Visual Blog Archive

SEE Turtles is an Ocean Revolution Conservation Project that takes the “leave only footprints” mantra one step further by encouraging tourists to have a positive impact on the places they visit. SEE Turtles is teaming up with EcoTeach for a week long trip starting June 7th, to visit turtle conservation projects in Costa Rica. As well as supporting these important conservation efforts, you’ll also visit leatherback sea turtle nesting beaches and indigenous reserves, go white water rafting, and hike in the rainforest. Here, they’ve shared a few photos of what you can expect on one of their trips.

Polar Expedition

The photography of Charles Berkinshaw

Great images from Argentina thanks to our friends at socompa.com.

Adam Vaught took these great pictures while traveling in Assam, India.

Portraits taken by Adam Vaught in Myanmar.

Paige Stringers wonderful photos of Yellowstone National Park.

Photos by Samantha Joseph taken in Antarctica

Matthew Schwartzman-Stubbs took these photos during his travels in Japan, including the Aomori Nebuta Matsuri festival which he describes in exciting detail on the

Frank McMains captured these images of Shanghai's architectural diversity while on leave from his full time career as a restaurant and bar owner in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in June 2007. See more of his work at lemonsandbeans.com.

Voluntourism in Vietnam: Amazing photos by Buffalo Tours

This compilation of photos entitled, "Cradle of Civilizaton," was taken by Dan Kapner, on his travels through Egypt, Israel and Ethiopia. You can contact Dan here.

Altue Sea Kayaking, a pioneer in Chilean adventure travel and a family run business, runs an 8-day kayaking trip through the fjords of northern Patagonia. The trip begins and ends in Puerto Varas in the Lake District, under the impressive watch of Osorno, a picture-perfect volcano. Kayaking through the magnificent fjords of Comau, Quintupeu and Cahuelmo, the eastern side of the Gulf of Ancud, during the Chilean summer brings fantastic changes in weather, wind and scenery. Glacial valleys, temperate rain forests and marine wildlife create a unique experience on every paddle and hike. And no one can turn down the chance to enjoy the fjord vistas from the comfort of a natural hot spring, courtesy of local volcanic activity. The following five photos are from my time in the Lake District - Joey Parr

StepOut Experience hosts unique eco-experiences on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Travel in a green and sustainable way and discover why National Geographic calls this place “the most biologically intense place on earth”.

In March 2008 Long Way Home begins construction on a prototype "Tire House" in rural San Juan Comalapa, Chimaltenango, Guatelmala. The house is planned to be a free-standing single round room (thirteen foot interior diameter) that will test rammed-earth tire building as well as raise consciousness in an area suffering from rapid environmental degradation. Rammed-earth tire building is an attractive alternative building method for the Guatemalan highlands because in addition to being affordable, it effectively uses solid waste, provides appropriate insulation for the mountainous climate and offers increased earthquake protection. Scroll over the pictures to learn about the process.

These photos, provided by AWF and Sigrid Johnson and Donald McMaster, offer snapshots of AWF's inaugural trip to the Lomako Conservation Center in Equateur Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

This month's visual blog comes from the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association. An association of dude ranchesacross the state of Colorado who seek to rekindle the essence of the Old West, with faded jeans, wide-brimmed hats and time spent with friends and family. Here are some of our favorite images from the ranches.

In Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico, not far from the wild and scenic Chamas River and the historic adventures of the Toltec Railroad, there is another adventure worth having: a visit to a Wild Horse Sanctuary. Sitting on 4500 acres of pristine wilderness, the Monero Mustang Sanctuary was founded six years ago in an effort to stave off the extinction of these descendants of the original Spanish Mustangs. Sandi Claypool lives on the Sanctuary and dedicates her life to these horses and their livelihood; she offers tours of the Sanctuary as well. If you're lucky, you may find yourself standing in the middle of 70 wild horses. Learn more about Monero Mustangs and how you can support the Sanctuary by visiting www.moneromustangs.org.

Follow the Kali Gandaki river up from the Gangetic Plain, passing through the world's deepest gorge, to reach the Forbidden Kingdom of Mustang.  You will find it sandwiched in an arid valley abutting the Nepalese border with Tibet.  Hidden here, amid high peaks and isolated villages, is one of the last vestiges of Tibetan culture, fortuitously protected from annihilation by an agreement with an ancient King of Nepal.  Centuries of salt traders, monks, and legendary warriors have passed through this valley, tracing the path through one of the easiest navigated passes over the Himalaya.  These travelers have left marks in the haunting landscape - here, in the ancient home of Bon, a pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion, a shepherd recently found 12th century cave paintings that depicted the life of the Buddha.  To this day, solemn meditation caves dot the landscape, serving to heighten the otherworldly atmosphere.    As new types of traders pass through this valley - and as new political and environmental challenges surface - the subjects of Mustang have found themselves confronting the unexpected challenges of the 21st century.   As in all places, the future promises substantial change for this ethereal kingdom.  It's tough to remain hidden even here, high amongst the mountain peaks. Photos by Jordan Bower.

This Visual Blog comes from 21 year old Astri Nordløkken, from Norway. She recently traveled to the occupied territories of Palestine (with a company we recently wrote about, Holy Land Trust) and sent us these pictures. When our group of eight curious Norwegians went to visit the West Bank, we found the lively city of Ramallah, the historic center of Bethlehem, and the wild and beautiful desert. We met friendly people who invited us into their houses for Arabic coffee and falafel, curious and playful children, committed youths who told us about their fears and hopes for the future. Still, one cannot ignore the fact that Palestine is an occupied nation. Visiting the checkpoint and seeing miles and miles of concrete and barbed wire stretching along the horizon is clear evidence of this. We visited the lively city of Ramallah, the historic centre of Bethlehem, we saw the wild and beautiful desert. We met friendly people who invited us into their houses for Arabic coffee and falafel, curios and playful children, committed youths who told us about their fears and hopes for the future. Still, you cannot ignore the fact that Palestine is an occupied nation. The Wall that stretches around most of the West Bank is a clear evidence of this. This crude structure of eight meters high concrete blocks makes the unfairness of the situation very obvious. Visiting the checkpoint, seeing miles and miles of concrete and barbed wire stretching along the horizon, it all gives you a shudder of times long gone, of the Second World War, of Apartheid.

Click your heels three times: Xola explores the Sunflower State. Photos by Jess Reilly and Christina Heyniger.

Hiking the Northern Albanian Alps with Robert Bart – teacher, explorer and writer based out of Hood River, OR. His next adventure can be found here: www.kamchatkaproject.org

The Bali Bird Park is located just north of Denpasar on the way to Ubud, encompassing two hectares of botanical landscape, the park provides sanctuary to almost 1000 birds of 250 different species. Incorporating a breeding, research and veterinary facility within the complex, the park has a high success rate in the captive reproduction of exotic birds such as the Bird of Paradise and Hornbill. Photos by n Carmichael-Willis.

This visual blog was taken by Ion David of Travessia Ecoturismo in Brazil. This series shows Indians from Acre, Kaxinawás, one of the most isolated tribes of the Amazon Forest. They live near the Peruvian border.

Congo Wildlife Adventures operates in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central Africa Republic.These remote parks receive very few visitors but are extremely rich in wildlife. Based in Brazzaville, they are able to provide services for both independent travelers and tourist agencies.

In Greenland, dogsledding is one of the main modes of transportation during the winter time - and a thrilling way for a tourist to see the country. This visual blog comes from the Arctic Circle Region. They have recently launched the blog www.ilovedogsledding.com.

This month’s visual blog was taken by Sam Moon, at a Buzkashi event in the Wakhan Valley, on the Afghan/Tajik border.

South of Siberia you will find one of the oldest and deepest lakes in the world. Lake Baikal has an estimated age of 25-30 million years. In 1997 Lake Baikal officially become UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its enormous biodiversity and number of endemic species. White Umbrella offers an exciting, self-contained, 5-day trek across Baikal Lake. Equipment is packed on a sledge and nights are spent in tents. Just you and your friends on one of the oldest lakes in the world with an open fire to keep you warm. Read more here.

Sikkim has the unique distinction of being bounded by three sovereign nations, Nepal in the west, Bhutan in the east and China's Tibet in the north. It also shares its southern border with the state of West Bengal. . Mt. Kanchendzonga, the third highest peak in the world dominates the landscape of the State and is revered as Sikkim's guardian deity. White Umbrella offers trekking and pilgrimage tours to Buddhist sites in Sikkim. Keenly experience the beauty of the Himalayas, pass through villages and learn how life is lived there. An experienced guide and a cook will be with you throughout your entire journey. You will gain a unique spiritual experience while on a pilgrimage tour to the ancient mountain monasteries of Sikkim. There are still Tibetan monasteries from the 16th-19th centuries in Sikkim where you will meet Tibetan Lamas. You will also be able to view one of Pujas (reading of mantras accompanied by ritual musical instruments) at monastery. In your pilgrimage tour, a Buddhist teacher (Khenpo) will accompany you and tell you about the history of the holy places, legends, and answer your questions about the Buddhist philosophy and meditation practices. Learn more here.

The Sikkim Buddhist Cultural Tour, offered by White Umbrella, explores in depth the nature of Sikkim and its culture and also has a huge focus on the Buddhist Monasteries. The tour covers most of Sikkim en route to Kalimpong and Darjeeling to witness the powerful beauty of the Himalayas. An interesting activity guests take part in is the Lama dance or Cham event which is a Buddhist ritualistic dance performed by monks at Rumtek monastery, the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Sikkim. Read more about the experiences White Umbrella offers here or check out the full itinerary for this trip on their StepUp Travel page.

This month, browse through photos taken by Izilwane's talented contributors. Izilwane is an online magazine dedicated to connecting and increasing our perception of of the role we as humans play within the ecosystem. The variety of articles and media they feature create an easy-to-access bank of knowledge allowing readers to jump into the conversation, ask questions, contribute ideas, learn from others, and take action. Visit Izilwane's website to learn more and to be apart of the solution toward decreasing the rapid loss of biodiversity currently facing our generation.

Greenland launches its first social media campaign called Rough.Real.Remote. It tracts the adventure of Greenlandic Guide Arne Hardenberg and Austrian pro-snowboarder Stefan Gimpl as they discover Destination Arctic Circle. Like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/adventuregreenland to stay up to date on their journey and to watch the videos! For more photos, check out their Flickr page here - you won't regret it.