Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope

On Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, Kuta Katila means, “Roll your reed mat out on the sand, lay back and relax.” Joseph does exactly that at the Indigo Bay Island Resort and Spa on Bazaruto Island and at the Azura Resort on Benguerra Island. Joseph continues to practice the fine art of Kuta Katila on the sparkling beaches and in the turquoise waters of the Bazaruto Marine National Park.

Joseph gets an elephant-sized helping of the African wild on safari at the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve adjacent to South Africa’s famed Kruger National Park. He rounds out his wildlife tour at Camp Jabulani when he joins other camp guests atop a team of rescued elephants on safari. He visits the local villages and schools in order to understand more about the native culture.

Cappadocia, in Turkey’s rural heart, is where the East and West seem to have collided. As part of his journey through the region, Joseph floats in a hot air balloon above homes and underground cities that are carved out of the limestone rock of the Goreme Valley. He visits holy mosques and ancient churches, and meets the artisans of the region’s traditional arts and crafts.

Joseph joins The Gathering in Edinburgh where hundreds of clans and thousands of people come together for sport, folk dancing, arts, crafts and bagpiping. During his travels, Joseph explores Glasgow, imbibes a dram or two of the local product at an island whiskey distillery and meets his grace, the Duke of Argyle, at Inverary Castle during the Campbell clans’ Highland Games.

Located midway between Austin and San Antonio in beautiful Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg offers visitors bed and breakfasts, dining establishments, historic attractions, varied activities and a deep-rooted German heritage. From tracing its Germanic roots and climbing Enchanted Rock to sipping some local brews and getting down with Texas Roots Music, Joseph enjoys a taste of Germany.

Joseph travels south from Bangkok for a bit of rest and relaxation in the turquoise waters and on the fashionable beaches of the Krabi Peninsula then north to Myanmar and Laos to continue his adventure in the infamous Golden Triangle. He uncovers what Thais are doing to transform the Triangle’s ancient opium production to pursuits that will improve the lives of the area’s many Hill Tribe people.

Joseph takes a path less traveled as he explores Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok. During his urban adventure, he wanders the back roads and waterways of old and new Bangkok. He participates in morning Buddhist rituals at a local temple, checks out an up-to-date wellness center, crafts a monk’s alms bowl, roasts Thai coffee and scours a local market for the perfect indigenous ingredients.

Joseph heads to the German state of Baden-Wüerttemberg for Fasnacht. Each town may call it by a different name, but they all agree it’s a non-stop party that celebrates local culture and chases away the winter blues. From Konstanz to the Black Forest villages of Villingen, Oberndorf, Gengenbach, Elzach and Rottweil, Joseph uncovers the festival’s history and rejoices in the controlled chaos!

New Brunswick is Canada’s only bi-lingual province and the peaceful co-existence between the French Acadian culture and the English Loyalist culture gives visitors two experiences for the price of one. Joseph heads to the Acadian Peninsula to trace its heritage. During his journey, he partakes in New Brunswick’s natural beauty and the world of adventure that awaits in this Canadian province.

Joseph joins his producer and wife, Julie, on her search for her Swiss roots in and around Lucerne, Switzerland. Their hunt takes Travelscope atop Mount Pilatus where they scale the local peaks, try their hand at cheese making and then travel across Lake Lucerne to historic alp horn and handöergeli (Swiss accordion) shops in the village of Schwyz.

Joseph continues his Aussie adventure in Australia’s island state, Tasmania. From the capital of Hobart and its harbor, he heads out across the state and traces Tasmania’s convict origins in the prisons of Port Arthur, hikes Cradle Mountain National Park, rides out the ups and downs of a fast-paced eco-cruise along Tasman National Park’s spectacular coastline and meets the Tasmanian Devil.

Joseph travels to Melbourne then heads out on the Great Ocean Road to take in the natural scenery and survey the village scene in coastal towns in search of the best of Victoria. His journey takes him from one natural area to another in hot pursuit of Australia’s wildlife where he has close encounters with kangaroos, koalas and emus.