The desert that ate Kolmanskop
It had its heyday during the first half of the 20th century, thanks to the diamonds that used to be found there. Nowadays, Kolmanskop, in Namibia, is a ghost town awash with sand.
During the...
The most-feared wave in the world
Going into the Teahupoo tube is any surfer’s dream. Coming out standing from this Tahitian wave is another matter.
It is the walk of fame for surfers. The riskiest left wave, and an irresistible draw...
Christchurch: the improvised city
Five years ago an earthquake devastated New Zealand's second largest city. But there's something it didn't destroy: the fighting character of its residents.
In Christchurch the cathedral is made of cardboard. Services and concerts are...
The endless bay
Water sports, beaches and shopping by day, then restaurants and nightclubs after sunset: All the attractions of Mauritius Island are concentrated in Grand Baie.
In the 17th century, the Dutch called it De Bogt Zonder...
A continent in search of (an artistic) capital
African art is claiming its place in the world and consolidating itself in Cape Town, capital of creative expression.
“There was a collection looking for a home and a building looking for contents”. That is...
Lalibela: Ethiopia’s Jerusalem
The Lasta mountains conceal the monastic city of Lalibela, whose temples were cut out of volcanic rock, to emulate the Holy Lands on African soil.
A dark-skinned hermit wearing a white tunic, with Bible in...
An airport where trains and planes cross paths
The only airport in the world crossed by train tracks is in New Zealand. The shared space, where railway tracks cut across the runway, is Gisborne Airport, operated by the Eastland Group. The line...
The Urban Jungle of Madagascar
If Madagascar is like an alien island because of its avenues of baobab trees and lemur population, then the capital, Antananarivo, is the gateway to another dimension.
Madagascar split off from the world a long...
The end of the world is in Tasmania
Three Capes Track was opened to the public with the promise of “awakening the senses”. The bushwalkers most eagerly-awaited hiking route is on the edge of the precipice on the remote Australian coast.
Its opening...
The adventurer’s dream
In the guise of the Caribbean in the Indian Ocean, with turquoise seas and sandy coral beaches, Mauritius hides the promise of many adventures to come.
When the Dutch settled on Mauritius in 1598 they...
