Serere lodge is the ecology project of Madidi Travel to recover a reserve of flood plain in the Bolivian rainforest (one of the Amazon's major tributaries).

We spent four blissful days at the lodge, got to within a stone's throw of various monkeys, snakes etc. and some of the most amazing flora I've ever seen. However, the kicker is every penny of your money goes into the project and helps re-establish the community and wildlife from a shadow of its former self.

www.madidi-travel.com/
Fly from La Paz on Amazonsas or TAM

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Semuc Champey is called the eighth wonder of the world by locals. We were cynical because of the hundreds of other 'Eighth Wonders' we've encountered on our travels, but this is truly breathtaking.

Semuc is a series of natural sparkling turquoise pools in the middle of the jungle, that form a bridge over a buried river which shoots out the other side. If it's hard to imagine, that's because it is just so unbelievable it beggars description. It's worth the detour from the main backpacker trail.

Swim, lounge, hike to a viewing point in the jungle or follow a local guide who will show you which rocks are safe to jump from. We tried a terrifying 10m dive from a cliff. This place is absolute paradise.

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Hi all travellers! I would like to tell about my experience in Brazil. I recently came back from my holiday. Me and my girlfriend were in Brazil for two weeks. We landed in Rio de Janeiro which we liked very much. Then afterwards we went to Pantanal, where we did a tour with Marcelo Indio - he is a tour guide married to a German woman. We did a five-day jungle tour with them. It was cool!

Then later we went to Manaus and did three more days on a jungle tour with Leonardo - he was reccomended by Marcelo and Mirjan. That's why we trusted him. We saw monkeys, macaws, sloth, and so on.

I would like to recommend them and hope other travellers can have the same experience as us.

Cheers!
Sitse

www.amazingtoursagency.com
www.explorepantanal.com
amazonjungle@amazingtoursagency.com

Pantanal contact: www.explorepantanal.com

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It's a long journey by land, but that old adage about the journey holds true for those that make the effort to reach Cambodia's most remote outpost. Sandwiched between the Vietnamese and Laos border, Ratanakiri is a wilderness of jungle and wide rivers, dotted occasionally by villages where, it seems, traditions are unadulterated by modernity.

Travelling east from Phnom Penh up the Mekong is an adventure in itself. The strange torpedo like motor boats that plough the waters seem out of place in this spectacular country, but they do the job nonetheless.

It is necessary to spend a night in Stung Treng before reaching
Ratanakiri. When I was in there, there was little to do in this town, but the guesthouse was suitable and there was a cafe that served decent fayre.

Moreover following the journey thus far it was a welcome respite, and gave me time to digest the richness of all I had passed that day. North from here is the Laos crossing, famous for its proximity to the many islands within the Mekong and the river dolphins you struggle to glimpse - but that was for another time.

The final leg of the journey was all I could've hoped for; delays,
breakdowns, burst tyres and appalling discomfort, but that is what you want when you travel to Ratanakiri and anything less really would have been rather disappointing.

Arriving in the province is an achievement insomuch as you feel you have arrived somewhere new and untapped. The slack roads and buildings look different to other places in the country; even the people have a certain unfazed look on their faces depicting, perhaps, their Vietnamese neighbours.

Spending a couple of weeks in this part of Cambodia is healing for those who love travel and love what travel represents. For $50 I went with a guide into the jungle to live out my explorer fantasy. Sleeping in hammocks, removing leaches and trekking through dense vegetation with the slight hope of seeing some beast, or happening upon a new Angkor type ruin is a tad hopeful. Still, you feel here anything is possible, and are honoured to tread such virgin land.

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Both the Damai Beach and Damai Lagoon Holiday Inn resort hotels are excellent places to stay in a secluded, beach area surrounded by jungle, about 45 minutes drive from Kuching. Double rooms go for a mere £30 per room.

Damai Beach: Teluk Bandung Santubong, Kuching; tel: 60-82-846999;
www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/dmbmy?_requestid=1569234
Damai Lagoon: Teluk Penyuk, Santubong, Kuching; tel: 60-82-846900;
www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/dmblg?_requestid=1567669
There is a shuttle bus to both from the Holiday Inn in Kuching.

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An amazingly long and beautiful walk through the jungle. About 9 or 10 kilometres of walkway through amazing primary rainforest, perfectly preserved.

The Treetops trail is awesome - a walkway a hundred feet in the air, through the vegetation. The ground-level walkway is well signposted, and even though it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere, you're never too far away from civilisation.

Runners and walkers scoot round here every Sunday morning - it makes a great start to the day - but the shady paths make it a pleasant walk at any time of the day. A real treasure and a great alternative to hitting the malls while you're in Singapore.

Just get a cab and tell the driver Macritchie Reservoir. He'll take you to the front entrance. Walk so the reservoir is on your left, and keep turning left; after 9 or 10 kilometres you'll end up back where you started.

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