Natural wonders

Rapa Nui

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This tiny speck of land in the eastern Pacific is better known as Easter Island. A territory of Chile, it’s renowned for its collection of stone statues (moai) which even have their own emoji.

Their presence dominates any visit to the island and they’re an integral part of all photography. But there’s more to Easter Island, including an astonishing freshwater caldera, a tropical beach and its only town Hanga Rua, filled with an abundance of wonderful restaurants.

As for the stone statues, there are various theories about them. Our guide told us they represented ancestors, while the civilisation fell apart partly because so much effort was put into creating them.

The island is a five-hour flight from Chile’s capital Santiago and undoubtedly worth a visit – you’ll find nothing like it anywhere else.

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South African beauties

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The Protea is South Africa’s national flower. There was no better place to see them than on a recent visit to the wonderful city of Cape Town.

The botanical gardens of Kirstenbosch have the most amazing backdrop of one side of Table Mountain, boasting a treetop canopy walk among its acres of well-manicured grounds.

I made a beeline for the Protea garden with my macro lens, realising there are numerous varieties of the flowers, beautiful with blooms and after they’re gone.

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Cape Town’s botanical gardens have a majestic mountain backdrop

Welcome to Ethiopia

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This was my first taste of sub-Saharan Africa and I was a little apprehensive before departing.

I chose Ethiopia because of its unique place on the continent – the only ancient country never to have been truly colonised by Europeans.

A lot of the ancient culture still stands in the guise of rock-hewn churches and magnificent castles. Add in some spectacular landscape and you have somewhere well worth visiting.

Ethiopia is a developing country which takes some getting used to. But the odd hotel shower that doesn’t work is part of the experience. 

Most of all it’s a proud, bustling nation that’s a long way from the harrowing images of famine we witnessed in the 1980s.

I’ll revisit Ethiopia soon with a post about its people.

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Essence of Armenia

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This small landlocked country in the Caucasus mountains groans under the sheer weight of its own history.

For the visitor Armenia offers a great deal. It’s studded with ancient monasteries and churches, set in a majestic, rugged landscape.

The experience can be rustic, but the tables are always full of delicious food. And if you’re lucky, you will find a mysticism and spirituality in this ancient land.

Here’s what I found on my Armenian journey…

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Azerbaijan: Land of fire

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This was a fleeting visit to an oil-rich country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, following visits to its neighbours in the Caucasus, Armenia and Georgia.

Azerbaijan boasts a showpiece capital in Baku, with contemporary architecture and wide, pleasant boulevards.

Outside of Baku, the country boasts fortresses, ancient rock carvings and plumes of fire from the earth.

But the landscape is sometimes barren and unforgiving, while the opulence and modernity of Baku doesn’t extend much beyond the city.

Here’s what I saw…

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