Six Minutes Somewhere Else

I spent several hours relaxing on the banks of the sacred Yamuna River near the mighty Taj Mahal in northern India. The Taj Mahal is an incredible building and a worthy UNESCO World Heritage Site but its gardens and the river that glides past it are, in my view, equally as enchanting. If you are wondering 'what's so special about the Taj Mahal', 'is it worth it to go to the Taj...

I just revisited my favourite island in the archipelago just offshore from Finland’s capital, Helsinki. On each trip to this wonderful country I try to explore new islands but I keep getting lured back by one in particular: Pihlajasaari. This is one of my happy places. I feel connected to the land and enriched by every moment I spend here. It’s my rehab, detox and therapy all rolled into one. It&a...

I spent a day of marine mindfulness cruising across the calm Caribbean waters in the Lesser Antilles, en route to the Tobago Cays. I also channelled one of the Pirates of The Caribbean films and a classic 80s pop music video, then snorkelled with turtles. All up, a pretty amazing day – tropical nourishment for the soul.  If you are wondering 'what to do in the Tobago Cays', 'which C...

I drove a truly breathtaking road in far north Norway, more than 300km above the Arctic Circle. It is probably the most thrilling road I have ever driven and had me gasping in wonder and staring open-mouthed and speechless.  The road hugged the coastline, cruised around headlands and skirted placid bays, whose shoreline meadows were strewn with wild flowers. The crinkly coastline harbours the most...

I spent an hour with a troop of kangaroos in a nature reserve in Australia's capital city, Canberra. The city is nicknamed the Bush Capital because walking or cycling just a few minutes from the city centre brings you into nature. Most of the kangaroos were placid but one male decided I might be getting a little too close and gave me the old "watch it mate" hard stare.  If you'...

This is the first of a new, occasional City Nature Walks series, highlighting the wonder of nature in urban environments.  I walked through beautiful Westerpark in north Amsterdam on an unseasonably cold early summer day. The land is made up of lush, half-flooded meadow, narrow canals and the odd brick home. The woods are full of poplar, ash, lime and beech trees plus some hawthorn and elder bushe...

I joined an old friend to take a walking safari in a lesser-known corner of Bali, far away from the mopeds, the gridlock and the grind. We strolled through a forest in the West Bali National Park in the island's far north-west, exploring its mangroves and monsoon forest, watching rare rusa deer and meeting some beautiful but endangered Bali Starlings. If you are wondering 'is West Bali N...

I walked the Munjip Trail on the south coast of New South Wales in Australia. The 15km (9-mile) coastal path winds through woods and along beaches with spectacular views over the South Pacific. It's a place where the spirits of ancestors gather, so it’s culturally as well as environmentally important.  It seems it's musically important too; among the eucalyptus trees I met a man playing...

I spent a magical evening on a sand dune at Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, listening to a very tuneful gecko singing at sunset to attract a mate. The park – in Namibia in southwest Africa – occupies almost 50,000 sq km (more than 19,000 sq miles) and has a remarkable variety of wildlife considering it is in one of the driest deserts on the planet. If you wondering 'what is th...

I sat on the edge of a mighty crater which houses the deepest lake in the United States. It was a truly magical experience to witness this natural phenomenon in south Oregon, watching a September sunset silhouette the spooky Phantom Ship and turn the water to molten gold. If you are wondering 'why is Crater Lake so famous', 'how did Crater lake get so deep' and 'is Crater...

I went back to my hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon to search for midsummer spirits in an enchanted English woodland.  If you are wondering 'why is Stratford-Upon-Avon so famous', 'what was Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream play inspired by' and 'what are some good hikes on the Welcombe Hills', this episode might give you some clues. Listen to a podcast...

I braved thick fog and damp reindeer to reach the very top of Europe. I shunned the tourist traps of Nordkapp and instead walked the Knivskjelodden hiking trail which ends 1km north of Nordkapp. If you are wondering 'what are some interesting facts about Nordkapp', 'is Nordkapp worth visiting' and 'what is the Knivskjelodden hiking trail', this episode might have some...

I arrived at a small temple tucked under an overhanging cliff in Japan, having gone there on the advice of a complete stranger. That advice turned out to be gold, as I came face to face with a statue of the Buddha more than 1,200 years old – the oldest one in Japan. It was a spiritual experience. If you are asking yourself ‘what to do in Utsunomiya', 'is Oya-ji a very rare temple because...

I wandered inland from tranquil Te Ngaere bay on the North Island of New Zealand (Aotearoa) and discovered a secret wood. It was populated by giant tree ferns and guarded by the spirits of the land and lively local birds called pee-waka-wakas. The wood was deeply soothing and the perfect spot to try some forest bathing in the southern hemisphere, without the risk of snakes disturbing the peace. If...

I re-visited an old friend, a large 'spirit' horse carved out of the chalk downlands of southern England. It is unlike any other chalk figure ever created. It is beautifully animated, galloping free across the landscape. It is also ancient, dating from more than 2,500 years ago. If you are wondering ‘what is the white horse at Uffington’, 'what is the story behind the white horse’ or 'what does t...

The Vallée d’Ossau is full of summer radiance on the day I come to stay. I and several hundred other people and their huge motorhomes, for the famous Tour de France bicycle race is passing through the valley. After the mass of riders and their entourages whizz by and on, into the foothills of the Pyrenees, the valley returns to its natural, beautiful best. If you're keen to find out 'does the Tour...

The Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland make up one of the world’s most important seabird sanctuaries, with thousands of birds flocking here every spring to breed and to nurture their young. I visited in July when the airspace around the cliffs is as busy as it gets: kittiwakes, razorbills, fulmars, shags, terns and birds I had travelled a long way to see: puffins!! If you're wondering...

I am in one of my favourite parts of the world: the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. I’m in St Vincent and the Grenadines sharing my breakfast with my new friend, a very colourful Bananaquit bird. It’s one of the prettiest birds I have seen and I am delighted it has chosen me – well, chosen my plate of fruit. I may even postpone some snorkelling I had planned and hang out with the Bananaquit ins...

I am cruising through possibly the most amazing and iconic scenery in South East Asia – the famous karst islands in Phang Nga Bay between Krabi and Phuket. I was supposed to be on a car ferry further out to sea but instead took a small fishing boat which went much close to these amazing, must-see natural rock stacks. If you're asking 'what is Phang Nga Bay known for', 'is it worth going to Phang N...

I am sitting on the rim of the crater of an ancient volcano in Samoa in the South Pacific, with a sheer drop down to a secret, sunken rainforest below me. Big fruit bats are flapping overhead and it’s not hard to imagine they are small pterodactyls and that I have time-travelled back to the era of the dinosaurs. It's a beautiful scene as the tropical sun comes up and the air is full of birds. If y...

I am in the very English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon, globally famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare. It's also my home town and I try to visit each May to enjoy warm, sun-drenched evenings with friends. I like to walk through the town and down to the beautiful River Avon and watch the elegant swans gliding under the willow trees in the late sunlight. There are few places as quint...

I am at the very edge of the precipitous – and very loud – Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa. It is the world's largest sheet of falling water and known in the local language as Mosi oa Tunya , or the 'smoke that thunders'. So you might think it an odd location for a meditation session but there's method in my madness. If you want to know 'what is the best...

I am on a long Pacific Ocean beach in Costa Rica watching a truly monumental natural phenomenon. Hundreds of thousands of Olive Ridley turtles are hauling themselves out of the waves under a bright moon and dragging their bodies up the beach to lay their precious eggs. This rarely seen biological phenomenon is known as an arribada and I am lucky enough to witness one. If you are wondering 'what is...

I am at Adventure Bay on Bruny Island, off Tasmania, watching a super-cute white wallaby feeding at the edge of a car park. This very rare animal is only found here, where they are protected. If you are asking yourself 'how rare are albino wallabies', 'where are the white wallabies in Tasmania', 'where can I see an albino wallaby' or 'what can you do in Adventure Bay, Tasmania', this podcast episo...

I am enjoying a perfect late spring evening in an English village. The sun is setting over the wheat fields, rabbits play in a meadow, the hedgerows are bursting with life and there are swifts and swallows on the wing. In the distance I can hear the mournful bleating of lambs and an owl begin to hoot in the woods. These are just some of the numerous natural wonders of an English village in May. If...