Archives: Travels
Travel Description
Yellowstone
The first designated national park in the world, Yellowstone, which crosses portions of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, is a giant volcanic caldera, site of the largest amount of geo-thermic phenomena on the planet. This results in spectacular geysers and bubbling hot springs framed by the mountains, forests and waterfalls of this unique area.
Other highlights of the park include Yellowstone Canyon, whose sheer walls of yellow sandstone give the park its name.
Thanks to its protected status, the park is also home to diverse wildlife including bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, grizzly bears, wolves, jackals, wild sheep, ospreys and other fauna.
Into the wild
Taking you into Alaska, the northernmost American state, Into the Wild experience will bring you to the national parks of Denali and Katmai. Here, amongst the fantastic landscapes of the Taiga and Tundra, you’ll be right alongside the native grizzly bears, as they fish for salmon in the waterfalls.
By helicopter, you’ll land right on top of one of the glaciers that form part of the Alaska Range , before exploring Denali National Park by foot and by car. Here, you’ll be in the perfect situation to spot bears, wolves, caribou, moose and wild, Dall sheep, in an impressive mountainous landscape on the slopes of the highest peak in North America – Mount Denali, previously known as Mount MackInley.
From here you’ll take a hydroplane to Katmai National Park, to see Grizzly Bears fishing for the salmon that return here to spawn every 5 years.
The final frontier
The northernmost state in the US, Alaska is nature at its most wild and purest form. In Denali National Park, with the imposing peaks of the Alaskan Range as a backdrop, you’ll explore the landscapes of tundra and taiga, as well as the diverse wildlife that thrives in this habitat.
From Denali, we’ll move south to the coastal town of Seward, the gateway to the waters of Kenai National Park. Taking to the waves by boat, you’ll see any number of the animals native to these waters, from sea otters, to porpoise, humpback whales and even orcas.
Standing in contrast to the biodiversity of the oceans and lowlands are the mountains with their prehistoric glaciers, which you’ll also have the chance to walk upon, thanks to a special activity organized by Planeta Azul.
Cambodia
Thailand
The beating heart of Thailand is Bangkok, a world class city that joins tradition and modernity seamlessly. Here, you’ll find some of the most ornate and beautiful temples in all of Southeast Asia, as well as experiencing the unique street life that gives the city its one of a kind atmosphere. Central to this of course is Thailand’s world-famous cuisine, and Planeta Azul offers the chance to spend a day sampling, and learning to cook some of its most iconic dishes. Just another way that this experience will stay with you when you get back home.
Bangkok is also home to one of the world’s most peculiar and charming street markets: the floating market. After navigating the city’s canals by motorboat, you’ll approach the market; an endless mass of tethered boats, each doubling as a stall hawking their wares.
During your visit, you’ll also make an overnight excursion out of the city, to visit the spectacular Erawan falls. Here the cascading water forms pools, perfect for bathing, and for getting refreshed before heading back to the city – or further afield.
This experience can be extended or combined with the Cambodia experience.
Uganda
Winston Churchill called the East African country of Uganda, the ‘Pearl of Africa’, and with its rolling green mountains, awe-inspiring rivers and wide open grassland, it’s not difficult to see why. Uganda is also the perfect location to see some of nature’s great primates, including chimpanzees and gorillas, in their natural habitat.
Activities included in the Uganda experience include a river expedition on the White Nile, an expedition to the Kazinga Channel, and forest hikes to visit chimpanzees and gorillas.
Starting out with the astounding natural beauty of the Murchison Falls National Park, we’ll take a short flight to the Queen Elizabeth National Park, where, by 4X4, we’ll explore the savannah with its teeming populations of lion, giraffe, antelope, leopard, and many other animals.
Next you’ll visit the Kazinga Channel – a natural waterway of 32km that joins the lakes of Edward and George – we’ll visit the world’s largest populations of hippos as well as the birds and large mammals that flock to the area.
At the Kyambura gorge we’ll trek through the forest to visit the chimpanzees in their natural habitat, before finally, entering the Biwindi National Park, with the objective of visiting a community of gorillas.
Wildlife you can expect to see in Uganda include the kob antelope and the shoebill, one of the rarest birds on the planet.
Thanks to the uniqueness of the ecosystem and its wildlife, this is the perfect experience to combine with Kenya or Tanzania.
Danakil Desert
Despite reaching temperatures of over 50ºC, the Danakil desert is as captivating as it is extreme. At the natural hydrothermal springs of Dallol volcano, the rock and sand gives way to red, green and yellow rock formations, transporting you to an otherworldly landscape. And while it might seem hostile to life, the area is home to the Afar people, a semi-nomadic tribe whose livelihood is based on goat farming and the salt they collect from the springs, transporting it periodically across the desert in large caravans to sell.
Any visit to the region would be incomplete without ascending the crater of Erta Ale volcano. The volcano, whose name translates to ‘the gateway to hell’ in the local native tongue, offers spectacular views of the area, as well as into the active caldera itself, whose bubbling lava continues to shape this singular, prehistoric, landscape.
One of the most extreme and fascinating areas on Earth, travelling to the Danakil requires a strong sense of adventure, and a willingness to sacrifice some creature comforts, while promising to be a true, once in a lifetime experience.
Ethiopia
Formerly known as Abyssinia, the opening up of Ethiopia in recent years has led many to reappraise this endlessly surprising country in the horn of Africa. In Ethiopia you’ll discover a country of jaw-dropping landscapes, villages stuck in time and distinctive architecture, relatively untouched by mass tourism. Across a range of ecosystems – from the leafy, green northern part of the country fed by the Blue Nile and its tributaries, to the stark geological beauty of the arid south – Ethiopia combines cultural riches, ethnographic discovery and unequalled natural beauty like no other country we’ve visited
The journey begins in the country’s center and capital city, Addis Ababa before heading to the Omo Valley, home to villages of semi-nomadic tribes who maintain their traditional customs. From there, we’ll visit the Blue Nile Falls, a natural wonder that contrasts perfectly with the man-made marvels of Gondar, with it’s 17th century castles, and the World Heritage site of Lalibela with its incredible churches, carved out from the mountainside.
Planeta Azul is only too happy to take you on a one of a kind journey through a truly one of a kind country.
South-East Asia
Taking in the countries of Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, the South-East Asia experience invites you to discover the monuments, landscapes and people of this unique part of the world, from a new perspective.
Starting in Myanmar, an excursion by hot-air balloon will give you a bird’s eye view of the fascinating plains of Bagan, with its thousands of temples and religious monuments spread out below. Changing transportation, and perspective, you’ll navigate the waters of Lake Inle, visiting the villages that dot its banks, and getting to experience the local culture.
The next stage takes us to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, where you’ll visit the country’s most important and singular monuments, as well as exploring the unique and unusual stalls at one of the city’s many floating markets.
From the bustle of one of the most important cities in the region, we’ll head to Siem Reap in Cambodia, the gateway to Angkor and the perfect base from which to explore the architectural marvels of the world’s biggest ancient temple complex . As well as excursions by foot to see the architectural marvels up close, you’ll also see the entire complex from above, by helicopter.
Africa’s Camelot
Los viajes en el Norte de Etiopía son un recorrido a través de los lugares arqueológicos más importantes del país. No tenemos duda que Etiopía fue una de las grandes sorpresas que nos llevamos hace ya muchos años cuando exploramos por primera vez este increíble país del Cuerno de África. Poca información era la que existia por entonces y el encontrarnos con el gran patrimonio arqueológico y cultural, además de un paisaje que nada tenía que ver con las pocas imágenes que llegaban por televisión en los años 80, fue sin duda todo un descubrimiento.
El viaje por el norte de Etiopía nos lleva desde el Camelot de África, Gondar, donde te sorprenderán sus castillos medievales del siglo XVII, hasta las espectaculares iglesias excavadas en roca de Lalibela, pasando por las míticas Cataratas del Nilo Azul y las ruinas del Palacio de la Reina de Saba.