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Kleifarvatn Lake: Stark Contrast to Volcanoes and Lava Fields (Iceland)
Located on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland approximately half an hour from Keflavik airport, Kleifarvatn is the largest lake in the Setlún Geothermal Area. Meaning “draining lake” as there are no visible inlets or outlets (they are underground), it a stark contrast to the volcanoes and lava fields that make up this area of…
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Setlún Geothermal Area/Krýsuvík: Steamy! (Iceland)
Sitting at the heart of the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland, the Setlún Geothermal Area/Krýsuvík is an area of high geothermal activity. Steam rising from both streams and pools of mud in this area where lava sits close to the surface. Located just north of Grindavik, which has seen repeated volcanic eruptions since 2021 and…
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Bridge between Continents: Mind the Gap (Iceland)
Driving Iceland’s coastal Route 44 on the Reykjanes Peninsula, you suddenly come across a bridge in the middle of nowhere. While the bridge itself is nothing special (my personal opinion is that it is a bit of a metal monstrosity and the reason why there are no photos of the bridge itself), what it represents…
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Jemez Scenic Byway: Discover Northern New Mexico by Car
The Jemez Scenic Byway is a 132-mile / 212-km road that stretches through parts of northern New Mexico, extending just north of Albuquerque towards the Four Corners region, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah touch. It is known as New Mexico Route 550. The road runs next to the Jemez Moutain Range, a largely…
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Painted Desert: A Permanent Rainbow in the Desert
Painted Desert is located in Arizona in an area of the Badlands that makes up the Four Corners region (Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexican borders). Also part of Petrified Forest National Park, this area has some amazing geology that has settled into a striped pattern, creating a beautiful rainbow-like landscape. Geology This area has…
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Mount Lemmon Highway: Views over the Sonoran Desert
Mount Lemmon, the tallest mountain in the Santa Catalinas just north of Tucson, Arizona, is an important location in terms of ecology, geology and astronomy. Hosting the Mount Lemmon observatory and its supporting town, people live on it year round. As a result, the Mount Lemmon Highway was built connecting the observatory and the city…
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Yakushima: The Southern Coast’s Rocky Beauty
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Hakata Dontaku: One of Japan’s Largest Festivals
Every year on 3 and 4 May, Fukuoka City hosts one of Japan’s largest festivals – Hakata Dontaku. The festival can trace its origins back over 800 years and has been held nearly continuously since. In recent years, over 2 million people come to Fukuoka just to watch the parade, which features over 35,000 dancers,…
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Coming of Age Day in Japan: What you should know
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Historic Matsumoto: Castle Town of one of Japan’s Original Castles
Like many old castles in Japan, Matsumoto Castle (松本城) was surrounding by an old castle town, which today is known as the Historic Matsumoto Castle Town. This amazing area hosts not only the castle but many preserved streets, artisans, merchants, temples and more! If you make your way to Matsumoto, make sure you allot some…
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Shinsui Gorge: Beautiful Columnar (Lava) Jointing
Located in Kirishima city, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, Shinsui Gorge (known as ‘Shinsuikyo’ 神水峡 in Japanese) is a 20-metre gorge that has an intimate history with the surrounding volcanoes that the area is famous for. History of Shinsui Gorge Shinsui Gorge is in Kirishima Geopark, an area with over 20 active volcanoes in close proximity, known…
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Kiso Fukushima: A Quiet Town on the Nakasendo Trail
Kiso Fukushima is a small town in Nagano Prefecture, close to the Nakasendo Trail – the mountain trail that ran between Tokyo and Kyoto – in Nagano Prefecture. It is a beautiful town, it boasts a traditional, picturesque quarter that is not frequently visited by many travellers. Kiso Fukushima – History Kiso Fukushima (also called…
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Nakama Banyan: Friendship Trees
On the Japanese island of Yakushima is a special set of trees called the Nakama Banyan. These banyan trees, which are a type of fig trees, have grown together into an arch – providing an excellent place for photos! In Japan, Yakushima is the northernmost island on which Banyan trees, which are native to to…
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Hakata-ori: Fabric of Samurai, Sumo and Kimono
Known across Japan for its quality, Hakata-ori has been produced for nearly 800 years in Fukuoka Prefecture. Known equally for its thickness and stiffness as well as its high quality, it has been designated a “traditional craft” by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Hakata-ori – From Then to Now In the beginning Silk…
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Miyajidake Shrine: Fukuoka’s Sunset Boulevard
