Deep in the Heart of Siberia, Lake Baikal is one of the most pristine regions in the world. The 636 km long lake holds 20% of the world’s fresh water that is not permanently frozen. ArcticTropic only got to explore a small portion ,as it was early in the season and the full boat network is not yet operational.

From Irkutsk we took a two hour hydrofoil ride down the Angara River into Lake Baikal to the tiny village of Bolshie Koty.

Bolshie Koty has no roads, except an Ice road for a few months in the winter. There are only two or three operational motor vehicles in the village.

On this early June day, heavy snow had fallen on the mountains across the lake ,which had iced out only two weeks before. Swimming would only be possible after a hot banya.

Naturalists from around the world are working to create a hiking trail going around the whole lake.

Bolshie Koty began as a gold rush town int he 1850s. There was not much gold and today it is a place to escape the cares of the world.

Unless you bring your own food , you will likely be eating Omul soup. Omul is a great tasting fish,related to salmon.

ArcticTropic searches far and wide for untouched spots on the globe and Lake Baikal is certainly one of them. The cold climate and remote Siberian location ensures there will never be casinos and fancy marinas here.

For adventures in Russia, CLICK HERE

Bagan is surrounded by tiny villages where life changes very slowly. On a silent electroscooter and GoPro strapped to my head I was able to coast through villages almost undetected quickly gathering everyday scenes. Since upload time is too slow here in Yangon , still clips will be posted for now.

Along the mighty Ayarwaddy. In monsoon season this spot will be thirty feet under water.

Water is hauled from a common well by oxcart.

1960s PLA Surplus.

More pictures to come, internet excrutiatingly slow. This much has taken over an hour !

For adventures in Burma, CLICK HERE

In July ArcticTropic ventured to Mongolia. The following posts portray our adventures in the vast Central Asian nation.

For adventures in Mongolia, CLICK HERE

Our hosts were Jargalsaikan and his wife Tuya. We stayed with them in the yurt ( ger ) on the left for two days and nights. The encampment is in Bulgan Aimag ( an Aimag is similar to a province or state ) about 15 kilometers from the village of Gurvanbulag,where they spend the winter.

With two children of the encampment.

The inside is very comfortable. A video of daily life will be uploaded shortly.

For more adventures in Mongolia, CLICK HERE

On short notice ArcticTropic contacted fellow ATTA member Tour Mongolia with a request for all the above adventures in Mongolia. Within 48 hours we had an agreed upon plan (all by email) – we were in good hands from the time we were picked up at the Ulanbataar Train Station until being dropped at the airport nearly a week later.

Special Thanks to Tseegii, our excellent guide who taught us all about where we were and who we met – throughout our journey.  She took care of all arrangements ,an of course,speaks perfect English and attempted to teach us some Mongolian.

Here is our diver Chimed – who drove our late model Japanese four wheel drive vehicle over hundreds of kilometers of dirt and sand roads that are not even on the maps. In years past he drove cars from Germany to Mongolia on a regular basis. He is also a skilled horseman and excellent chef.

Here I am pictured with Tour Mongolia owner Bagnaa, after he treated us to a delicious dinner at Mongol Restaurant on our final evening in Mongolia.

Tour Mongolia will soon offer trips directly through ArcticTropic.

From Shanghai we flew two hours South to Guilin – the main city of GuangXi Autonomous Province. Bordering Vietnam, the area has very hot,humid summers and cool foggy winters. Above ,we journey down the Li RIver towards Yangshuo. The cone shaped karst mountains begin here and are prevalent though Northern Vietnam and into Thailand.

On the banks of the Li River in Guilin.

Guilin, at 3 million people, is considered a large town or small city by Chinese standards.

Yangshuo is considered a village, at 300,000.

The area is very fertile,with rice paddies everywhere.

Rich in all cultures.

Some of the world’s most fantastic views.

A Fish Pedicure.

In a Very Peaceful Temple.

FOR ADVENTURES IN CHINA, CLICK HERE

This is the first video upload for Mongolia. More are coming -we are finally in a hotel that has decent wifi speed. While we have a fair amount of horse riding experience,we cannot say the same for camel riding. We had a guide to take us across the trackless steppes of the Northern Gobi.

FOR ADVENTURES IN MONGOLIA, 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.

Explora Parques , led by Ramón Ossa Federico took ArcticTropic on an adventurous excursion to Parque Nacional El Leoncito. The first activity was dry land sailing on Barreal Blanco, a dry lake bed located at the foot of the  Andes.  The video above was taken as we drove at 100 mph ‘160 kph across the lake bed.

The lake bed is parched as it rains or snows only a couple of times a year.

No sound except for the wind.

The wind dies down, so the sailing is a bit slow.

The technique is not much different than water sailing.

Entrance to the giant park.

A valley oasis.

Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO), where we will vist at sunset.

A cooling waterfall. There may well be gold in the rocks.

Will almost no rain,these rocks take eons to form.

Springtime in the oasis.

Some rare clouds.

The park is near the Chilean border – the mountains offer huge mining potential as well.

As darkness fell around 8 PM we arrived at Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO). There are three times as many stars to view in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. The high Andean deserts in Chile and Argentina offer the best viewing in the world  due to high altitude,clear air and a total lack of light pollution due to being one of the more remote areas of the world. Even with some volcanic dust in the air from Peyhuehe the viewing was incredible. Above is a photo taken with a radioteescope.

Comet Halley in 1986.

Planet Venus in the West.

The radio telescope is for the astronomers only. We were treated to views from a smaller but very powerful telescope outside. The roof above retracts.