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Michael, aka, TheTravelMinder has has planned adventure travel to many of the world’s most iconic places. He has spent time in all of the placess on this page. Michael will provide valuable insight on the places you most want to visit. Sign up. Your first conversation is on us.
Africa
Uganda Circle Tour
Uganda is known as the place where you can see mountain gorillas But you can also see chimpanzees in the wild and golden monkeys all around. You can also see the Big Five and herds of zebra and giraffes. Kidepo Valley is like the plains of Kenya and Tanzania without the crowds. We spent hours watching herds of zebras, buffaloes, and elephants without seeing a single human other than ourselves.
Mana Pools, Zimbabwe
Approximately 600 miles downstream from Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River is Mana Pools National Park. Close to the park is Hamanasi Safari Lodge which is one of the best places to stay in all of Africa. The evening boat rides has given me some of the best wildlife pictures that I have every taken.
Victoria Falls
One of the grand wonders of the world, the Falls are beautiful and hub of tourism in Zimbabwe. You can take a safari plane to many of the best destinations of this part of Africa. The Victoria Falls Hotel is a great place to experience the royal grandeur of Africa.
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
On the other side of Zimbabwe from Mana Pools is Hwange National Park. It is well known for big cats. One of them, Cecil was killed illegally by a dentist from my home town of Minneapolis. The park is most well known for watering holes that attract all types of African animals during the dry season. The park is near Botswana so it has many of the same animals.
Mozambique Coast
The Mozambique coast is spectacular. During summer months, it has great whale watching, as good as any that I have seen. It has SCUBA diving, but nothing fantastic, although some parts of the country claim high concentrations of manta rays and whale sharks. We visited the Word Heritage Site, Iihla de Mozambique. It is a great place to study African history dating back centuries. It was the center of slave trade that went east as opposed to west.
North & Central America
Banff/Yoho /Jasper
This trifecta of national parks is certainly one of the most beautiful regions on earth. Banff, home of Lake Louise and Morraine Lake, is the most popular of the three.
Glacier
Glacier National Park in northern Montana is a beautiful park with great hiking and outdoor activities.The Going to the Sun Road that cuts through the park from east to west is probably the most well-known drive in the U.S.
Assiniboine Lodge
Accessible only by a two day hike or a 30 minute helecopter ride, Assiniboine is one of the world’s most isolated but spectacular places. Wake up to the sight of a mountain reflecting on the lake in front of it or hike to a handful of locations that exceed the standards of beauty that we normally apply.S
Spearfish, South Dakota
Spearfish Canyon is located on the western edge of the Black Hills in western South Dakota. It is filled with walking paths and great hikes.
San Juan Islands, Washington
A handful of lush green islands sets off the shore of the mainland about an hour’s drive north of Seattle. They are reached by ferry. They make a great day trip or a week if you have time.It is one of the best places to see killer whales and a whole variety of sea life.
Monterrey/Carmel/Big Sur
The central California coast incudes one of the most beautiful drives in the USA. The hiking is great in Point Lobos State Park which is just outside of Carmel. The drive ends in Big Sur where a park of redwoods awaits to be visited. I will also say that this is one of the best smelling areas in all of the world. The forest smells so good!
Belize
I call Belize the best approximation to Hawaii without jet lag. We have been to Hamanasi in the Hopkins area several times. It is a great family adventure as well as a couple destination. The SCUBA diving and snorkeling options are very good. Bird watching is fantastic. And visits to ancient Mayan culture are fantastic as well. The Belize Zoo is also a great place to see many animals of Central America.
British Virgin Islands
The BVIs are some of the most beautiful islands in the Carribean Sea. The Baths on the north end of Virgin Gorda are a great place to spend a day. The island has great SCUBA and snorkeling locations including the famous Wreck of the Rhone.
Anguilla
Anguilla is our #1 place in the world to travel for romantic luxury. It has some of the world’s best beaches and top restaurants in the America. For transformational travelers, Cap Juluca is luxury without equal.
Costa Rica
While the Osa Peninsula is difficult to get to, it certainly is one of the most regenerative places to visit in the Americas. The center piece is Corcovado National Park which is home to monkeys, sloths and spectacular scarlet macaws. The area also has great beaches, snorkeling, and scuba diving.
South America
Patagonia
The southern tip of South America is great destination for connecting with nature without crowds. Puma tracking in Torres Del Paine is an exciting and beautiful adventure. A full day with whales and sea life is an amazing experience as well as viewing penguins. On the Argentine side, the Puerto Merino glacier is spectacular as is hiking to the famous Fitz Roy Mountain.
Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos Islands are amongst the most interesting and educational places in all the world to visit. I have been on a liveaboard SCUBA diving and visited the outer islands of Darwin and Wolf as well as all of the primary land targets. I highly recommend Isabella which has a great variety of geology and animals.
Iguassu Falls
The Iguassu Falls are one of the world’s great natural wonders and probably competes with Victoria Falls for most beautiful waterfalls. Iguassu is also surrounded by lush tropical rainforest and is worth a visit from anyone who might go to the major sites of South America.
Europe
The Dolomites
The Italian Alps should be familiar to anyone who has watched the winter Olympics. They are as beautiful to hike as any mountain range in the world. They are very accessible with lifts and gondola rides to the top of many ridges. Many of the hikes have great refugios where you can eat and drink while admiring the scenery.
Athens
Athens and Rome are probably the two most cultural rich cities in Europe
Venice and Florence
These two cities are just a couple of hours apart by high speed train. Florence is a great center of Renaissance Art. Venice is the one city in the world entirely accessed by its canals.
Santorini and Mykonos
Santorini has some of the most beautiful sites in the entire world. It’s blue domes and white buildings are iconic, especially at sunset. It has great hikes as well. What may be overlooked are great archaeological sites dating back to the volcanic explosion that created the island. Mykonos is lovely as well with great beaches and a fun vibe. A day trip to Delos is one of the best cultural days of the trip.
Cyprus
Cyprus is a great destination in the eastern end of the Mediterranean. It has great beaches that are lovely from late April to early October. It has some of the best archaeological sites in all of Europe where one can see ancient ruins and places visited by Paul in the New Testament. Mountain villages are lovely and it has some of the most beautiful wineries that I have seen.
Barcelona and Monserrat
Barcelona is probably best known for its summer crowds, so one should be careful to visit when the crowds are less. I consider the almost completed Sagrada Familia to be one of the greatest buildings built by mankind. But the city is full of architecture that is fascinating to see. A day trip up the mountain to Monserrat should not be missed. I have visited there several times with friends and family.
London and Surrounds
Having worked in the UK for several years, I am well acquainted with the city which is one of the world’s greatest places to observe our history and heritage. To the west, the sites are endless. Stonehenge should not be missed and the Salisbury Cathedral is the home of the Magna Carta, one of the greatest achievements of mankind.
South Pacific and SE Asia
Fiji
Fiji has some of the best snorkeling and SCUBA diving in all of the world. It also has an intact culture that is friendly and welcomes visitors. It has some of the best beaches in the world.
Indonesia—Bali and Komodo Island
Bali is world renown for its sites, beaches and culture. It has some of the best transformational resorts on the planet. Komodo Island is just a short flight away where you can experience some of the best diving in the world. Several resorts now allow access to Komodo for those who don’t want to immerse themselves in the underwater world.
Indonesia—Raja Ampat
Raja Ampat is home to the best and most beautiful SCUBA diving in the world. The area is visiting by liveaboard ships and some beautiful lodges that cater to those seeking beauty and solitude.
Palau
The island chain of Palau has some of the most beautiful ocean vistas in the world. It also has some of the best SCBUA diving. If anyone wants to expand their SCUBA experience beyond the basics, Palau is great first step. It also has many great opportunities for non-divers as well. Cultural opportunities are available for every visitor. Don’t miss Jellyfish Lake which is an incredible snorkeling destination.
Eastern Australia
Of course Sydney is one of the great cities of the world with hikes up to the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House is one of the great wonders of the world. The Sydney Zoo should not be missed. In the northeast, Cairns and Port Douglas are great destination and the drive northward along the coast is one of the world’s great drives.