Tag: travel
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Wildlife and Diving Adventure in Cebu and Bohol, the Philippines (2026)
The Philippines—a vibrant, tropical nation encompassing over 7,600 islands in the Indo-Pacific—is in my mind Southeast Asia’s most underrated country for wildlife and nature. The SCUBA diving is world-class and affordable, the scenery is spectacularly unique and diverse, and roughly half of the nation’s terrestrial vertebrates are endemic (618 out of 1,238 total species)! As…
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Holiday Season in the Austrian Alps & Central Europe (2025-2026)
My family’s first-ever snow-themed winter holiday took the entire Gardner clan through Central Europe—17 days of freezing temperatures, superb skiing, gorgeous Austrian Alps, and charming historic cities. Experiencing real snow for the first time in 6 years was exhilarating! I particularly enjoyed the snow-covered Alps—easily one of the most spectacular places I’ve visited in my…
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Birding in Jakarta, Indonesia (2026)
I spent Chinese New Year of 2026 (February 16th-23rd) visiting my girlfriend’s family in Jakarta, Indonesia. Most of my time there was spent gorging on delicious food (gaining weight), sitting in traffic jams, and hanging out with my girlfriend and her family. Whenever I had free time, I pursued my own interests and went birding…
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A Week of Wildlife in Southern Victoria, Australia (2024)
2025 was a rough year for me— a roller coaster of ups and downs that rocked me to my core. After leaving the University of Queensland in late April and scrapping my former dream of becoming a zoologist in Australia, it took me awhile to get back on my feet and feel confident in myself…
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Getaway to Bintan Island, Indonesia (2026)
Recently, my girlfriend Florence and I enjoyed a pleasant, five-day getaway to Bintan Island, Indonesia, located just one hour from the Singapore mainland via fast ferry. Our trip was a rewarding mixture of eco-tourism, luxury accommodation, fine dining, and fun outdoor sports like jet skiing. Though we weren’t focused on wildlife-spotting, we still had the…
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Iceland: A Week in Europe’s Wildest Nation (2025)
While much of Europe lures travelers with its historic landmarks, vibrant cultures, and world-renowned cuisine, Iceland stands apart as a destination defined by raw natural beauty. This rugged, volcanic island-nation captivates visitors not with castles or cathedrals, but with its natural beauty—ranging from steaming geysers and active volcanoes to sprawling glaciers and abundant marine life.…
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Exploring Australia’s Gondwana Rainforest (2025)
I will soon be attending the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia to study zoology. It’s crazy to think that in less than a month—February 2025—I’ll be starting down the path toward my dream major and career in a country I’ve never lived in before. Over the 2024–2025 winter holidays (December 25, 2024–January 9, 2025),…
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Four Days in the Sumatran Rainforest (2024)
I’ve been fascinated with the wildlife of Southeast Asia—namely the gigantic, mysterious islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi—from the time I first visited Sabah at age 9. Since then, I’ve dreamt of returning to the region by myself to search for wildlife. In November of 2024, I fulfilled my long-standing dream by planning and…
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Sulawesi (2024): Nantu Forest Reserve
I spent two days and one night (Days 4 & 5) of my Sulawesi trip exploring the verdant, 520 km² Nantu Forest Reserve in Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi, where I obtained a total of one hundred million bug bites, mud-soaked shoes, and zero sightings of Babirusa, Sulawesi Warty Pig, or Lowland Anoa (my target mammals). …
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Sulawesi (2024): Hungayono Forest
Out of the three reserves I visited on my 2024 Sulawesi mammal adventure, my favorite by far was Hungayono Forest. This rarely-traversed but spectacular expanse of hilly primary rainforest, hot springs, and limestone caves constitutes part of the western section of 2,871 km² Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park, and is a paradise for Sulawesi’s endemic…
