid species. The area around the park is renowned as the centre of activity and adventure tourism in Costa Rica.
In the far northwest of Belize, the Rio Bravo Conservation Area protects 260,000 acres of low-lying tropical high moist rainforest, home to 400 species of birds, 200 species of trees and 70 mammals, including all five of Belize’s large cats. To the south, bordering the Rio Bravo, is a privately-owned property, Gallon Jug, which contains … Continued
