Category: Places

Top of the Churfirsten – Workout with a view

The Churfirsten are one of the most iconic mountain ranges in Switzerland. And though their south face shows spectacular cliffs towering above Walensee, the seven peaks are actually fairly easily reached via their northern side. In case of the Selun the quest is rather straight forward – the trail doesn’t even bother with switchbacks most of the time but goes straight up the back of the mountain. It is not really the most interesting trail, and the hike feels more like a regular workout. The view from the summit makes up for it though – and gets you hooked on conquering the other six peaks too.  Read More

A maze of rock and rubble – From Braunwald to Klöntal

A vast wasteland lies hidden between the mountains of Braunwald and Klöntal. A wasteland of rock and rubble and treacherously deep crevasses. A trail winds through this maze-like landscape that lets you experience a feeling as if you’ve landed on the moon in a fairly easy day-hike, that I hugely enjoyed.

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6 Days, 120 km, 6000 m of altitude – Bring it on, Schwyz!

A year ago I was invited by the tourism agency of the canton of Schwyz to try out their new hiking route to review it for the newspaper I worked for. The itinerary was to hike some 120 kilometres in six days, covering an average of 1000 meters of altitude up and down daily. They called it the “Tour of the Kings” and when I was asked to take on the challenge, I immediately was game. It was a strenuous six-days-trip — but well worth it!

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Back to Nature – Turtle Conservation and Ecotourism in Bali

There was a certain magic to the moment – the tiny baby turtle slowly stepped off my hand, took his first uncertain steps in the wet sand and then suddenly quite sure of what he was doing started making his way towards the ocean at a rather suprising speed. With the next wave flooding the beach and pulling back into the sea, baby turtle was gone. “Back to Nature”, the old Balinese man next to me said smiling. He takes care of the baby turtles in a unique project that combines turtle conservation with eco-tourism. Read More

One more Cup of Coffee in Canggu

I remember where I first read about Canggu. The name appeared in a book on surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding and evoked in me pictures of beachlife, of tattooed hipsters, of serene yoga-retreats and cafes revelling in the art of breakfast – it turned out that is exactly what Canggu is. Read More

Why you should visit Chitwan despite the tourist masses

Chitwan Nationalpark is a number-one-destination in Nepal for a reason: There is some serious wildlife spotting to be done there. And even though masses of tourists visit the park each year, you can still get away from the crowds in vast bush lands – just make sure you take a guide. The next Rhino might just be around the corner. Read More