Namibia: 2021 – Kolmanskop to Luderitz to Sossusvlei

Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the Namib in southern Namibia, ten kilometres inland from the port town of Lüderitz. It was named after a transport driver named Johnny Coleman who, during a sand storm, abandoned his ox wagon on a small incline opposite the settlement.

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Namibia: Fish River Canyon – Ais Ais to Klein Aus

Ai-Ais Hot Springs Resort is at the source of a mineral and sulphur-rich hot spring, and means 'burning water' in the local dialect. This resort is situated at the southern end of Namibia's Fish River Canyon. Ai-Ais is part of the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park which includes both the Richtersveld in South Africa and Ai-Ais in Namibia. Desert Horse Campsite at Klein Aus Vista is a magical campsite. Here, wild horses of the Namib roam and desert sand blows through old diamond towns.

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Namibia: 2021 – Giant’s Playground to Fish River Canyon

The Giant’s Playground is located on the outskirts of Keetmanshoop, in the south of Namibia. It features a series of 180 million year old dolerite boulders that span over a surface area of 180,000 km squared. Nearby is the popular Quivertree Forest hosting trees as old as one hundred to two hundred years old. The Fish River Canyon, is located in the south of Namibia. It is the largest canyon in Africa, as well as the second most visited tourist attraction in Namibia. It is comprised of a gigantic ravine, in total about 160 kilometres long, up to 27 km wide and in places almost 550 meters deep.

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Namibia: 2021 – Quiver Tree Forest

The Quiver Tree Forest is located about 14 km north-east of the town of Keetmanshoop, on the road to the small village of Koës, in southern Namibia. Here grows, on a private farm, about 250 specimens of the quiver tree, or aloe dichotoma, which is a tall, branching species of aloe, indigenous to the Northern Cape region of South Africa, and parts of Southern Namibia. The unusual look of aloe dichotoma has made this area a popular tourist attraction. The quiver tree is not really a tree, rather a plant of the genus aloe, as evident from its scientific name, and one of the few species of aloe that reaches tree proportions —it can grow 7 to 9 meters high. It has a stout stem that may grow to one meter in diameter, and is covered with beautiful golden brown scales with sharp edges. The crown consist of numerous forked branches, which gives the species its name dichotoma, which means forked. The quiver tree is so named because native bushmen used to make quivers from the branches of the tree. Aloe dichotoma doesn't have real wood but a soft pulpy tissue, that can be hollowed out easily. One end of the hollow section is closed off with a piece of leather and used by the bushmen to hold arrows. The natives also used large hollowed out trunks to store food and water. The fibrous tissue of the trunk has a cooling effect as air passes through, allowing the natives to store perishables for longer durations.

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Italy: Aeolian Islands

The stunning Aeolian Archipelago with its eight different volcanic islands (sometimes referred to as the Lipari Islands) is located north east off the coast of Sicily, Italy and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. Named after the demigod of the winds Aeolus, the islands have a population of circa 15k (2019). In summer the population swells to 200,000 when Island hoppers can discover their unique charms. Panarea becomes a jetset playground and overflows with beauty and wealth and super yachts. The smouldering volcanos of Vulcano and Stromboli offer exciting walks to view the crater rims. Lipari has a sizeable town with the highlight being the scenic coastal footpath. Salina allows you to climb the Monte Fossa delle Felci and to enjoy a glass of sweet Malvasia wine afterwards. Filicuudi is linked to spartan conical Alicudi, where the only form of land transport are donkeys....

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South America

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South America Nestled between the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and the South Atlantic Oceans, South America is the wilder of the Americas and a continent of superlatives. Go Wild

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Cambodia: Siem Reap & Angkor Wat

Siem Reap, a resort town in northwestern Cambodia, is the gateway to the ruins of Angkor, the seat of the Khmer kingdom from the 9th–15th centuries. Angkor’s vast complex of intricate stone buildings includes preserved Angkor Wat, the main temple, which is pictured on Cambodia’s flag. Giant, mysterious faces are carved into the Bayon Temple at Angkor Thom.

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