Brazil’s North East coast is over a 1,000 miles in length, with the state of Bahia having the longest coastline in the country.
Coastal towns such as Porto Seguro, the Marau Peninsula or the hidden beaches of Caraiva invite the traveller to relax and enjoy the beauty of its golden beaches and tropical seas.
The city of Salvador, with its colonial buildings and rich history as well as colourful folklore is a great introduction to the region.
Much is made of Brazil’s beaches, and this zone showcases some of the best.
This is a stunning semi-desert area of beautiful landscapes, with characteristic table top hills.
Highlights of the area include the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain which is also home to the ‘White Lady’ Bushman Painting.
You’ll also find Twyfelfontein, a rocky outcrop with some of the best examples of bushman paintings and engravings in Southern Africa.
Then there is Spitzkoppe, a large dramatic group of rocky outcrops, sacred to the San people.
Interesting rock formations and the remains of prehistoric volcanic action can also be seen in the Organ Pipes, Burnt Mountain, Doros Crater and the Petrified Forest.
Ahu Nau Nau situated near the only sand beach on the island at Anakena. The Moai statues here are in a beautiful location with palm trees.
Ahu Nau Nau was restored in 1978 by the islander archaeologist Sergio Rapu. All of the Moai here had elaborate topknots (pukao).
An important finding here was that of an almost complete eye made of coral, with a red volcanic scoria disc to represent the iris, inlaid in a circular cavity in the coral. The eye sockets of the Moai quarried at Rano Raraku were not carved until they were upright on the ahus (in order to bring them to life). It is therefore possible to tell which Moai had been erected, and which were still in transit when the society collapsed.
Here is also the ‘Navel of the World’, a ceremonial site which contains an egg shaped stone.
Ahu Tongariki (substantially restored in the 1990s), one of the most impressive locations on the island.
Tongariki contains fifteen of the largest Moai statues including an 86 tonne Moai that is the heaviest ever erected on the island.
The Moais are lined up facing inland from the Pacific towards Rano Raraku.
The statues have quite distinctive faces that require the use of telephoto lenses, but the entire landscape surrounding this location is great for further exploration.
There are several Rapa Nui sites of interest here to photograph including Ahu Vai Uri, and Ahu Akivi.
Akivi in particular is of interest because it is the only site on the island where the Moai statues face out towards the sea, as well as being situated inland. They are a dramatic feature of the landscape.
Kao Kao volcano and the ceremonial village of Orongo contain superb views over the three islets Motu Iti, Motu Kao Kao and Motu Nui. There is an abundance of petroglyphs to be found at this ceremonial site.
Volcano Kao Kao is a spectacular cauldron that demands the use of ultra wide-angle lenses.
All three islets have sea birds but Motu Nui was also an essential location for the Tangata manu (Bird Man) cult which was the island religion between the Moai era and Christina times.
Motu Nui is the summit of a large volcanic mountain which rises over 2,000m from the sea bed. The ritual was a competition to collect the first egg of the manutara (the Sooty tern). This took place starting from Motu Nui where the Hopu (representatives from each clan) waited for the Sooty terns to lay their first eggs of the season. The Hopu who seized the first egg raced to swim back to the main land, climbed the cliffs to Orongo and presented the egg to their sponsor in front of the judges at Orongo. This gave their sponsor the title of Tangata manu, and great power on the Island for a year. Many Hopu were killed by sharks or by falling. The winning clan gained certain rights including the collecting of eggs and young birds from the islets.
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Pam and Paul, Australia, Paine W self-guided, Chile. March 2025 As an older non Spanish speaking couple hailing from Australia, booking our 5 day solo Torres del Paine W trek with Andean Trails was the perfect start to realise our adventure. Having all our accommodation, transfers, inclusive meals and comprehensive pack list sorted to suit our itinerary by such knowledgeable, professional and amenable travel experts meant we could focus our efforts entirely on the trek. We were blessed by great weather - a considerable bonus given we took a few hours longer to complete each daily walk as some of the trails were challenging too but the stunning views that unfolded along the trails provided impetus for us to persevere. We also found our walking poles were essential for ascents and descents on steeper slopes. Our last night was a fixed tent camping spot - comfortable enough and allowed for unreal Milky Way stargazing in the wee small hours. Our 3 nights in Refugios were good - took a bit of getting used to sharing space with 4 other bunk bed mates and it helped being organised the night before when setting off for a pre-dawn start with head torches. The food provided was fine and portions adequate to needs and the Chilean staff were all friendly and helpful. In summary whilst we have physically come down from the mountain tops we are still on an emotional high! Our entire Patagonian trip was nourishment for the heart and soul and a truly awesome experience to be immersed in such an incredible, diverse and unique natural environment - the sound of roaring rivers, the thunder of shifting glaciers , the winds through the forest and high peaks further complimented our sensory experience. There are many options for trekkers to explore in terms of walks and destinations within this mighty National Park to suit fitness and/or time constraints. Our advice would be take your time considering what you feel comfortable with challenging yourself (I was certainly apprehensive about my ability to complete the full 70km circuit and we ended up doing less kms towards the end which felt just fine and meant we we could have more time sitting on a rock admiring Grey glacier from a greater distance) and then make it happen, one beautiful step at a time - you might even glimpse a Puma along the way!
Pam Christmas » Self-Guided Paine W Trek
C. Cooper, UK. Photography Tour, Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
