Photo Of The Day: Pashmina Goats In The Himalayas

by Anna Brones on

The stark realities of winter are excellently captured in this photo by Flickr user arunchs.

Taken in the Himalayas, these Pashmina Goats grazing in Changthang Plateau, Ladakh, belong to changpa people residing in the nearby village of Puga. The photo is striking when you think of all of the Pashmina scarves – which are made from this special breed of goat, which is indigenous to the high altitudes of the Himalaya – that one often comes across in Southeast Asian markets. The scarfs are colorful and lively, much the opposite of this image. A good reminder of where things come from.

Have your own captivating travel photos you want featured on Photo of the Day? Submit them to the Gadling Flickr pool, or via Instagram by tagging your photos with #gadling and mentioning @gadlingtravel.

[Photo Credit: arunchs]

Photo Of The Day: Cancun Landscape

by Meg Nesterov on


There are certain images we see in our social network feeds over and over, especially at certain times of year: the Thanksgiving turkey, the decorated Christmas tree, and the vacation favorite: the bare feet on a beach chair (recently called “the loneliest pic in the world” on TV’s “Up All Night”), alcoholic beverage in hand. Today’s Photo of the Day is thankfully foot-free, though the image is still plenty jealousy-inducing. Flickr user Nan Palmero framed the shot beautifully under a thatched umbrella, giving the landscape sky an almost surreal quality, and the distance of the water and few people make Cancun seem practically serene. I’d definitely “like” this picture.

We’d love to see your travel images in the Gadling Flickr pool to choose for a future Photo of the Day.

[Photo credit: Nan Palmero]

Embedded In The Layers Of Andalusia, Spain

by Jessica Festa on

…one must seek the essence of Andalusia in its geographic reality on the one hand, and on the other in the awareness of its inhabitants. From the geographic point of view, the whole of the southern lands is too vast and varied to be embraced as a single unit. – Antonio Domínguez Ortiz

While most travelers going to Spain head straight to the popular cities of Barcelona and Madrid, journeying farther south offers a unique region of contrasts.

Andalusia (also spelled Andalucia) is a region and autonomous community in Spain. In fact, of all the country’s autonomous communities, this has the highest population and is the second largest in size with 33,821 square miles. It is comprised of eight provinces, including Seville, Malaga, Jaen, Granada, Huelva, Cadiz, Cordoba and Almeria.

While the area mainly experiences a Mediterranean climate, there are still a variety of atmospheres and landscapes in Andalusia. You’ll find the Sierra Nevada, which features the highest altitudes in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the valley of the Guadalquivir, which is barely above sea level. Visitors will also see the dry Tabernas Desert, Atlantic beaches, Mediterranean coastal cliffs, ancient cities, high-end resort towns, natural parks, wetlands and marsh, olive groves on rolling hills and oak woodlands. Moreover, many iconic Spanish traditions originated in Andalusia, like Moorish architecture, flamenco dancing and bull fighting.

For a more visual idea of this unique region, check out the gallery below.

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[Images via Shutterstock]

New Zealand’s Mount Tongariro Erupts For First Time In Over A Century

by Jessica Festa on

For the first time in over a century, New Zealand‘s Mount Tongariro has erupted. While there have been no reports of deaths or injuries, the eruption has spewed ash everywhere and is prompting a threat warning for the central North Island.

According to news.com.au, the event threw rock and ash from the area of the volcano known as the Te Mari craters. As of now, the situation on Mount Tongariro is unclear.

“For the moment, things are quiet (but that) doesn’t necessarily mean that the eruption is over and done with – it could reactivate at any time so we’re watching pretty closely,” explained GNS Science volcanologist Michael Rosenberg.

The volcanic alert level for Mt Tongariro has risen from one to two. Moreover, the aviation color code has been raised to red. Roads are closed, domestic flights have been disrupted and nearby residents are being advised to stay indoors to avoid falling rock and ash.

If the wind was to blow towards the north, major cities like Waikato, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty could be affected. Luckily, forecasters are predicting mild winds for the upcoming days.

Mount Tongariro’s last eruption was from November 1896 until October 1897, following eruptions in 1869 and 1892.

[Image via Mirko Thiessen]

Video: Terra Sacra Time-Lapse

by Elizabeth Seward on

“Terra Sacra Time Lapses Trailer” from Sean F. White on Vimeo.

This time-lapse collaborative called Terra Sacra from Sean F. White is beautiful. Sean traveled to several countries to film the footage that made up this video (Bolivia, Chile, USA, Antarctica, Kenya, Brazil, Madagascar, United Kingdom, Argentina, Australia, Mali, Nepal, New Zealand, Japan, Bhutan, Peru, Mongolia, Iceland, Cambodia, Egypt, Jordan, Philippines, Syria and Poland). From the skies to seas, this time-lapse is all about nature and the beauty before us in the landscapes found across the world. Enjoy.