The Worldwide Quest Blog

These four birds are the essence of the High Arctic for me. Taking a cruise is a great way to explore remote locations and watch them on the tundra, at sea, and on precipitous cliffs. Rock Ptarmigan  The Rock Ptarmigan is the Territorial Bird of Nunavut. It is the only bird that spends its whole life on the tundra. A land bird and member of the grouse family, sometimes called snow chicke...

I am delighted to be part of this expedition. I have been working in the High Arctic for over 30 years, and I have had the privilege of having already seen most of the sites we will visit on this voyage. But the Arctic is always changing, and the thrill of heading north once again still excites me, just as it did on my first expedition in 1983.My main background is in ecology and environmental s...

It was with considerable excitement that I set off to the Ladakh region of northernmost India in late March. None of my previous India journeys had taken me north of the Himalayas into the trans-Himalayan region that was said to be rugged, arid and vast. It was uncharted territory for me and an important mission, for I was here to scout for the most reclusive of big cats: the Snow Leopard. This &#...

This article was originally posted on UBC News.When Philippe Belley came to the University of British Columbia to study how gemstones form, he didn’t think he would need to learn how to protect himself from polar bears.But when some of those precious stones are buried in the Canadian Arctic on Baffin Island, where the world’s largest land predator also roams, sometimes you roll the dic...

September and October is Berry Season on Fogo Island. Brilliant sunrises and sunsets fill the skies, the wind is predominantly in the west, and the Island finds itself completely carpeted in dozens of varieties of edible berries. Slightly cooler temperatures make berry season the perfect time to get outside and amble through the barrens and footpaths while scooping up handfuls of blueberries, rasp...

Savvy travellers are noticing that Georgia is popping up in the most unexpected places, with insider reviews on the country’s fascinating and unexpected culture. Trending now are these articles looking at Georgia’s food, wine, art, and landscapes.Conde Nast Traveller writer Tara Isabella Burton call Tbilisi “Europe’s Most Curious City” and assures her readers: “...