I recently discovered a new way of exploring the country through Egypt Bike and Sail. Much more than a leisurely cruise down the Nile or a camel ride to the Pyramids, biking around Egypt exposes you to the sights, smells, and sounds of the country in a more intimate way.

1. Our Bedouin jeep drivers sitting atop a 2,000 year old well out in the middle of the Eastern (Arabian) desert.

2. Transporting our mountain bikes through the Red Sea mountains.

3. Hassan, a local Bedouin checks out one of very few water sources in the desert. Thick green shrubs mark the spot.

4. A herd of goats seeks solace from the harsh sun under an acacia tree.

5. Docked in the Red Sea is the La Vela, a wooden gullet ship which took us sailing along the coast.

6. A 35km bike ride from the port town of Safaga to the 5,000 year old deeply religious seaside town of Al Qusayr (Al Quseir).

7. Teenage girls dressed in school uniforms and white hijabs return from school in Al Qusayr.

8. Al Qusayr shimmers and glows at night, belying its conservative culture.

9.Selim, Sheik of the Bedouin village in Fustat Port Ghalib, shares a tender moment with one of his camels.

10. An early morning trip to the mangrove forests of the Räs Qui’ran islands in search of ospreys, reef egrets, and other migratory birds.

11. Riding alongside wild camels at sunrise. Wild camels and other animals come out during cooler hours of the day (sunrise and sunset) as well as at night.

12. A local Bedouin from the village of Hamata awoke to the sounds of my footsteps on the sand.

13. In the village of Qu’laan during low tide, you can walk out hundreds of feet into the ocean with the water barely reaching your shins.

14. Our group of travelers was the first to bike through Wadi Gemal (Valley of Camels), usually reserved for only jeeps and camels.

15. A water taxi carrying Nubian villagers cruises along the Nile in Aswan.

16. An Ababda Bedouin woman from the village of Qu’laan.

17. Columns etched with Egyptian hieroglyphs at Kom Ombo temple.

18. Catching a water taxi at sunrise to take us from the eastern side of the Nile to the West Bank in Luxor.

19. Daily life — farming and fishing — along the Nile.

20. A felucca at sunset, one of the popular ways of cruising down the Nile.

21. A local man soaks in the early morning sun before starting his day at the water taxi stand.

Community Connection

Traveling to Egypt soon? Check out What NOT to do in Egypt.

1. The iconic Parliament Building located along the Danube River is one of Budapest’s most recognizable landmarks.

2. A lady waits on a chilly night for the tram on the Pest side.

3. Passengers on the tram enjoy a scenic view of the Buda district on their daily commute.

4. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge — one of a couple bridges that connect the Pest side to the Buda district.

5. Pedestrians taking a leisurely stroll along Roosevelt ter late at night.

6. The lions of the chain suspension bridge are known as the guardians watching over the Buda castle.

7. Kiosk vendors chatting as they close up shop for the night. They sell everything from patches of lace and handmade jewelry to snacks and other food items in the Buda district.

8. Locals walking their dog. Behind the roundabout is the tunnel and also a funicular that takes travelers to the castle and museums up on the hill.

9. Police officers cordoning off a crime scene of what looked like a suicide where someone jumped off the walls of the Buda castle district.

10. Waiting at the Eötvös ter tram stop on the Pest side.

11. Tourists checking out their map to reorient themselves as locals bike home along the Chain Bridge.

12. A lone woman walks down towards the tunnel to cross over to the other side of the bridge.

13. View of the Buda Castle district from my hotel window.

Make sure to check out Lola’s complete Budapest photo gallery.

Community Connection

There are lots of Matador community blogs about Budapest. Browse them on this page.

1. Watching the vivid fiery colors of fall doesn’t always mean journeying all the way up to New England. For me, grabbing a camera and just walking out the front door meant walking right into a vibrant wave of color.

2. As autumn comes, gearing us up for winter, the bright red berries begin to shrivel and fall.

3. It always blows my mind how regal-looking trees adorned with vibrant orange leaves….

4. ….can lose their beauty within a matter of days.

5. Trees with turning leaves always look magical in large numbers, so with camera in tow I headed out to the modest-sized park next to the neighborhood high school.

6. At the park, I could observe how others were enjoying the season…from casual strolls….

7. ….to taking their dogs for brisk evening walks.

8. As the sun begins to set (one of the best times for snapping photos), this Braeburn apple-colored tree with its perfect mix of greens and reds casts long, elegant shadows.

9. Just steps from the Braeburn apple-colored tree, I stumbled across this classic snapshot of autumn — a set of three trees, each representing the various stages and shades of color as the leaves change.

10. Though spring remains my favorite season because it signifies rebirth and new life, I pay due homage to autumn for the spectacular displays that signify a different journey — one of transition, getting us all ready for the dark troughs of winter.

11. In the lowlight of sunset, my husband took this covert silhouette shot while I was temporarily engrossed in a nearby soccer game.

12. I wonder how trees begin to shed their bright leaves. Like a man slowly going bald, does the process start from the top as seen on this orange-tinted tree?

13. While many travel photographers may not readily admit it, we’re all suckers for sunset shots, and that evening, the clouds swirling above brought on their own swatches of vivid hues.

14. The prismatic sky and colorful trees all working in concert produced a dreamlike effect around the entire neighborhood.

15. By the time the sun was gone and trees stood eerily against a darkening sky, my respect for autumn was rejuvenated.

Community Connection

Do you have fall foliage shots you’d like to share with the Matador community? Consider posting them to Matador’s Flickr group.

Feature photo by Lola Akinmade. Photo above by Lola Akinmade.

Sure, Bermuda is known worldwide for its pristine pink beaches and crystal clear turquoise waters, but did you know that it’s also a spelunker’s paradise?

With a labyrinth of over 150 limestone cave systems boasting pristine azure blue pools and impressive stalactites and stalagmites, Bermuda’s unspoiled beauty may very well lie beneath the ground.

Spelunking, you say?

Spelunking, popularly known as caving, is the increasingly popular recreational sport of exploring caves. It may require you walk, climb or crawl through tight passages, zip or rappel down to different platforms, or even dive underwater.

The recent media resurgence of the Batman franchise has put the spotlight back on caving and more people are becoming recreational spelunkers.

Bermuda has one of the highest concentrations of limestone caves on earth, which have inspired many creative endeavors such as Jim Henson’s “Fraggle Rock” and Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

Many of these caves extend all the way down to the sea floor even though you can walk right in. Below are just a few caves you can explore on your next trip to the Island.

Photo above by Lola Akinmade.

1. Admiral’s Cave

Located in Hamilton Parish, Admiral’s Cave is one of the largest caves on the island and was named after a British admiral around 1819. Within the cave are small lakes that are fed from the ocean through underground passageways.

The Smithsonian Museum has discovered fossils here that are a couple hundred thousand years old. Although no longer a show cave with guided tours, you can explore at your own risk with a flashlight!

2. Cathedral Cave

One of the two caves located on the properties of the Grotto Bay resort, Cathedral Cave boasts clear turquoise underground lakes which you can swim in to cool off. Explore this lit cave from viewing platforms. There’s also a launch off spot should you decide to take the plunge.

3. Church Cave

Church Cave is located deep beneath Ship’s Hill on the grounds of the Marriott Castle Harbour Resort in Hamilton Parish. It contains the largest underground lake in Bermuda with an area of 16,146 square feet and a depth of 74 feet.

Photo by gcourbis

Its sister cave, Bitumen Cave, contains the deepest underground lake on the entire island at 84 feet deep.

4. Crystal Caves

One of the most famous and visited caves in Bermuda, Crystal Caves was said to have been discovered by two 12-year old boys, Carl Gibbons and Edgar Hollins, in 1905 when they went looking for their lost cricket ball.

Laced with million year old immaculate white stalagmites and stalactites and crystal clear pools with a visible depth of 55 ft, Crystal Caves provides guided tours and wooden floating pontoon walkways for your exploration.

5. Devil’s Hole

Once a subterranean cave, its roof collapsed, turning the cave into a natural aquarium. Today, it contains sea life such as sharks, 6 foot long Moray eels, and turtles and has been opened to the public since 1843.

Photo by morgansutherland

It earned the moniker “Devil’s Hole” because when its roof collapsed and wind rushed into the cave, it produced an eerie sound that locals referred to as moans of the devil. It is located in Harrington Sound.

6. Fantasy Caves

Fantasy Caves, a sister cave to Crystal Caves, is the more spectacular of the two cave systems with impressive formations. Its walls are lined with mineral deposits that look like frozen waterfalls, and the cave is connected to and fed by the Atlantic Ocean through deep pools with underground pathways.

7. Green Bay Caves

Boasting about 2 km of underground passageways, Green Bay Caves is longest cave systems on the island. It is totally submerged with an average depth of 59 feet below sea level, so you may want to get your scuba diving gear on!

Photo by Lola Akinmade.

8. Leamington Caves

Another impressive and wildly popular limestone cave, Leamington Caves near Harrington Sound boasts crystal formations and underground pools.

9. Prospero’s Cave

The second cave located on the property of Grotto Bay Resort, this cave is chock full of stalagmites and stalactites.

Originally discovered between 1609 and 1610 by Sir George Somers, the cave is also known as Island Cave or Prospero’s Magic Cave.

Named after the famed Shakespearean character from “The Tempest,” Prospero is one of the more spectacular caves and it houses a deep, clear blue lake in addition to a bar and discotheque.

10. Wilkinson Cave

Photo by numb3r

Discovered in 2002 during a quarry blasting operation, Wilkinson Cave is the newest cave to be unearthed on the island. Like the other caves, it is filled with massive stalactites and stalagmites, crystals, an impressive sea level pool as well as underwater sub caves.

It is currently being researched by American Cave Expert and Professor of Marine Biology, Dr. Tom Iliffe, who explored the cave in depth. Wilkinson Cave is years away from becoming a major tourist attraction.

—

As with any adventure sport, exploring or diving Bermuda’s caves can be dangerous. It is always best to check with local government and tourism offices to make sure that the caves above are still open for public exploration.