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The Sights and Sounds of Moscow, Russia

This is a sponsored guest post by Paul Linky. Spanning eleven time zones and two continents, Russia is the largest country in the world. Stretching from the beautiful St Petersburg in the west to the remarkable Vladivostok in the east, there is so much to see and do in this fascinating and unique country. But [...]

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Video: Whale Watching in Husavik, Iceland

From somewhere beyond the tranquility comes a spray of water and a slow-motion flip of a fluke. It’s a humpback whale. Just meters away from our old sailboat. I watch in awe as it glides gently by the bow of our boat, shyly peeking at us through the water surface. As we inch closer, …

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Whitewater Rafting in the Glacial River of Northern Iceland

“It’s all about teamwork!” Our rafting instructor Girish shouts loudly to overcome the deafening sounds of the gushing water around us. “Forward,” he barks at us, “faster!” We paddle in full force, fighting hard to stay afloat amidst the powerful eddies that threaten to swallow us. One, two. One, two. I follow …

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Into the Blue: Sea Kayaking in the Mediterranean Sea

It’s only 10am, but the temperature has already risen to a balmy 28degrees. Luckily we’re paddling in the open sea – a few splashes of sea water immediately cool me down. Here in the Mediterranean, the weather is as beautiful as the shimmering coastline. It’s hard to believe that just an …

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Photoblog: Hot Air Ballooning Over the Spanish Pyrenees

Dawn in the Pyrenees is quite a magical sight to behold: the sky striated in streaks of red and blue, with the sun slowly peeking through the wispy clouds against a backdrop of imposing mountains. By sunrise, the mountains beneath us are blanketed in gold with the occasional patches of white …

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Flying Over 3 Countries at a time in the Pyrenees

On board a light aircraft, we glide through the skies of the Pyrenees, drinking in an impressive view of the mountainous region. There’s not a speck of cloud in the skies and temperatures are at a balmy 28 degrees Celsius. Under the sun’s rays, the mountainscape that surrounds us look …

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Biking in the Pyrenees: from Spain to France and back

It’s not everyday that I get to cross a country’s borders within a matter of minutes. Here in the Pyrenees, Spain and France are separated by an invisible border that can be easily crossed on two wheels. Led by an experienced biking guide, Jaume, we weave through cobblestoned alleys of charming …

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Canyoning along Freser River in the Spanish Pyrenees

Standing on a steep rock face that stands 5m above the Freser River, I’m about to jump into the chilly waters.  Nothing quite as intimidating as the heights I’d experienced while coasteering in Wales or skydiving in Costa Brava – but like every first attempt, I’m slightly nervous. Looking down …

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Highlights of the Pyrenees: From the Mountains Through the Rivers to the Sea

Over the past week in the Spanish Pyrenees, we canyoned down rivers, biked through golden meadows, kayaked off the coast, hiked on volcanoes and even flew over the mountains on a hot air balloon. My head is still reeling from the adrenaline-packed adventures and my eyes swirling from the visual …

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Snorkeling Between Tectonic Plates in Iceland

Dressed in a bulky dry suit, airtight hood and gloves, I’m taking the plunge into the glacial waters of a narrow crack. It’s not just any crack though – this is literally an opening in the Earth’s crust, a rift that separates two continents, a valley in no man’s land.  …

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Chasing the Northern Lights at Hotel Rangá

Mention Iceland and you often conjure images of glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes and most of all, the Northern Lights. Electrifying lights dancing in the night skies, lighting up the darkness with all kinds of color – this phenomenon occurs in few places in the world, and Iceland happens to be one …

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Photoblog: Waterfalls, Glaciers and Valleys of Southwest Iceland

Intense, dramatic and colossal: the Southwestern coastline of Iceland is treacherous yet mystical. Dotted with towering volcanic mountains, bluish-white glaciers and hundreds of waterfalls, this part of the country is strikingly beautiful and packed with an endless list of natural attractions. While driving through the coast from Reykjavik, we stumbled upon one waterfall and valley [...]

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The Real Story: One Week of Adventure in the Pyrenees, Spain

I’ve just left Iceland for the snowy slopes of the Pyrenees in Northern Spain. As much as I’m reluctant to leave the glaciers and volcanoes behind, the Pyrenees is calling out to me with the promise of more adventures, good food and quirky corners to be discovered. This is a part of Spain that I’ve [...]

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Hiking Iceland’s Most Active Volcano, Eyjafjallajökull

The wind was howling and the snow was raging. In the bleak midst of grey ash and white ice atop the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, the scene looked straight out of a disaster movie. With the icy frost whipping across my face at lightning speed, I could barely open my eyes, not …

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Ice and Spikes: Climbing the Sólheimajökull Glacier in Iceland

Left, right, ice sticks in; left, right, feet up. Forceful arm strides followed by small, heavy steps. It sounded easy enough. But once I got on that vertiginous wall of ice, it was clearly not the case. The chunky ice cliff stood at a humble height of approximately 8 meters, …

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