Four more extreme travel destinations for thrill-seeking eco-adventurers
In this second part of the feature article, Going Places discovered four more extreme travel destinations on the planet for the thrill seekers and those who dare to transgress their limits in the notion of travelling.
Enter The Wildlife
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve in Narok County, Kenya. It is globally famous for its exceptional population of lions, leopards and cheetahs, and the annual migration of zebra, Thomson's gazelle, and wildebeest to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration. All members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and black rhinoceros) are found here and make Maasai Mara a popular tourist attraction. There are a number of lodges and tented camps for tourists inside the Reserve and the Conservation area borders but it is highly advisable to adhere to the park rules to prevent personal disasters concerning wildlife.
Buried In Ice
Sukayu Onsen in Aomori Prefecture, Japan
The Sukayu Onsen may be another Japanese hot spring establishment amidst snowfall but it's location in the city of Aomori make it one of the snowiest inhabited places on Earth with an average yearly snowfall of 17.6 m (58 ft) and a winter season record of 23.7 m (78 ft). Despite the extremely high snowfall, Sukayu Onsen is accessible by road all year round, a path where high amounts of snow are cleared. While the idea of visiting a hot spring sounds pretty convincing especially with an appropriately icy surrounding, getting buried under 58ft of snow might render the visit a deadly trip instead.
Blessings Of Water
Mawsynram, India
Mawsynram of north-eastern India is reported to be one of the wettest places on Earth. The Guinness Book of World Records once reported that Mawsynram received 1,000in of rainfall in 1985. Its subtropical highland climate with an extraordinary lengthy rainy and monsoonal season translates to cool environments throughout the year. The average monthly temperatures range from around 10 degrees Celsius in January to just above 20 degrees Celsius in August. If you're paying a visit to this village, be extra-prepared and vigilant of the potentially wrecking downpour that had caused severe leakage of family homes, toppling of power lines and even chaotic traffic conditions.
Desert Jewel
Huacachina, Peru
Huacachina is a village in the Ica Region of southwestern Peru. It has a rather low population of less than 200 individuals. The mysterious placement, adjacent to a desert oasis make it a suitable resort and tourist attraction that features sandboarding sports and also dune buggy rides on sand dunes that stretch several hundred feet high. It is best not to engage the dunes without proper equipment, knowledge or training beforehand as the sands could be concealing a host of predators or the unpredictable environment itself.
