LP Pathfinders: what have you Instagrammed this month? [December]

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN7OcohBtLq/?taken-by=livein10countries&hl=en
Destination: Sciara del Fuoco, Stromboli, Italy
Context: Stromboli Volcano errupting casually close to Sicily. Part of the #101ThingsToDoBeforeYouDie bucketlist challenge - 'see an active volcano'. I took a tiny Ryanair trip to the Aeolian Islands with hand luggage only and damn all money to fulfill this goal, while working as an au pair in Italy. I see it as a symbol of what an incredibly hard up and frankly scared-of-adventure traveller like me could achieve.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNn5kqkjY9b/?taken-by=travelyesplease
Destination: Inca Trail, Peru
Context: I took this photo while hiking along a heart-pumping section of the Inca Trail in Peru. The stone path was narrow, hugging the mountain on one side with nothing but a steep valley on the other. As nerve-wracking as it was to be that close to the edge, the views couldn't be beat! It still takes my breath away to look at this scene, much like it did when I was walking that section of trail.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN8eA08gY8W/?taken-by=travelyesplease
Destination: Easter Island, Chile
Context: This photo captures the quiet, wild, ruggedness that is Easter Island. Horses freely roam the landscape mingling with the island's many archaeological sites. This horse was grazing on the side of the road near Rano Raraku and we he looked up at me, I knew it was going to make a special photo.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN_DGznA0nW/?taken-by=travelyesplease
Destination: Easter Island, Chile
Context: One of my favourite places to photograph the moai on Easter Island was at Rano Raraku, the location where these iconic statues were obsessively carved by the original Rapa Nui people. Most moai are standing up, partially buried, while others have fallen over. You can even see a few that were still in the process of being carved when production was abandoned. This photograph captures a group of moai gazing out over Easter Island’s barren landscape.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNrL64HgGlz/?taken-by=adventurehan
Destination: Ping'an rice terraces, Longsheng, China
Context: The Longji Rice Terraces, also known as the Dragon Backbone Rice Terraces as they’re said to resemble a dragon’s scales while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon, are China's biggest and oldest rice terraces. With every corner turned and hill summited you’re presented with more and more rice terrace. Each is as beautiful as the last as they peek out of the clouds, reflect the sky in the pools or water and shine in the ever-changing golden light. We were told this time of year was the worst time to visit as there'd be nothing to see - but I'd say this view was pretty spectacular anyway!

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNwCSKgArbd/?taken-by=adventurehan
Destination: Sanjiang
Context: During my two weeks in China I decided to stay away from the big sights like Beijing, Shanghai and the Great Wall of China favouring the less well known ancient towns built by the Dong and Ming Dynasties. This picture is of one of the wind and rain bridges in Sanjiang, an ancient Dong community, and is unlike any architecture I've ever seen before.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNZL0NvAOab/?taken-by=adventurehan
Destination: Yangshuo, China
Context: Yangshuo used to be a sleepy town but now it's a big of a backpackers paradise. Within just 5 minutes of stepping into the town you'll see why it's become so popular... The karst mountain landscapes jut out of the ground making for a spectacular backdrop and the Li river, pictured here, features on the 20 Yuan note due to its beauty.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BN6EKf2FMb_/?taken-by=nonstopdestination
Destination: Chichén Itzá, Mexico
Context: My trip to Mexico was a dream come true for me. Here I am walking towards a temple I had been wanting to visit since I was a kid: El Castillo in Chichén Itzá.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BOBskjiFiB8/?taken-by=nonstopdestination
Destination: Snoqualmie Falls, Washington State, US
Context: Snoqualmie falls is a 82m high waterfall in Washington State. This was one of our first stops on our 3-day road trip through the state. The falling water is mesmerising and the force of the water is impressive.

URL: https://www.instagram.com/p/BNoKtW7lNZH/?taken-by=nonstopdestination
Destination: Yukon Wildlife Preserve, Whitehorse, Canada
Context: On our visit to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, we came across these Thinhorn Sheep. I spent around 20 minutes taking photos of them, but I could have easily stayed for a few hours. There was a (playful?) standoff happening between a group and their leader and one sheep that seemed to stand his ground on his own. The beautiful scenery and the fresh snow made this my favourite experience in the Yukon.