On the morning of my third day in the Cordilleras, I jolted awake and rolled over to look out the window. Had I dreamed how beautiful it was? The view that answered me back assured me it was very much reality. Despite, or perhaps even partly because of, the total isolation from the outside world, I…
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Hiking
18 May '13
16 May '13
Getting to Batad is not for the faint-hearted. This remote Filipino village, famed for having arguably the most beautiful rice terraces in the world, is not accessible by motorized vehicle. First, you get to Banaue, a remove village in Northern Luzon, accessible by bus from Manila. Then, you set out towards Batad, and go as far…
24 Jan '13
Somehow, Hawaii had brought out the hiker in me. I think in Kauai I finally realized why my childhood in Upstate New York never inspired the hobby to take hold: there is simply nowhere in the Northeast United States that looks like the Kalalau Trail. The full Kalalau Trail is eleven miles one way along the…
14 Jan '13
Deep in the heart of a Jurassic Park-like jungle, you will find the 2,250 foot ‘Iao Needle, famous for gracing postcards all over Maui. On Mondays, you will also find a roaming pack of Banana Bungalow travelers enjoying their free hiking tour to the valley. Unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out for me to join the…
When I saw that my time at the Banana Bungalow would include a Saturday, the day of their famous Haleakala hiking trip, I briefly considered changing my dates. Yes, it’s true, I’ve become somewhat of a hiker lately, but this was another beast entirely. And while obviously the free tours aren’t mandatory, there’s no way I…
20 Nov '12
28 Jun '11
For those of you who haven’t spent the last 20 days memorizing the Scotland Lonely Planet 11th Edition, Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in all of Great Britain at 4,409 feet above sea level. It attracts approximately 100,000 insane people outdoor enthusiasts each year who joyfully lace up their hiking boots and sail up the…