John

I watched a wild Sumatran orangutan swing through the canopy above me in Gunung Leuser National Park, completely alone on the trail except for my local Batak guide. The same week, my friend sent photos from Bali’s Sacred Monkey Forest—surrounded by 300 other tourists fighting for selfies with habituated macaques. That contrast defines why Sumatra … Lire plus

After two decades documenting lake islands across China—from Hangzhou’s crowded West Lake pagodas to Qinghai’s wind-battered Buddhist sanctuaries—I thought I’d seen every variation of Chinese water-bound culture. Then a Bai fisherman in Dali mentioned Jinsuo Island, a 10-acre speck in Erhai Lake where his grandmother still performs tea ceremonies above a hidden dragon cave. The … Lire plus

I still remember the moment my boot touched that frozen lake surface in the Boundary Waters and I looked down—not at opaque white ice, but through 10 feet of crystal-clear frozen water revealing an entire underwater forest suspended beneath my feet. The local guide from Ely called it “walking on glass,” and after three decades … Lire plus

After documenting 900+ Hindu temples across two decades, I thought I’d witnessed every expression of divine architecture India could offer. Then a local priest in Tamil Nadu mentioned Madurai’s Meenakshi Amman Temple with an unusual qualifier: “Where the goddess outranks the god.” That single phrase led me to discover 33,000 rainbow sculptures hiding secrets that … Lire plus

Twenty years exploring mangrove-edged coastlines across three oceans taught me that toxic beauty often protects nature’s greatest nurseries. I’ve catalogued 900+ mangrove ecosystems from Vietnam’s Halong Bay to Australia’s Daintree River, but Île Sainte-Marie off Madagascar’s east coast revealed something those other islands couldn’t: an ecosystem where 18th-century pirate hunters died from shellfish poisoning in … Lire plus

I spent years chasing Mauritius’s postcard beaches, but the crowds at Grand Baie and the $800-per-night resorts left me searching for something more authentic. Then I discovered Rodrigues Island – the autonomous “Little Sister” just 560 kilometers east of the mainland – and everything changed. This 108-square-kilometer volcanic gem delivers pristine coral reefs with 1,300+ … Lire plus

I spent three winters photographing luxury mountain retreats across North America, paying $600 per night at Aspen’s celebrated ski lodges. But last December, a Montana ranch owner shared something that changed everything: “We offer the same Forbes-level luxury for $200, with powder snow you won’t share with 2 million other visitors.” That conversation led me … Lire plus

At 55, I thought I’d seen every shade of Caribbean blue. Twenty years of hopping between $800-per-night resorts in Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos taught me one truth: “private beach” means sharing sand with 400 strangers while your phone buzzes with work emails. Last October, a 6-minute boat ride from Little Torch Key … Lire plus