When you go into the Anavilhanas National Park, we pass countless tiny islands and mangroves, where white-sand beaches emerge during the dry season. At this point, the Rio Negro reaches 27 km across and looks almost like an open sea. Nearly 400 islands are scattered along 90 km, forming the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. The flow is immense, and take note: the river is around 300 metres deep!
In a remote corner north of Tanzania rises an amazing mountain called Ol Doinyo Lengai, where the lava fountains harden in the air and then fragment like glass.
In the language Maasai means Mountain of God and is close to the Lake Natron and is part of the volcanic system of Great Rift Valley. The volcano lies in a section of the fault zone known as Sikes Grid. It is one of the most unusual volcanoes, being the only one to erupt natrocarbonatite lava. Unlike other lavas, these are rich in calcium, sodium and carbon dioxide, giving these eruptions some extraordinary properties.
The Lake Issyk-Köl (Ysyk-Köl, Issyk-Kul) is the second largest alpine lake in the world after the Lake Titicaca in South America. The name, which means “hot lake”, is something of an exaggeration. A combination of great depth, thermal activity and mild salinity ensures that the lake never freezes, even in the harsh winters of Central Asia, despite being at an altitude of more than 1600 m.
The lake's origins are unknown, but the existence of a city built in the 5th century BC, submerged by flooding caused by an earthquake in the 16th century, has been demonstrated. Underwater expeditions over the years have found coins from that period.
They say there are two ways to get to know a country, or perhaps the world: travel through it or read about it. Or both. Peru has wonderful places such as Cuzco, Abancay, the beaches of the north or Arequipa.
Albania, a country that until the 1990s turned its back on Europe under the threat of an invasion that never came. Now it is moving swiftly towards the future. South of Tirana discover Albania’s monuments and history. Ancient villages of Ottoman origin, well preserved and declared World Heritage by the UNESCO . Citadels, archaeological sites and ancient historic centres delight history and architecture enthusiasts.
Would you like to discover Albania? We have departures in September and October, as well as a special 10-day New Year trip.