Month: February 2023

Explore Grand Canyon National Park

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Explore Grand Canyon National Park

About Grand Canyon National Park

Vast and cinematic, this famed national park is an absolute showstopper, with bands of red rocks and carved canyon walls as far as the eye can see. No wonder it draws millions of visitors every year. But if you want solo time in nature, you’re in luck. The window of December to February gets only a sliver of summer’s peak crowds. Yes, it’s cold—highs tend to hover around 45 degrees—but this season has its own attractions, like seeing the Canyon’s walls dusted in snow. South Rim trails also stay open for the most part. One good bet: The Hermit Trail tends to stay relatively snow- and ice-free because of its lower elevation and sunlight exposure. Need another reason to come? January is also when the park’s historic photo studio, Kolb Studio, has its art exhibition and sale.

Places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences

that define Grand Canyon National Park

Find Out More

Fiji

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If you’ve got to choose just one place, it may as well be paradise, right? But it’s the locals that really make Fiji, excelling themselves at being friendly. Plus, it can be pretty cheap once you get there, and the sun is usually shining. Sounds awful…

From the moment you arrive in Fiji, you’re made to feel at home. The traditional Fijian welcome song, Bula Maleya, is likely to welcome you everywhere you go, and you may find yourself invited to a traditional welcome ceremony. The ceremony centres around sharing the local drink, kava – just take it easy, it’s potent!

Having travelled so far, it might seem a shame not to live like island royalty and splash out on, say… a villa on a private island? There’s no need, though. Poolside studio apartments only 10 minutes’ walk from the beach go for as little as £29 per night on the main island. A bit more seclusion comes even cheaper, with cottages by the ocean on stunning Matacawalevu Island starting at £26 per night.

Hostelling and home stays cost next to nothing, and then you have the added bonus that your hosts might also offer you home-cooked meals. As a general rule, it’s cheapest to eat in larger towns as opposed to resort areas. What you might not have guessed is that the local catch of the day might catch you off guard when you get the bill, while eating at an Indian restaurant can set you back less than £5.

Every little helps when you’ve got to save those pennies for a sunset coconut and local rum…

Pyramids in Brazil

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Pyramid in Brazil

Pre-dating even the pyramids in Egypt, Brazil’s pyramids are considered the oldest in the world, having been built around 3,000 BCE. These ones are a lot more mysterious than their African counterparts, though, with no written records of their construction in existence.

The pyramid near Jaguaruna in Santa Catarina State is one of the last remaining in Brazil. It stands 100 ft tall (though researchers think it may have once been much taller) and has a base covering an impressive 25 acres. However, archaeologists reckon there were once thousands of pyramids built along the Atlantic coast of southern Brazil.

And why along the coast? Well, that’s because these pyramids were made using only seashells. As a result, many have been mistaken for rubbish heaps over the years and destroyed to make way for development.

Brazil’s pyramids were built over the course of decades, or even centuries, and appear to have been used for burials and other religious purposes, just like the ones found in Egypt. However, more like the pyramids found in other parts of the Americas, structures were built on top of them.

Montana

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The town of West Yellowstone just over state lines is a great base for National Park adventures. Plus, it’s the only place you’d actually want to run into a grizzly bear. When it comes to Montana’s big moments in history, The Battle of the Little Bighorn might sound familiar, aka Custer’s Last Stand (not Custard, as some of us may have thought as children). Today you can visit a monument to the battle near Crow Agency, Montana, taking in the beautiful sculptures and gravestones dedicated to the men and women who died there.

The Crow fair is another important stop during August, when the hills surrounding the Little Bighorn River are turned into the “teepee capital of the world.” Members of the public are welcome to witness the parades, rodeos and dance competitions celebrating tribe culture. Ya·qawiswit̓xuki—or Glacier National Park as it’s known in English—is your next stop. It was formerly a homeland of the Kootenai people, but years of development and global warming have changed the landscape greatly. Visiting is allowed, just take time to be respectful of the land and learn about the local history before you go. The glaciers are receding more each year, but a day hike in Many Glacier Valley can still provide you epic views of Grinnell Glacier and Salamander Glacier. If you’re pushed for time, plan ahead for a drive along the infamous Going-To-The-Sun Road and keep your eyes peeled for the Jackson Glacier Overlook sign. Bring binoculars for the big reveal!
The Kootenai and Salish Tribes are also responsible for something wholly unexpected in the area—The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas. You’ll be transported straight to Tibet, surrounded by colourful prayer flags, a shrine to Yum Chenmo, and—as you may have guessed—one thousand statues of Buddha