Mountains are the sirens of geologic formations — luring in adventurers and enthusiasts with a rugged beauty that draws a veil over the hazards they contain. Soaring altitudes, inclement weather, and unstable terrain… these things and more have wrought tragedy upon countless back-country explorers drawn inexorably towards the mountains. But there is one breed of …
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REVIEW of Acacia Africa: Desert and Delta Express Tour
Last month, I got to fulfill a childhood dream and travel to southern Africa. My sister Alisha and friend Sejeong went with me, and after a great deal of research on Alisha’s part, we decided to make this journey with Acacia Africa. There were several reasons for choosing them. They have a reputation for sustainable, …
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The Great Pacific Northwest Road Trip
I love a good road trip. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of setting off to some distant place, knowing it will take you days to reach it, not knowing what adventures await you along the way. There are many reasons I enjoy living outside of the US, but few places can rival my homeland’s …
Etosha National Park with Acacia Africa
My interest in Namibia began with nature documentaries. For some reason, deserts fascinated me — I think it was the utter foreignness of it. I’d never seen a place that was seemingly so barren, so devoid of life. But I quickly learned that these dry places that seem so desolate on the surface can be …
Camping in the Okavango Delta with Acacia Africa
The Okavango Delta is an aberration of Nature — a river delta which never reaches the sea. Instead, the waters of the Okavango drain into the arid plains of the Kalahari Desert in northwestern Botswana — creating a lush and fertile haven for all manner of flora and fauna. We arrived at Maun, the access …
Tales from the Watering Hole: My Stay at Elephant Sands
You are stuck inside the confines of a vehicle for most safari experiences, jostling for space with other tourists and using what wiggle room you have to get the best angle for your photography. That’s the norm. But there are some places where wildlife comes to you, and the barriers separating you are non-existent. Elephant …
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Exploring Chobe National Park with Acacia Africa
After leaving Livingston, Zambia and the rain-deprived, but still splendorous Victoria Falls behind us, our Acacia Africa tour group crossed into Botswana via the Kazungula ferry and made our way to Kasane to explore Chobe National Park. With nearly 12,000 square kilometers of protected area, the largest elephant population of any national park in Africa, …
Hike to Cutthroat Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail
September brings with it the end of summer, and with the end of this particular summer comes the last of this interlude in the PNW. It’s been a whirlwind of activity, with hikes all over the Chuckanut and Cascade ranges, as well as a ton of get-togethers with friends and family. This ritual of visiting …
Hiking Heliotrope Ridge
While Brandon, Sandy, and I drove up Mount Baker Highway, I was trying to figure out just how long it had been since I’d been on a proper hike in the Pacific Northwest. I was shocked to realize it’s been nearly 3 years since I’d done a hike in my home state! My last two …
Hiking to Udziro Lake
My time in Georgia is drawing to an end. Three months, you might think, is sufficient time to spend in such a small country, but you’d be wrong. There are so many hikes I won’t have the time to do, so many places I won’t have the time to visit. All that means, though, is …