On the occasion when this picture was taken, we were visiting the Addo National Park, staying at Gorah Elephant Camp, one of the luxury camps found within the park, and were on an afternoon safari. We came across these lions a few hundred meters from the camp. They were on their way to the camp to overnight with two other lionesses and the big dominant male.

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 light of Responsible Travel Week 2011, we at Gunyah – specialists in short-duration experiential packages for independent travellers eager to connect with local people – have selected our favourite local travel experiences… in Argentina, Vietnam, Nepal, Australia, Zambia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We want to inspire travellers to seek out more meaningful travel experiences, the kinds that can only come through real contact with locals and genuine enjoyment of local culture and tradition.

The rhinoceros is critically endangered! Approximately 200 years ago, at the turn of the 19th century, there were an estimated one million rhinos. By 1970, the count was about 70,000. Today, there are fewer than 24,000 remaining in the wild. If there is no change in our appreciation of this magnificent animal – if we do not take action to stop poaching and support the protection of our rhinos – the five surviving species (white rhino, black rhino, Indian rhino, Sumatran rhino and Javan rhino) will become extinct in the wild in our lifetime.