“Wananabu! Paddles up in the air!” roared Noah Lewaravu, our young Fijian rafting guide. We screamed with much enthusiasm and raised our paddles in the air to do a high five. Buzzing with a natural high, our boat of four rowers were cheering as water splashed in all directions, pr[...]
This was excerpted from my new book, The Adventure Traveler's Handbook. Read more about it here or click to buy from Amazon. Twenty years ago, if you’d told me I would be jumping out of planes and climbing active volcanoes as a full-time travel blogger today, I would have laughed. In fact, the o[...]
Scuba diving in Maui, Hawaii, was one of the best experiences we've had in our travels. Read about our Maui scuba diving experience here. Dark rocks, giant boulders, and aged patches of lava surround us. In the midst of these rock tunnels and small coral caves, our marine biologist guide Pauline sh[...]
On our last day at Pico Bonito, we awoke before dawn, determined to carry out our mission: to search for the famous toucan. The Pico Bonito National Park is home to a myriad of wildlife, ranging from the world famous toucan bird to the Central American aguti, the elusive jaguar and ocelot (a type o[...]
A thick leathery body floated over the glassy green water surface as we glided by the edge of the swamp in our motorized wooden boat. Our local guide Elmer signaled for the boatman to move closer. Once we were within an arm’s length from the body, we found a pair of big marble eyes staring bac[...]
Maui is one of the best places to paraglide in the world because of the predictable weather conditions. Here is my experience paragliding in Maui Hawaii. With big strides and arms swinging, I’m running as fast as I can. A huge force is pulling me from behind, but I ignore it and push myself for[...]
If you're looking for an adventure on the islands of St Vincent and Grenadines, climbing La Soufriere Volcano is the absolute best thing to do. Here's my experience climbing the highest point on the island. Climbing La Soufriere The air is hot and steamy, and I’m completely drenched in sweat.[...]
Outside our thatched bungalow, we hear the jungle slowly awaking with the chirping of birds, shrill cries of cicadas and loud croaking sounds of frogs. Together, they form a synchronized jungle orchestra, their natural symphony echoing throughout the forest that surrounds us. Daylight[...]
Have you missed Part I of camping in Australia’s Red Center? This is the second part of my story on camping in Uluru. Dawn had come and go. Rising at 5am was well worth it: the sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta proved to be spectacular. After seeing Kata Tjuta from atop the sand dunes, it was no[...]
During our time in Australia, we went camping in Uluru and it was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip. Here’s Part 1 of our camping adventure in the Red Center. Dawn had yet to arrive, but the sounds of the desert had awoken me. I opened my eyes to the sounds of birds chirping and dingoes howli[...]
Mention Australia’s Red Center, and the vast, red desert immediately comes to mind. When we set off for Australia last October, the desert was one place we really wanted to see and explore. So it was with much excitement when we found out that we didn’t have to venture far to explore the Austral[...]
One of the highlights of our Switzerland itinerary was taking the Glacier Express. Lauded as one of the best rail journeys in the world, the Glacier Express brought us from the eastern corner to the western half of the Swiss Alps, through landscapes of epic proportions. Starting our train journey i[...]
Dry pastureland sprawl across the slopes of the hill while prickly plants and cotton trees fill both sides of the trail. On our left lies the dramatic coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, as its dark blue waters lap onto the empty shores of the island. To the right, Mount Nevis looms overhead, reaching[...]
Salento’s main square sits at the foot of a hill, surrounded by colonial buildings-turned-cafés and oblea carts selling wafers dripping with caramelo. A child throws a handful of rice in the air and pigeons appear seemingly from nowhere, cawing and diving for their treat. At the head of the squar[...]
Swaying coconut trees, sparkling blue water, powdery sand and the sounds of reggae music in the distance: St Kitts is everything we'd imagined - and more. Having spent almost a week exploring, we're thrilled to find that St Kitts isn't just any Caribbean island. It's the Caribbean without sun-burnt[...]
Hiking the Jesus Trail in Israel is an excellent way to explore the backroads of the country and experience Israel's the natural beauty. A gravel path stretches before us, extending into the rolling hills and beyond into the dramatic Arbel Cliffs in the far distance. Green meadows sprinkled with re[...]
The Dead Sea got its name for a reason: it’s salty, deadly and it stands at the lowest point on earth (at 1,388 feet below sea level). This world famous salt lake has almost 33.7% salinity - so hypersaline that not a single species of animal can survive. But more importantly, it’s[...]
They growl like ferocious bulldogs, snort like pigs, and have the most disturbing screech I've ever heard. They’re strange creatures alright – spotting a stocky and muscular body, clothed in black fur and an incongruous white marking on its chest, point ears and a tail that emits a pungent o[...]
Amidst the gorgeous Narnia landscape of the Swedish Lapland stands ICEHOTEL, the world’s first hotel built entirely of ice and snow. It’s hard to believe that everything here is made of ice, until you see it for yourself. We recently visited the Icehotel on a daytrip from Abisko and were b[...]
During Ice Run journey around Lapland, we did plenty of fun activities in the Lapland and ice fishing was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Here's my story about ice fishing in Rovaniemi. Ice Fishing in Rovaniemi I jump up and down, like a child pouncing on her bed, eager [...]
A story about our experience dogsledding in Abisko, just one of the many things to do in Lapland in winter. My Story about Dog Sledding in Abisko “Yap yap, kom igen!” Come on, shouted Lina. The cacophony of howling and barking suddenly ceased and we were instantly engulfed in silence as ou[...]
Just when we thought 2011 was the best year of our lives, 2012 came along and surprised us. This year has been one of tremendous changes: Alberto left his job at the beginning of the year to join WildJunket; we became semi-nomadic, spending most of our time on the road; and we launched Wil[...]
Swathes of green lights danced and shimmered across the sky, almost like electronic curtains flapping before us. What had started out as a faint beam of white light radiating from above the clouds now stretched well into the east, forming a green arch over the horizon. Once we moved highe[...]
The bright sunshine bounced upon the glassy water surface, reflecting off all the white surrounding me --the white from the icebergs that floated past us, the white from the mammoth mountains that enveloped us and the white from the glaciers that slide off ice cliffs. It was a gorgeous morning, wit[...]
My Antarctica expedition didn’t start the way I’d expected it to. There were no plates shattering, chairs flying across hallways, nor Titanic-like mayhem. There was not even a single dark cloud or gust of wind. Instead, bright sunshine, clear skies and a light breeze accompanied us throughout t[...]
Ice in various shapes and shades of blue sparkle and shimmer under the midnight sun. A few crabeater seals and Gentoo penguins squawk and wiggle on the ice floes nearby, surrounded by water so crystal clear the reflection of the sun’s rays is almost blinding. It’s fiercely quiet; all we can h[...]
Before jumping on my Antarctica cruise, I spent a few days in the southernmost city on earth: Ushuaia, Argentina. As a tourist town that draws not just Antarctica expeditioners but also holidaymaking Argentineans, Ushuaia is a picturesque town that’s a cross between a Norwegian fishing villa[...]
Palau's Jellyfish Lake is one of the world's most incredible natural phenomenons. Here's my experience swimming in the Jellyfish Lake, Palau. Green, green, green all around me. Besides a few strands of dirt, I could hardly see anything in the dark, emerald water. But I swam on, armed with nothing[...]
A giant manta ray flaps across the sandbar under the spearmint blue water beneath my feet. A brown-footed booby soars overhead, while an egret swooshes to the water surface and nabs his catch for the day. We’re out on the beach taking a morning stroll, but scenes from the Animal Planet are u[...]
Paddling over whirlpools of turbulent water and watching the landscapes go by can be such an adrenaline rush. Aside from the high energy buzz, white water rafting also makes for an exciting way to explore and immerse deeply in the backcountry. What better way is there to see the Grand Canyon than b[...]