After spending a few days in the Issyk-Kul region, we left Kaji-Say and drove westwards towards the end of the lake, then southwards to Naryn. There, we’d have dinner, relax and start early the next day. That was the plan. Lake Song-Kuul (or: The Road to Song-Kuul) Some 80 km before Naryn, there’s a turnoff…
Category: Adventure
Kyrgyzstan: Higher and Higher From Lake Issyk-Kul to the Seouk Pass
Barskoon Valley From the small town of Barskoon on the southern shore of lake Issyk-Kul, a road leads away from the lake and into the mountains, following the river through the beautiful valley. Barskoon was once an important trading post on the Silk Road. Crossing several mountain passes, the route connected the region with China….
Kazakhstan: Land of Landscapes & Lakes Kolsay, Kaindy & Tuzkol Lakes
We left the Charyn Canyon when the sun was already setting over the orange-red cliffs of the canyon, intensifying the colors even more. That night, we planned to stay in Saty, a small village close to Kolsai Lakes National Park. The drive there took us through a steppe plain of rare beauty. In the distance,…
Ambrym: Mighty Marum & Big Benbow One volcano, two lava lakes. Ambrym, Vanuatu
A few months ago, on a Maya pyramid in the middle of the Guatemalan jungle, we met Sam Cossman, a young guy from the States who had done a crazy thing: Dressed in a special suit he descended into the crater of one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mt Marum on the island of…
Ibu Volcano: The Ultimate Camping Experience Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia
Yet Another Active Volcano on Halmahera Because Dukono was great and because on Halmahera island there’s another one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, we absolutely wanted to go to Mount Ibu. Plus, we were told that there we’d be even closer to the action (is that even possible?!). Our guide for this tour was Alex Djangu, a native…
Dukono Volcano: Playing With Fire Halmahera, North Maluku, Indonesia
Force of Nature It’s dark. You walk up the steep crater, on loose ash. The ground shakes with every thunder from the active volcano underneath you. The closer you get to the smoking crater, the louder the thunder and the faster your heartbeat. You’re scared. You know this is crazy and you should better turn back,…
Ulu Temburong: Brunei’s Green Heart A day in Brunei's biggest national park
Ulu Temburong National Park lies in Brunei’s Temburong district, which is cut off from the rest of the country. The only way to get there without having to cross the border to Malaysia is by speedboat from BSB. The speedboat really lives up to its name and the ride is lots of fun as the…
Chi Phat: Upstream Through Cambodia’s Jungle Cambodia
Chi Phat is a small community on the banks of Preak Piphot river in Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains. Wildlife Alliance has launched an ecotourism project in this village where once many people lived from poaching and logging. Now the whole village profits from the project and the local community center offers a range of activities from trekking…
El Mirador: A Pyramid With a View An ancient Maya city hidden in the jungle of Guatemala
About 40% of Guatemala’s 15 million inhabitants are of Mayan ancestry. “Maya” is actually a collective term for Amerindian people who, to some degree, share cultural and linguistic heritage. Apart from Spanish, 21 Mayan languages are spoken in Guatemala but they are not recognized as official languages. A Highly Developed Civilization The pre-Columbian Mayan civilizations…
León: Smoking Mountains Nicaragua
The Lonely Planet says, “Many people fall in love with Granada, but most of them leave their heart in León”, and I agree with the travel guide. Granada Granada is lovely, the old colonial buildings have been beautifully restored, there are lots of art galleries, handicrafts shops, and stylish restaurants. The central plaza is green…
Monteverde: Nature & Adventure Costa Rica
Monteverde is a major tourist destination in Costa Rica. Several national parks and reserves protect the cloud forests in the area. Monteverde itself is a very small village, most of the hotels, restaurants, tour operators, and shops are actually in the town of Santa Elena. Going to Monteverde Monteverde’s bus terminal too is in Santa…
La Puna: Out of This World Six days on the arid high plateau in Argentina's northwest
Have you ever run down a white sand dune at 3500 meters above sea level? Or stood at the rim of the biggest known volcanic crater of the world? Looked into fanta-colored arsenic water holes? Found algae below a thin layer of salt in a salt pan in the middle of the desert? Sat in…