Visiting a rainforest is a unique nature experience. During the day, these unique biomes burst with a busy buzz and bright flashes of colour, while at night, the air comes alive with the shrieks and calls of the forest’s many nocturnal creatures. Amidst all this natural beauty, it’s important to tread lightly. Rainforests are home to an estimated 40 to 75 percent of all the world’s plants and animals, including many still just being discovered.

Regular viewers of our Video Spotlight feature will already know that we’re big fans of David Attenborough. This week, it’s our pleasure to bring you something ever so slightly different. Think of it as an early Christmas present to those of you that celebrate it and if you don’t, this is still something that absolutely everyone can (and should) enjoy.

If an epic experience means going beyond what is usual or ordinary – to encompass that which is extraordinary, momentous and great – then that is how I would describe my first descent on the creeking Mac-Mac River, beginning from the thunderous Mac-Mac Falls, a national monument of South Africa.

In Southeast Asia’s so-called Emerald Triangle, a region of extensive natural forests growing along the tripartite border of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, some of the most beautiful and least touristy landscapes are in southern Laos. Travellers who make it there, specifically to the lesser-known Lao province of Champasak, are always wowed by the region’s attractions and wonders, the first often being the phenomenal World Heritage site of Wat Phou.