Cuicocha is a 3km wide caldera and crater lake at the foot of the Cotacachi Volcano. If you’re in Otavalo in Ecuador, the hike around the crater lake is a must do, but the info out there isn’t so fresh. With a bit of luck, this post will help someone out.
nomad
Camping in Tayrona National park with the global mosquito population!
Tayrona National Park is one of Colombia’s crown jewels. It’s a huge park, just outside Santa Marta, that hugs the Caribbean coast. It’s really popular for camping too. My experience here started off as being a comedy of errors though!
The Lesser Sundas: Lombok to Flores by boat
Catching a boat between these 2 islands is a super way of exploring the Lesser Sunda’s which are sometimes overlooked as a result of their difficult location. Would I do it again? Yes. Would I do it differently? Yes. Here’s why.
Hiking to the Batad Rice Terraces – a photo journal
Northern Luzon in the Philippines is home to the best rice terraces I’ve seen in the past 10 months. Couple this with quaint villages to hike through and sleep in, it makes the region really special. Here’s a photo blog of our journey to the terraces, and a little practical information as the internet is lacking in good advice for the region.
Tibet – a photojournal
I could wax lyrical about this place until the cows come home, but what they say about a picture speaking a thousand words is so true when it comes to Tibet. Here are some photos from the 6 days I spent there. If you’re moderately interested in visiting this jewel of a place, now is the time – the Chinese are constructing up a storm there and I fear it won’t be the same for much longer.
Zhangjiajie -you need to see this place!
First off, don’t ask me how to pronounce this word. Think you say Jung Jea Jee but who the hell knows. Seriously though, this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Not just in China, but in the world. We throw around this phrase of ‘it took my breath away’ without actually experiencing it. Wait until you see the stone pillars for the first time – it’s like being hit in the chest with a club!
24 hours in Yangshuo
I try to condense my posts down to the Chinese province level as I don’t want to bore you with details of every place I see but Yangshuo needs some attention. The idea to write this came to me whilst holding on for dear life to my 60 year old motorbike driver whilst he was navigating the worst potholes in history. Did I mention on a motorbike? No helmet (and my brain is kind of a sensitive issue). At the time, I thought I’d lose a limb, but now that I’m safe and sound on a bus, we can joke about it a little!
The not so glamorous side to backpacking
Let me start off by saying backpacking isn’t for ants. Yes, it’s an amazing opportunity to see the world and conserve limited cash and all that. But you know that already. This post is about what they don’t tell you about!
Sichuan Province in pictures
The Sichuan Province in China is where China starts getting green and adventurey. There are a great deal of national parks around the capital, Chengdu. I spent 6 days in Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou. Here are some pictures from my trip. If you’re planning a trip to China, I’d certainly recommend the Sichuan Province – amazing food, amazing sites and amazing activities.
Dinks in Transit 