Watching a mountain gorilla from only metres away is a priceless real life experience. In the forest of Rwanda and in the company of these majestic creatures, Intrepid’s Dara Leonard enjoyed a precious hour that will last a lifetime…
“Within ten minutes of leaving the national park office we were engulfed by the forest. The guard at the front of the group hacked away at the bush and undergrowth while we followed closely behind, eagerly looking for tell-tale signs that the gorillas were nearby. After about an hour our guides spotted an area where the gorillas had slept the previous night, so we knew we were close. A few steps further and our small party of eight quickly stopped – peering through the brush we could see a female gorilla. After a lot of hushed ooohing and aaaghhing and frantically taking our first photos, suddenly a 6 foot Silverback appeared and walked right in front of us, followed by the rest of his family!
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If you are searching for a real adventure that takes you off the regular tourist trail, then join Intrepid’s Jill Petrella as she reveals that hidden beneath the forested hills of Belize are river caves with tales to tell…
“Many of the Mayan ruins of Central America are well-known and sites such as Palenque, Chichen Itza and Tikal can’t fail to impress with their size and grandeur. However, not all the remnants of this civilisation are so easy to find.
From the small town of San Ignacio in Belize I enjoyed the day river-caving. To enter the cave we had to swim across deep, cold, crystal clear water. Then we spent the next two hours wading, swimming and climbing through the cave. The water was fast-flowing so we had to hold on to each other in some sections to avoid being swept away. The only light was from our head torches and the only sound was the gushing of water.
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Enjoying la dolce vita, the good life, in Italy can be as decadent as lingering over a cappuccino in the coastal town of Levanto, or as simple as making new friends on a train bound for Venice, as Intrepid’s Karen Rastall experienced…
“One of my most memorable train journeys took place in Italy when I was travelling on a day train between Milan and Venice. A passenger joined me soon after departure and within a few minutes we were chatting. A few stops later and a few more passengers entered our compartment, and they too joined in our discussion. Soon after, our small compartment was full and conversation was flowing between all six of us.
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