What’s your favorite trip? - first up "Nature"

We get that question a lot. Wow you have done so many cool things, but what was your favorite trip? The answer? It depends. We have lots of favorite experiences across the trips that we have taken so its impossible to say which is our favorite trip. We can share some of our favorite experiences (some on this site and some to come). We decided that the best way to share was to break our experiences down by type and post them as a series rather than try to cram them all into one (really long post). Up first - Nature.

Back to nature

Nature is first because its central to our passion for travel and for our lives. We share the planet and often forget that we have a duty to our neighbors. We have been privileged to visit wildlife in their homes which has given us an even better understanding of that duty. Some of the moments that moved us the most follow.

Orangutan trekking in Borneo and Sumatra

• Meeting orangutans in the jungle and seeing that they were as curious about us as we were about them. We share 97% of our chromosomes and imagine that they are happy to have that 3% all to themselves. Check it out here

Safari in South Africa

• Multiple experiences here and all were terrific. We have had the opportunity to self drive through Kruger National Park which has led to some wonderful “just us” moments and have also had the chance to go on guided safaris with small groups. Both approaches are magical. Can’t go wrong. Quick additional note on guided safaris. You can spend a fortune (if you want), but you don't have to. We did it for less than you might think. Remember the lions don't care that your dinner table was covered in linen. Check out our trips here and here

Shark cage diving in South Africa

• Great whites! We visited Shark Alley and it did not disappoint. We were lucky to encounter 5 great whites which we understand is very unusual. The first was a medium sized 18 footer. Watching as they swim out of the murk mouth open with rows of huge teeth while in the shark cage is a memory that stays with you. This was part of our first trip to Africa so we will repeat the link here.

Tortoise encounters – the Galapagos Islands

• Gentle giants that roam slowly across the land. Marvelous to watch as they go about their lives. We did get to see two tortoises fight (no harm done to either). It was the slowest fight we have ever seen. The tortoise tends to be the first thing that people think of but there is far more to enjoy on the Galapagos. We had a never to be forgotten moment with a young blue footed boobie that was delightful. Check out our trip here.

Hippos in Isimangaliso – South Africa

• Go at sunset. They get far more active as the day closes. We visited the hippos while on a flat bottom boat that cruised through the wetlands. Note, hippos are a bit nuts and are the most dangerous animals in South Africa, but the babies are adorable. If you stay in St. Lucia (the town closest to Isimangaliso) just remember the hippos like to walk around the town at night, so give them lots of space. This was part of our second trip to South Africa and we repeat the link here.

Buffalo herds – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

• Great shaggy beasts that gather is huge herds, but you really don’t want to get them angry as you then get a hundreds of pounds of mad with pointy horns running at thirty miles an hour. One visited us while we had our dinner at a picnic table in the park. We bravely hid behind the car. We haven't had a chance to post this trip yet, but we hope to soon.