A gaucho works his horse at Valle California, Patagonia Sur.

There are many reasons to travel: relaxation, escape, service, adventure, learning, etc. For me, the perfect trip is simple - it immerses me in the world’s natural beauty while providing the opportunity to observe and engage in the daily lives of its people. 

In Valle California, a remote conservation property in Chilean Patagonia, not only was I smack dab in the middle of one of the most majestic landscapes on the planet, but also introduced to the region’s rich cultural customs by the people who live and work there: My dream combo. 

Framed by the snow-capped Andes, a Valle California wilderness lodge vacation offers guests extensive hiking and horseback riding trails, opportunities for river kayaking and float trips, mountain biking, bird watching, fly fishing, and a five-star experience with an environmental sensibility.

In the above photograph, Valle California gaucho, Gustavo Neumann, works a horse in the estancia corral. 

See more Patagonia Sur pictures 

Read about Patagonia Sur at National Geographic Travel Favorites

Learn about getting back to basics at a Leica/Patagonia Sur photography workshop

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Marine iguana, Española Island, the Galapagos. ©Ellen Barone.

What makes the experience so unique is the opportunity to get up close and personal with the unusual creatures that define the famed archipelago where animals have no instinctive fear of humans. For wildlife lovers and photographers, the Galapagos Islands are as good as it gets.

Crouching down inches from this colorful marine iguana on Isla Española, I was able to capture this tight portrait during a recent week long voyage with Ecoventura, a leader in responsible tourism to the Galapagos Islands since 1990. 

 Click here to view more Galapagos photos or here, to read my recent article ‘GALAPAGOS ADVENTURE CRUISE: Reptiles, Preservation and Paparazzi, featuring the voyage. 

Only minutes away from the city center, a short boat ride transports you into a rich natural landscape eons removed from bustling Granada. 

Once a year, for the first two days of November, daily routine is put on pause in Mexico for the Day of the Dead festival. Food is made in abundance, graveyards are swept clean, tombstones washed, home altars built, and the flor de muertos (marigolds) fill every home and cemetery. It is moving, beautiful, respectful, and all about death, family, and remembering. Those who are alive, cry and sing, laugh and gossip, or stare into the skies, beside the graves of their beloved on the night when the spirits of the dead are believed to return for the party and annual feast of their favorite foods.

Oaxaca, Mexico. ©Eric Mindling/TraditionsMexico.com 

Day of the Dead is an all-inclusive community celebration, with friends and extended family at the tomb, and most of the villagers in the graveyard for the same purpose. Hundreds of candles, thousands of flowers, soft voices, a night sky, the spirits of the deceased in the air, and the spirit of those alive everywhere. And though the moments may be happy or sad, Day of the Dead is, above all, a celebration; a party of remembrance, appreciation and eating and drinking. And as with any good party, everyone is welcome.

©Ellen Barone, 2011

I came across the foal (and her mother, see below) above Porlock during an eight-day, 68-mile walking vacation across the dramatic open spaces, rugged lanes, historic hedgerows, and green fields of Dartmoor and Exmoor in South West England. Shooting from the hip as we hiked, I stopped, tapped the shutter a few times, then moved on. 

“I’m pagoda’d out,” I confessed shamefully to my guide.

After nearly a week in beautiful Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on a research trip for Myths and Mountains, my adventure travel company, I’d spent the last few days in a whirlwind kaleidoscope of golden temples, sacred stupas, and stunning pagodas, each more beautiful and more interesting than the last.  But after traipsing through dozens of them, I wanted to focus more on the people and culture of Myanmar.  On our way to Inle Lake, my guide asked me if I wanted to stop and visit a small monastery.  

©2010 Ellen Barone.

It would’ve been easy to blow off the day and wait out the rain in the cozy comfort of the nearest pub. But the weather provided a challenge, the opportunity to reschool my eyes, to increase awareness and get creative. 

There were four of us - two fellow travelers, me, and Sam Jones of Islandscape Photography, our guide for the day. Without Sam’s intimate knowledge of her island, the warmth and off-road access her Land Rover provided, and my waterproof point-and-shoot, the rain might have gotten the best of us. But instead, we ended up playing with the rain, dancing with the saturated colors it accentuated, finding joy in letting go of preconceived images and uniting with the scene that was there. In this case, what was there was magic!

The colorful scene begged to be photographed. We forgot the rain, tuned out the cold and enjoyed the process of composing. We changed viewpoint, moved in closer, further away, played with the lines, shapes, colors and rhythms of the subject. And, best of all, for a rainy afternoon on the Isle of Mull, we made time to see. 

Read more in my article Photographing Scotland at National Geographic Traveler.  

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Covering an area of 5500 sq. km. in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, India’s Nilgiri Biosphere begins in the Nagarhole National Park of Karnataka and the adjoining Wayanad sanctuary of Kerala. The moist deciduous forests and teak plantations harbor abundant populations of gaur, spotted deer, sambar, and wild pig which support a sizeable number of carnivores such as tiger, leopard, and wild dog. The forests of neighboring Bandipur National Park and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve complete the quartet of sanctuaries famed as a prime habitat for Asian Elephants. 

photo © D.K. Bhaskar of DewWorks

During a monsoon time trip to Bandipur and Wayanad, a friend and I left our jeep and waited by a water hole for nearly four hours without a sighting of even the common spotted deer. It was a disappointing morning. As we prepared to pack up and leave, a small herd of elephants walked right next to the bushes where we were sitting. On hindsight, it was a dangerous situation and we were lucky to escape unharmed. Why they chose to walk next to us is still a mystery.

However, when they entered the water we had a beautiful view of the young calf learning to drink. Young calves learn from their aunts, uncles, cousins and nephews, imitating everything the sub-adults and adults do. I love this picture for its simplicity, animal behavior, the majesty of the elephants, and the environment. Just a few minutes after the elephants left, we heard the alarm calls of a bonnet macaque and were pretty sure a predator was around. Tiger? Leopard? We never saw what was hidden in the nearby forest.

Professional photojournalists D.K. Bhaskar and Eric Lindberg lead cultural and nature photo tours to India. Their next trip will be a unique journey across South India. For more information visit: www.HolbrookTravel.com

© 2010 Ellen Barone. Sunset Beach, Gig Harbor, WA. Textures by ghostbones.

A few weeks ago my New Mexico neighbor and I arrived in Gig Harbor, Washington, on a scouting mission for her new home. I had a vested interest in visiting the community.

A few years back I’d met Paula, from Gig Harbor, on a yacht cruise in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. On an easy evening kayak together, she’d regaled me with stories of her idyllic life on Point Richmond Beach in Gig Harbor. Paddling through turquoise seas, she told of quiet morning walks along the beach, of neighbors who waved a friendly hello but maintained a respectful distance, misty winter days, organic gardens and glorious sunset views of Mt. Rainier. 

The place stuck in my memory as somewhere I’d like to visit one day. So, when my widowed neighbor asked me if I’d like to come check it out with her, I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed. 

Gig Harbor in reality had the same Norman Rockwell charm I’d imagined. It’s a place where healthy, happy people carrying recyclable shopping bags walk the harbor behind tail-wagging dogs. Where locals stop in for fresh seared tuna salads and basil pesto bread at Susanne’s Bakery & Deli. Or drop by the Java Clay Café and indulge their inner kid at a DIY pottery studio in the back while regulars sip the daily grind over the day’s gossip. 

I loved it!

But, Paula?

She’d moved the week before we arrived, according to her neighbor.