Looped Hike

Lanzarote 1 : Volcanoes of Timanfaya

Lanzarote 2 : Diving Puerto del Carmen

Lanzarote 3 : Hiking Caldera Blanca

Caldera Blanca

Timanfaya National Park (Spanish: Parque nacional de Timanfaya) imposes strict regulations on visitors and does not allow them to wander around freely through the lava fields. This is done in order to reduce potential erosion from footfall to the vulnerable volcanic terrain. There is however, another protected area that surrounds Timanfaya National Park, which functions as a buffer zone of sorts, that is called Los Volcanes Natural Park (Spanish: Parque natural de Los Volcanes). Read more

Lugnaquilla

Lugnaquilla is located in the Wicklow Mountains, and is the highest mountain in Ireland outside of County Kerry. Standing 925 metres-high with a prominence of 849 metres, Lugnaquilla qualifies as a furth and is the 63rd highest mountain (with a prominence of at least 600m) in the islands of Ireland and Great Britain, sitting just one place ahead of Galtymore. Lugnaquilla is also known as the 'Lug', but despite the name being the same as one of the most prominent gods in Irish mythology, it just means "hollow of the wood" (Irish: Log na Coille). Read more

Annapurna Base Camp & Poon Hill

Annapurna (Sanskrit, Nepali, Newar: अन्नपूर्णा) is the name of a massif in the Himalayas that is known for its highest mountain--Annapurna I (elevation : 8091m), the 10th highest mountain in the world and one of the 14 8000ers. Although Annapurna I was the first 8000er to be summited way back in 1950, it also, as of 2012, has the greatest fatality rate, Read more

Komodo Island

The volcanic island of Komodo (along with Padar, Rinca and an archipelago of smaller islands) is a part of Komodo National Park, an area that was founded in 1980 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. The national park was formed to protect, and is an eponym of, its most famous denizen--the mighty Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), the world's largest and most dangerous lizard. Read more

Cameron Highlands Index

Mount Berembun

Mount Berembun (elevation : 1840m) is one of the more interesting mountains to climb in Cameron Highlands as there are plenty of trails (most of which are shown in the image below) to choose from that start at different points around town. The fact that it is also the closest summit to one of the only camping spots that is readily available in this area, Sungai Pauh Campsite (also known as the Forestry Department campsite), makes it especially convenient for hikers. Read more

Conifers & Lakes

The landscape of Nuuksio National Park is classically Finnish: numerous lakes dot the landscape, all of which are completely engulfed by conifer forests (Division: Pinophyta). These forests, which top the gentle glacier-carved hills, are cool and damp and are mostly made up of evergreen spruce (Picea sp.) and pine (Pinus sp.), both of which are well-adapted to the cold climate--they are more resistant to freezing than most trees, and their conical shape also helps them shed snow. Read more