There are few countries that will overload your senses and pull at your heartstrings in quite the way India does. The colours, the food, the people, the architecture, the wildlife, the list is endless. A visit certainly teaches you a few life lessons, tests your patience and, for most, has you leaving lighter than when you arrived. I spent six weeks in India, travelling with a friend. We visited Assam, Kolkata, Nagpur and the infamous 'Golden Triangle' of Jaipur, Agra and Del

Nepal, home to the world's highest mountain, offers endless trekking opportunities. On my first visit to Nepal I trekked to Everest Basecamp with my family. On my second visit I explored the Annapurna region with a friend. With limited time on our hands, we chose to trek to Poon Hill. At 3210 metres this trek is ideal for those concerned about altitude sickness, and is convenient as it can be completed in 4 days if you have time constraints. We left from Pokhara in a taxi wit

Whether it is the extreme climes, the isolation, the spectacular ice formations or the penguins, Antarctica’s spell beckoned past explorers

Lake Titicaca sits at an altitude of 3800 meters between Bolivia and Peru. It has the largest surface area of any lake in South America and is well known for it's deep blue colour. Lake Titicaca has 48 sacred islands, the largest and most notable of which is Isla del Sol, as it is believed to be the birthplace of the Inca's sun god and of the first two Incas. The infamous Inca's ancient ties to the lake and islands is what draws people from all over the world. It is a mysteri

Say the word 'Bolivia' and my mind immediately conjures up images of pristine salt flats and sparkling lagoons full of pink flamingos. A recent three day tour with Ker and Downey, starting at the Hito Cajon Bolivian border and finishing in Uyuni was far beyond any expectations I had. The varied landscape in this area completely took my breath away. Day 1 Our first stop was Laguna Blanca (White Lagoon). During the winter months this lagoon is frozen but this doesn't stop a var

Meet Kevin. An Egyptian vulture and my guide for the day. Kevin is one of two Egyptian vultures at the Parahawking project in Pokhara, Nepal. Kevin is an ambassador for vulture conservation and due to his contact with humans from an early age is unable to be released back into the wild. Sadly the vulture population in Nepal has declined severely in the last decade due to a drug called Diclofenac. Diclofenac is administered by locals to their old and dying cattle to relieve pa

The Augrabies Falls National Park or “place of the Great Noise” is a 55,000 hectare protected area surrounding the Orange River. The river divides itself into a number of channels before thundering down a 56m high waterfall and then continuing down an 18km gorge. As well as magnificent scenery the park boasts a variety of flora and fauna. One of the best ways to explore this area is on foot. There are several hiking trails ranging from a few hours to three days. The Klipsprin

African rock pythons can reach a length of five to six metres. Although they are not venomous they can deliver a nasty bite and hold their victim in a vice like grip whilst they begin to coil around it. They kill by constricting their prey. Larger specimens eat antelope and there have been several recordings of them eating humans. Pythons are well camouflaged so can be difficult to spot in the African bush. Impala alarm calling close to the river in the early morning signalle

The Wild Coast of South Africa boasts incredible scenery, solitude and the villages along the way give an insight into the lives of the Khosa people. One of the best ways of exploring this part of the world and meeting it’s inhabitants is on foot. The hike is a total of 61km and at a leisurely pace takes five days. For the most part the trail hugs the coast, occasionally skipping inland to find over night village accommodation. The terrain is undulating so be prepared for a b

It has now been six months since we started working to familiarise a female leopard and her 3 cubs with game drive vehicles. All three cubs are still alive and doing well; two males and a female. Their mother has done a fantastic job in rearing, feeding and protecting them. I have been fortunate to have spent a great deal of time with the four of them and have watched the cubs grow and develop unique personalities. At first the female seemed to use a handful of den sites (we

Much to the rangers’ dismay the lion sightings had been very quiet for several days. Some nights we would hear them calling close to the lodge but come the morning they had disappeared into the thick bush. In the mornings we were taunted by tracks all over the roads but no lions. It was my guests’ first time in Africa and understandably they wanted to see lions. We were on the sixth game drive out of eight and I was silently starting to panic that we may not find any. Between

The Waterberg, South Africa, is not famous for leopard sightings. Sightings are generally few and even then are generally just a blur of yellow and spots. Before working in the Marekele National Park I worked for two and a half years on another reserve in the Waterberg. During that time I saw two leopards dashing across the road. We are very lucky in the Marakele to have a handful of leopards that are relaxed around the vehicles. About three months ago a tiny leopard cub was

My morning started at 4am. The cold morning air was broken by the roaring of lions just outside of camp. The black backed jackals were yelping in warning (as though we were deaf to the thunderous roaring that had woken us). Despite my eagerness to jump straight into the cruiser to try and find these giant cats, duty called. The hot water bottles were filled, the blankets folded and the tea and coffee was made. As soon as the guests had had their caffeine fix we were off to t

To begin with it, it is worth mentioning that canoeing down the Zambezi River is a little more than an adrenaline rush. Around every corner lurks a hippo waiting to bump your canoe or a crocodile that eyes you hungrily before disappearing beneath the murky water. That said, the bird life is phenomenal and it is a treat to get away from the noise of the vehicle. On this particular afternoon we were floating down river with the sun setting behind us. It was the perfect scene o