Cat Ekkelboom-WhiteExplorer

Visiting Lofoten during the polar winter, the sun doesn't rise, so you'll want to make the most of the short hours of daylight if you want to visit the best spots. We only had a long weekend for our trip, so we spent most of our time exploring the area between Leknes and Å. Even though we are experienced hikers and ski tourers, we had read that conditions could change rapidly due to being on th...

Madagascar is made up of some incredibly dry and some very wet areas. Ranomafana National Park is an area of rainforest in the southwest of the country, off the highway RN7. This particular area is extremely special as it is the only place where the rare bamboo lemur can be found. To visit the National Park, you must hire a local guide. We met our local guide at the entrance to the park. We w...

The Gschnitz valley is one of my favourite places to hike in Tirol. Not only does it have some absolutely stunning scenery, but I've never experienced crowded trails whenever I've been there. This hike is an extension of another hike I've shared on here, to the Tribulaunhütte. Whilst we did take a short detour and stop at the Austrian Tribulaun hut for a quick lunch on this hike, our goal was t...

Schlick 2000 is hands down my favourite ski resort in the Innsbruck region. This small and modest resort is often overlooked by many tourists who head straight to the larger nearby Stubai Glacier at the end of the valley. But while Schlick 2000 might be small, not only is it usually quieter than many other resorts, but in my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful resorts in Tirol. With the b...

Nosy Be is the largest & busiest tourist resort, an island on the north west coast of mainland Madagascar. We spend the final few days of our trip here, and on our last night our guide recommended taking a taxi up to the highest point, called Mont Passot, where there is a viewpoint, where you can watch the sunset. We just told the taxi driver "Mont Passot" and they knew where to take us. ...

Whistman's Wood is an old oak woodland in Dartmoor National Park in England. This small wood feels like stepping into a fairytale novel. The ancient oak trees grow amongst moss-covered, twisted tree trunks and branches and granite boulders, giving the place an other-worldly vibe. Reaching Whistman's Wood is an easy walk, suitable for all the family. We did the walk as a simple out-and-back walk...

The Martinswand is Innsbruck's legendary multi-pitch sport climbing wall. The route "Emmentaler" is the easiest of the multi-pitch routes on the Martinswand in the area called the "vorbau". The route is named after the cheese most likely due to the multi holes in the rock.  The Approach: The approach is super short and easy. The closest parking for this route is the P3 area. Make sure to get th...

Getting to Lokobe Nature Reserve is an adventure in itself. The road comes to an end where the mangroves begin. As soon as you reach the water level, you'll jump into a pirogue (a type of canoe) where you'll have to paddle your way across to the village at the entrance of the reserve. As with most nature reserves and parks across Madagascar, you'll be accompanied by a local guide and a spotter...

In the west of Madagascar, just a couple of hours drive from the capital Antananarivo, is a very special place. The home of Madagascar's largest species of lemur, the Indri Indri. There is an area of national park here, however on our visit, our guide recommended a smaller locally run nature reserve where the entry fees directly benefited the local community, and the lemur population in the ar...

A short walk from the top lift station of Schlick 2000 in the Stubai valley is the "Alpin Erlebnispark". This area is an amazing spot to train your mountain stills in some of the most beautiful scenery in the Stubai valley. Reaching the area is easy. From the lift exit, keep walking straight and follow the small hikers path up towards the Kreuzjoch summit cross. You'll see yellow signs towards ...

Goldbichl is a small sport climbing area close to the Patscherkofel in Igls that's perfect for beginner climbers, with bolted routes ranging from grade 3 to 6a. The area is extremely easy to find. From the village of Igls, drive towards the village of Patsch (postcode 6082). At the T-junction, you'll see the Grunwalderhof guesthouse on the right (which is a great place to walk over to for a spo...

The Patscherkofel in Igls near Innsbruck is the perfect ski area to try ski touring for the first time in a completely safe environment. This ski area offers beginner ski tourers the opportunity to give the sport a try without having to venture out into the backcountry or tour up the crowded pistes. You can rent ski touring equipment from the InterSport rental directly at the bottom station of ...

The stunning tour in the Dolomites can be done in the winter as a ski/splitboard tour or as a snowshoe tour. It's also possible to hike the same route in the summer. The tour starts next to the Hotel Dolomitenhof, just across from the main parking area. Stating at 1450m, the first section of the tour is almost completely flat, as you head along the valley floor as far as the Talschlusshütte. A...

As with everything in Madagascar, the best places are found after the hardest drives. And this was no exception. Tsarasoa Camp is an eco-camp located towards the south of Madagascar. As you start to get this far south, you quickly notice that things are hotter and a lot drier. After you leave the relative comfort of the tarmac road, you turn onto a dirt road where the rest of your journey conti...

There's only a short window of opportunity every winter between November and mid-December in northern Norway to go out into the fjords and see orcas out hunting with their young calves. The orcas come into the fjords to hunt the herring during this short window in the deep winter. The used to hunt further south around the area of Andenes, but in the last few years, as the herring have moved nor...

If you've hiked out to Refugio Grey and you've got time in your schedule, a kayak trip out on Lago Grey is definitely worth adding to the itinery. The trips are run by Big Foot who have a cabin just on the beach near to the refugio. You're given a wetsuit, jacket and lift vest to wear to help keep you dry in the kayak. And before you head out onto the lake, the guides give you a demonstration ...

If you are looking for somewhere to watch one of the best sunsets in Tirol, then Axamer Lizum might just be that place. Whilst this area is perhaps better known as being a ski resort in winter, it has some of the most picturesque hiking close to the city of Innsbruck, being at the foot of the Kalkkogel mountains, also known as the "Dolomites of Tirol". Because the mountain lifts only run for a ...

From the tourist office in the centre of Levi ski resort, follow the road down towards the woods and the lake.  When you're walking, be careful of the snowmobiles. The footpaths are split in half and one side is for pedestrians and the other side of for snowmobiles. After about 350m you'll come to a beautiful stream that's partially frozen. A few meters further and you'll reach the frozel Immel...

This small Italian town is just a few minutes drive north of Lake Garda in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy. And while it might be small in size, it's a huge destination in the world of rock climbing, attracting climbers from around the world. But what makes Arco so special? It's not just the Italian charm that makes Arco special, although the narrow cobbled streets of the old t...

Take the Patscherkofelbahn cable car up to the top station to start this hike. From the top station of the lift you'll see a trail sign for the "Zirbenweg". For the first part of this hike you're going to follow this almost completely flat trail that hugs the side of the mountain.  Stay on this trail until you come to a mountain hut called Boscheben, which is just 100m from the trail. At this p...

The Krimml Waterfalls are situated in the Hohe Tauern National Park in the Salzburg region of Austria. At 380m high, they are the highest waterfalls not just of Austria, but in all of Europe. In the village of Krimml, near base of the waterfall you'll find a number of parking areas and the Wasserwelten Krimml visitor centre which includes an education centre, interactive exhibitions, a restaura...

Stubai Glacier is the largest and highest ski area in the Stubai Valley, just outside Innsbruck in Tirol. Stubai is the perfect ski area for the whole family, and for beginners and advanced skiers, as there really is something for everyone. For kids and beginners, you've got a huge beginner area around the middle station of the Gamsgarten gondola. Not only are there magic carpet lifts, there ...

The Tsingy De Bemaraha National Park is one of Madagascar's most unusual National Parks, situated in the west of the country and is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Not only are the rock formations here fascinating, but there are a number of species of lemur as well as plentiful other species flora and fauna. Reaching the area is extremely difficult, and visiting the park is only allowed with a ...

If you love tales of Knights and legends, then you simply HAVE to visit Tintagel on the Cornwall coast in England. Even if you think these stories are just for kids, visiting for the scenery and the history alone is worth it. The Legend / The History Tintagel is a small village in North Cornwall, in the south of England, and Tintagel Castle is a medieval fortress located on a small island just ...