We drove from Quito down the Pan-American Highway, the storied road from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, towards the highest active volcano in the world…Cotopaxi. It towered over us at 19,347-feet, growing even taller with a steady stream of smoke and ash. We rounded the gravel road and the charming Hacienda el Porvenir appeared, nestled…
After four days navigating the icebergs and glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula, we pull into the polar opposite: Deception Island, a red-rimmed volcano peeking out of the sea. The geothermal activity melts the usual thick blanket of ice and reveals the layers of oxidized iron, black ash, with a sprinkle of snow on top. We…
They say Ecuador is four worlds in one….in a country the size of Colorado. The Galapagos Islands, Pacific Coast, Andes Mountains, and Amazon Jungle are all packed into this South American country making it one of the most stunning places we’ve ever been. Not only does its small size allow you to experience a ton…
Smoke is billowing from Chimborazo volcano. We pull over to let our jaws hang low as we stare cautiously at this irritable mountain. An indigenous woman with a baby swaddled on her back waits on the side of the road, looking so poised with her velvet skirt, matching red tights, and felted bowler cap. She…
Penguins dash between the pier pylons, blue-footed boobies dive bomb for fish, sea lions sunbathe on the back of unmanned boats…and we haven’t even docked our boat. You’d think this was a Sea World show but it’s everyday life in the Galapagos and part two of our 10-day expedition with Active Adventures (read the first…
Recognized as not just one of the best day-hikes in New Zealand but in the world, Tongariro Alpine Crossing is 19.4 kilometers of jaw-dropping and heart-racing terrain. Remember Mount Doom from Lord of the Rings? Peter Jackson’s inspiration for the fiery volcano was none other than Mount Ngauruhoe—one of the three highly active volcanoes that…
Volcanoes, as destructive as they are, sure make things pretty. Geysers, steaming fumaroles, bubbling mud pots, and rainbow colored pools…this is the work of eruptions and earthquakes and what makes the Rotorua surrounds out-this-world. This New Zealand town is in the Taupo Volcanic region of the North Island, one of the most volatile places in…
The Serengeti is perhaps the most famous park in Africa and the Ngorongoro Crater is its most coveted section. So special in fact that it has become a conservation area of its own to protect the densely populated wildlife, varied landscape, and the Maasai tribe that lives there. One down side is that the park…