rural

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.

Planning a visit to Isalo National Park? ITC Lodge is the place to stay. Not only will you enjoy comfortable bungalows, but also support community and ecology projects.

Peculiar yet inspiring, Malagasy culture demonstrates how the commemoration of the deceased can be a celebration.

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

Visiting a vanishing village in Japan, where scarecrows were turned into an open museum, only enhancing the feeling of rural realm decay.

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.

A close encounter with majestic Nubian ibex in Sde Noker is a true delight, but raises questions about relations between people and wild animals.

Want to buy a mare milk drink? Enjoy summer pastures? Meet inspiring shepherds? A glimpse into rural life in Kyrgyzstan via encounters with local communities.

Villagers in North-East India developed an innovative technique to construct bridges and other useful structures out of living aerial roots of rubber (Ficus Elastica) trees. Watch a short documentary and an inspiring photo gallery showcasing root bridges and ladders, with commentary analyzing their structural principles. A must for any civil engineer, architect and designer!

“Where bamboo exists – No Worries!” – Magnificent structures for living and storage built by Garo people are not only functional structures but also aesthetic ones. An inspirational tour of fine vernacular architecture.

A visit to rural areas of West Garo Hills in Meghalaya, India, where unique traditional life is still kept by Garo People.

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 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

Discover Buzludzha Monument – a fine example of socialist/communist – brutalist architecture currently in decay. By video and stills we shall discover the unique architectural and artistic features of the site.

Tobacco leaves decorate the streets of Prilep in Macedonia as part of the curing process. Watch a clip of a family preparing the leaves for curing and enjoy stills of the colorful streets

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.

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.

Excerpts from fascinating encounters with people of the country of ice and rocks, during a 40 days trip in Iceland. In this part – encounters throughout the island

A tour back to Albania’s communist era through sights of Enver Hoxha’s bunkers scattered all over the country

A train ride from Prilep to Bitola in Macedonia is an interesting view into decaying rural life in this region, in a magnificent landscape

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

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

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…

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

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

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.

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…

We all like to admire places from viewpoints, whether natural or man made. This presentation is a journey-quiz through sights seen from man made towers in various countries…

A journey to Romania in April 1999. It was a voyage back in time… Join a journey through Romania’s rural areas as well as some more familiar urban places, and meet its landscapes and people.

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

A historical cruise along China’s Yangtze river, where people, villages and towns are relocated due to the rising water level following Three Gorges Dam construction.

A visit to a unique 1700 years old village-town in Chongqing’s remote Youyang County, which will be vanished underwater, due to the construction of the Pengshui Dam on the Wu Jiang (river).

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…

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…

Travelogue and Photos from Vietnam

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