Our 273 day-long RTW trip provided ample opportunities to explore the outdoors and put ourselves in some challenging, and at times dangerous, situations. In 27 countries, we encountered every type of terrain and weather. Part of our motivation for traveling at this point in our lives was to take advantage of our health/age and do the activities you can't do later in life. We fully embraced the adventurous spirit and did some very exciting activities in each country. Here are our favorites.
Hiking the Colca Canyon
The epic Colca Canyon
One week into our trip, we hiked through the Colca Canyon. At its deepest point, it is twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. Located 6 hours by rattling bus ride away from Arequipa (the 2nd largest city in Peru), it is pretty remote. Our hike was supposed to be a two-day affair, but an additional day was needed due to an earthquake. Yes, an earthquake. A 5.0 quake struck just as we reached the bottom of the canyon, sending rocks and rubble racing down the canyon face we had just descended. Had we been 15 minutes behind on the trail, we would have died. Our route back out of the canyon was ruined, so we joined a group of French tourists led by a Peruvian guide. Aftershocks roused us from bed each night and kept everyone on high alert. We hiked further into the canyon the next day, and ascended to the top the following day on a different route. Scary... yes. But exhilarating and unforgettable.
In good spirits in the canyon
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The salt flats of Uyuni are located in remote southwestern Bolivia and actually consist of more than just salt flats. The famous flats are the highlight, with vision-bending illusions of endless white plains. But there are also flamingo-filled colored lakes: red, green, or yellow depending on mineral content. There are wind-carved rock formations, hot springs, snow-covered mountains, and more. The whole region is a geologic wonder worth even more than just the three day tour we took.
Hezekiah's Tunnel
King Hezekiah of ancient Israel built this tunnel nearly 3,000 years ago deep under the city of Jerusalem. It leads from the Gihon Spring, the city's original water source, to the Siloam Pool, a place of Jewish ritual bathing. Rediscovered in the 1800s, the tunnel is now open for tourists to walk through. Bring a headlamp, wear shorts and sandals, and be prepared to wade through clean, cold spring water for 30 minutes deep underground. My old friend Jon suggested we do it, and we're so glad we took his advice. It was one of the most unique experiences of our trip.
Game Drive in Kruger National Park
A very rare leopard sighting, of which we had two
We saw all of the "Big 5" safari animals within the first hour and a half of our dawn game drive at famed Kruger National Park. That is a HUGE deal. To put that in perspective, I spent two weeks in Kenya many years ago and never saw a leopard. People rarely see the complete Big 5 on a safari, much less all in one day. Located a few hours northeast of Johannesburg, Kruger is one of the most famous animal reservations in the world for good reason. It is packed with animals, although it is unfortunately packed with tourists, too.
That's one tall horse
Lion Walk In Zimbabwe
Just like big housecats, really
In central Zimbabwe, a private game reserve called Gweru Antelope Park is actually know for its lion-raising program. They rescue and breed lions in order to reintroduce them to the wild and grow the dwindling population. It is also one of the only places you can have an unguarded encounter with a lion. We walked through the grasslands with two adolescent male lions, accompanied only by some guides with sticks. No guns for protection, just sticks. It was one of the riskiest experiences, but the lions can sense fear, so remaining stoic and standing tall remind them who is boss.
Sleeping Under the Stars at the Spitzkoppe
Sunrise at the Spitzkoppe
The Spitzkoppe is an area of central Namibia reminiscent of Utah or Arizona. It is called the Matterhorn of Namibia, full of granite mountains and boulders eroded by time. The park itself contains rocks paintings of various animals from 2,000 - 4,000 years old. We visited the Spitzkoppe for a day and had the opportunity to throw our camp pads down on the rocks and sleep outside. Falling asleep under the stars and waking to a beautiful sunrise on the red rocks was an awesome experience. Luckily the greedy little meerkats and rock hyraxes didn't steal our shoes.
4x4 Sand Duning at Sandwich Harbor
Sandwich Harbor, where massive dunes meet the Atlantic
Sandwich Harbor is where the dunes of Namibia meet the Atlantic Ocean. Located in central Namibia near the coastal city of Swakopmund, the massive dunes literally roll right down to the water. Our insane driver John took us on a rollercoaster-like 4x4 ride over the dunes in a custom outfitted Toyota Tacoma, which included a champagne lunch. We spotted animals such as jackals, ostriches, and antelope roaming the vast, empty dunes.
Big Daddy and the Deadvlei
Panorama from the top of Big Daddy
The Famous Deadvlei The Big Daddy dune is one of the most interesting and famously photographed scenes in southern Africa. Located in the oldest desert in the world, the Namib Desert, Big Daddy at 325 meters tall is the tallest dune in the area. On the back side of Big Daddy is a dried-up oasis called the Deadvlei. It presents the most spectacularly contrasted landscapes on Earth. The parched white clay ground, the dark brown dead Acacia trees, the ferrous red dunes, and the cloudless blue sky are as surreal as a Salvador Dali painting. It is one of the only places on earth that exceeds the beauty of a National Geographic photo. The hike up Big Daddy itself is strenuous in the desert heat. Your shoes permanently fill with red sand, and standing on the dune ridge hundreds of feet high can be intimidating for those with a fear of heights. But this experience was one of the top highlights of our whole trip.
Caving in Phong Nha, Vietnam
Phong Nha is a small town between Hanoi and Hue. The nearby Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park contains an enormous karst system, including Son Doong - the world's largest known cave. Unfortunately that cave is not readily accessible, requiring several days hike into the jungle. Due to time and budget constraints, we opted for a 2 day, 1 night cave expedition with Oxalis cave tours. Let me tell you that hiking through the Vietnamese jungle in August is miserably hot and humid. We're glad we didn't do the longer excursion for that reason. However, we got to explore caves that had only been discovered in the past 5 years - climbing, scrambling, and swimming through caves filled with blind fish and spiders the size of your outstretched hand. We camped in the middle of the jungle, eating a home-cooked meal and sleeping in hammocks with mosquito netting. It was so humid that night, our wet clothes which we hung out to dry actually became wetter. On the second day, we put back on our wet clothes and floated through an underground river to emerge at the mouth of a cave near the park entrance. This adventure was unforgettable, but not for the faint of heart.
Battambang Bamboo Train
Boarding the Battambang Express with our Cambodia travel buddy Valerie!
Battambang is a charming small city in western Cambodia a few hours' bus ride from Siem Reap. The Bamboo Train is exactly what it sounds like. A rickety bamboo platform sits on two axles, which are driven by a small jonboat motor fitted with a rubber belt drive. The jostling 7 km ride along misaligned old French colonial tracks takes you to an tiny town with an old brick factory and not much else. The real attraction is the unique ride itself.
Abseiling Empress Falls, Blue MTNS. Australia
Empress Falls Abseiling is what everyone in the U.S. knows as rappelling. The Blue Mountains are 100 km west of Sydney and are a popular weekend destination. The area is full of hiking and outdoor opportunities. I'd been dying to go canyoning for years, so we found a recommended outfitter in the town of Katoomba.The Australian School of Mountaineering offered many options, but the Empress Falls Abseiling excursion seemed a great option for beginners. It ended up being one of the most challenging activities we've ever done. The day started with abseil training for us amateurs. After a box lunch, we donned wetsuits, helmets, and harnesses to traipse through the temperate rainforest canyon and cold streams. The big finale was the abseil down Empress Falls, a descent of nearly 100 feet (equal to a 10 story building). Water on the fall was rushing due to the influx of rainwater and the rock face was incredibly slick. These conditions made lowering yourself down slowly and safely was nearly impossible. There was a moment of fear when Lindsay's rope got caught and she was stuck under the pounding falls, but we both made it down safely. It was an adrenaline rush, however, we probably won't be rushing back to do waterfall abseiling anytime soon.
Kawarau Bridge Bungy Jump
Lindsay's leap in fine form The Kawarau Gorge Bridge outside of Queenstown, New Zealand is the site of the world's first commercial bungy jumping. It is the original legend with a 43 meter (141 foot) drop over the gorge river. We debated for days whether to take the plunge because of horror stories circulating the internet. Seizing upon the "YOLO" mentality, we decided to do it on our last full day in New Zealand. It was so much smoother and safer than we ever expected. The feeling of free-fall was surprisingly weightless, when I had expected extreme G forces. If you are going to bungy, do it in New Zealand!
Ice Hiking on Franz Josef Glacier
Conquering the glacier. The only time it would be appropriate to call my wife the Ice Queen!
Growing up in Florida doesn't offer to many opportunities to explore icy regions. New Zealand's Southern Alps are home to several large glaciers, the most famous being Franz Josef. Franz Josef, like nearby Fox and Tasman glaciers, are each accessed through a monopolistic tour company. Due to the inherent danger and environmental concerns, the government permits just one outfitter to offer excursions. This makes for a very pricey day, although it was fully worth it. A quick helicopter ride with sweeping views over the mountains lands you right on the glacier. We took this excursion with my parents, and although there is a lot of hiking, it is easily doable for anyone in decent shape. We spent three hours exploring the ice fields and shimmying through crevasses. This is a massive and stunning glacier.
Milford Sound Cruise and Key Summit Day Hike
Perfect views from atop Key Summit
The Key Summit Day hike is a quick 3 hour return hike on the well-known Routeburn Track. The Routeburn is one of New Zealand's "Great Walks" and take three days to complete in its entirety. Located just 30 minutes outside Milford Sound, this day hike is a great add-on to your trip there. It was one of our favorite hikes of the whole trip. A fairly rapid ascent of Key Mountain brought us to the wide and flat summit. You can view three valleys, several lakes, and countless craggy peaks from the summit. It is 360 degrees of New Zealand beauty. The Milford Sound cruise itself is not adventurous, as you are on a large boat with dozens of tourists. However, witnessing the jagged peaks, waterfalls, penguins, and seals from the top deck takes as much of your breath away as if you were hiking it. Milford Sound is a temperate rainforest and receives precipitation nearly 300 days a year. We were incredibly lucky to have pure blue skies that day.
Dual waterfalls at Milford Sound
Blackwater Rafting at Waitomo Caves
Seel Family all suited up The Waitomo Caves on the North Island of New Zealand are popular for the millions of bioluminescent glow worms hanging from the ceilings. Visitors are able to walk through a portion on a metal boardwalk, but the most exciting was to view the glow worms is by "blackwater rafting". We would call it tubing, since each person floats through icy cold waters in heavy-duty black inner tubes. With a wetsuit, helmet, and headlamp, you slosh through water and squeeze through the caves to reach the crowning experience, 10 minutes of floating through the underground river under a ceiling of blue glow worms.
(Image borrowed from The Travel Guru blog. Blackwater tours does not allow you to take cameras in the cave.)
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