Photo of the Day (10.12.10)

by Alex Robertson Textor on

If you’re feeling the need for a little underground adventure, October is the perfect time of year to visit the Karst region in Slovenia. Ranking as one of the largest underground canyons in the world, Slovenia’s Škocjan Caves stretch for 5.8km at depths of 250m below ground. Why October? Travelers headed this way in the autumn months can skip the summer crowds and take leisurely tours before the unpleasant bitterness of winter sets in.

This rare picture was captured on the sly by Flickr user StrudelMonkey in the Škocjan’s final cavern. Here, visitors can peer at the Reka River which flows just 50m beneath the carefully marked paths. Taking photos isn’t permitted in the caves (hence the blur in the picture), so follow StrudelMonkey’s lead and turn your flash off if you want share your memories with the folks at home.

Do you have epic (or prohibited) tour photos shot from the hip? We want to see them! Upload your best to our Gadling Flickr pool and it could be our next Photo of the Day!

Photo of the Day (10.5.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on
Contrary to what it may look like, today’s Photo of the Day is not from the set of Indiana Jones 5. Welcome to the Karakoram; one of the greatest and most sparsely inhabited mountain ranges in the world.

Apart from being home to K2, the Karakoram is most well known for hosting the highest international paved road in the world – the Karakoram Highway. Completed in 1986, the 1,300km road connects Kashgar in the Xinjiang region of China with Pakistan’s modern capital, Islamabad. This dramatic shot (don’t worry, this isn’t the highway) was captured by Flickr user madang86 over the Hunza River near Passu, Pakistan. It certainly gives a new meaning to the phrase “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it”.

Have you risked life & limb to capture a great photo on your travels? We can’t wait to see it. Share it on our Flickr Pool and it could be our next Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (9.28.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on
Does a 2,979km, 48 hour train ride across the Australian continent sound like your cup of tea? Then say hello the ‘The Ghan’ – Australia’s legendary passenger train that connects Darwin and the Northern Territory with Adelaide in South Australia. Completed in 1878, the service was nicknamed ‘the Afghan Express‘ as a homage to the many Afghan cameleers that supplied the construction of the railroad and telegraph lines in the harsh Australian desert.

The distinctive red locomotive and logo of the train is seen here thanks to Flickr user Kritta. Great shot!

If you’re in the region and riding in a train across the desert sounds too passive (and sane), then check out South Australia’s Simpson Bike Challenge! The race begins today and goes until October 2nd; covering over 590km of sand dunes and lots of other terrain you’d never want to bike through.

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – Virgin America’s first international flight – Toronto!

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 29 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Join us on Virgin America’s first ever international flight! We hop on a plane with Sir Richard Branson, Drake and a gaggle of entrepreneurs and fly on the airline’s inaugural flight to Toronto, Ontario to explore the (arguably) most diverse city in the world.

In this episode’s couch talk, we’ll discuss just why Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world & what other cities contend for the title of most diverse, based on foreign-born population.

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
Ready to book your own trip to Canada eh? Browse Virgin America’s great fares to Toronto.
Sleep in style overlooking Toronto’s iconic skyline. Check out the brand-new Thompson Hotel Toronto.

All images used under a Creative Commons license. All music used courtesy of Nonstop Music.

Photo of the Day (8.31.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on

I think that the best travel photography is the kind that captures a unique instance of the human experience and opens it up for further discussion. It intrigues the viewer to ask questions, to delve deeper and to examine the unfamiliar. It refuses to let you look away or ignore the subject. For me, this moment captured by e.r.g.o in Sri Lanka does exactly that.

The festival being photographed is called the Esala Perahera (festival of the tooth), which takes place in the city of Maha Nuvara (Kandy) in July or August. The man seen here is swallowing a burning coal as a display of relentless faith.

The image is part of a series from e.r.g.o during a three year stint in the South Asian island country. He notes “This project is my farewell to Sri Lanka. Of the six images, some are pretty and nice, while others are ugly and harsh. This has been my Sri Lanka experience.” The full series (with a couple extras from Melbourne) can be viewed here.

Do you have a story to tell with photos to prove it? Submit to our Gadling Flickr Pool & it could be tomorrow’s Photo of the Day!