While not for the average holidaymaker, the former Zaire is home to two of the most incredible experiences an adventure traveler can ever dream of: getting up close and personal with critically endangered gorillas looking into the soul of the Earth at the largest lava lake in the world. Both activities are in the southern sector of […]
Category: Destinations
The largest lava lake on Earth
Ever since I visited Ethiopia but skipped Erta Ale, the thought of seeing a lava lake made for itself a permanent home in my head. Then I found out that the biggest lava lake in the world is at the top of Nyiragongo volcano, just a few hours walk from the mountain gorillas in D.R. […]
The mountain gorillas of Virunga, Congo
We’ve been walking for a bit over an hour and the armed rangers tell us we’re close. We stop to put on our disposable face masks: we need to keep the germs to ourselves. Again I check that the camera settings are correct and off we go. Two minutes later, my heart stops: there he […]
Rwanda then and now. The rebirth after the Genocide
I met Donatella on a minibus going from Gisenyi to Ruhengeri. She works ‘with the schools’ in a church-led program and she’s from the French-educated generations*. I congratulated her for how clean and organized everything was in Rwanda. My praise was heartfelt and honest and I could see the pride in her eyes when receiving […]
Fall in Scotland
There are many reasons to fall in love with Scotland. One for every lake, one for every fjord, one for every time season changes within five minutes, maybe one for every glass of scotch. And if you’re going in autumn, one for every leaf that turned color. But the best way to talk about Scotland […]
Annapurna Circuit planning
As with many things in life, planning can make or break your chances of success. You know the saying among outdoor lovers: “There is no such thing as bad weather, there is only unsuitable clothing” So while this trek is appropriate for all levels of fitness, even the fittest can have a miserable time if […]
Annapurna Circuit: Kathmandu to Pokhara in 9 days…
…instead of 12 I’ll start by pointing out the obvious: the places you go through along the Annapurna circuit are all breathtaking, each in its own way, and the more time you spend on the tracks, the more nature will fill your soul with joy. So this post is not for those who have ample […]