From Europe,to Asia back to North America, British Columbia was the last stop on ArcticTropic’s Round The World Adventure. After a long flight from Tokyo,via Manila , we settled into Vancouver to readjust to North American life, then ventured North of the city.

Fjords begin just out of Vancouver and stretch thousands of miles up into Alaska.

Glaciers overlook the Pacific.

A young Miamian enjoys the summer snow.

Mysterious life forms in the rainforest.

Road signs in First People’s Native Language of Tsihqot’in.

Enjoying the northern sunshine.

Back across the Date Line.

And finally – Home !

For adventures in Canada, CLICK HERE

Yamanouchi is an ancient village in the Japanese Alps, in the Prefecture of Nagano. Snow monkeys live in the forests and bathe in the volcanic hot springs. For a few months the forests are free of snow and the monekys give birth to many offspring.

A protective Mother.

Geysers shoot boiling water up from the volcanic ground.

While melted snow fuels the icy waterfalls.

Mother and Child in the forest.

Yamanouchi is an ancient village built atop thousands of hot springs. Buildings are heated naturally.

Social life revolves around the baths.

Inside a men’s bath. Cold water is mixed with hot to create a bath of 42 C ( 107 F ) .

A Zen Dinner at the Ryokan.

For adventures in Japan, CLICK HERE

The Mergui Archipelago is one of the last untouched tropical paradises on Earth. Only a few hundred miles from the packed tourist hotspots of Phuket and Ko Samui, Thailand – there has been almost no development here. The Archipelago was paced off limits to outsiders – even citizens of Burma – by the government for over 50 years. The 800 islands receive only 2000 visitors a year – mostly divers . One must obtain a permit ( in addition to the visa ) from the Ministry of Tourism .

ArcticTropic stayed at the Myanmar Andaman Resort ( Some Good Pictures ). Comfortable bungalows with air conditioning. I was one of 3 guests there.

Macleod Island ( many of the islands still retain their old British names ) is not easy to get to . One must fly from Yangon via Air KBZ. The fight stops in Yawe and Miyek along the way to Kawthaung. Foreigners are not allowed to drive north of Kawthaung, the southernmost point in Myanmar. After numerous formalities the resort will transport you by speedboat – a 2 to 3 hour journey ,depending on waves. It is also possible to take a ferry from Ranong,Thailand to Kawthaung.

For adventures in Burma, CLICK HERE

After Namibia , ArcticTropic had less than a week to explore the vast territory of South Africa. 3 days in Cape Town was plenty, but the 1000 mile,1600 km journey back to Johannesburg via the Wynlands,the Great Karoo and the South Coast was quite a feat, meaning many hours in the car.

For adventures in South Africa, CLICK HERE

On a hot spring afternoon in Namib Naukluft Park, ArcticTropic and fellow adventurer travel companies embarked on a horse safari covering many kilometers in the desert. THe trip was organized by Chameleon Holidays Travel in conjunction with the ATTA Summit. An edited version of this adventure is soon to follow – this is raw footage.

For adventures in Namibia, CLICK HERE

Sunset at Addo National Park as elephant families go out to feed. Here we see the limitations of the GoPro – hopefully zoom capabilities will be included in the next software update. This is the farthest south range of elephants – at 34 degrees south of the equator , winters are cold and it sometimes snows !

For adventures in South Africa, CLICK HERE

Yesterday ArcticTropic drove through Addo National Park in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Addo permits self touring by car, though one must never leave the car. The video gets a little shaky at the end as a young male was getting ready to block my tiny little rental car, so it was time for a quick exit. This video took over three hours to upload, but there will be may more upon return to the USA and fast connections.

For adventures in South Africa, CLICK HERE

Green World Adventures, in Costa Rica is one of ArcticTropic’s featured providers. As it is now the summer low season, prices are lower than in the peak winter months.

Some of the more high end trips feature luxury accommodations – great to relax after a day in the jungles and on the beaches.

Costa Rica is so close to the US – 5 hours from New York or California – only 2 hours from Miami. It is also one of the safest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

You can book directly right now by CLICKING HERE.

ArcticTropic may venture to Angola this coming October, on the way to the ATTA Conference in Windhoek,Namibia. Though the 30 year war ended several years ago, toursim in any form is almost non-existent. These photos are courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

Luanda, the capital, is about 7 hours across the South Atlantic from São Paulo via TAAG Airlines. There are also direct flights from Lisbon,Johannesburg and Windhoek – by air Angola is not difficult to get to. Visas, however,must be applied for several weeks in advance.

The difficult part begins once you are on the ground. Transportation is very difficult with few paved roads. Hotels in Luanda are amongst the most expensive in the world – yet of very poor quality.

ArcticTropic is open to having fellow ATTA delegates join us for this exploratory visit. Please
Contact us if interested.

Our friend Bill Tubbs continued his African journey – onwards from Morocco to Zambia,Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. Above is Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

A Bull Elephant cooling off on a hot summer’s day.

Afternoon stop at the watering hole.

A Cape Buffalo enjoys an afternoon snack.

A hippo with his companion.

Nature about to take its’ course.

On top of the Falls.