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Photo: Ian Wilson

The stretch of road between Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay is known as the Garden Route, and is one of the most scenic drives South Africa has to offer (if not THE most scenic drive South Africa has to offer).

With the ocean and coastline dropping off to one side, and indigenous forest on the other, it’s the kind of drive that could end up taking hours and hours, because you’ll want to stop at every turn to take photographs. At the heart of the Garden Route is the town of Knysna, rather touristy but still pretty, and famous for its Oyster Festival every year in July. Staying in Knysna itself can be pretty pricey, but there are some lovely spots a short drive out of the town, including tree houses perched in indigenous forests, where you might be lucky enough to spot a Knysna Loerie – large bright green birds that swoop in and out of the canopy of trees.

Before you set out for your Garden Route drive, make sure you’ve stocked up on padkos (literally ‘road food’ in Afrikaans), snacks and drinks to nibble on while you take in the scenery.

                Photo: Andrew Deacon

Yes, yes, I know, I know – Table Mountain is all anyone ever talks about when they mention Cape Town.

But it’s for good reason. There are numerous jokes about the power of the mountain over the city, “Hey, shoowaa, man, I’m just soaking up the viiiibes of the mountain today,” and they are largely just that – jokes.

There is, however, something extremely cool about being able to see a giant mountain from pretty much anywhere in the city. It’s a great reference point if you’re bad at directions (which I am), and it makes the city feel less like a city. It also brings nature right to your doorstep (as long as you live somewhere near the mountain). Walking on Table Mountain in summer or winter is an ideal way to spend an afternoon, and the roads ringing the mountain are always full of joggers and cyclists, soaking up some natural beauty while they exercise.

And then of course there’s the cable car, which is not only a real treat to ride, but results in the best view of Cape Town you could wish for (this is one trip all visitors to Cape Town for the World Cup should take).

If you need any final convincing, how about the tablecloth of cloud that blows in from behind the mountain and sweeps down as if a giant is laying the table for a dinner party?

That’s pretty damn cool.

Actually, sadly, there's no chocolate in these hills. But these unique land formations can be found on Bohol Island in the Philippines. 

The name is the Chocolate Hills, and they are likely Bohol's number one tourist attraction. 

Considerable debate exists as to how the 1,268 chocolate hills came to exist. Local folklore claims they came to existence after a stone-throwing fight between two giants. 

Local geologists believe they are weathered formations of a variety of limestone, deposited onto clay. Regardless, they are truly one of the world's natural oddities. 

Another attraction on Bohol is that of the tarsier monkey, a unique animal that was the inspiration of Steven Speilberg's film ET. Bohol is home to the Philippine Tarsier Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation and well-being of the tarsier.  

Bohol is also known for its pristine beaches, and is home to world-renowned scuba diving and snorkeling. 

An island of splendid natural beauty, Bohol awaits you on your visit to the Philippines! 

(photo of Chocolate Hills courtesy of ianz)

(photo, a Barcelona view from Montjuic Park, courtesy of Bastique)

Steeped in rich history, there are many things that come to mind when contemplating travels to Barcelona, Spain. Perhaps overlooked by many is the park life offered there. 

Parks play a huge role in the Barcelona life - more than 10% of the city is allocated to the 45 urban parks alone, not to mention the 68 minicipal and 6 forest parks that also exist. The park surface is so great in Barcelona, that it equates to nearly 20 square metres of park per each of the 1,5 million inhabitants. 

The Montjuic is the largest park in Barcelona, a forested and parklands area overlooking the southwest of the city centre and the harbour. The park is also home to several buildings, including the Palau Nacional and the Olympic stadium. The Palau Nacional also houses the Museum of National Arts. (the brave can hike to the top of the park - others are well advised to use the metro, which then takes you to a gondola lift)

Other popular parks in Barcelona include the Ciutadella Park, which is home to several museums and the zoo. You might also enjoy experiencing the Guinardó Park, the Park Güell, the Oreneta Castle Park, or one of the city's newest parks, the Diagonal Mar Park (inaugurated in 2002). If you want to get lost in Barcelona, try the Labyrinth Park, named after the garden maze it contains.

Barcelona begins to impress the moment you walk off the plane.  The airport's new Terminal One, which opened in 2009, is a remarkable upgrade and addition to the city.  

Much of Europe is in a winter freeze at the moment, but Barcelona is experiencing its winter temperatures which are still in the mid-teens. Perhaps now is the time to visit Barcelona, the city of parks, and many other things. 

  

(photo courtesy of Carlos Adampol)

The Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the world's largest salt desert, or salt flat.

It covers a total area of 10,582 square kilometres, and is located 3650 metres above sea level. 

What's remarkable to the visitor is the how flat the vast area is, with only a 1 metre variation across the entire area. The crust of the flats is sometimes a few metres thick, and its estimated that 50-70% of the world's lithium is located within the Salar de Uyuni. 

The flats themselves are not the only reason people visit the area. There are many unique species that also live there, including the James flamingo, the Bolivian vizcacha, the andean goose, and the culpeo. There's an island in the middle of the desert called Incahuasi, which is covered in giant cacti. 

There also exists a train cemetery, just a few kilometres outside the flats in the town of Uyuni. The railway began there in 1888 but were abandoned sometime in the 1940's. 

When the Salar is covered with a thin layer of water, it takes the appearance of a never-ending mirror. It's one of Bolivia's most popular tourist destinations.  

(photo courtesy of roebot)

A friend and I were hiking this summer, in the middle of a dense forest near Seattle, when I asked him "Do you know what the largest living thing on the planet is?"   My friend replied that it was General Sherman.

General Sherman???..... I didn't mean a person, I meant a living thing, like an animal or a tree.  I was confused. 

General Sherman, I was then told, is the name given to the largest tree in the world, a Giant Sequoia that is nearly 100 metres tall, with a girth at the ground of more than 30 metres. (there is a taller tree located elsewhere in California, but it's not as large when you consider total volume) 

It can be found in the Giant Forest, which is located within the Sequoia National Park in Sierra Nevada, California. In fact, most of the world's tallest trees can be located in this region of California. 

The tree is estimated to be between 2,300-2,700 years old. Remarkable, it was actually identified as the world's largest tree back in the 1930's. The world's 3rd and 4th largest trees can also be found within the same Giant Forest. One is named President, and the other Lincoln.   

The Giant Sequoia tree is native to this region of California, but they can also be found throughout the world. They are estimated to grow more than 10,000 cones at a time. 

* The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is of course much bigger than General Sherman. But above water, I believe General Sherman may be the biggest. 

(photo courtesy of 29cm) 

Sometimes you see a photo of a place and think ... can this be real?    But when you see hundreds of spectacular photos of the same place, taken by hundreds of different travellers, you can assume it is real. 

This photo was taken at the Plitvice Lakes National Park.  It's located in the mountainous region of Lika, in central Croatia.  

The park actually boasts 16 vividly-colored lakes, which vary in size from 1 hectare to more than 80. 12 of the lakes are described as the upper lakes, and there exists 4 lower ones. The lakes are obviously known for their colors, which are in fact constantly changing based on the mineral composition of the waters. No two days, or even hours, might look the same at the Plitvice Lakes National Park. 

In addition, people visit the park to explore its limestone caves, dense forests of firs, spruce and beech trees. More than 125 bird species have been witnessed in the park, along with other rare animals like capercaillies, lynx, owls, and wildcats. In 2000, the park was expanded an additional 100 square kilometres.  

In 1979, the Plitvice Lakes National Park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in recognition of its "outstanding natural beauty, and the undisturbed production of travertine (tuff) through chemical and biological action".

The park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Croatia. 

(photo courtesy of chrisada)

Many tourists visiting Thailand between November and February, will be lucky to time their travels with the blooming of sunflowers. 

If you are looking for a bit of an off the beaten track travel experience, then be sure to visit the sunflower fields in the Loburi province of Thailand. Fields, for as far as the eye can see, are filled with countless amounts of blooming sunflowers, framed by the surrounding limestone hills.  

The main fields can be found just off the highway between Lopburi town and Saraburi, about 10km outside Lopburi. 

Lopburi town is a unique place about 3 hours outside Bangkok. One of its claims to fame is its abundant monkey population, who tend to interfere at time with tourists, particularly in the Old Town. (Keep your personal belongings secured, especially sunglasses!)  Lopburi is a great first stop once venturing outside of Bangkok.  

The sunflowers are in bloom between November and February in Saraburi and Loburi province, Thailand. If you like to sneak off the beaten path, Loburi is a must-see in Thailand. 

The Pretoria Zoo is big, really, really big... 85-hectares with over 3000 specimens of mammals, birds, fishes, invertebrate, reptiles and amphibians - and trying to see all in just a day really takes a toll on your feet. (I would recommend hiring a golf cart for the day.)  I have seen animals in there I forgot even existed.

I also took a ride on their cable car track – this is something I would not recommend to the faint of heart. It was the most terrifying experience ever (counting that I stood at the top of the Eiffel and walked down the stairs of the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona). The cars are very small and the wind just swings it around as if it is nothing!

You can also visit their Aquarium (very nice specimens to be seen here) and Reptile Park that are part of the Zoo facility. They claim their Aquarium is the largest inland marine aquarium in South Africa but I think Ushaka Marine is (don't quote me on that though!).

Tree huggers and eco fanatics will love the Pretoria Zoo as it boasts a large collection of exotic trees.

[photos courtesy of Nick Russill (right - Greenland) and BL1961 (left - Alaska)] 

In September and October each year, the Northern Lights become visible in some of the most northern parts of the globe. 

The Northern Lights are actually called auroras, and are natural light displays in the sky that can become observable at night.  

They are usually only visible from the northernmost parts of the world; to increase your chances of seeing them, you have to travel to the north of Canada, Norway, Russia, Greenland, Finland, Iceland, or Alaska. One of the more popular places people go to see them is in the Yukon Territory of Canada. 

Auroras can be spotted anywhere in the world, but they are most common nearer the poles, due to the longer periods of darkness, and the earth's magnetic field. 

The ultimate energy source of the aurora is the solar wind flowing past the Earth. To read more about how they are created, you should visit the wikipedia page. 

I've been fortunate to have seen them once, during a camping expedition in British Columbia Canada, around 1995. 

Auroras can be spotted throughout the world, but they are most visible closer to the poles due to the longer periods of darkness and the magnetic field.

If you hope to check out the Northern Lights during their peak season, be sure to pack your warmest clothes. And don't forget your camera!