The Orkney Islands sit just off the northern coast of Scotland. This group of around seventy islands offers wide horizons, quiet roads, and coastlines shaped by wind and waves where visitors often arrive expecting rugged scenery and leave talking about the sense of space from the long beaches to the steep cliffs and sea stacks rising straight from the water. One striking example is the Old Man of Hoy, a tall sea stack that draws photographers and climbers alike.
Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Seychelles, offers a pristine and unparalleled escape into nature's untouched beauty. The atoll, the second-largest in the world, is renowned for its remarkable biodiversity and is home to the Aldabra giant tortoise, a species found nowhere else on Earth. This enormous tortoise population is one of the key attractions for visitors, providing a rare opportunity to observe these majestic creatures in their natural habitat.
Funafuti Atoll, the capital of Tuvalu, is a narrow strip of land wrapped around a brilliant turquoise lagoon that stretches over 20 kilometers across. Despite being just 600 meters at its widest point, Funafuti is the heartbeat of the country, where government buildings, homes, schools, and the island’s only airport all coexist along sandy roads lined with coconut trees.
San Nicolas, known as Aruba’s “Sunrise City,” offers a completely different vibe from the island’s resort-heavy northwest coast. Located at the southeastern tip, this former oil refinery town has reinvented itself as the cultural heart of Aruba, filled with vibrant street art, local galleries, and a strong sense of community.
Kalbarri is a coastal town, set alongside the Murchison River. The coastline around Kalbarri is wonderful and has quite a history, with several shipwrecks along the shore. There is a fabulous cycle path along the coastline and coastal clifftops, including Eagle Gorge, Natural Bridge, Pot Alley, Rainbow Valley and Red Bluff. There is also fantastic surf at Jakes Corner.
To find out more about the history of Kalbarri head to the unique Riverside Recollections, which offers a host of information and memorabilia. There are also other attractions including the lovely Rainbow Jungle, featuring a number of birds.
From Kalbarri you should definitely head into the Kalbarri National Park, which features an array of beautiful gorges along the Murchison River and plenty of bushwalking trails. Two of the main gorges include the Loop and the Z-Bend, with two fabulous lookouts being at Hawks Head and Ross Graham. The Kalbarri National Park has added beauty during the Spring, when the Wildflowers are out.