#29 - Wake Up On Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

At 19,340 feet, Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa and one of the Seven Summits. Final ascents usually start at midnight in order to see the breathtaking sunrises over Uhuru Peak, one of its three inactive volcanoes. Sadly, the glacier near the peak is expected to melt by 2040, as a result of global warming. It takes about a minimum of five days to climb up it quickly.

Best Time to Go: In the dry season (August to October) and plan it around having a full moon on summit day.

How Long to Stay: 6-10 days

What To Do: Climb and camp out or stay in huts alongthe way
General Costs: Medium to High

UNESCO World Heritage Site? YES
Weather: Warm at the base, cold and sometimes snowy at the top
Language: English and Swahili

#27 - The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

The Pyramids, like the Taj Mahal, are amazing but also way overpromoted and overcommercialized. Take the one tour inside the pyramids, but note that it sells out quickly. We unfortunately think about the Kentucky Fried Chicken directly across the street from them. The Cairo Museum is excellent and probably the only museum in the world worth mentioning in a blog like this. You can be led around on a camel (above) which is interesting only if you have never ridden a camel.

Best Time to Go: Winter when it is slightly less hot

How Long to Stay: 2 days

What To Do: Visit the pyramids, tour inside them, visit the older Saqqara pyramids and the Sphinx, the light shows at night are a little cheesy but probably worth seeing, visit the huge Khan al Khalili market to shop for some great artifacts (with a guide or you will never get out), Cairo Museum, a felluca sail boat on the Nile at night, try a sheesha tobacco water pipe at the Cairo restaurants.
General Costs: High

UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes
Weather: Very hot
Language: Arabic

#26 - Machu Picchu, Peru

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Machu Picchu was built by the Incas around 1462, abandoned less than 100 years later, and found in 1911 by Hiram Bingham on a National Geographic sponsored expedition. It was the only major Inca settlement not found by the Spanish conquistadors and it is still being excavated.

We were able to find and hire the local shaman named Kucho as our guide. (above) He meditates over the ancient Inca ruins with condor feathers, Pisco liquor and incense. The great thing about having a shaman as your guide during the day, was that he was allowed to bring visitors in at night and perform his rituals.

One of the lessons learned from extensive traveling is to always plan to always see a site with the right people and at the right time. We could have just gone at any time but we planned to be there with the a shaman and during a full moon. The Shaman performed rituals for us and a few new friends, and the experience was great as a result. We were very fortunate that there was a visible full moon and a lightning storm with no rain at night. We fell asleep in the ruins and left around 6AM as it started to lightly rain.

We would add that many people consider Machu Picchu to be one of the top 10 sites in the world but it is just too crowded and overpromoted to rank higher than here. Discovering a stunning world class site without hundreds of people, adds another dimension to your travels.

There is one hotel at the ruins called the Sanctuary Lodge, just steps from the entry to Machu Picchu. All of the others are a long drive down the hill in the small city of Aguas Calientes. Regardless of the higher cost, you should stay at the Lodge. It used to be a step above dorm room quality but its now run by the Orient Express Hotels and is much nicer and more expensive. Apparently they pump oxygen into the rooms at night to help visitors better adjust to the altitude (8000 feet). All of the German and French tourists leave at 4pm on the last bus, to go down to Aguas Calientes, and you more or less have the park to yourself and few other visitors until it closes. You used to be able to bribe the guards, even without a guide, to go in at night, but we are not sure that still works.

Cuzco is one of the great cities and traveller meccas of the world. Its like Katmandhu in central Asia or Bangkok in souteast Asia. Spend at least two days there going to the markets and visiting the old conquistador hotels and buildings. Sacsayhuaman is the the wall of giant perfectly carved stones and is worth seeing, but a bit overrated as it is not very long. The winding train and helicopter from Cuzco to Machu Picchu are both great, but the aerial views are definitely better. Many travellers we respect, walked the Inca Trail to the ruins and really liked it, so if you have 4 days, you should consider it.

Best Time to Go: April to November is the dry season with many people preferring April or May before it gets overrun with tourists. November to March is rainy but much less crowded. June 24th is the very colorful, annual Inti Raymi solstice festival at Sacsayhuaman.

How Long to Stay: 2 nights with lots of hiking

What To Do: 2 days at Machu Pichu hiking and learning the history, 2 days on Cuzco
General Costs: High

UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes for Machu Picchu and Cuzco
Weather: Rainy in winter and warm to hot in the summer
Language: Spanish

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#25 - Temple of Jupiter and Beirut, Lebanon

Some of the best Roman ruins are far from Rome, like the twenty-story high columns of the Temple of Jupiter. They are absolutely huge and were built from the 1st to 3rd centuries with some of the blocks used, weighing over 80 tons. Imagine a twenty story building in major city, with single columns that went from the first floor to the roof. There are also some great Roman ruins in Libya, called Leptis Magna near Al Khums, but Libya's on again - off again visa policy has made them difficult to see.


We arranged with a Lebanese friend to have someone pick us up in Damascus and drive us to Beirut. We were told he was a businessman and when he picked us up at the Omayaad Hotel and loaded our luggage into his Mercedes, we saw two AK-47's in the wheel wells. We asked him what he did and he said he was state security for the President Hirari of Lebanon - that is why we can not show his face (above). He was taking a few days off to help us out in our tour of Lebanon - unfortunately his boss was later assassinated in a huge car bomb tracked to Syrian intelligence.

When we travel, we are always looking for unique and interesting situations so we can learn about the people and the culture, regardless of popular opinion. We don't really shy away from much and Lebanon is one unique experience after another. When we travel in any area, we always hire very well connected guides and bodyguards when needed. In the past, we would do a great deal of research and then travel anywhere without fear of anything.

We stopped in the Bekaa Valley on the way to see the Temple of Jupiter for four hours which was a couple of miles from Hizbollah headquarters. In Beirut, we purposely stayed in the Mayflower Hotel where many of the western hostages were kidnapped in the previous years. The guys at the front desk looked at our passports for quite a while and laughed that they had not seen American passports for a long time. We knew nothing would happen to us because of our bodyguard's connections, but we don't travel like this as much as we use to.

There was the Green Line, which was the demarcation line between Muslim West Beirut and Christian East Beirut during the fifteen year long civil war. It's a five mile strip of buildings that were completed shot up and massively scarred by RPG and tank rounds. Imagine every time you moved in your apartment, your neighbor across the street shot at you... And every time you saw your neighbors across the street, you shot at them.

We went to a Hizbollah barbeque in South Beirut where they cooked fish over 4 x4 oak building posts. We heard extreme stories from our friends at the US embassy where the previous three ambassadors had been assassinated. Embassy staff only went out with 10 white Chevy Blazers with roof mounted M60s machine guns. They stopped for nothing, not even stop signs or stop lights, they just rammed cars and had the drivers show up with receipts for repairs. They would be reimbursed and this has to be one of the more unique uses of American tax dollars.

Today Beirut is again one of the all time great party and food towns in the world. We went out all night one Saturday, to a famous nightclub called B0-18 which was named after the code for an apartment complex 18 kimoters north of of Beirut. During the long civil war, a DJ named Gebran lived in the unit and was famous for his "musical therapy" sessions held in his apartment. It eventually became an all night and sometimes all day, nightclub - the Lebanese did not lose their culture during the civil war.

The ruins of Byblos on the sea, should definitely be checked out. There were many civilizations including the Phoenicians, in this northern Lebanese city over thousands of years, and you can just wander among them.

Best Time to Go: Anytime, but you want to make sure it is safe, as there has been a lot of bombing from Israel and others in the last few years.
How Long to Stay: 3-5 days, but maybe combine with a 10 day trip to Jordan with stops at Petra, Aqaba, Dead Sea, Red Sea, Jerash and Wadi Rum.
General Costs: Medium to high
What To Do: Beirut nightlife, Byblos ruins, Temple of Jupiter, make sure you have local guides who are connected
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes for Byblos and Baalbeck's Temple of Jupiter
Weather: Mild to hot
Language: Arabic

#24 - Taj Mahal and Rajhasthan, India

The Taj Mahal is a beautiful and unique site, although it is overpromoted and in Agra, a city of petty criminals. It can be visited in a day in a quick trip by train from Delhi. Checkout Fatehpur Sikri nearby where the Taj creator was imprisoned by son, and has a great view of the site. There have been a number of great, and less common, photos taken in the water behind the Taj Mahal.


The state of Rajasthan on the other hand is the true India experience. There are centuries-old palaces and forts, lavish color everywhere, wonderful food and a culture that celebrates much. The city of Udaipur within Rajasthan was a princely state that was never taken over by the British and became an artist haven, and that is strongly reflected today.

The best time to visit is in the winter and one could easily spend several months in India and never be bored.


Udaipur has several centuries old palaces, and this is one of hundreds of antique windows at Shiv Nivas Palace on Lake Pichola.

Best Time to Go: North American winter
How Long to Stay: 2 weeks - 1 day at the Taj and 2 weeks in Rajhasthan
General Costs: Medium to low
What To Do: Quickly visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in Agra by train, Udaipur palaces, Jaipur city, Jaisalmer forts, Jodhpur forts and history
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes for Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri
Weather: Hot to very hot
Language: Hindi, English, Dialects

#23 - Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

Perito Moreno Glacier is forty miles long, two miles wide and moves forward an amazing six feet per day. It is located in the far south of Argentina near the border of Chile, and at the very tip of South America. So you know how they say pictures do not do it justice, this is one of those places. Its just gorgeous, immense and amazing.

You can usually see 100 foot sections of it falling off, with a thunderous crack, into the water - a process known as calving. You do not not want to be near it when that happens as many people have been killed by the mini tidal wave it creates.

We drove 12 hours to get there from Chilean Patagonia after it had been flooded out. We greatly underestimated the time to get through the Andes Mountains though. The fun part was driving through a dozen towns on the Argentina/Chile border looking for an open crossing at 3 AM. The towns were had names like November 27th...

After we eventually got through the border, our truck got stuck in many of the three foot deep "puddles" on the dirt roads crossing the Andes. When we got out to push the stuck truck though, we saw more stars than we've ever seen in the pitch black, cold, moonless night.

Note that this is area is so far south that most satellite phones do not work, as there is no line of site to the equator.

Best Time to Go: During the US winter and South American summer
How Long to Stay: 1 days but combine it with a trip to Easter Island, Chilean Patagonia and Buenos Aires
General Costs: Medium
What To Do: Explore and trek the glacier
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes - it's part of Los Glaciares National Park
Weather: Mild in South American summer and cold in winter
Language: Spanish

#22 - Temples of Luxor, Egypt

Work began on the huge Temple of Karnak 46 centuries ago and went on for hundreds of years.

Luxor is very dense with ancient sites and includes the Temple of Luxor, the Temple of Karnak, the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, where King Tut was buried. Luxor is more interesting and much less commercialized than the pyramids in Giza. One of the high points is the $5M restoration of the Nefertari tomb, which only allows a few visitors each day. You must buy tickets very early in the morning for specific later time for the tour.

Note that the daily temeratures can reach 120 degrees but the nights are beautiful and perfect for late night for cruise on small Nile sailboats callled fellucas. Its still not as hot as the Sahara Desert though which can get to 135 degrees.

Queen Hatshepsut's tomb looks like it could have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and not over 3,000 years ago. It's beautiful place but was also the scene of the slaughter of 70 tourists by fundamentalists in 1998.

The Tomb of Menna on the West Bank of the Nile is for a royal scribe, and shows a more sophisticated painting style (above).

Best Time to Go: Winter when it is a bit cooler
How Long to Stay: Spend at least 3 days here as the great sites are plentiful.
General Costs: High
What To Do: Temple of Luxor and Karnak, Valley of Kings and Queens
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes as a part of the ancient Thebes area
Weather: Very Hot - 120 degrees some days
Language: Arabic

#21 - Cuba

Cuba is one of those countries that you could spend months in, especially if you have a journalistic bent. It is a land of opposites, paradoxes and deep culture.

Over three trips, we experienced the classic Cuba - the great tobacco growing region of Pinar Del Rio, extravagant dance shows at the Tropicana, drinking fifty year old rum, and great Cuban cuisine. We experienced the not-so-well-known Cuba - a large transvestite and gay population hanging out and dancing all night at the Fiat dealer, storms that blew manhole covers 100 feet in the air from the seaside surf, young hipsters and artists pushing the limits of Cuban laws and traditions.

There is a strong Catholic tradition that permeates the culture and a disturbingly large number of prostitutes, especially after they lost Russia as their sponsor. There is strong dislike of the American government but the main currency by far is the US dollar. One of the effects of the US embargo is that the Cubans have found ways to keep these 50 year old American cars working (above). Much of the city of Havana looks like it has not been painted in 50 years as well but it has a very certain charm.

There are so many things to see - You should visit the cigar factories like Partagus in Havana, though not after a hangover, as fresh tobacco is one of the strongest smells in the world. Havana is made for walking and just walking the streets you experience the real Cuba. You can just walk for hours at a time constantly being surprised. The country has a unique type of restaurant called "Paladares", which are usually about five tables and in someone's living room. The food is excellent and cooked by the family living there. It would be great to see these excellent, intimate micro-restaurants in so many other countries. And while the Tropicana is very good, you will see a better, wonderfully imperfect dance show at many of the second and third class clubs.


Che Guevera (above) is a hero to Cubans and signs of him are everywhere. He is a very interesting man but like many revolutionaries, he was better at revolution than than building things. He left Cuba and died in Bolivia after being chased down by the army trying to stop him from building a revolution there.


We were struck by how Cubans are always dancing, singing and celebrating. In general, we have found that the more a culture dances, the happier they are. This gathering (above) on the other hand, was an Elian Gonzalez protest, where thousands of people were trucked in on the back of dump trucks for a ready made protest and photo opp. The kids did not really understand what was going on and were simply having a good time yelling and dancing. Elian was returned 3 days later from his extended family in Florida to his father in Cuba.

Most connoisseurs believe the best tobacco in the world is grown in the far west in the very photogenic Pinar del Rio area. It is an easy to drive there from Havana, in a couple of hours on a highway where you may see 10 cars at most, along the way.


In the Old Cuba, this field worker, harvests tobacco for the the world's best cigars, as he has done for forty years in Pinar Del Rio.


In the New Cuba, this surfer from Varadero Beach held the world record for the most face piercings. Over the next 5-10 years much will change in Cuba. Ultimately, the embargo will be lifted and Americans and Cubans will travel and trade freely. Fidel Castro will not live a lot longer and his brother is expected to provide more freedoms and relax controls. We would be big fans of this, as Cuba is definitely one of the coolest places in the world.

Best Time to Go: During the US winter with better weather
How Long to Stay: 7-10 days
General Costs: Medium
What To Do: Visit Old Havana, Pinar Del Rio, Paladares restaurant, dance shows,
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes for both Old Havana and Vinales Valley where the tobacco growing area of Pinar Del Rio is located.
Weather: Hot
Language: Mostly Spanish with plenty of English speakers

#20 - Borobodur and Prambanan - Java, Indonesia

The island of Java in Indonesia is home to two of the largest brick monuments outside of the Pyramids. Prambanan (above) near Yogyakarta, is a Hindu temple built around 850 AD, with 224 shrines dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.

Borobudur is the more spectacular site and one of the largest monuments in the world with 1,400 Buddhas in eight foot stone bells. It was built originally as a sort of Buddhist Mecca around 750 AD. Both sites have been destroyed by earthquakes and completely rebuilt several times. Spend the afternoon here as the views and the energy are great.

You can easily see both on a great one day trip from Bali flying Denpasar to Yogyakarta on eastern Java.

Best Time to Go: April to October during the dry season, when the humidity is lower

How Long to Stay: 1-2 days

General Costs: Medium because of airfare to the island

What To Do: Visit Prambanan and Borobodur, Stay for a night in Yogyakarta
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes - both Prambanan and Borobodur are on the list
Weather: Hot and humid
Language: Javanese

#19 - African Safari - Tanzania, South Africa and Botswana

Great safaris are simply journeys.

Safari areas that have long histories of animal viewing like Kruger National Park in South Africa allow for the closest experiences to the animals, though some may see this as a glamorous zoo. For large numbers of animals and a more authentic experience, go to East Africa - especially Tanzania and Botswana. Spending some time in a local Masai tented camp in East Africa, allows for night drives and also supports the local culture.

Most traveler's goal is to see the for the big five animals in the wild: lions, leopard, rhino, elephant and Cape Buffalo, and there is probably no better place than South Africa.

Tanzania has one of the best drives in the world. Start at Kilimanjaro after you climb it, go to Arusha, then to the unique and lush Ongorogoro Crater (staying at a hotel on the rim) and finally onto a Safari in Serengeti. Note that once you get into Serenegti Park, you can not do night drives.

Most animals however, are nocturnal and go out at night to hunt so you will see way more at night. Stop before you get to the park and camp with the Masai. They will take you out at night using a red light and the animals are not even aware of it. In these tented camps, animals get so close you can hear lions roaring, prey screaming, and elephants heavily trudging nearby. You get very little sleep but the sound of the bush at night is an experience you will never forget. We did have a Masai guide with a whistle and spear outside the tent, mainly to protect us from the biggest risk - elephants and buffalo from walking through our tents.

Speaking of primal fear, at one point in Kruger National Park, while watching a pride of lions in an open top jeep, a mother lion walked up four feet from us. She sat down and looked at me directly in the eye, and I got that nauseous feeling that animals must get just before they are about to be eaten

The best time of year for safaris is in the dry season during the winter as animals are attracted to the few waterholes left. For the East African countries of Tanzania and Botswana, this is June, July, August and September, between the double rainy seasons. For South Africa, this is during Southern Hemisphere's winter months of May to August.

For South Africa, visit:
Kruger National Park - Famed game park with the big 5 animals
Sabi Sand Game Reserve - One of best in Africa and has the Big 5 animals

For Tanzania, visit:
Serenegeti Park - Gigantic park with most of the main animals
Mahale and Gombe Parks - Chimpanzees
Ongorgoro Crater - A small animal paradise in a volcanic crater

For Botswana, visit:
Okavango - Birds, crocs, hippos and game
Chobe - Huge elephant herds
Moremi - Top game reserve

Best Time to Go: During the dry season, usually between June to August
How Long to Stay: 7-10 days or up to 20 days if you are visiting several parks in different countries
General Costs: High to very high
What To Do: Game viewing in the wild, tented camps and fixed camps at night, visit with local Masai tribes and young Masai herders in the wild
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes
Weather: Warm to mild during the day in the winter, and cold at night.
Language: Guides speak English and locals speak various African languages based on the country and tribe

#18 - The Buddhist Temples of Tibet

The Potala Palace in Lhasa (above) was the Dalai Lama's 1,500 room winter palace prior to Tibet being invaded by the Chinese in 1959. While it is really tragic and sad to see the Chinese presence all over Tibet, it is still a very unique and beautiful place. You could spend weeks just visiting monasteries and other Buddhist sites, especially those like the renowned Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa. You can only imagine what Tibet must have looked like before the Chinese blew up over 6,000 Buddhist monasteries.

Novices undergo many years of rigorous training with aggressive verbal testing by more senior monks.

The people of Tibet are among the kindest you will ever meet, and their faces and lives are so photogenic. Buddhist countries are among our favorites because the cultures and people are so interesting, and they are always very safe.

People walk to Lhasa from all over Tibet for pilgrimages. This man above was a pilgrim from Amdo province and had walked hundreds of miles.


The old woman cooked for many years for the hundred monks at Gonkar Monastery, near the airport. It is an hour and a half from Lhasa and makes a great first stop after arriving. Soft window light like this is usually the best way to photograph people.

A grandfather prays with his grandson by spinning the Buddhist prayer wheel at Johkang Monastery. A forty foot long Buddhist text is wound up tightly inside the prayer wheel and each spin is like saying a prayer. The musky smell of a thousand yak butter candles burning permeated the air on the first floor.

Best Time to Go: Summer when it is warmer, as you can see your breath in some Lhasa hotels after October

How Long to Stay: 7-14 days as there is so much to do and see

General Costs: Medium to High

What To Do: Visit the Buddhist monasteries and sites, Potala Palace, Jokhang Monastery, make sure you grab a yak burger at the Hard Yak Cafe while in Lhasa.
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes - The Potala Palace
Weather: Mild to cool in the summers and very cold for about 8 months of the year
Language: Tibetan

#17 - Voodoo in Haiti

Voodoo (Vodou) is very much misunderstood. It's a religion that believes a supreme being rules through a large number of local and specialized deities, and they communicate to believers through trances, dreams and possessions. It originated in Ghana and Benin in Africa and was brought to Haiti with slaves and has been in the Caribbean for over 100 years. In Haiti, Vodou has been combined with Catholicism, having been influenced by missionaries over many years.

Over two weeks, we went from the capital Port-a-Prince, to Limonade in the North, which borders on the ocean, viewing a dozen Vodou rituals on both land and in water. In most of the ceremonies, there were drums and dancing and people worked themselves into trances in which they believed they were taken over by animals or spirits.

The most common request during Vodou ceremonies was for help was from the spirit Erzulie Frieda, which is the deity you call on if you have problems with love, like the woman to the right in the photo above. She was heartbroken and meowed like a cat rubbing up against every man at the ritual, drinking a liter of rum, but was completely sober after the one hour ritual.

April and August are the best months to see the major rituals in Souvenance and Soukri. Always bring bottles of 3 star rum as a donation to the priest (the oungan) running the voodoo ceremony. It got us in every time.Contrary to popular belief, its fairly safe, though even my bodyguards would not take me into the voodoo ceremonies run by street gangs in the capital, Port-a-Prince. Nevertheless the political and safety situation is subject to change quickly, so exercise caution, wherever you go in Haiti.

While in the north, near Cap-Hatien, it is worth a trip to see the Citadel. It is a palace that was built by 20,000 former slaves over 15 years starting in 1805. The Citadel was built to protect Haiti from the French after their rebellion and is worth seeing.

Best Time to Go to Haiti: April for the Vodou ritual in Soukri and August for the ritual in Souvenance. In general though, its best to go in the winter for perfect weather.
How Long to Stay: 7 days
General Costs: Medium
What To Do: Hire at least one body guard and visit Port-a-Prince briefly, Soukri, Souvenance, Limonade and anywhere else your guide or guards can find a ritual going on, visit the Citadel

UNESCO World Heritage Site? No for the Vodou areas but yes for the Citadel

Weather: Hot to very hot, except in the winter

Language: French and Creole/pidgin

#16 Coolest Place - Djenne Mosque and Dogon Culture, Mali

Mali is one of the most interesting and visually appealing countries in Africa. It was part of the ancient Saharan trade route for gold, ivory and salt and has been an Islamic learning center for almost a thousand years.

There are two world class places and at least dozen smaller, interesting ones, that should not be missed. Mali has the largest mud brick building in the world, in the Mosque in Djenne (above), and the 80 miles of villages carved into the cliffs in the Dogon area. Djenne Mosque has been continuously rebuilt since 1100 AD and they "re-mud" the mosque every spring in a 5 mile long bucket brigade from the closest river.

The Dogon live in Bandiagara in central Mali and are an animist tribe that celebrates most events from funerals to weddings, with colorful and extravagant mask dances.

Mask dancers perform at the funeral of an older man who died earlier in the week and several entire villages turned out.

Several mask dancers were walking five miles to a ceremony in another village.

The cliff houses are also used to store grain, keep the remains of ancestors and are reminiscent of the ancient Anasazi cliff dwellings in the Southwest US like Mesa Verde.

Other stilted mask dancers take a break from the fairly tiring ritual. The dances can go on for more than an hour and are an exceptional thing to see and photograph.

Timbuktu is also in Mali and one of our least favorite places we have travelled to because of all of the rip off artists and scammers. You can sandboard some of the dunes there though they are nowhere near as large or good as those in Morocco and Namibia. The sands of the Sahara blow through it constantly causing the locals to say that "the second most popular spice in Timbuktu food is sand".

Best Time to Go to Mali: December to February in the cooler winter months, though the "re-mudding" of the mosque in the spring is great.

How Long to Stay in Mali: It is a rich place so stay at least 6-10 days.

General Costs for Mali: Medium to high because there is not much travel infrastructure

What To Do in Mali: Visit the Dogon villages for 3-4 days, Djenne Mosque area for 2 days, River life and the market in Mopti
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes - Both the Dogon and Djenne Mosque are listed
Weather in Mali: Very Hot!
Language: French officially, but most speak several of the 20 local African languages

#15 Coolest Place - Tsechu Festivals of Bhutan

Twice each year, Bhutan's largest cities, Paro and Thimpu, have a Tsechu or festival that is as colorful and cool as any in the world. The Paro Tsechu and Thimphu Tsechus are the biggest and probably most spectacular of the many Buddhist festivals in the tiny country of Bhutan.

People throughout the country flock to these cities to receive Buddhist blessings and to watch the many very colorful mask dances that occur over the 3 day festivals. Both monks and lay people perform in the festival dances which tell the story of Buddha’s life and the triumph of good over evil.


Bhutan is one of those great out of the way places where you are constantly and happily surprised. They only allow 21,000 people to visit the country each year so the experience is intimate and there are few westerners outside of the large festivals. There is only one traffic light in entire country and its is said they exaggerated their population to 1M so they could get into the United Nations.

The king measures his success, not on some financial metric, but on the Gross National Happiness of his people. There is a national dress code of essentially high end plaid robes worn with black socks and black wingtip shoes. It looks much better than it sounds and is one of the many things that make this country so unique.


Archery is the national sport and cities compete against each other shooting arrows 300 feet into a target that is 1 foot wide. Periodically a spectator gets hit but the games go on. The archer is wearing one of the robes that is part of the national dress code.


Young monks watch the mask dancers from their monastery that overlooks the festival grounds.

A jester beats the drum, and plays jokes to make the audience laugh between dances.

You can not forget that they are at the base of the Himalayas and the views, nature and trekking are world class. Tiger's Nest in the Paro Valley, is a Buddhist Temple originally built in 1692, and is on the side of a cliff on a mountain peak and should not be missed.

Best Time to Go to Bhutan: March/April for the Paro Tsechu and September for Thimphu Tsechu
How Long to Stay in Bhutan: 7-10 days
General Costs for Bhutan: High to very high - they have no independent tourism so you must have a guide and driver. The average cost per day is at least $300-450.
What To Do in Bhutan: Tsechu festivals, hiking in pristine alpine forests, exploring Buddhist monasteries, archery contests, buying great antiques in the cities of Paro and Thimphu.
UNESCO World Heritage Site? Applied for in 2003
Weather in Bhutan: Cooler to cold, alpine-like because of proximity to Himalayas
Language: Bhutanese

#14 Coolest Place - Burning Man Festival, USA

Every Labor Day week, 40-50,000 people create a fully functioning city in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. It is dedicated to radical self-expression and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace. It is nothing short of amazing and may be the greatest live visual event I have seen. Photographers call this a "shooting gallery" as it is almost impossible not to get great photo after great photo.

Most participants spend the year designing a costume that will make people laugh or seriously entertain them... like the man with light bulb suit above.

During the week, a huge temple is built and vistors post wishes, thoughts and prayers for those who have passed. It is burned to the ground Saturday night as a catharsis (above). Many people leave after the temple burn in the middle of the night after the five hour wait to exit. It's not usually a good idea as there were a dozen cars flipped upside down after they went off the high road in the dark, and only becoming visible the next morning.


All art sculptures are climb-able.

A few friends relax under a green-lit art tree before the Burning Man was burned.

One of many large art installations.

Thousands of people and art cars lit the night just before the burn of the gigantic oil derrick. Burning Man is like being on a five mile wide set of the strangest and coolest movie.

The 250 foot tall oil derrick gets burned as part of a protest against Big Oil.

When To Go: Labor Day weekend or preferably the full week, in early September or late August annually.

Time To Spend Here: 3-7 days - Note you will be camping and need to remove all garbage and anything you bring.

What To Do: Party late into the night at the dozens of giant discos and clubs, get hooked up with a crew and art car and drive all over the central playa checking out events late night, attend all of the Burns nightly, sleep late and explore the thousands of camps, hangout at Center camp, and take a lot of photos...

General Cost: About $250 plus food and vehicle - You must bring all of your own food and water.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: No

Weather: Very hot, very windy with daily sandstorms

#13 Coolest Place - Shuar Indians in the Amazon, Ecuador

The camp in Miazal, Ecuador is a hardcore Amazon experience with shamen performing rituals, white water rafting in dugout canoes, learning to shoot blowguns, and plenty of jungle time. One of the high points is the three hour hike through heavy jungle to their sacred waterfalls. You can touch both hot and cold running waterfalls, just five feet apart, coming at you like a fire hose. The entire area is bright orange from all of the iron in the water and Shuar say this has healing properties.

The Shuar were also the inventors of head shrinking, but they no longer practice the ritual. In the past, if a Shuar man wanted to marry a woman, he would go to the father of the woman and ask permission. The father would only approve when the man killed an enemy and brought back his severed head. They would remove the skull from the flesh and sew it back up, also sewing the eyes and mouth shut to prevent bad spirits from exiting. After repeatedly filling the the head with hot sand and smoking it over a fire, it became the size of tennis ball.


It takes 3 planes to get to this remote area of the Amazon where the Shuar live, and the last plane lands on a slippery mud runway. Sitting in the copilot seat, I watched as mud flew up on the windshield and the plane fishtailed, thinking this is more like riding on a sled. Shortly after landing, we were hit by a flash flood with water that went up to our chests within 10 minutes. Then we got in dugout canoe riding an inch above the water on and Amazon feeder river and manged not to sink arriving at camp to a smoking fire and comfortable hammocks. The first hour in Miazal, lets you know this is not going to be the usual adventure.

Best Time to Visit: It's on the equator so its always hot and humid year round
How Long to Stay: 3-6 days to get the full effect
General Costs: Moderate to expensive
What To Do: Visit sacred waterfalls, learn the Shuar culture, hike to other villages and the hot and cold waterfalls, have a shaman perform rituals diagnosing what is wrong with you.
UNESCO World Heritage Site? No

#12 Coolest Place - Sahara Desert, Niger

In many places in Europe, it is considered a rite of passage to tour the Sahara Desert by four wheel drive vehicle, at some point in your life. Travelers love the Sahara Desert because of the exhilaration of being surrounded by so much sand and dunes, the fact that it's one the true adventures left in the world, and the direct experience and history of the little known people who lived here thousands of years ago, as well as the exotic peoples that live there today. Couple this with beautiful desert sunrises above hundred foot dunes and having dinners bonding and camping out with Touareg guides each night - it makes for a world class and unique travel experience.

The Sahara Desert is the largest, driest, and hottest on earth - we regularly experienced 120 degree temperatures but you do generally get used to it. This is far different than its history however - it was once a green, wet oasis teaming with life 4,000-10,000 thousand years ago. Those people left thousands of rock carvings telling an almost photographic history of this place that now gets less than one inch of rain each year.

(above) The hundreds of miles of Sahara dunes meet the Air Mountains in the Tenere area of the desert.

The DaBous Giraffes (above) are in Northern Niger near Arlit - home of the infamous Uranium mines. The giraffe rock carving is over 8,000 years old and viewed as one of the best in the world. The carving shows an adult giraffe with a leash on its nose and juvenile giraffe behind. It was found in 1998 by nomadic Touaregs on the top of a 50 foot black granite hill. Scientists estimate it took at least eight years to carve it.

It was from a very different time in the Sahara then where it was green and there were giraffes, elephants, rhinoceros, gazelles, and dozens of other long extinct animals - and there are thousands of rock carvings in Northern Niger and Southern Algeria show it.

These carvings of "Libyan Warriors" were made about 2,500 years ago by a pastoralist people that raised cattle. There is Tomacheck graffiti that is hundreds of years old to the right of it.

A Touareg man stops with his camel at a small lake on the road to Agadez.

A Saharan oasis is located near the northeastern Air Mountains in north central Niger.

The ancient Saharan salt caravan town of Agadez is beautiful, safe and exotic (above). Visit the 600 year old, mud brick Agadez Mosque (center) and plan your trip from here with the local Touaregs. The hand made silver jewelry in Agadez is among the best in the world. And don't forget about going to Niger in September for Cure Salee and the Wodaabe Gerewol festival (#8 Coolest Place).

Please Please note that there has been a rebellion going on in the Agadez/Touareg areas for several years so plan accordingly. We understand it may be coming to a close shortly though. Great Saharan tours can be done in Mali, southern Morocco, southern Algeria and southern Libya as well, though Chad should be avoided for safety reasons.

Best Time to Visit: November to February (during the cooler winter)
How Long to Stay: 7-10 days and use Agadez as your base
General Costs: Low cost by yourself but that can be dangerous, Medium cost with Touareg guides and trucks
What To Do: Visit Agadez, Touareg culture, ancient rock art desert tours, camping in desert

UNESCO World Heritage Site? Yes