Sunday somewhere: Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe

Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas are all World Heritage Sites. They are wildlife conservation areas in northern Zimbabwe. It is a region of the lower Zambezi River where the flood plain turns into lakes after each rainy season.

Aerial view of Mana Pools www.1000lonelyplaces.com/

A remarkable amount and variety of wild animals arrive in search of water each year making it one of Africa's most renowned game-viewing regions.  The annual assembly of animals, which includes elephants, zebras, buffalo, leopards, crocodiles, aquatic birds and cheetahs, constitutes one of Africa's outstanding wildlife shows.  The cliffs hanging over the river and flood plains provide shelter to the wildlife thriving in this remote wilderness.
Mana Pools National Park was saved from a hydro-electric scheme which would have seen the flooding of this whole area.



African elephants

Sunday Somewhere: Russian Altai Mountains

The Altai Mountains in Western Siberia have captured my imagination lately because of the stunningly beautiful images of mountains, rivers and lakes and the vivid colours. Also because I had never heard of them until recently. The name "Altai" means "Golden Mountain" in Mongolian.

The region is home to the Altai people, an ethnic group living in the region for over 10,000 years.  It is a destinations for adventure tourists interested in nature and particularly fishing, hunting, rafting, mountaineering and related mountain sports.

There are rest bases with inexpensive campsites and information about mountain locations and equipment hire which are welcoming to backpackers.

IMAGE from The world of art, creativity and beauty

The large area of 16,178 km², Altai and Katun Natural Reserves, Lake Teletskoye, Mount Belukha and the Ukok Plateau, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site entitled Golden Mountains of Altai.

The mountains are home to many different animals due to the diverse habitat: Siberian ibex, snow leopards, rare argali or mountain sheep, deer, moose and reindeer, wild boar, gazelle, wolves, wolverine, lynx and brown bears.

Where is Cradle Mountain?

The Stunning Cradle Mountain, Australia by TahaElraaid

 

Cradle Mountain is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia. It is one of the main attractions in Tasmania because of its unspoilt natural and wild beauty. 

It is part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. Jagged mountains, an ancient rainforest, alpine heath lands, colourful deciduous beech provide a range of environments to explore. Icy streams cascading out of rugged mountains, stands of ancient pines mirrored in the still waters of glacial lakes and a wealth of wildlife ensure there is always something to captivate you. Read more at Tasmania's Parks & Wildlife Service

Couch Surf the World

This is such a good idea and not just an idea but now a reality due to CouchSurfing International Inc. - a Non-Profit Organization - started by Casey Fenton. He had a ticket to Iceland but nowhere to stay and after some ingenious emailing requesting a bed from students in the country's capital Reykjavik he had offers of many beds. Fellow surfers believe it is one of the best ways to meet amazing people and find out a unique view of the place they are visiting.
But there is more goodness to this story - "Participate in Creating a Better World, One Couch At A Time" is written on their home page, - practice gratitude towards everyone is one of their Mission statements and "The appreciation of diversity spreads tolerance and creates a global community." is part of their vision. These are lofty ideas but you get the feeling that couch surfing IS living the dream.