Qandil Mountains

The Kurdistan region adjacent to the Iran-Iraq border has a range of the Qandil Mountains. This part of the mountainous area belongs to the Zagros mountain range. By nature, the area is extremely rugged terrain and hard to access. The Kuhe Haji Ebrahim Mountain is the highest peak in Qandil Mountains, has an elevation of 3,587 meters a subrange of the Zagros Mountains. The Kuhe Ebrahim Mountain range is sit in Western Iran and Eastern Iraq in Western Asia. The Qandil Mountains sprawling several high summits, a clutter of interlocking peaks and plateaus, is snow-covered for much of the year, and further up the mountain, there are deciduous forests.

The region is noteworthy as a sanctuary and headquarters for the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party). This is about 5,000 PKK and other armed factions control an area of approximately 50 km². However, which has been at irregular intervals bombarded by the Turkish Air Force and shelled by Iranian military artillery for some years. The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) is also based in Qandil, which lets them infiltrate into Iran. The Turkish military carries out operations in the Qandil mountains where they believed PKK are hiding. Turkish military believed Qandil Mountains are a safe place for Turkey and no more doubt in them. However, the bulk of the Qandil Mountains itself is in Iranian territory.

 

Block Island – Rhode Island United States

Unpretentious Block Island is a barefoot-and-bicycle kind of place, with rolling green hills, hundreds of freshwater ponds, and dramatic 250-foot bluffs that remind many of Ireland. So bewitching is it that Nature. Conservancy was inspired to call the island “one of the last great places in the Western Hemisphere.” Not much happened here until tourists began arriving in the 1870s (leading to a boom in the construction of grand Victorian hotels).

Today, on peak summer weekends, up to 20,000 tourists flock to this 11-square-mile New England gem. Despite the island’s popularity, there is no Martha’s Vineyard–style social fuss. Residents and visitors tend to be quiet and protective of the natural beauty around them. A third of the island is set aside as wildlife refuge, with more than 30 miles of hiking trails and gorgeous cliffside biking paths.

The island is ringed by some 17 miles of beach, while the Great Salt Pond harbors hundreds of pleasure boats, most from nearby Newport (see next page). Situated on the Atlantic flyway, it’s a favorite of birdwatchers during the autumn migrations, when huge flocks representing more than 150 species pass through. Dubbed the “Bermuda of the North” during its Victorian-era heyday, Block Island still boasts a number of rambling porch-fringed buildings, which wear their age with dignity.

The Hotel Manisses is a big 1870s charmer that surprises by way of its upscale restaurant with garden seating. (Order the signature lobster mashed potatoes.) Of several sister properties, the nearby 1661 Inn is the most inviting while the ten-room Sea Breeze Inn is delightful: It sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean and is surrounded by flowering gardens. Where: 12 miles south of mainland Rhode Island. Visitor info: www.blockisland chamber.com. 

How: Ferries depart from Pt. Judith year-round. Seasonal departures from Newport; New London, CT; and Montauk, NY. Hotel Manisses and 1661 Inn: Tel 800- 626-4773 or 401-466-2421; www.blockisland resorts.com. Cost: Manisses from $75 (offpeak), from $240 (peak); dinner $50. 1661 Inn from $100 (off-peak), from $375 (peak). 

When: Hotel Manisses, Apr–Oct; 1661 Inn, year-round. Sea Breeze Inn: Tel 800-786- 2276 or 401-466-2275; www.seabreezeblock island.com. Cost: from $160 (off-peak), from $230 (peak). Best times: May–mid-Jun and mid-Sep–Oct for fewer crowds; Aug for nicest weather; Sep–Oct for bird-watching.

Yellow Dog Lodge - Duncan and Graham Lakes, Northwest Territories

 

You would be imagining this: a fly-in fishing adventure with wilderness solitude, pristine waters, and trophy-size lake trout and northern pike to complete a too-good-to-be-true scenario. Unfortunately, the not-so-dreamy component of a fishing holiday at the remote northern lake has often been the lodge itself—sometimes no more than a set of weather-beaten cabins that puts the rough back in roughing it. However, a new generation of Canadian fishing lodges is set to prove that you don’t need to give up on comfort and fine food as you fish the lakes of the little-visited Northwest Territories.

Just 20 minutes north by floatplane from Yellowknife, the territorial capital, Yellow Dog Lodge is an exemplar of this new breed of backcountry destinations. On Pilot Point, which sits on a rocky divide between Duncan and Graham Lakes, Yellow Dog seamlessly blends the features of a high-toned ecotourism resort and a traditional fishing camp. During the long summer days, guided day hikes take guests past mossy bogs, across trickling ponds, and through the taiga, the boreal forest of spruce and fir that covers the rocky barrens.

From canoes and kayaks, guests can explore the lakeshore and view wildlife—moose, beaver, and nesting waterfowl all make a home in this aqueous landscape. In winter, when the lodge will open on special request, the frozen lakes become highways for snowmobiles, and the silent snow-filled forests invite exploration with snowshoes and Nordic skis. With zero light pollution, the pulsing, multicolored aurora borealis puts on a fantastic display in the fall and winter sky. But fishing remains the focus at Yellow Dog Lodge. Fishing guides will help ensure even amateurs a chance to catch that big one in the deep, pure crystal-clear waters of glacier-trenched Duncan Lake.

There’s also seasonal fly-fishing for Arctic grayling, a colorful trout relative with an outsize dorsal fin that gives a good, hard fight with lots of high, twisting jumps. The comforts of Yellow Dog Lodge are the reward for a long recreation-filled day in the arctic backcountry. Perched above the lake on a rocky outcrop, the lodge provides snug guest rooms, while private chalets extend along a pristine waterfront. The lodge’s food is a point of pride and expression of passion. Owners Kathy and Gordon Gin are excellent hosts and fine cooks, and lodge meals—served family-style in the cozy dining room or, in warm weather, on the lakeside patio—are jubilant occasions that combine great food and convivial conversation.

The wood-fired hot tub offers anglers and hikers a chance to relax weary muscles before another perfect day of adventure in the Canadian Arctic. Where: 30 miles/48 km north of Yellowknife. Tel 403-668-9936; yellow do lodge, double occupancy, includes all meals, lodging, use of equipment, and round-trip transportation from Yellowknife. When: closed Oct-May. Best times: Jan–Apr for winter sports; June–late Sept for fishing; Oct-Mar for northern lights.

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