In the mountains of Japan, above mist-covered forest, there remain the echoes of powerful ascetics, in legend bestowed with supernatural powers and shrouded in mystery. These are the Yamabushi, the practitioners of Shugendo, a form of esoteric Buddhism that incorporates many elements from Shintoism, Japan’s oldest religion. Discover Japan’s spirituality alongside one of the Yamabushi.
Tibet lures the imagination. It is a place where stories, spirituality and a unique culture come together with an inhospitable landscape that is vast and dramatic. Tibet is alluring because, but for a few spots, it is not frequented by tourists. Due to the terrain, the remoteness and the few services, it has remained untouched, and the perfect destination for those on a quest.
Northern Madagascar is blessed with natural wonderlands that beg exploration and are a sure way to make a traveller’s jaw hit the ground. Miavana, on the island of Nosy Ankao, is a short heli-ride away from some of northern Madagascar best national parks and reservations.
When speaking trails, only one takes the crown in terms of difficulty, rewarding scenery and overall challenge: Sardinia’s Selvaggio Blu.
Travelling to the remote reaches of the Amazon rainforest is a feat in its own right. Now picture doing it in style! The Aria Amazon is a small river ship that hosts state-of-the-art design to bring you a luxurious and life-enhancing experience while floating on the waters of the world’s greatest river.
Cambodia’s rivers provide access to all these treasures. However, there are many wrong ways to cruise the Mekong, yet only one that is absolutely right… Picture a 5-star floating hotel that has been carefully designed to traverse the river with the utmost care to leave your experience of the Mekong unspoiled.
The Sunnmore Alps, the mountains surrounding the Hjorundfjord, are among the most dramatic mountainscapes in the world. The peaks rise up to 1,700 straight up from the sea. The dales that crop up in this dramatic landscape are splattered with lovely groves and small lakes with water so pure you can drink it straight from the source.
Wyvern av Aalesund is a replica of the legendary Wyvern, a sailboat that crossed the Atlantic more than a dozen times and sailed around the world. The Wyvern was originally designed by Colin Archer, a beloved Norwegian shipbuilder ― he built the Fram, of polar exploration renown. The Wybern was built for an English couple and launched in 1897.
The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are the stage of Africa’s second largest zebra migration. Everything happens on a large scale here. But it pays to notice the smaller denizens of the pans too. While staying at Jack’s Camp on the edge of the Makgadikgadi, a mob of habituated meerkats likes to get quite close to avid explorers. Perhaps not Botswana’s wildest encounter, but certainly the cutest.
Varanasi is the holiest of holy cities in Hinduism and Jainism. It is full of meaningful and powerful experiences if you know where to look. The Death and Rebirth Walk reveals the spiritual underpinnings of Varanasi. The walk is a simple concept: an expert, certified guide picks you up at your hotel in the evening and from there you venture into the depths of the city by foot.
