Indiana Jones in Iguazu

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I saw a trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie this afternoon and noticed that they're including scenes from the Iguazu Falls.

The Iguazu Falls are at the point where Argentina meets Brazil and Paraguay. They are much larger than Niagra Falls - when Eleanor Roosevelt saw them she reported said "Poor Niagra!" - and are apparently rivalled only by Victoria Falls at the Zimbabwe / Zambia border. But having been to both, I can honestly say that nothing quite compares to Iguazu.

The falls are split between the Brazilian and Argentines sides - possibly more impressive on the latter but better viewed from the former. I splashed out after three frugal weeks in Argentina and stayed at the Sheraton Iguazu - deep in the jungle of the national park in Argentina and with fantastic views of the falls. At night you have the sound of the jungle to one side and the echoing sound of the falls on the other.

The Brazilian side gives you the best view of the whole falls and the Argentine the best for exploring. Go across the border first thing to take in the views then come back to spend the rest of the day (and maybe the next day) exploring the Argentine national park.

What marks the Iguazu Falls out as more remarkable than Victoria Falls is quite how close you can get to the water. You can walk under, along, over and through the falls. At one point you can get a boat across the base of a falls to an island at the bottom of the cataract. At another point you can follow walkways across the rivers at the top of the falls to stand right at the edge in the middle of the gushing water.

Really impressive stuff.

Some more reading

• Budget Destination | Argentina: Where a Buck's Still Worth a Buck
• Carnaval in Floripa, the Falls, and the Brazil Beach Diet
• Chasing Waterfalls: Victoria EVO
• Tourists pictured on edge of 360ft falls

Lamu: a dhow trip from anywhere

Image via Wikipedia

This weekend the Times Travel section has a great article on Lamu, an island in the north of Kenya. The article looks at villas and self-catering locations you can rent in town but when I was there last October I stayed at the Lamu Palace hotel - a rambling old palace with large airy rooms, friendly owners and the fantastic view over the bay.

Lamu really is a place like no other. On the Swahili coast of Africa - like a less-touristy Zanzibar or a more evocative Mozambique Island. It's an old island and a traditional one There are no cars (apart from a police Land Rover and an ambulance) and your only options for getting around are by bike, donkey or to hail a passing dhow for a trip round the coast. You arrive by plane on a landstrip opposite Lamu and are met by a fleet of dhows ready to take you over to the island. Once there, the narrow streets (no need to design them for cars) wind through markets and past beautiful old villas and palaces. Little restaurants and shops, and the odd gallery, dot the town.

I visited in November, at the time of the Lamu Cultural Festival and probably one of the busier times of the year. There were about 20 people on my Kenya Airways flight from Nairobi, via Malindi! The festival meant that every spare public place had been turned into an outdoor art gallery or music venue. Daily dhow racing was followed by the donkey races, swimming through the harbour for the local children and ancient rituals performed by the local men.

I went to get away from it all and relax, soak up some sun, some culture and to see the festival. I'd recommend Lamu for anybody wanting any of these things.

Some more reading

• Kenya: price cuts to follow peace
• Practical Traveler | Kenya: Uncertainties in the Shadow of Unrest