As the world changes, so do our tours. We've recently improved our best of Brazil tour, allowing more time to explore and enjoy the top sights. Our first run at the improved version ran in February and was hailed a success. Despite venturing to Brazil in what was supposed to be the rainy season, our group was gifted with sunny skies the entire trip.
The Amazon River is a dominant force in South America. This river, the world’s largest by discharge, averages a discharge of 209,000 cubic metres per second! In one year, it averages approximately 6,590 cubic kilometres! The Amazon drains an area of just over 7 million square kilometres, out of South America’s area of 17.8 million square km.
Lessons From Ancient Greece
When the ancient Greeks created something they did so because of their beliefs in bettering themselves in their body, soul, and minds. They knew that by acting in a ‘we’ mentality vs a ‘me’ mentality, that the stronger their individuals became, the strong their society would become.
Referred to as either the Erechtheion or Erechtheum, this ancient Greek Temple, found on the acropolis in Athens, Greece, was built between 421 and 406 BC and was dedicated to Poseidon and Athena. Photo credit: Rachel Kristensen
Touring the Five Stans: A Photo Journey through Central Asia
Our Five Stans tours are often thought of as one of our most exotic explorations, each Stan (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) holds a unique history and culture that has been shaped over the centuries and influenced by many empires.
A China Tour Highlight: The Terracotta Army
Discovered in 1974 by a local farmer who was digging for a water well, the Terracotta Army and museum are undeniably one of China’s most awe-inspiring collections and, without a doubt, one of the highlights of a trip to China. In a space roughly the size of a football field, it is estimated over 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots, and 520 horses were buried.
In the more than 2,000 years since these sculptures were created, much of the area they’re located in has been covered with up to five metres of sandy, reddish soil. This photo is from our China tour including the Terracotta Army.Photo credit: Tour Leader Rachel Kristensen
What island hopping on a Greek Island tour looks like
The term Aegean Blue was clearly coined after a visit to a Greek Island. The vast sea and skyline provide a stunning backdrop for the picture perfect white houses that scatter themselves across the 227 inhabited Greek Islands.
Mykonos is a popular tourist stop in Greece, and is some times referred to as The Island of the Winds. Photo credit: Rachel Kristensen
Yangshuo: A highlight on our China tour
China is the third largest country in the world and has some of the most diverse landscapes, bustling cities and quiet villages to explore. From the sandy dunes of the Gobi Desert, to the deep gorges cut by the Yangtze River and the karst mountains of Guilin.
The iconic mountains around Yangshuo are karst mountains, formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks, typically gypsum, dolomite or limestone. Water dissolved the stone, leaving these magnificent forms on the landscape!Photo credit: Rachel Kristensen @meandertheworld