Before you get all wrapped up in the amazing photos below, you should know ice climbing is a very dangerous sport that requires a lot of experience and special equipment including ropes, ice screws and so on. We will cover ice climbing as an extreme sport in the posts to come. Be sure to check out the movie for a more realistic image.

photo credits: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11

” These were taken between August 12 and August 15, 2010.
Gear: 5D Mk II, EF 16-35mm L. Settings: f/2.8, 6400 ISO, 20 second exposures. “-via

The islands that form the archipelago are called Petit Rameau, Petit Bateau, Baradol, Petit Tobac and Jamesby. They are all surrounded by reefs, such as Egg Reef and World’s End Reef on the eastern side, and Mayreau Gardens to the west. Tobago Cays Marine Park is only accessible through water and getting here is possible by day charters, water taxi or cruise. The closest airports are located on Union Island and Canouan Island. This unique place is where “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” featuring famous actor Johnny Depp was shot. Enjoy the photos!

pictures via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Peter Vetsch is a Swiss architect, currently known for his 47 completed projects, some of which include earth houses built around the globe. These homes don’t just look original, but they are also environmentally friendly.  Built while respecting the laws of ecological architecture, these organic shapes use less energy than conventional homes and are well integrated within their landscape.

The reason we decided to make a post on Peter Vetsch is because we consider his buildings could make for some stunning accommodation. Embedded in hills or even in mountain peaks, they could act as an impulse for the traveler to get his journey started.

pictures via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

With homes carved inside rocks, some of them 700 years old, the Kandovan village is said to have been partially formed by volcanic remains from a strong Mount Sahand eruptions hundreds of years ago.

As you will see in the small movie below, this is a place where houses are not built on a mountain, but within a mountain. Another interesting aspect is the fact that the rock acts as an energy efficient material, keeping the house cool during summer and warm during winter. This is why most of the inhabitants here do not use heaters or air conditioning systems.

The intriguing architecture of this village seems to defy all rules and travelers are usually fascinated by its incredible slopes and irreverent paths.  Recently a hotel was built, inspired by and connected to the “style” of the village. The “Rocky Hotel” features beautiful cave interiors with very comfortable living spaces. What we found interesting is that it takes ten months for four people to dig a room. Be sure to check out the video to see how these rooms look.

Pictures via 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

Many people who lived its wilderness remained touched and a simple but very suggestive opinion about the Canyonlands Park came from an American author who visited the park and described it as “the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth—there is nothing else like it anywhere.”

As you can see in the pictures, the geography of the park is well suited to a number of different recreational uses. Hikers, mountain bikers, backpackers and four-wheelers all enjoy traversing the rugged, remote trails within the diversity of this natural wonder. If it seems more interesting to explore by water, rafters and kayakers can choose the calm stretches of the Green River and Colorado River above the confluence. And those who are seeking  for adrenaline, below the confluence Cataract Canyon contains powerful whitewater rapids and tricky passages.

More about Canyonlands Park’s climate, accommodation and other useful information you will get from here.

10. Capitol Reef National Park is situated in south-central Utah and the nearest city is Torrey. The park preserves 979 km² and is open all year long, although May through September are the most popular months because of the favorable conditions. With its unusual natural architecture, Capitol Reef is characterized by sandstone formations, ridges, buttes, colorful canyons and a 120 km long rugged spine called Waterpocket Fold, which is extending from Thousand Lake Mountain to Lake Powell. The park’s name comes from a spectacular segment of the Waterpocket Fold near to Fremont River, a line of white domes and cliffs of Navajo Sandstone which looks like the United States Capitol Building.

A scenic area and one of the most intriguing monoliths in the Capitol Reef National Park can be found in the Cathedral Valley. Unique shapes are dominating the desert’s loneliness, amazing sandstone monoliths that resemble Gothic cathedrals from Europe, we would say. Many of these structures have interesting, highly descriptive names such as Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Moon or The Walls of Jericho.

In the Capitol Reef Park there’s no chance of geting bored because you can try almost everything, from easy walks and admiring the surroundings to strenuous overnight hikes. There are also biking trails all over the park and the access is not very difficult, although it is dangerous to go off-road. As a bonus, if you really want to try professional mountain biking, maybe you will have the chance to participate to one of the local biking competitions.

For accommodation, you can either choose to stay in the nearest town or you can spend the night to a campground in the area. Here you will find additional information about the park.

Pictures via 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16

Here we know that being a traveler is hard work and we are well aware of the following : all the time you put in for finding a decent map, all the calculations needed to prepare just the right amount of sandwiches, all the bottles of water your back can support, all the strange noises coming from outside tents, how wet a rain poncho can get on the inside and so on and so forth.We are also aware of what the sight of an unexpected remote, unexplored but icy cold spring can do to a person and the “top of the world” feeling after winning a psychological  battle with a mountain peak.

picture credit

If you saw a place that made you feel any of the sensations described above and you feel like sharing, but only to a sympathetic crowd, here is your chance.

You can send us a small text (or long, it’s your call) via e-mail (you will find this by accessing the CONTACT tab – upper page, left, below the categories ) describing your experience along with a few photos of your journey and we will publish them together with your name and blog/site if any.

At the end of each month, we will choose the journal that was most inspiring meaning  the one that managed to convince us visit that particular place . We will also value your comments and opinions, as well as your facebook “likes” and other similar tokens of your appreciation for all submitted travel journals.

== Make every trip memorable ! ==

Here is some amazing footage of the southern part of Eyer Peninsula, Australia. It is what we like to call “nature frenzy”. Eyer Peninsula is known for its amazing landscapes and quite a few national parks. Its beaches are absolutely spectacular and some of them have crystal clear waters. The region is served by a local railway system, so getting here is possible only by train, not by plane also. We chose to display this movie because we liked the fact that this place looks secluded and we consider the images soothing and relaxing. It reminded us a little bit of Cliffs of Moher,but we’re guessing they are not as tall. In case you happen to know their height, please leave a comment and let us know if there any point comparing : ) It says so in the title and we feel we need to repeat this: be sure to watch this video in full screen mode, it doesn’t get any better than that.- via Beaches Uptake

Jaisalmer, also known as “The Golden City” is located in western Rajasthan within the Thar Desert, India. Getting here is possible by train from Delhi. There are many things to do in Jaisalmer, such as sightseeing (you will find many pedestrian areas in the city), experiencing local culture and of course, camel safari.

We encountered several positive things about camel safari in Jaisalmer, but a few negative aspects as well. First off, by getting in the Thar desert, it is certain that you will be granted a genuine camel safari experience. There are plenty of organized tour guides and the trips vary in length from half a day to 10 days. However, if this is your first time doing this and you usually find it hard to adapt to harsh nature conditions, make sure your trip in the desert will not last longer than three days. The organized tour packs ensure tent accommodation and water. Usually the guides also start up camp fires, in order to make the traveler’s experience a fun one.

The negative aspect about camel safari in Jaisalmer is the fact that this is a city always packed full with tourists and annoying venders. But if you reserve accommodation in advance and arrange for the camel safari tour before getting there, this will not be a problem.

Here are two links to get you started on planing your journey. The first one gives you an idea of how the city is like and contains tips on what to visit, while the second contains a hotel directory of Jaisalmer.

We found an interesting mini-journal on a forum about things one can do in the city: “Besides the Fort, there are fascinating small back streets with original stone carved buildings that you can wander about in. Significant havelis are worth seeing e.g Patwon – ki – Haveli, Nathmal-ki- haveli. There is the lake – Gadi Sagar, which is very picturesque, a couple of interesting museums and a puppet show. Amar Sagar is what you were trying to say I think which is not far from Jaisalmer, also a Jain temple out at Lodhrva about 15km from the city. These outside city sights can be done by jeep at the same time as your camel safari.“  You will find more information and testimonials about the city here.

The overall costs are around the sum of 17$ per person per night. In case you’ve recently been there and have an update on the prices, please let us know.

pictures via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11