Cam Honan posted his adventure on the Hornstrandir Peninsula – Iceland’s most remote wilderness region.
Located in the rugged Westfjords, this pristine nature reserve has no roads, no permanent residents (at least of the bipedal variety), and is accessible only by boat during the summer.
While it may not be the easiest place to reach, those who make the journey are rewarded with a magical landscape of dramatic sea cliffs, lonely peaks, and primeval tundra.
The flora and fauna is equally impressive, with an exceptional variety of plant life, along with vast seabird colonies and an abundance of arctic foxes. It’s one of my favourite places in Iceland—and considering the strength of the competition, that’s saying quite a bit!
Distance: Approx. 120 km (75 mi) (including side trips)
This is where Mary Leakey worked for decades. Olduvai Gorge. Hominin fossils more than 3.75 million years old.
The Maasai still live in the highlands here, though they are no longer in the caldera nor in the National Parks. Maasai herds can be as impressive as the wild animals.
Kids as young as age-4 are sometimes given responsibility to watch them.
I hadn’t realized how many Impala and similar antelopes roam these grasslands.
We camped in Serengeti.
Simple canvas tents. I used my own sleeping bag and air mattress.
During a 2am pee break, here’s how the sky looked to my iPhone 16 Pro.
We awoke to heavy rain. It seems the “long rains” from March to May have just begun.
Early start dropping down into the crater.
Predators were still working on their kills from the previous night. It seems young zebra are the dinner of choice for most.
These hyenas were almost finished with their kill. A jackal was sneaking in to get quick bites, when it could.
Why did the Wildebeest cross the road.
Animals migrate for grazing and water sources. Predators follow.
There was plenty of water in the crater while we were there. Flamingos a highlight.
Water birds of all species eat well here.
Everyone enjoys the safari experience.
Needing to drop off 2 of our group of 5, we drove all the way back to the Mosquito River hotel. This means I actually spent 2 of the 4 nights in a comfortable hotel, even though I’d signed up for camping. 😀
Last day we had only 2 of our original five signed on for the 5th day.
Manyara was better than expected. A small, well-maintained park alongside a muddy Lake.
We’d not seen many baboons nor monkeys over the previous 4 days. Made up for it here. We saw thousands of entertaining baboons playing, fighting, chasing, grooming.
Plenty of Blue monkeys. And Blackface (Vervet) monkeys, as well. The different species seem to cooperate well.
Back to the hotel for one last lunch from Tony.
His best yet.
And then the 3 hour drive back to Arusha. Our safari ended.
TIPS
It’s confusing to decide on which company to go with. Certainly you’ll be in the same Toyota LandCruiser, on the same bumpy roads, seeing exactly the same animals with most.
The only one that caught my eye for the camping option is Suricata Safaris.
Prices go way up from $200 / day depending on where you sleep each night. Luxury lodges are available. Budget about 10% for tips. And about 10% for unexpected charges.
Private bookings are more expensive, as well.
Though I did 5 days, 4 nights — optimal, I’m thinking, is 4 days, 3 nights. You’ll probably miss Lake Manyara National Park if you do this.
My iPhone 16 Pro was perfect for climbing Kilimanjaro. But it’s a frustrating, crappy option for safari. I constantly wanted more optical zoom. Bring an excellent camera on a short tripod, if you can. Also binoculars.
My only other safari was Addo Elephant Park, South Africa, in 2013. Excellent. My guide provided a checklist of animals and birds we might see ➙ and it was super fun to fill that checklist during the day. I wished I had something similar here.
Power failures are a near daily occurrence in Tanzania. Bring power banks to recharge your electronic devices.
Wifi is slow and inconsistent here. Best get phone data which works quite well.
Many tourists are over-charged. Some cheated. We had a driver for a day who claimed I had shortchanged him $40. I hadn’t. But rather than argue I gave him an extra $20 — and reported to his employer.
Worst story I heard in person was a tourist landing in Zanzibar at 3am who was stopped by two supposed police. They took his passport. Two hours later he bribed them $200 to get his passport back.
Most of the worst stories I heard were in Zanzibar.
BEST is to have transportation from airports arranged in advance with your accommodation.
Second best is to download the ride sharing Bolt app. It worked well for me.
Arguing with taxi drivers is the worst option.
Intercity buses can be OK — but driving is slow in East Africa. Short flights a better option.
We had 22 hikers. 18 of us made both summits. That’s about typical for the Machame Route. It went well for me. My 3 weeks training & acclimatizing in Ecuador prior to this trip was a good idea.
Kili Summit Ridge
Age & fitness matter much less than the ability to acclimatize to altitude.
It took me 68-years to finally get to Kilimanjaro. The eldest my African guide got to the summit was 79.
We had another in our group age-66.
Truly impressive is one of our assistant guides who’s been to the summit over 200 times over 31 years. He’s age 64.
Here we are — clean & keen — at the start of the 7 day adventure.
In fact, it was a party from the start as many who had hiked with Eric in the past joined for Kili. I was simply an addition to a large group, many who knew one another. This is a very social adventure ➙ shared suffering.
Eric was our American guide. Freddy our African guide. Both responsible for keeping us safe. It was these two who’d make the decision whether or not you were healthy enough to keep climbing.
Those who decided to go down were unable to acclimatize quickly enough. We had daily blood oxygen tests.
Three decided to walk out. One took a helicopter, hoping she will recoup the $4100 cost through insurance.
New to me on a trail was the singing and dancing. Non-stop. To the top.
Oddly, all 7 days we had the same weather. Some sort of micro-climate.
Morning clear. Sunny to start the hiking day. Snow, sleet, and hail in the early afternoon. Clearing by dinner time. Clear skies at night. Kili summit clear at dawn.
We added and removed layers non-stop during the day.
Each day we spent some time hiking through clouds.
We mostly had clear skies at night. The iPhone 16 Pro is terrific at night photography on a tripod.
I’d paid a little extra to have a tent to myself. It was fairly comfortable — though many of our tent sites were far from level. 😀
We were happy to see two kinds of monkeys. But both were at lower slopes, close to the start and finishing gates.
Blue Monkey.Black-and-white Colobus.
Baboons and velvet monkeys have been spotted, but rarely.
This bird took a dump in my backpack. 😀
Vegetation was much more interesting as we climbed through so many different ecological zones.
I do love thistles.
We had great views over to nearby Meru volcano. When you see hikers posed like this, you know they are searching for line-of-sight mobile phone reception. 😀
The Machame Route was crowded when I was there. We often had long lines of hikers & porters.
Camps are crowded and littered.
Personally, I felt the portable toilets provided weren’t great. I preferred squatting over a hole in the concrete in the permanent toilet buildings.
Hygiene is not top of mind for any of the guiding companies. In particular, I was surprised alcohol gel was not constantly provided.
That said, nobody in my group got sick from water or food.
CRUX of Kilimanjaro is summit night. One of the toughest hiking days any of us could recall. I felt perfect. No pain. No problems … when starting.
Wake at midnight. Hot drinks 12:30pm. Start up at 1am.
It was a slow, cold trudge until dawn.
We had an ideal view of the changing light.
Way above the clouds.
We finally reached the first summit peak. And on perhaps another 35 minutes to the highest peak.
I took a LOT of photos and video up there. Most impressive were the odd, receding glaciers.
That was the FUN part.
Guides hustled us down as quickly as possible to avoid altitude sickness. We climbed down 8000 feet, not getting into low camp until 6pm or so. I ascended & descended for 16 hours, grabbing 1 hour sleep around noon.
Sore knees. Sore toes. And cramping quads.
Highlight?
Most would agree that the porters, guides, and staff were the most impressive takeaway from this adventure. We probably had over 100 staff taking care of us over the week. And these folks will do positively anything you request.
Back at the hotel, we celebrated with alcohol and devoured a full roast goat. Delicious.
A hiker died on Kilimanjaro while I was there. Reported heart attack.
On December 24, 2025, a rescue helicopter crashed, killing all 5 people on board. Two were hikers being evacuated.
10–20 deaths annually out of 30,000+ climbers.
I wrongly thought Kilimanjaro would be easy for me. It wasn’t.
The Quilotoa Loop, climbing to a 3-kilometre (2 mi)-wide volcanic caldera, is the most famous multi-day hike in Ecuador.
34.8km
2,480m elevation gain
4 days, 3 nights
It’s essential that you be acclimatized for altitude before climbing with a full pack. I’d been in Ecuador over 2 weeks before starting, most of that time above 3000m.
Quilotoa Crater Rim
In 2026 almost every hiker I met was using the AllTrails app offline to find their way. Our back-up was the Maps.me app offline which includes more trails, more options.
Despite those apps, we all managed to miss multiple side trail turn-offs every day. 😀
Most hostels cost about $20 for a private room including a complete breakfast and dinner. Hot or warm showers. Good wifi. Jacuzzi and sauna extra charge. A fantastic bargain.
Though I carried a tent as emergency back-up, there’s no way I was going to use it with so many great, inexpensive hostels available.
Weather is a huge factor. I hiked in early February, one of the best months. But had rain almost every afternoon. The rule here is to do as much hiking as possible early in the day.
Farm dogs tend to bark at strangers. At times you must pretend to throw something at them to dissuade.
Typical 3-Day Itinerary (Sigchos to Quilotoa)
Most hikers prefer this direction to save thecrater lakefor the end and to acclimatize more gradually.
Sigchos (2850m) to Isinliví (2950m).
Distance: ~9.9 km (6.1 miles)
Time: 4–7 hours
Details: This is the easiest day, involving a descent into the Toachi Canyon and then an ascent to Isinlivi. The trail goes through lush farmland and past small communities.
Isinlivi to Chugchilán (3200m)
Distance: ~11.8 km (7.3 miles)
Time: 4–8 hours
Details: A harder day with two major climbs and a suspension bridge crossing at the bottom of the valley. The hike takes you through more dramatic canyon landscapes.
Chugchilán to Quilotoa (3800m)
Distance: ~13.2 km (8.2 miles)
Time: 5–9 hours
Details: The most challenging day due to the significant elevation gain at high altitude. The trail gradually climbs up to the rim of the Quilotoa crater, offering stunning views of the lake at the finish.
Once at Quilotoa village, most hikers catch a bus back to Latacunga. I stayed overnight in the village to be able to complete the additional 10.8km Quilotoa Crater Circuit next morning. Not easy. That’s an extra 795m elevation gain.
Day 1
I stayed one night in Latacunga, gateway city to the Quilotoa Loop. Hostal Café Tiana was excellent. I opted to carry ALL my gear rather than leave anything behind at the hostel.
Next morning caught the bus toSigchos. And began the walk to Isinliví.
I was enjoying Llullu Llama Mountain Lodge — so didn’t start walking until 11am. Not smart. You should get going as early as possible each day.
As we’d all missed many small trail turn-offs the day before, this time I opened the AllTrails app on my Apple Watch. In general, the green means you’ll be turning in that direction. It did help. I missed fewer turns. BUT this does kill the watch battery quickly.
Screenshot
Day 2 was tougher and wetter.
I saw few hikers each day as we were all walking the same direction. BUT was never lonely. Domestic animals are everywhere on this trail.
The sun was out for several hours. Dangerous near the equator. It’s easy to sunburn. I should have covered-up up better.
Sunburn victim.
Peanut butter for lunch on the bridge.
As is typical of the weather here, rain began in the early afternoon. My phone ran out of juice and would not be recharged by portable battery because the cable was wet. My Apple Watch died.
Without electronic navigation, I could really have gotten lost.
Even worst, the last part of day 2 has multiple possible routes. I ended up on one which was stunning, but more difficult. Somehow I still made it to Chugchilán, a larger town. We stayed at the Cloud Forest which featured a Sauna.
Day 3
Having learned my lesson, I started early.
As elevation increases, I had more cloud.
Hikers debate which is tougher ➙ day 2 or day 3. Both are challenging.
My fingers were bleeding at least 3 times. Some of the vegetation is thorny.
There are some astonishing valley vistas this day.
Vegetation does change with elevation.
Rush hour.
Celebration time when finally reaching the crater ridge.
From this point, it’s still about an hour’s walk to Quiloto village, a 100% tourist trap.
I was happy we decided to stay at Runa Wasi hostel. Classy, friendly accommodation.
By the end of day 3 you’ve gotten to know hikers on the same schedule. Celebration time.
Great food, as well.
Day 4
Breakfast as quick as possible ➙ then off while the weather was good.
The 10.8km Quilotoa Crater Circuit next morning took me 4-5 hours. An extra 795m elevation gain with MANY photo & video stops.
Quilotoa village.
After 3 days with a heavy load, I decided to chug a litre of water. Then speed hike the Circuit with no day pack.
There are a number of viewpoints. This one with the glass floor the most impressive.
I’d decided to turn right from the village as this was considered the more difficult part. And I wanted to do it first in case of rain later. There is some scrambling.
There are some random llamas on the rim. Village children ask $1 if you want to take a photo.
With no day pack, I made good time.
Weather excellent this morning. Though quite windy.
Good views of snow-capped volcanoes Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.
For me, this was the best hiking day.
You could drive or bus up to Quilotoa village and just do this Circuit.
I caught the bus back to Latacunga. And connected to Quito.
There are plenty of walking options. I found the unsigned trail heading towards “Palm Oasis” using AllTrails offline.
There’s a nice picnic area near the start. No dogs allowed past this point.
All of the hiking in this area is good. But there are very few birds, reptiles, animals, or insects.
When it got dark, I looked for a sandy spot to set up my tent with a view over the town.
A very quiet night.
I used the iPhone 16 Pro Night Mode in RAW (ProRAW) for enhanced low-light detail. This sky photo looks much better than what I could see with the naked eye.
Dawn next morning woke me.
It was bright by 6am.
Early Sunday morning, hikers passed before 7am. Followed soon after by trail runners. This is a good trail to get some vertical. 708m elevation gain if you do the entire 15km return.
I climbed a little higher — then headed down for breakfast and coffee.
El Camino de Costa Rica is a breathtaking 280 km / 174 mile hike from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, which is no easy feat even for the most experienced hikers.
While it can be intimidating to take on this type of adventure, there are so many incredible things to see and do while trekking this route, from tropical beaches and dense trails to mountain villages and indigenous communities.
Not expecting these little guys — about 45 cm (18 inches) and 2 kg (4.4 lb) — my first thought seeing them in the foliage is that they were GIANT RATS. 😀
You can hike a multitude of trails at MacRitchie ➙ or go kayak / canoeing.
More than 10,000 species of flora are spread over its 82 hectares (200 acres) area, which is stretched vertically; the longest distance between the northern and southern ends is 2.5 km (1.6 mi).
The Botanic Gardens receives about 4.5 million visitors annually. …
The National Orchid Garden is the main attraction within the Botanic Gardens. Located on the mid-western side of the Garden, the hilly three-hectare site has a collection of more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of orchids. …
The park is free. But there is an extra admission cost for the Orchard Garden.
It’s Singapore, so everything is done with quality.
Desert Landscape
You’ll see many different birds. Chickens. But the most interesting for me are the many Monitor Lizards. Mostly carnivorous. Growing to a length of 1 – 1.5m.
Vowed to return to the beaches on the Cape Scott Trail. One day. The best part of the North Coast Trail.
In 2025 I waited for good weather. And headed back to this paradise.
The worst part of this adventure is the 60km drive in on a gravel road. Bring a good vehicle.
Highlights for many in this remote N.W. corner of Vancouver Island is wildlife. Especially bears and the quickly evolving coastal wolves.
The trail itself is super interesting. Plenty of boardwalk.
Some of the old growth trees were cut in the past. But there’s still plenty of fascinating greenery.
First stop is fantastic San Josef Bay (3-4km from the parking lot).
stunned at the magical scenery 😀
From there, I continued on to the biggest and best beach of all ➙ Nels Bight.
There are a couple of campsites on the way with platforms.
Continue to Nels if you have the time and energy.
This was close to where I camped in 2012.
Sunset was fantastic on the west coast.
Here’s the view from my tent.
No photo editing.
Pit toilets are decent.
Be sure to lock up all your food on arrival as bear sightings are almost guaranteed. (I saw only 1 bear next morning. Unlucky. Everyone else saw more.)
Weather on awakening was far more typical. Overcast with fog.
It can be very muddy. Bring good footwear.
On the return to the parking lot, I stopped to read signboards and visit the historical sites.
From 1896-1907 approximately 100 Danish settlers attempted to establish a self-governing farming and fishing community. It was extremely difficult.
A 7-foot-high dyke built to protect these flatlands was wiped out the 1st year.
Later, the government offered incentives to all. By 1912 more than 600 people were homesteading in the Cape Scott area. By 1917 most of the settlers had left the area, leaving behind whatever they could not easily pack out, including farm tools, buildings, stoves, machinery, and vehicles.
Walking out seemed to go more quickly than walking in. That often happens to me on out and back hikes.
Always a pleasure to hike temperate rain forest.
I do hope I get back to the beaches at least once more in this lifetime. 😀
2025
2012
Surprisingly, I saw not one wolf in two days. I’d seen plenty in 2012.
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