mountains

The Shikoku Pilgrimage is an inspiring route covering 88 temples in Shikoku island, Japan. If you have only a few days in the area, consider these day hike options, which can be a great introduction to the pilgrimage, where beautiful natural scenery, inspiring temples in exotic locations and lovely towns and rural areas blend into a holistic experience.

13th Alpine Peace Crossing Peace Hike took place on June 29th, 2019. Here is a collection of sights from the event.

What makes Almaty, Kazakhstan’s former capital and its main commercial and cultural hub, so welcoming and attractive? Here’s an introduction to a city which is a journey, a must visit for anyone related to urban design and planning.

Photos and video of day hike from Tokushima to temples 20-21 along the Shikoku Henro.

Photos of day hike from Takamatsu to temples 80-81-82 along the Shikoku Henro.

Photos and video of day hike from Takamatsu to temples 84-85 along the Shikoku Henro.

Exceptional amount of rain kept Eilat Mountains green and full of blossom even into the month of June. Let’s take a look at some plants and get superb views of Eilat Beaches, Egypt and Aqaba.

The city of Naryn is stretched 15 Milometers along the narrow Naryn river valley in Kyrgyzstan. Lovely hospitable people make up for a place seems forgotten in time.

“Ins Gelobte Land – Eretz Austria” by “teatro caprile” is a unique interactive theater conducted outdoors. Presented in Krimmler Achental, Austria, it tells the incredible story of 5,000 Jewish refugees, who after the holocaust, crossed the 2,634m Krimmler Tauern mountain pass, on their way to the Land of Israel.

On the 24th of November 2016, the city of Haifa witnessed its first large scale fire. Its delicate greenery surrendered to extreme dry weather, and flames engulfed buildings burning apartments. Several urban nature spots were completely burned. In this photographed diary I describe my day by day experiences – from the day of the fire to field trips in affected areas.

Trekking from Bazena through Rifugio Tita Secchi and Rifugio Maria e Franco to Passo di Campo – 24-26 June 2016

Root bridges are bridges made of living tree roots. It was believed that such bridges are unique to southern areas of Meghalaya, but here are some beautiful examples for root bridges in Nagaland state in India, around the village of Nyahnyu – Mon district.

A trip to Oregon’s finest colorful delights – Crater Lake, Davis Lake area, Newberry Volcanic Monument, Lava Butte, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument – Painted Hills, Clarno and Sheep Rock Units, White River Mount Hood, Columbia River, Oneonta Gorge

The “Carmelit” is Haifa’s underground funicular, linking the lower city (“Downtown”) at sea level and the Carmel Center at 274 meters above sea level. In July 2015, the main cable of the system was replaced. Watch a video and still photos of the process.

A beautiful day hike up Breithorn via Südwandsteig, with a beautiful rewarding view to Steinernes Meer, and a relaxing stop at Riemannhaus. A day in the Austrian Alps.

A beautiful day hike crossing the Alps from Italy to Austria through Kehrer Alm, Birnlückenhütte and Birnlücke pass

Photos from the events and walk of the 9th Alpine Peace Crossing – commemorating the 5,000 Jewish refugees who crossed the Alps on their way to the Land of Israel in 1947

Three enthusiastic young Bulgarians run an isolated large mountain hut. Without permanent electricity and no road connection, everyday life in the hut is a challenging task even in the 21st century. A glimpse into hut management and an original campaign for facilities improvement.

The hike from Krimml in Austria towards Kasern in Italy through the Krimmler Tauern pass, is one of the finest in this area of the alps, but also provides the opportunity to experience a bit of post WWII Jewish refugees difficult journey to the Land of Israel.

A unique snow video and photo gallery from places that seldom see snow in Israel: Yotvat (Yodfat) ridge, the settlement of Hararit and Laura (Lavra) Netofa.

Ice formations from Meiron ridge forest following three consecutive snowy weather systems

Visiting the enchanting landscapes of Mariovo, southern Macedonia, and the villages of Štavica and Manastir

The story of Vitolište in Macedonia is the story of numerous villages all over the world that were left to decay due to massive urbanization processes. We shall tour the village that once knew lively days, guided by Vane who used to live there as a child.

Iceland National Trail is an initiative to create a long circular hiking & biking route that passes through Iceland’s best locations, in order to spread tourism across the country, encourage encounters between visitors and locals and bring tourism as a source of income to remote communities.

An unusual weather system brought significant amounts of snow to the mountain ridges of Samaria. In this presentation we shall tour the snowy Samaria and get familiar with its landscapes and settlements.

A stormy weather system brought strong winds, high waves and significant amount of rain to Israel. Let’s take a winter tour through some of the most impressive sights of Israeli winter nature affected by the storm.

A wet weather system brought impressive flows to Israel’s northern rivers, filling the Sea of Galilee with needed water and joy…

Haifa Trail was inaugurated, as Thomas Fietz, a Trail Runner from Germany, completed the 70 Kilometers of the trail in 15 hours, divided to two days. Thomas was the first to complete the whole trail, the first tourist on the trail, and the first to run it.

A visit to the Nepali village of Syange, along the Annapurna Circuit trek, in 2011 carrying photos from the 1996 visit, creates wonderful opportunities for new-old acquaintances…

Tsum Valley is almost a Tibet within Nepal. Opened for tourists in 2008, it offers a unique cultural experience for those making the long trek to get there

A steep climb takes trekkers and expedition members to Manaslu Base Camp – the first camp used by mountaineers on their way to the top of Mount Manaslu. Lets take a look how this climb looks like…

Take a look at the majestic Mount Manaslu, the 8th highest mountain in the world, photographed from the village of Lho

Whether it is a short “Namaste” greeting on the trail or “home staying” with a family, acquaintances with people of Manaslu region and Tsum valley in Nepal are joyful and inspiring. Meet some of these people…

Punggen Gompa is located on a remote mountain plateau beneath Mount Manaslu. Take a look at some photos from a trip up to the Gompa and superb mountain views surrounding it

Photos from a unique side trip from Manaslu Circuit trek: a climb to Rui La, a main commercial trail used by local Nepalis for trade and to visit relatives in Tibet

From the wet lush green areas of the lower Budhi Gandaki at ~500 meters above sea level, through amazing views of Mount Manaslu and the snow covered mountains around Larke La 5106 meters high to magical Bhimtang and beyond…

Bridges are common in the Nepal Himalayas and they are more than mere engineering. Traversing a bridge above gushing water is almost a sacred ceremony… Join a virtual journey through the bridges of Manaslu Circuit and Tsum Valley treks.

A notable construction of lodges currently takes place along the Manaslu Circuit trekking route. Locals identify the increase in trekker numbers and build new accommodation facilities, some of them quite different from traditional local structures

2011 Monsoon season brought torrential rains to Nepal’s Manaslu region. Along the Budhi Gandaki river valley numerous landslides occurred, one of them covered the village of Paimo with a wave of rocks and mud

Tsum Valley is a magical area in Nepal that was opened for tourists in 2008. Here is a description of the area and the trek together with some information about trekking to Ganesh Himal and Gumba Lungdang.

Recommended side trips from the Manaslu Circuit / Around Manaslu trek: Kal Tal, Hinang Gompa, Punggen Gompa, Birendra Tal, Manaslu Base Camp, Tibetan Border at Rui La

Detailed trail description of Manaslu Circuit / Around Manaslu trek: Arughat, Arkhet, Soti Khola, Lapubeshi, Machhakhola, Tatopani, Dobhan, Yuru, Jagat, Salleri, Paimo, Sirdibas, Philim, Ekle Bhatti, Nyak, Deng, Bihi Phedi, Prok, Ghap, Namrung, Lihi, Sho, Lho, Shyala, Samagaon, Samdo, Dharamshala / Larke Phedi, Larke Pass, Bhimtang, Yak Kharka, Soti Gowa / Gho , Tilche, Thonche

Manaslu Circuit is one of the best treks in Nepal. Read general information about how to prepare for the trek, needed permits and tickets, logistics and vital information about what to expect

Three months after the tragic fire in Mount Carmel, and the forest shows interesting signs of rehabilitation. Presentation and photo gallery.

Clouds of smoke turned into clouds of rain and water coming from the sky made the Carmel blush and for a moment it seemed like an Alpine forest in foliage…

Two weeks after the Carmel blaze back to the usual rambling at home – From Haifa to Beit Oren – and the inevitable but optimistic encounters with the fire aftermath

Today we went to explore the areas affected by the huge fire in the Carmel Ridge. Download a presentation with explanations and photos and watch the full photo gallery

Dozens of firefighting airplanes from Israel and other countries took part in the efforts to extinguish the largest forest fire in Israel’s history. Kudos to the amazing pilots and gratitude to the supportive countries

This is how we wish to remember our beautiful Mount Carmel. Watch photos taken in the affected areas in better, greener, days.

Photos taken in Haifa and Mount Carmel during the first day of the mighty forest fire

A Glimpse of Georgia (Gruzia), the wonderful Caucasus country rich with natural beauty and wonderful people…

Current summer days in Israel are hot and humid, but early morning around Jerusalem makes one feel as if he’s on another country…

An enchanting lake is situated inside a dormant volcano mouth in Ethiopia. Villages are scattered around the lake, making it a fascinating destination for hiking. Watch a photo gallery of this unknown paradise.

Watch a documentation of a rare rainy day in the Southern parts of Israel, with flowing Wadis of the Arava Rift Valley, Southern Negev and Eilat areas.

A rare flood event in the Red Canyon of Eilat Mountains occurred on January 18th, 2010. Watch pictures from this staggering colorful event.

Ladakh in north India, a high altitude desert, is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture. The strong Tibetan influence gave it the nickname “Little Tibet”. The extreme terrain and climate, as well as the unique way of life developed in Ladakh, form a magical magnet to travelers…

Ethiopia – Unknown Paradise – Simien Mountains Logistics – how to prepare for trekking or hiking in the area

Ethiopia – Unknown Paradise – Simien Mountains Introduction – Landscape, best time to travel, flora and fauna

Ethiopia – Unknown Paradise – Travel and tourism introductory page – Recommended Destinations

Images from the rolling hills and ranges of Tuscany (Toscana) , Italy.

Antennas can be found everywhere. Although these monuments of the modern era pollute the view, they enable people all over the world to communicate, and sometimes they even charmingly mingle in the surrounding landscape. Let’s go for a guided antennas tour in some places in the world…

Photos from Bulgaria – A trip in Rila, Pirin, Rodopi ranges with a climb to Vihren Peak, and visit in Shiroka Loka, Plovdiv, Sofia, Trigrad Canyon, Bansko and more…

Watch some sights from the rocky and snowy Dolomites above Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, and Madonna di Campiglio area.

A landscape collage made of pieces of photos taken all over the world (USA, UK, Austria, Nepal, Vietnam, Israel, Thailand). The world is indeed made of pieces, and they are all combined to one system…

Detailed description of the second part of Around Annapurna (Annapurna Circuit) trek. This is actually the “Jomsom” trek.

A detailed day-by-day description of the Around Annapurna trek, with a recommended plan how long to walk every day, with vivid photos.

The Around Annapurna trek, or Annapurna Circuit, is one of the nest treks in the world. Read an introductory guide tothis trek.

Introduction to trekking and trekking in Nepal

Images from Turkey – Kaçkar, Erzurum, Kars, Ani, Cappadocia, and more…