Whole Travel Blog

Each year, from May through October, you’re bound to find a few brave souls heading out to India for some spectacular trekking. Darjeeling is a region in the far east of India with amazing natural beauty. At an altitude of 8,500 m (28,000 ft), the Darjeelings are the highest mountains in India. Buddhist monasteries and tea plantations dot the landscape as you hike through dense alpine trees, beautiful orchids, natural lakes, and remote trails. A day’s hike up Tiger Hill provides a panoramic view of Mt Everest.

Sunrise at Tiger Hill, Darjeeling

If you’re looking for a softer adventure, you can visit the Kalmatia Sangam Himalaya Resort, a year-round tourism destination that offers low-altitude trekking in the winter and higher-level excursions during the spring, summer and autumn months.

Over at my blog this morning (every Friday I write about some environmental topic), I wrote about some observations I made of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts over the past month, regarding their practices out in the woods. I tried to pay attention to ways people were leaving trash behind without realizing it, in the hopes that I could help people pay closer attention to their practices. Whether you are a rock climber, hiker, or on vacation and enjoying the nature around your eco-lodge, these things can help you I believe. Read my climbing and hiking conservation tips on my posting and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

When thinking about Beijing, images of the recent Olympics, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall come to mind. However, there’s a completely different kind of China to discover on the outskirts of Beijing.

This week’s New York Times Travel section explores the hiking opportunities that abound in the lush, mountainous regions surrounding Beijing and declares fall the perfect time to visit. Read more about it here.

Want to go mountain trekking but don’t want to carry your own gear and supplies? Try trekking with llamas, aka “llamaneering,” where these social and gentle creatures carry the weight for you.

And because llamas are not only relatively light animals, therefore not trampling or harming surrounding vegetation, but also light eaters, only eating what is available, they are considered “environmentally friendly.”

Jackson Hole Llamas offers several llamaneering options ranging from 2 to 5 days.

Taiwan's "Peculiar Peak" - Mt. Dabajian

More than 200 summits over 3,000 meters (10,000 ft.) in elevation, world-class mountaineering & rock climbing, thousands of kilometers of alpine trekking, lush evergreen forests, breathtaking valleys – an amalgamation of features that describe the likes of the Canadian Rockies or the French Alps, right? True, but what if I told you that you can find all this and more in… deep breath… Taiwan!?!? That’s right, Taiwan! Often noted for its extreme population density in urban areas and progressive architectural escapades, Taiwan also boasts an unbelievably gorgeous countryside that would leave any outdoor enthusiast foaming at the Nalgene. From the “rooftop of Taiwan,” Mt. Yushan (3,952m) – Northeast Asia’s highest peak – to the Sea of Clouds in the Central Mountain Range, Taiwan has a diverse expanse of rich terrain and stunning vistas. So… When you’re planning your next open-air adventure, take a gander at what Taiwan has to offer – you’ll be amazed!

For more information on the titillating Taiwanese terrain, check out the following links!

Taiwan’s National Scenic Areas & Parks
Taiwan Tourism Bureau