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The real reason that we wanted to visit Curarrehue was to see the traditional horse racing festival that is a big event in the area. All the locals, including the Mapuche, local farmers, ranch owners, and other indigenous people attend.

The actual race track is a 250m straight line. There are no curves and the whole thing seems pretty simple. The track is nestled in a bowl shaped arena, and with the volcano in the background it's pretty spectacular.

Traditional Chilean cabin nestled on the hillside

The traditional Mapuche way of life is still very strong, but there are also entrepreneurs here too. This guy works in the forest, and in lots of different jobs, he was also going to be racing later in the day.

As the jockeys started warming up I was struck by how young they were. The families of these riders are all out to show their support, and it is a huge honour for a Mapuche family to have a winning jockey in their family.

Jockeys warming up before the race

It was interesting to see so many colourful characters, and faces at the event. From the indigenous people to the born and bred farmers, everyone was out for a fun day, discussing who they thought would win the race.

I got a video of the race so I couldn't get a picture but I did take this from after the race. Look out for the dTube video upload tomorrow.

The winner celebrates with his proud Mapuche family.

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Rio de Janeiro

In Rio de Janeiro I visit some of the classic tourist destinations including Christ The Redeemer, take some amazing hikes up Pedra da Gávea, and visit some more off the beaten track destinations like the sleepy Ilha Grande.

Welcome To Rio | Selaron Steps | Sugarloaf Mountain | Christ The Redeemer | Pica da Tijuca | Pedra da Gávea | Two Brothers | Ilha Grande | Pico do Papagaio | Dois Rios Praia | Iguazu Falls

The Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro crater is a diverse area of grassland, forests, rivers, and ravines creating a haven for an abundance of wildlife. On this trip I managed to spot an elusive Serval Cat, and visit the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage in neighbouring Kenya.

The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage | Ngorongoro Weather Systems | Inside a 3 Million Year Old Volcanic Crater | Staying At A 5* Eco Lodge | Driving Into The Crater (Video)

Zambia

In Zambia I visited the incredible Victoria Falls, and then set up to camp near the Zambezi National Park to come into close contact with all the animals of the African bush. On this trip we had an incredible encounter with a hyena, which is one of my favourite stories so far.

Entering Zambia | Zambezi Beer on Zambezi River | Zebras In Zambezi | What Do You Call A Group Of Giraffes? | Trying And Failing To Dart A Hyena

Incredible Zanzibar

Zanzibar is one of the most beautiful places I've visited - we took boats to view dolphins and humpback whales. We also got to work with school children in Jambiani and to learn about some of the efforts being made to help this poor (but incredibly happy) community.

Welcome To Paradise | Teaching English In Jambiani | Is Dolphin Tourism Good Or Bad? | Exploring Historic Stone Town | Searching For Migrating Humpback Whales

Exploring Cape Town

In Cape Town I show you some of the best spots to go hiking or to enjoy a day out, including visiting the prison island that was famously home to Nelson Mandela for 18 years. As usual theres a mix of fun stories - like when I almost stepped on a puff adder on the edge of a cliff.

Cage Diving & Great White Sharks | Antartica Penguins | Exploring The South Peninsula | Robben Island | Climbing Table Mountain | Cape of Good Hope | Welcome to Cape Town

Mountain Gorillas In The Congo

It was an absolute privelege to travel through Rwanda to reach the Congo to go on the front line with the amazing team at Virunga National Park protecting mountain gorillas. We spend New Years by a lava lake, and get to see efforts being made to help orphaned gorillas.

Arriving In The Congo | Virunga National Park And Its Rangers | Mountain Gorillas 1 / 2 | We Spent New Years By A Lava Lake | Visiting A Gorilla Oprhanage

Bonito's beautiful waters

Bonito translated means beautiful, and visiting the eco tourism capital of Brazil, it's easy to see why. We did a lot of snorkelling in what seemed like a huge outdoor aqaurium, visited underground caves in Abismo, and finally headed to the spectacular Buraco das Araras.

Visiting A 2000 Year Old Sinkhole | Underground Cave Diving | The Perfect Blue Caves | Floating Down the River With Thousands Of Fish | Ziplines Into Crystal Clear Water | Stunning Bonito

Colombia & Trekking to the hidden city

I landed in Bogota, and then made my way to tackle the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range. We come into contact with the native Tairona people as we trekked through jungle, waterfalls and rivers to reach this incredible lost settlement.

First thoughts about Colombia | Trekking to the hidden city Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5

The Pantanal Wetlands and Wildlife

I visit this worlds largest tropical wetland site and come face to face with the local Pantiero cowboys, Jacaré Caiman, Capybara, and a whole host of other wildlife. I was also lucky enough to meet one of the photographers from the BBC show The Blue Planet.

Welcome To The Pantanal | Swimming With Caiman | Giant Guinea Pigs | Blue Macaws | We Got Attacked By Howler Monkeys