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Though Krasheninnikov volcano is one of the most meditative-contemplative volcanoes in Kamchatka, helicopter tours usually fly right past it. Even on my own travels around Kamchatka, we always skipped it too. And that’s such a shame, since it’s a truly fascinating sight! So – why’s it normally passed by? Because it’s practically always hidden beneath […]

The attentive, regular reader might wonder – why have I been going to Saudi Arabia so often of late, when it’s hardly one of the most common tourist destinations? Indeed, I was here a year ago – in December 2024; before that in September 2023 (opening a regional office); and in 2022 I was here […]

Strolling around Easter Island sounds exotic, but once you finally reach this remote outpost of humanity, the endeavor takes on a more practical nature. There’s plenty of walking to be done, and most of it is along the coastline – perfect for clearing your head after a long flight, or for meditative contemplation after viewing […]

Uzon – done. Valley of Geysers – done. The Valley of Death – done, but that was last year, and in the summer. So why not head back there to see it painted in autumnal colors? Why not indeed…

After first checking out the moai quarry, it was time for a stroll amid the landscapes of Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island). Of course, there’s none of the vastness of the Kenyan or Tanzanian savannas, no endless Arctic tundra of Taymyr, no boundless, unforgiving desert of the Sahara, Saudi Arabia, or Australia. Everything on the […]

Kamchatka is full of absolutely magical – even fairytale-like – places. There’s the Klyuchevsky volcano group, and Tolbachik and its surroundings; in the south there’s Ksudach, Kurile Lake, and the Kambalny and Koshelevsky volcanoes. The Uzon Caldera and the Valley of Geysers, however, belong to a special category of volcanic beauty. And just like last […]