Showing posts with label Top Places. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Places. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway
Peer down at the Wind River winding 2,500 feet below on the 34 mile stretch of road between Shoshoni and Thermopils go white water rafting and view black and pink rock formations that date back almost three million years; watch for wildlige such as bighorn sheep deer and elk.Starts on US 120/WY 789 at mile marker 100 in Shoshoni, WY and ends north of Thermoplis, WY at mile market 134. 800 645 6233
Monday, December 16, 2013
Grand Teton National Pak
Explore one of North America's Great national parks, with its iconic snaggle-toothed mountain view camp, kayak, or horseback ride into the back-country; picnic along Jenny Lake hike the myriad trails and watch for deer elk and moose along the way. Stop by the Craig Thomas Visitor and Discovery Center for natural history exhibits and introductory information about the park
Patagonia Photos
Torres del Paine National Park
Sunset casts a rosy glow over granite peaks encircling a glacial lake in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. Chile's prized jewel the 598,000 acre (242,00-hectare) national park is a mosaic of landforms including soaring mountains, golden pampas and grinding ice fields. at the southern tip of South America the region of Patagonia includes parts of Argentina and Chile.
Sunset casts a rosy glow over granite peaks encircling a glacial lake in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. Chile's prized jewel the 598,000 acre (242,00-hectare) national park is a mosaic of landforms including soaring mountains, golden pampas and grinding ice fields. at the southern tip of South America the region of Patagonia includes parts of Argentina and Chile.
Moreno Glacier
Moreno Glacier rises above Lake Argentino as a rugged wall three miles (4.8 kilometers) wide and almost 200 feet (60 meters) rall. One of 47 massive ice fields in argentine Patagonia's Glaciers National Park, this grinding, groaning force of nature covers a hundred square miles (260 square kilometers).
Copahue Provincial Park
Hundred foot dall (30 meter tall) araucaria trees surrounding a waterfall reach of the stars in Argentina's Copahue Provincial Park. Living relics of the Jurassic period, these thousand year old giants stand as symbols of Patagonia tenacity in a landscape both severe and sublime.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Northern Territory, Australia
Australia's Top End wears colors that sing: rust red earth deep blue skies and the folden eyes of watchful crocodiles in the flower-tangled waterways of Kakadu National Park.
But it's the people here who make the place come alive.
We are older than the Pyaramids and older than the Bible. We have had no dictators. No caste systems and no concept of money, says Robert Mills spokesman fot the Larrakia people on his walks around Lameroo Beach.
More than 50 Aboriginal tribes still live in the "NT" and new goverment partnerships have created a respectful balance in the outback. Visitors can gaze at Rainbow Serpent rock art from one of the longest existing societies on Earth While the artists can live on the land in peace. Frontier town Darwin sports an energetic face-lift, with an interactive history museum a redeveloped waterfront a deck chair cinema and a flurry of cosmopolitan markets.
One oldie remains though: the annual Beer Can Regatta with boats fashioned from leftover "tinnies" of Melbourne Bitter and other brews. Like everything else the event runs on "NT time". Not today, not tommorrow. Next tuesday maybe.
Where to Go: May-July (early dry season) and Agust-September (late dry season) are the best times to visit with clear skies and lower humidity. March to May is rainy, yet ideal for viewing aquatic birds (such as pelicans, egrets and herons) and water lilies and other perennial water plants. Barramundi fishing is best February to April.
How to Get Around: Fly into Alice Springs or Drawin, rent a car and follow a designated self-drive tour. The Northern Territory encompasses 548,265 square miles (more than Texas, California and Colorado combined) and 95 percent of the roads are paved.
Where to Stay: Exclusive Bamurru Plains offers safari-style accommodations (nine elevated, screened in suites with private baths) in a remote bush setting (you can hear the buffalo splashing in the floodplains). The camp is located on a coastal buffalo station (a 25-minute flight from Drawin) and named for the local magpie geese, tens of thousands of which serenade guests each morning Rates cover all meals.
Cultural Tip: When charting a self-drive tour, check to see if your travels will bring you through an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). Many IPA communities or lands require tourist permits to enter. When visiting, follow the Australian government's IPA visitor guidelines designed to protect and respect the privacy, environment and cultural traditions of indigenous people.
Fun Fact: Even if you can't see crocodiles in a territory waterway they likely can see you. Northern Australia is home to approximately 150,000 saltwater crocodiles and at least 100,000 freshwater crocodiles. The Mary River has the highest concentration, with nearly 15 saltwater crocs per half mile.
But it's the people here who make the place come alive.
We are older than the Pyaramids and older than the Bible. We have had no dictators. No caste systems and no concept of money, says Robert Mills spokesman fot the Larrakia people on his walks around Lameroo Beach.
More than 50 Aboriginal tribes still live in the "NT" and new goverment partnerships have created a respectful balance in the outback. Visitors can gaze at Rainbow Serpent rock art from one of the longest existing societies on Earth While the artists can live on the land in peace. Frontier town Darwin sports an energetic face-lift, with an interactive history museum a redeveloped waterfront a deck chair cinema and a flurry of cosmopolitan markets.
One oldie remains though: the annual Beer Can Regatta with boats fashioned from leftover "tinnies" of Melbourne Bitter and other brews. Like everything else the event runs on "NT time". Not today, not tommorrow. Next tuesday maybe.
Where to Go: May-July (early dry season) and Agust-September (late dry season) are the best times to visit with clear skies and lower humidity. March to May is rainy, yet ideal for viewing aquatic birds (such as pelicans, egrets and herons) and water lilies and other perennial water plants. Barramundi fishing is best February to April.
How to Get Around: Fly into Alice Springs or Drawin, rent a car and follow a designated self-drive tour. The Northern Territory encompasses 548,265 square miles (more than Texas, California and Colorado combined) and 95 percent of the roads are paved.
Where to Stay: Exclusive Bamurru Plains offers safari-style accommodations (nine elevated, screened in suites with private baths) in a remote bush setting (you can hear the buffalo splashing in the floodplains). The camp is located on a coastal buffalo station (a 25-minute flight from Drawin) and named for the local magpie geese, tens of thousands of which serenade guests each morning Rates cover all meals.
Cultural Tip: When charting a self-drive tour, check to see if your travels will bring you through an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA). Many IPA communities or lands require tourist permits to enter. When visiting, follow the Australian government's IPA visitor guidelines designed to protect and respect the privacy, environment and cultural traditions of indigenous people.
Fun Fact: Even if you can't see crocodiles in a territory waterway they likely can see you. Northern Australia is home to approximately 150,000 saltwater crocodiles and at least 100,000 freshwater crocodiles. The Mary River has the highest concentration, with nearly 15 saltwater crocs per half mile.
Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rwanda
Redemption in the Rain Forest
How does a nation overcome the gut-wrenching stigma of a gencide, now two decades past and proclaim to the world that it is a safe nd surprising place to viit? For Rwanda one strategy is to highlight a tract of unspoiled mountain rain forest rife with chimpanzees and a dozen other primates plus hundreds of species of birds namely, Nyungwe national Park in the southwestern cotner of the country. Nyungwe, which became a national park in 2005, exemplifies the farsightedness of a government that is channeling aid money toward preserving the best of Rwanda's natural beauty, while bringing in tourist dollars that benefit surrounding communities. An example is the USAID-funded Nyungwe Nziza (Beautiful Nyungwe) project, which recently a canopy walkway above a forested canyon a thrilling perspective on the park and its residents. Chimps are the star attraction in Nyungwe though they're not as readily watchable as the famed in the mist mountain gorillas farther north in Virunga National Park. Far easier to view are colobus monkeys. The world's lagest community of them lives in Nyugwe. The park hasn't yet gained renown among birders, but it will. Almost 300 species abide here, including showboats like the oversize, clown headed Ruwenzori turaco. "Nyungwe stands out among Africa's intact montane rain forests for its size and diversity" says conservationist Bill Weber who with his wife, Amy, pioneered the gorilla tourism project in Virunga. It's a place where people can spend several days and really get to know a rain forest, having different experiences each day. Visitors can hike trails to peaks and waterfalls and meet locals in Banda Village near the park entrance. Should one ask residents whether they are Tutsi or Hutu the answer will almost certainly be We are Rwandan. Robert Earle Howells
When To Go: The drier months (July-October) are best from gorilla trekking, hiking and tea plantation tours. For birding visit December-March.
How to Get Around:International flights arrive at Kigali International Airport, about 140 miles northeast of Nyungwe National Park. Rental cars are available but not recommended. The most convenient option is to book a custom or small group tour (including airport transfers, lodging, meals, activities and park entrance fees) with a responsible tourism operator, such as Rwanda Eco-Tours found and operated by native Rwandans.
Where To Stay: Serene and luxurious Nyungwe Forest Lodge is the ideal home base for exploring the park. It's surrounded on three sides by tea plantation and on the fourth by rain forest. Opened in 2011 12 room Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel lives up to its name. Step out onto your private balcony or sit on the restaurant's outdoor terrace for mist-shrounded viewsof the national park and Lake Kivu.
Fun Fact: Nyungwe National Park's black and white colobus monkeys live high in the trees, rarely touching the ground. Their name is derived from the Greek word for mutilated since the monkeys typically have no thumbs. This adaptation makes it easy to scramble across branches on all fours.
How does a nation overcome the gut-wrenching stigma of a gencide, now two decades past and proclaim to the world that it is a safe nd surprising place to viit? For Rwanda one strategy is to highlight a tract of unspoiled mountain rain forest rife with chimpanzees and a dozen other primates plus hundreds of species of birds namely, Nyungwe national Park in the southwestern cotner of the country. Nyungwe, which became a national park in 2005, exemplifies the farsightedness of a government that is channeling aid money toward preserving the best of Rwanda's natural beauty, while bringing in tourist dollars that benefit surrounding communities. An example is the USAID-funded Nyungwe Nziza (Beautiful Nyungwe) project, which recently a canopy walkway above a forested canyon a thrilling perspective on the park and its residents. Chimps are the star attraction in Nyungwe though they're not as readily watchable as the famed in the mist mountain gorillas farther north in Virunga National Park. Far easier to view are colobus monkeys. The world's lagest community of them lives in Nyugwe. The park hasn't yet gained renown among birders, but it will. Almost 300 species abide here, including showboats like the oversize, clown headed Ruwenzori turaco. "Nyungwe stands out among Africa's intact montane rain forests for its size and diversity" says conservationist Bill Weber who with his wife, Amy, pioneered the gorilla tourism project in Virunga. It's a place where people can spend several days and really get to know a rain forest, having different experiences each day. Visitors can hike trails to peaks and waterfalls and meet locals in Banda Village near the park entrance. Should one ask residents whether they are Tutsi or Hutu the answer will almost certainly be We are Rwandan. Robert Earle Howells
When To Go: The drier months (July-October) are best from gorilla trekking, hiking and tea plantation tours. For birding visit December-March.
How to Get Around:International flights arrive at Kigali International Airport, about 140 miles northeast of Nyungwe National Park. Rental cars are available but not recommended. The most convenient option is to book a custom or small group tour (including airport transfers, lodging, meals, activities and park entrance fees) with a responsible tourism operator, such as Rwanda Eco-Tours found and operated by native Rwandans.
Where To Stay: Serene and luxurious Nyungwe Forest Lodge is the ideal home base for exploring the park. It's surrounded on three sides by tea plantation and on the fourth by rain forest. Opened in 2011 12 room Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel lives up to its name. Step out onto your private balcony or sit on the restaurant's outdoor terrace for mist-shrounded viewsof the national park and Lake Kivu.
Fun Fact: Nyungwe National Park's black and white colobus monkeys live high in the trees, rarely touching the ground. Their name is derived from the Greek word for mutilated since the monkeys typically have no thumbs. This adaptation makes it easy to scramble across branches on all fours.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Niagara Falls, Canada
Water rushes over Horseshoe Falls, one of the three fals that make up world famous Niaggara Falls. The Waterfulls starddle the border between Canada and the United States; Horseshoe is on the Canadian side in the province of Ontario. Every 60 seconds, six million cubic feet of water rushes over the falls enough water to fill a million bathtubs each minute.
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