We keep returning to China because we love the dramatic landscapes and the fascinating culture. After starting our trip in a city, we couldn’t wait to escape the chaos and head to a scenic area – and the one we picked was Sanqinshan. It’s a mountainous area filled with spiky granite peaks where hiking paths…
Tag: nature
Witnessing China’s Matcha Lake
Hangzhou was never on my list of places to visit on this trip – we actually explored the city and its famous West Lake over ten years ago. The reason we returned was to explore another lake, 50km west of the city. It’s become famous for a wetland area where trees rise from the water…
Mountains Hikes And Sketchy Cable Cars | Madeira
We had a typical four-season kind of day as we set off for a morning hike in the high mountains. While our windscreen wipers swiped the rain away, we admired a vibrant rainbow arching into the valley. The trailhead just had a couple of cars parked up which meant it was going to be a…
Fanal Forest And The Wild North Coast Of Madeira
Cloud inversions are one of my favourite natural wonders, so whenever the conditions were right we’d head up to Madeira’s highest points to try and capture the sun rising above a sea of clouds. The day before was a complete flop, as we stood on a windy ledge engulfed by fog. But today was a…
Nun’s Valley, Whale Watching & Fruit Markets | Madeira
Many people who visit Madeira choose to base themselves in Funchal, the capital of the island, but we’re not city folks and prefer a quieter haven. So instead we opted to visit the city on a day trip, which began with a detour up to Pico do Arieiro which rises 1818m behind Funchal. We planned…
Exploring Cliffs and Peninsular’s in Northern Madeira
The northern coast of Madeira is home to some spectacular scenery, so we set off early to start exploring the area – starting with a cliff-top walk. I was doing a great job navigating us to the trailhead parking area, until I accidentally took a right too early which led us onto what might’ve been…
Gushing Waterfalls and Abandoned Fishing Villages | Southern Maderia
Day three in Madeira began with a beautiful hike on the southern side of the island along a fun Levada route that wasn’t an official PR trail. It was a great choice as it avoided the crowds and offered a tranquil walk along the steep, forested walls of a valley. It was also a nice…
Sunrise Adventures and Levada Trails | Madeira
Watching the sunrise from the peaks of Madeira is a quintessential part of any visit to this wild Atlantic island. That also means you should expect to share the view with hordes of fellow travellers, which didn’t sound particularly appealing, so on our first morning we headed to a lesser-known spot. Our legs felt heavy…
Above The Clouds On Madeira’s Highest Peaks
Madeira is a Portuguese island that rises dramatically from the Atlantic Ocean. Often dubbed as “poor man’s Hawaii,” it boasts landscapes reminiscent of Hawaii’s lush, volcanic scenery—but at a much more affordable price. It’s a subtropical island, featuring steep forested slopes and spiky peaks. The terrain caused difficulties when the island’s airport was built, and…
Exploring The Southern Dolomites
For our final day in Val Gardena, we headed up to Alpe di Siusi, which is Europe’s largest high-altitude plateau – and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We excitedly set off on a big loop walk across the plateau, and while most of the snow had melted on the meadows, it remained on the peaks…
NON STOP TRAVELLING 