Linapacan Island, Palawan, Philippines

Palawan is known as the ‘Last Frontier’ of the Philippines. It’s a paradise of white sand beaches, tourquoise water and limestone cliffs. It’s a mecca for nature lovers and those looking to get away from it all. Still in the early stages of tourism it can be a little tricky to plan as information and communication can be challenging. When we first started to research the area in 2011 there was very little information to go by and when you’re trying to plan a trip from half way around the world that can be a little scary. It’s gotten a lot better. I’ve been asked a lot of questions from people wanting to visit this beautiful area so I’d like to share what I’ve found to help others plan their trip. 

Weather 

We were in El Nido in January. The weather was beautiful, sunny and hot. Make sure you bring lots of sunblock and a hat. Bacuit Bay, where all the island hopping is done, was quite choppy and windy. 

Skeleton Coast, Namibia

The Skeleton Coast is the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean coast of Namibia and south of Angola from the Kunene Riversouth to the Swakop River, although the name is sometimes used to describe the entire Namib Desert coast. The Bushmenof the Namibian interior called the region "The Land God Made in Anger", while Portuguese sailors once referred to it as "The Gates of Hell".

The name Skeleton Coast was invented by John Henry Marsh as the title for the book he wrote chronicling the shipwreck of the Dunedin Star. Since the book was first published in 1944 it has become so well known that the coast is now generally referred to as Skeleton Coast and is given that as its official name on most maps today.

On the coast the upwelling of the cold Benguela current gives rise to dense ocean fogs (called "cassimbo" by the Angolans) for much of the year. The winds blow from land to sea, rainfall rarely exceeds 10 millimetres (0.39 in) annually and theclimate is highly inhospitable. There is a constant, heavy surf on the beaches. In the days of human-powered boats it was possible to get ashore through the surf but impossible to launch from the shore. The only way out was by going through a marsh hundreds of miles long and only accessible via a hot and arid desert.

The coast is largely soft sand occasionally interrupted by rocky outcrops. The southern section consists of gravel plains while north of Terrace Bay the landscape is dominated by high sand dunes. Skeleton Bay is now known as a great location forsurfing.

The Neck, Bruny Island, Australia

Bruny Island Neck is an isthmus of land connecting north and south Bruny Island, southern Tasmania.

The Neck is an important habitat for Bruny’s native wildlife, and here you’ll find the Neck Game Reserve. Boardwalks and viewing platforms enable you to observe short-tailed shearwaters and little penguins (also known as fairy penguins). You can see these remarkable birds returning to their burrows in the sand dunes at dusk—little penguins making their way up the beach in tight groups and the shearwaters gliding in from the sea. The Reserve has an interpretation board and during peak viewing times there is a Parks and Wildlife interpretation guide present at dusk. The best viewing period is during the warmer months—September to February.