There is gold on Indonesia’s Sangihe island, and a Canadian-listed mining company has a permit to exploit it. Environmentalists say the gold mine threatens the island’s ancient forests, which are home to endemic birds. Locals fear it will affect their water supply. The BBC visited the remote island to see what’s at stake.
Category Archives: Travel
English County Estates: Trafalgar Park, Salisbury
Writing in Country Life in 1997, the magazine’s then-Architectural Editor the late Giles Worsley referred to stately Grade I-listed Trafalgar Park, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, as ‘the Flying Dutchman of the property world, endlessly seeking an owner and being sold on while the fabric slowly decayed’.

The fine country house built by John James of Greenwich in 1733 for City grandee Sir Peter Vandeput was nevertheless described as ‘an estate agent’s dream, a house that always seemed to come back on the market’.
8K Views: Otobe, Island Of Hokkaido, Japan (Video)
Otobe is a town located in the southwest of Hokkaido with a population of approximately 3,500. Otobe is rich in nature and has magnificent landscape such as Tate-no-Misaki, (chalk-white cliff known as the “Grand Canyon of the East) and Shirafura Coast (meaning white slope land in Ainu Language)SHOW LESS
Views: Lavender And Sunflowers In Valensole, Provence, France (4K)
Valensole is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. The inhabitants are called “Valensolais”. The Valensole Plateau is famous for the lavender, so when lavender is blooming, people come to see the beautiful lavender not only from all over Europe but from all over the world.
Video timeline: 00:00 Intro-Lavender 03:42 Lunch 05:52 Our excursion to Valensole and a small break at cafe 13:51 Lavender
Swiss Villages: Foroglio – Waterfall In Ticino (4K)
FOROGLIO in Ticino is probably mostly known for the waterfall of the same name. The waterfall can be seen from all over the village. It is possible to reach, or at least get closer to, the waterfall from two sides, an easy path close to the foot of the fall and a more challenging hike from the opposite end of the village. The reward for the challenging route is a fantastic view over the valley and directly to the side of the waterfall. At a height of more than 100 meters, it splashes down the rocks causing a cooling mist of water. The stream from the Calnegia river then ends up in the Bavona river.
The village Foroglio, like most of the small villages in the Bavona Valley is without electricity, but it is still possible to have a delicious lunch in the Osteria Froda. The stone house village is very picturesque and complete tranquil, except at the most touristic periods.
Extreme Sports Views: Base Jumping Off Kjerag Cliff In Lysefjord, Norway
Kjerag is the highest peak in the Lysefjord in Norway, and perfect for base-jumping. It overs a spectacular view and an uninterrupted 12 second free fall, being one of the the highest cliffs in Europe used for base-jumping. From the 1,000-meter-high mountain, base jumpers from all over the world take the plunge into the gorge. Once a year they meet here for the Heliboogie Festival, and celebrate with lots of adrenaline and a colorful and creative show.
Georgian Views: The Wick, Richmond Hill, London
On the gentle slope of Richmond Hill, Grade I-listed The Wick is a secret Georgian paradise that feels like a country house, albeit hopping distance from the heart of the capital, enjoying as it does the only view protected by an Act of Parliament.

Lush terraced gardens meander down to an idyllic swimming pool and pool house, with the Thames elegantly curving in the distance.
Location: Richmond, or the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, is an affluent district that boarders the River Thames. It is approximately 10 miles from central London. It has both national and city rail links, with Richmond rail station and Richmond Underground station that offers District and Overground services.
Atmosphere: Richmond has a community feel, much similar to that of a village, rather than a borough on the outskirts of London. It benefits from a number of independent cafes, shops, restaurants, bars and pubs — many of which take advantage of the river-side setting.
Walks: Brandengurg Gate, Berlin, Germany (4K)
The Brandenburg Gate is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after the temporary restoration of order during the Batavian Revolution.
Aerial Views: Lofoten Islands In Norway (8K)
Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Lofoten has distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands. Its largest town, Leknes, is approximately 169 km (105 mi) inside the Arctic Circle and approximately 2,420 km (1,500 mi) away from the North Pole, making Lofoten one of the world’s northernmost populated regions. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world’s largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its highlatitude.
Aerial Views: Cuba (4K)
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean meet.







