Tswalu was born two decades ago when and English businessman named Stephen Boler began acquiring cattle farms in a far-flung corner of the southern Kalahari. His ultimate goal was to restore a huge swath of the desert back into a pristine wilderness. When Boler passed away in 1998, the reserve was taken over by the Oppenheimer family who continued […]

It has a landscape harsher than Canada’s, geological wonders to rival New Zealand, and an altitude that will quite literally take your breath away. You may already have seen the ubiquitous optical illusion photos on the Uyuni salt flats, but there is so much more to Bolivia’s southwest. The surroundings seem to change with every […]

I’m not an avid biker. Nor do I have any sort of bike tech knowledge. I’ve been procrastinating giving my own bike a spring tune-up for about 6 years (and I’ve only owned the bike for 5 years). Although I don’t even own a helmet (much to the distress of my family and friends) or […]

On my recent holiday to Cape Town, all I wanted was more time. After two weeks I had climbed mountains, swam with sharks, cycled cities, and ate my weight in food, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. In a city that has so much to offer, you’ll find it’s hard to sit […]

There’s an actual place in Uganda that’s actually called the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Hard to believe, but it’s true. I know, because one of our fearless Africa trip planners (Greg Sacks) has just spent a week there, trekking to see gorillas and chimps in the wild and wooly woods. It’ll be a another couple of weeks […]

Hitting the open road in New Zealand is one of our favourite things to do. When on said road, one of the most noticeable things you see is the large variety of campers, or caravans to use the vehicular vernacular. Every time I see one, it brings me back to a point in my childhood, reminiscent of […]

This is not a post for complaining about spelling (although I wouldn’t be opposed to writing one of those). This is the ultimate South American showdown: Argentina vs. Brazil, who will win it all? It’s a tough match, of course. How can you choose a winner in a battle of Buenos Aires vs. Rio de […]

What is it? “La Via Verde de la Sierra” is one of Andalucia’s best kept secrets. If you’re looking to get away from the crowds of monuments and get out to the real Andalucian countryside for that natural high (and burn off the extra calories of that jamón ibérico at the same time), this is a day […]

In my book, any place that owes its existence almost entirely to cheese can’t be all bad. L’Etivaz in Switzerland’s Pays Duhaut, source of the best ‘alpage’ cheese in the known universe, is just such a paradise. Picture the scene: soaring mountains, spiked forests of pine, patchwork pastures of glowing lush grass, the jingle of […]

Argentina is huge. Yes, you can fly from place to place, but if you’re sticking to the very well-equipped bus system, there may not be time to cross all the way from culture capital Buenos Aires down to the epic Perito Moreno Glacier. That doesn’t mean you can’t get a brilliant taste of the Patagonian […]

Abel Tasman rocks. And it also does the splits (see the photos above and you’ll know what I mean). Seriously though, any visit to the Nelson area of New Zealand should definitely include a visit through Abel Tasman National Park. This park, founded in 1942, is the smallest of all the National Parks in the […]

Let’s face it, Italy has a knack for making things look beautiful. True, their politics are absurdly colourful. And yes, the mafia thing is kind of dark. But when it comes to design and the visual shape of things, they really sparkle. It was Italy who took the simple form of the car and styled it […]

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to talk statistics for a moment. The largest African elephants weigh in at around 13,000 lbs and stand 10 feet tall at the shoulder. Each of its two swiss-army-knife-like tusks can weigh in at 150 lbs with the largest recorded being 287 lbs each—which is kind of like having […]

There’s a reason we’re always heading back to the countries we love: Research. We do a lot of it, and its probably just about the best part of our jobs. Finding new things, meeting new people and visiting new places helps us grow, both as a company and on a personal level. It’s a bit […]

There’s a camp, set high (so high you need a helicopter to arrive) in a valley in New Zealand. And at this camp there are no restaurants. No shops. Not even any trees. From an initial look, there’s nothing to do. Yet, it’s the background of one of the top ten experiences of my life. […]

Brazil is a veritable piñata of sights and experiences. And while the Amazon, the epic Iguassu Falls, and Rio are all rightfully high on the must-see list, there is another compelling reason to visit (or revisit) this gigantic playground. And it’s called the Pantanal (say this to yourself in the echo-y voice of an omniscient […]