Photo of the Week - Remote Sign

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This photo is from central Iceland - a land left barren from regular volcanic eruptions. NASA thought it so resembled a moonscape that the Apollo 11 astronauts trained around here before their famous moon landing. At least there are signs to avoid being lost! Iceland is also a stunning country full of natural travel wonders such as waterfalls, glaciers, lakes and strange rock formations from the geological activity.

Photo of the Week - Icy Hoodoos (Bryce Canyon, USA)

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It was a chilly February afternoon and the wonderful Bryce National Park was virtually devoid of people. But the late afternoon light left a fantastic contrast of the reds and oranges of these strange rock formations (called hoodoos) with the white snow. It was also the only chance in my life that I got to go snow-shoeing, a weird sensation like walking on giant tennis rackets. It is exhausting but uplifting surrounded by such superb scenery.

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From Dead Duck to Bird Heaven (Bharatpur, India)

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It is difficult to imagine something dreamier than cycling gently through the travel wonder of Keoladeo Ghana National Park. The main road (vehicle-free except for rickshaws and bikes, both available for rent) cuts through the middle of a large lake with surrounding wetlands and forests. Smaller paths allow exploration for the more than 220 resident bird species and 140 migrants along with various deer, wild boar, civets and other small animals.

Sandwiched in India’s golden triangle of Delhi, the famed pink city of Jaipur and the home of the Taj Mahal (Agra), Bharatpur makes for a superb one day excursion.

Now a UNESCO-listed world heritage site, its existence is owed to the Maharaja of Bharatpur who did not share the same conservation values. This parkland was deliberately flooded to attract birds so that the maharaja could ensure a consistent supply of waterbirds for the regal dining table or to issue much sought-after invitations to a day of duck shooting. A monument inscribed with bag counts attest to the incredible success of both the design of the park as a bird sanctuary and the maharaja and his friends as sharp-shooters. The most “successful” single day witnessed the shooting of over 5,000 ducks and partridges.

Today, Keoladeo is a bird paradise simply teeming with owls, vultures, kingfisher, ducks, herons, egrets, storks, ibises, spoonbills, cormorants and bee-eaters all exuberantly mating, nesting, feeding, flapping and fluttering around the lakes, grasslands and trees. The cacophony of sounds ranges from the highest pitched tuneful chirps to deep-throated squawks.

Though our party never saw one, the pin-up bird is the rare and highly endangered Siberian Crane which migrates here with a flight of over 6,400 kilometres (4,000 miles) to avoid the savagery of the East Russian winter. Easier to spot creeping around the reeds are the towering Saras Cranes at around human-height with scarlet red heads, yellow beaks and steel blue bodies

For those that, like me, can’t tell the difference between a babbler and a warbler, a guide with a rickshaw is a worthwhile investment. They tend to know where the various nests are and can point out a wide variety of the more interesting birdlife. Once you have your bearings, swap the rickshaw for a bicycle, or simply walk. Take time to simply wander the small pathways or sit near one of the lakes and enjoy the antics of the waterbirds tending to their day’s business. An electric-blue kingfisher stalked his prey for fifteen minutes before proudly producing a small grasshopper – he seemed aware of his small but appreciative audience!

So add Keoladeo Ghana National Park to your Indian itinerary, considered by many as the finest bird travel wonder in the world.

Postscript

Sadly, Bharatpur is undergoing a severe drought with all the available water being used for the farmers and none being diverted into the national park. A number of news articles reference the difficulty that the park is currently experiencing.

Bharatpur Vacations

Photo of the Week - Johnston Canyon, Canada

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Banff National Park contains some of the world's most stunning scenery. The Rockies are a wonderful backdrop for thunderous waterfalls, glacial lakes and superb wildlife. Johnston Canyon, just north of Banff, provides a scenic three kilometre (0.6 miles) walk through the chasm and past a series of waterfalls. The best two falls are the uninterestingly named Lower Falls (top photo) and Upper Falls (bottom photo). The unusual lower falls turns at right angles and contains fantastic colors around the narrow gorge.

Fish, Fjords and Fantasy (Lofoten Islands, Norway)

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Far above the Arctic Circle, a curved spray of craggy mountainous islands seeks solace from the tempestuous Norwegian Sea. Tiny russet-colored fishing villages are pushed on the coastal fringes by the Lofoten Wall, a jagged spine of mountains carved by glaciers millions of years ago which rear from the cod-rich surging waters – the lifeblood and heritage of these majestic islands.

Sheep paddocks are sprinkled across the rolling emerald hills while small boats bob in the azure inlets and bays. Like a fantasy scene from Middle Earth, the travel wonder of the Lofoten Islands are stunningly beautiful with its overwhelming scenery and long languid summer days. The sun doesn’t set for a period of around eight weeks from late May to mid-July. In summer, visitors remember to close their curtains after being awoken once with sun streaming through their windows at 1:00am in the morning.

A road connects the main Lofoten islands making a motor scooter or bicycle an ideal way to enjoy the mild Lofoten weather and comfortably view the unveiling scenery. Take a jacket as the weather changes quickly from sunshine to Lofoten’s frequent rain showers. Hiking trails intertwine across the islands offering numerous postcard shots of small brightly-colored villages among sapphire blue waters and towering mountain ranges. Behind Reine, a typical Lofoten township, lies a superb trail up Reinebringen and a breathless vista of nature at its finest.

Fish racks stretch around the Lofoten villages. The cod are tied to these huge A-frame racks and dried producing a product called stockfish which stays edible for years (though I’d suggest it is an acquired taste!). The locals claim that stockfish is incredibly nutritious, providing four to five times the benefit of the same weight of fresh fish.

Further south and sounding more like an expression of surprise than that of a town, the bizarrely named Å (pronounced or) – yes, that is the entire name – and ironically the last letter of the slightly extended 29-letter Norwegian alphabet, is the end of the road in the Lofotens. Like a town frozen in time, the fishermen’s huts, now used for visitor accommodation (called rorbuer) line the shores, their earthy red coloring reflected in the waters (see lead photo). The cod-liver oil factory, fish-drying racks and boathouse reveal the harshness of these past times.

Just south of Å is an extraordinary natural sight where the tidal flows between the islands result in a dramatic brewing maelstrom, enjoyed by the teeming birdlife but extremely dangerous for those steering boats.

There are a number of picturesque small towns and villages around the Lofoten Islands with most having a similar feel. Settle in for a relaxed and serene pace for a couple of days, enjoy a walk or ride to a neighboring remote hamlet and relax in this remote Norwegian wilderness travel wonder.