BlueMagic

It’s said the North & Yukon casts a spell on people (who never leave) and it’s easy to see why! We have spent the last two months exploring the wilds of Alaska and remote northern communities in the Yukon territory, Canada. To put the words isolation, remoteness and wilderness into context – the Yukon territory is larger in size than Germany, but with a population of 40,000 people! I have been fascinated by Northern living for quite some time and decided where better to start our working holiday in Canada than in the far North. To begin with, we spend a month living and working at a lodge and cabins near Carcross, with splendid views over a lake. During our free time, we hike, bike, canoe or kayak on the lake, ride a quad bike into ... read more

"It's about the journey, not just the destination!" During the past year, I've had the pleasure to travel with G Adventures on 4 different tours, ranging from 7 to 33 days - in Indonesia, Ecuador and Central America. I've had so much fun travelling and witnessed beautiful landscapes, but more importantly I've gained an appreciation for different cultures. Let me start by saying that G Adventures is unlike any other travel company out there. They create and provide authentic small group adventure tours, using local guides, local transport and locally owned accommodation wherever possible and have some of the best CEO's (Chief Experience Officers) in the world. Their core values and tour operator standards have redefined excellence and the way in which G connects with their customers. They are one of the most innovative companies in ... read more

COSTA RICA Our first stop in Costa Rica is Tortuguero national park on the Caribbean coast, with abundant nature/wildlife and a very chilled vibe. It's a welcome break with plenty of time spent chilling in hammocks and admiring the beautiful colourful birds (toucans and macaws) in the trees above. We have an active day, getting up at 5am to canoe in the national park - we spot monkeys, lizards, caiman, birds, etc. In the afternoon, we embark on a nature hike and later that evening, a night walk reveals native species of frogs, sloths, snakes and spiders. In La Fortuna, with great views of the Arenal Volcano, we try canyoning - scrambling through rivers and abseiling down waterfalls! Later we go Venado Caves spelunking, crawling through enclosed (very dark) spaces in underground caves with ancient rock ... read more

After the Galapagos Islands, we head to Banos for a reunion with some Aussie friends. It's an epic few days - jam packed full with adventure activities! First up is whitewater rafting and since only 3 of us have joined the tour (low season), the guides offer to take us on the more exciting upper section. It's a barrel of laughs for a couple of hours on the river, with plenty of adrenaline flowing as we navigate grade 4+ rapids. It's probably the most thrilling (and technical) rafting I've done anywhere in the world. The guides are brilliant and take us canyoning, again we're the only 3 people there. It's a very beautiful canyon with a fast flowing river providing lots of opportunities to jump, abseil, rappel and scramble. We navigate our way through the canyon, ... read more

It has been an incredible (and action packed!) 3 weeks in Peru between Lake Titicaca, the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, hiking various mountains and volcanoes, sandboarding and dune buggies in the dessert, seeing condors at Colca canyon, the Nazca lines, Ballestas Islands (wildlife), camping under the stars.. Crossing the Altiplano into Peru, our first stop is Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world and famous for its floating reed islands. We enjoy a homestay with a local Quechua family and have the chance to get dressed up for a traditional party/ dancing, and play a very competitive game of football (RoW defeats England). Cusco is our base for the next week as we embark on the Classic Inca Trail for 4 days (read my other blog titled "Lost City of the Incas"). We ... read more