TERRA – Germany’s largest nature travel magazine
Rust-red dirt roads, termite mounds, boab trees – and somewhere deep in the outback, a breakdown that turns everything upside down. A Jeep journey along the infamous Gibb River Road. A blend of adventure and the millennia-old Dreamtime culture of the Miriwoong Aboriginal people.
I experience Switzerland as a winter wonderland – with ice in all its fascinating facets: ice canyoning, ice climbing, cross-country skiing – and finally, my adventure buddy Markus Blum and I take an ice bath in Europe’s first public ice bath facility, the “Eisbadi” in Arosa.
Cream-coloured tartlets, golden Moja wine, turquoise lakes – Slovenia sparkles everywhere. Deep in the karst, olms crouch in bizarre stalactite halls; right next to them, Europe’s largest underground canyon captivates visitors.
The Ni-Vanuatu people live on 67 Pacific islands without traffic lights, beggars or hustle and bustle. Where 110 languages are spoken and volcanoes rumble every 15 minutes, visitors can explore sensational caves and then drink kava from wooden bowls. Vanuatu shows that happiness does not need status symbols.
It is a place of boundless wonder: here, high up on the kapok lookout tower of Sacha Lodge, a sea of green stretches out to the horizon, full of crazy exotic animals and plants. And between mighty jungle giants and hidden waterways, indigenous people guard the timeless knowledge of the rainforest.
The Camino Real, once an important trade route between the Pacific and the Caribbean, is a hidden gem in the Panamanian jungle. On a four-day expedition, I explore historical artefacts and the fascinating animal and natural world in the primary rainforest of the Chagres National Park.
This incomparable journey takes me through snowy landscapes, to mystical encounters including cod seeds and caffeine noodles. I get to know Komorebi and Wabi-sabi, catch a glimpse of the world’s largest eagle owl and marvel at unique beauties, traditions and secrets.
Taiwan offers impressive natural diversity and spectacular landscapes. From the turquoise waters of the beaches on the east coast to the green mountain ranges of the central mountains. The Taroko National Park with its deep gorges and waterfalls and the emerald green Sun Moon Lake attract visitors from all over the world. The diverse flora and fauna as well as the traditional tea-growing areas make Taiwan a paradise for nature lovers and explorers.
Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, an ice stream that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a via ferrata that ends in a cave, delicious hut cuisine – the gorges, valleys and mountains of the Swiss canton of Valais offer plenty of history, delicacies and awe-inspiring sights.
The islands in the west of Scotland offer spectacular backdrops for outdoor adventures: Windswept coastlines, sheer cliffs, rolling geography, dark skies, endless views. The barrenness, vastness and harsh beauty of this landscape, its rustic and warm-hearted people – that’s what this story is about.
Valparaiso is world-famous for its colourful houses and historic lifts, the ‘Ascensores’. Situated on the Pacific Ocean, the port city with its colourful street art and exciting architecture turns every visitor’s head – in the truest sense of the word. In Chile’s Conguillio National Park, the volcanic peaks, the magnificent araucarias and the condors gliding through the sky are sure to turn at least as many heads.
From comfortable to extreme: snow-covered Finland offers some exceptional activities beyond the classic winter sports for those who like to experiment. Malte Clavin visited the only course in the world where you can learn to free dive under ice.