Words by Steve Kennedy & Photography by Peter Steyn — The Republic of Malta is located in the Mediterranean Sea just south of Italy and east of Tunisia in North Africa. At just 316 square kilometres (122 sq mi), and with 493,000 residents calling its islands home, Malta is both the tenth smallest country by area and the fourth-most densely populated sovereign state. The country itself is made up of three islands—Comino, Gozo, and the largest of them, its namesake, Malta. Each year, thousands of visitors flock to the country to enjoy its warm climate and easy access to the sea. Yet, [MORE...]
David Van Driessche —also known as David Dennis—is a professional photographer specialising in travel, with passionate eye-catching photographs of places and people. Combining his profession with a love of travel and a background in tourism and hospitality, he offers photography services and tours throughout Asia. Originally from Belgium, he studied photography and film in Europe, and worked as a tourism product manager in the 1990s, venturing out around the world and photographing many of the world’s finest hotels and resorts, before finally settling in Thailand. READ THE FULL ARTICLE [MORE...]
Choking back tears, he told me, “I looked out over the plain and howled. It’ll take a long time to recover, and it probably won’t be in my lifetime”. I was talking to David, a now-retired guide who had spent 15 years conducting eco-tours in Flinders Chase National Park and the adjoining Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island. He was telling me about his reaction to the horrific bushfires, started by lightning strikes, that burnt more than 46% of the island’s 440,500 hectares (1,700 square miles) over several weeks of the 2019/2020 [MORE...]
Concepción Volcano is the second-highest volcano in Nicaragua and one of the most perfectly cone-shaped volcanoes of the Americas. Climbing is a tough, but exhilarating experience, as long as you are aware of the dangers! If you’re not ready to tackle Concepción, climb its neighbour, Maderas Volcano instead. It was a day of spectacular slips, slides, and falls but other than scratches and bruises, we did not have any serious injuries. For a long time, I gazed on Google Earth at Nicaragua’s dumbbell-shaped Ometepe Island (locally called Isla de Ometepe) in the centre of Lago de [MORE...]
Word by Gaverides (Syros, Greece) & Photography by Peter Steyn (Hong Kong) — I have been living on the Greek island of Syros for many years, enjoying its wonderful lifestyle and unique experiences. Syros is the capital of the Cyclades, the most well known of the Greek Island groups located in the Aegean Sea, and it includes famous names like Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios and—of course—Santorini. One experience that had eluded me over the years, however, was the opportunity to sail the Aegean Sea. In the spring, summer and autumn months, I would see the yachts sail into the bay [MORE...]
Siberia, known in Russia as “land of mystery and silence”, is nearly incomprehensible in size. The region is rich in natural resources, diverse ecologies, and is blessed with a unique natural beauty. In the southern part, near the border with Mongolia, lies Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest freshwater lake containing almost a quarter of the world’s fresh surface water. During the brutally cold Siberian winters, the lake and its environs are transformed into a winter-wonderworld. In addition to the frozen lake, the surrounding area offers many attractions. READ THE FULL ARTICLE [MORE...]
By Nellie Huang & Photography by Peter Steyn — Dubbed “Roof of the World”, Tibet is perched on the highest plateau in the world. The autonomous region is located in the Himalaya mountains, bordering India, Nepal, Myanmar and Bhutan. The capital city Lhasa itself stands at 3,550 metres (11,647 ft) above sea level, and Everest Base Camp is at an astonishing 5,088 metres (16,693 ft). Because of its lofty heights, the natural landscapes of Tibet can impress even the most hardened traveller. Imposing snow-peaked mountains tower over vast plains that are dotted with Buddhist stupas [MORE...]
By Craig Thompson – I spent a few months in East Africa several years ago and absolutely loved it. So when an opportunity recently arose to visit West Africa with some friends, I couldn’t pass it up. As I started planning this trip, most of my friends said I was crazy. “Crime was rampant. The accommodation was terrible. Terrorists were everywhere. Food wasn’t edible. The Muslims were not to be trusted…” on and on their list of discouragements went. Well, they got only one item right: the accommodation was terrible! The original plan was to visit ten countries over a [MORE...]
There are mountains, and then there is Mount Everest, our planet’s tallest peak. Our 16-day hike takes us over high altitude snow-covered passes surrounded by glaciers while breathing cold, thin air. Join us as we start our 16-day hiking adventure trip from the small tilted air strip in the village of Lukla and hike in a triangular route past incredible scenery to Mount Everest Base [MORE...]
Myanmar’s coastline stretches for about 1,930 kilometres (1,200 miles) along the Bay of Bengal in the north, to the Andaman Sea in the south. Much of this coastline consists of long stretches of palm-fringed white-sand beaches and secluded bays, intermittently interrupted by large patches of mangroves and tidal river deltas. Myanmar is blessed with pristine beaches and bustling fishing villages waiting to be [MORE...]
