Erosion over millenniums has created the distinctive landscape of the Semien National Park, a World Heritage Site, in Northern Ethiopia. The park is made up of razor-sharp peaks with jagged edges plunging into deep valleys and gorges. A single crag over 60 kilometers long delimits the northwestern border of this massif. The park is home to the endemic Abyssinian Ibex, Semien fox and rare Gelada baboon.

Head out into the bush with Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris. They run a two week long Northern Circuit, which includes a five day trek through the Semien Mountains, including up to Ras Dejen, Ethiopia’s highest peak. Guests take the first week to visit the monolithic churches at Lalibela, the castles at Gondar, enjoying Ethiopian coffee and acclimatizing to the altitude (the park is at a height of 3,300 meters!) before the trek and a few days after on Lake Tana and the Blue Nile.

ERVS has been operating tours for over 25 years and is involved in environmental and community projects through The Murulle Foundation. Guests benefit from their long commitment to the area with opportunities to participate in community projects.

For more info contact Nassos and Susan Roussos at ervs@ethionet.et.

At 58N latitude, Churchill, Manitoba is a little farther north than most people would consider for their summer vacations – but the Hudson Bay area happens to be the summer home for 57,000 Beluga whales. Belugas are some of the friendliest of the deep sea mammals – and travel in large groups of hundreds, sometimes thousands!

Churchill Wild has week long trips run out of their Seal River lodge (another 65 km north of Churchill), with customizable itineraries including kayaking, trekking, photography – and of course the highlight of any trip is donning a dry suit, braving the cold water, and snorkeling with the Belugas!

Contact them at 1.204.377.5090