A former capital of Guatemala, Antigua was founded by the Spanish in 1543 and grew to become the finest city in all Central America. It was carved up by various Catholic monastic denominations such as Jesuits, Capuchins and Merceds, each with its own fine church and specific area of control. Following a series of minor … Continued
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Anuradhapura was the original ancient capital of Sri Lanka, built around a cutting of the sacred Bodhi fig tree (now a large sprawling giant of a tree) under which the Buddha sat in India and brought to Sri Lanka in the 3rd Century BC. The city flourished for 1300 years … Continued
Arenal is the most frequently visited volcano in the country. The nearby town of La Fortuna has grown large through tourism, attracted by one of the world’s most visible volcanoes With clear weather, good activity levels and luck, one can observe huge boulders rolling down the mountainside and spectacular nocturnal pyrotechnics, accompanied by loud booming … Continued
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, the splendid colonial city of Arequipa is located in a beautiful valley surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes and famed for its white stone buildings, historic churches and cathedral. Santa Catalina Convent is a walled citadel of more than 20,000 square metres which for four centuries has served as … Continued
The most northerly of the granitic islands, Aride is a strict nature reserve of 68 hectares where over 112 bird species have been recorded, including the most breeding species of any other island in the Seychelles. These include frigatebirds, wedge-tailed and tropical shearwater, white-tailed and red-tailed tropicbird, brown and lesser noddy, and sooty, fairy, roseate … Continued
The Indian state of Assam holds a special attraction for Asia wildlife enthusiasts, boasting four important national parks and three UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites. Little-visited and rather tucked away in the north-east of the subcontinent, Assam is a land of mighty rivers and fertile plains laid out at the foot of the Himalaya. Remarkable … Continued
Almost the furthest west of the Seychelles’ Outer Islands, Astove is one of three atolls in the Aldabra Group, along with Cormoledo and Aldabra itself. The atoll consists of the islands of Astove and Charlotte surrounding a large, shallow inner lagoon, a mecca for serious fly fishermen. The islands host a large number of giant … Continued
The Atacama plateau, an extreme environment considered the world’s driest hot desert, is a mixture of salt lakes, geysers, felsic lava flows and an enormous expanse of sand that follows Chile’s northern Pacific coastline for 600 miles. Over 500 plant species have adapted to the harsh desert conditions, mostly occurring along the slightly greener coastal … Continued
Along the vast Atlantic Patagonian shoreline several ocean currents mix, and thanks to relatively low shipping traffic and fishing activity the sea is still rich in plankton, seaweed, fish and jellyfish. This fecundity in turn attracts large populations of marine mammals and seabirds, including various species of dolphins, elephant seals, sea lions, Magellanic penguins and … Continued
In the north of the Northern Cape in the green Kalahari bordering Namibia, the Augrabies Falls National Park protects 28,000 hectares of barren, rocky semi-desert terrain surrounding the Orange River. This mighty river tumbles 56m over a sheer granite cliff at Augrabies Falls then cascades a further 135m into a turbulent pool below. This is … Continued
The large north eastern state of Bahia displays a strong African influence and holds an abundance of attractions. Serious trekkers will appreciate the scenery and trails of the Chapada Diamantina National Park; lovers of Latin colonial architecture can marvel at the perfectly preserved Historic Centre of Salvador, once the country’s capital and a UNESCO World … Continued
Bahia Bustamante was originally settled by seaweed gatherers who built a village once occupied by 400 people but now by 40. Visitors stay in various village houses to enjoy the unspoilt nature and isolation. There is an incredibly rich marine fauna in the area, with around 3,500 sea lions, killer whales, and dolphins. Right whales … Continued
