S4 E9: Destinations Unknown (ft. Pedro Quirino & Jo Cooper)

Have you ever heard of Socotra? Neither had we, until we met Pedro Quirino - a Portuguese tour guide, eternal adventurer, and outdoors enthusiast who has travelled to this mysterious "treasure island" off the Horn of Africa and has introduced us to scenes we could only compare to something out of Avatar. Once we heard about this island of biodiversity that used to belong to the ancient continent of Gondwana, we got to researching and are now of the understanding that this is one destination that will blow the mind. It’s got us dreaming of something totally different! Join Brett, Jo, and Pedro in this fascinating chat about 3 destinations as yet unknown to us... Off the coast of Somalia and 380 km south of Yemen, this island is off the beaten track. It has a sacred spirit about it with Dragon's blood trees, hostile-looking cliffs and crags, a coast that looks like the Seychelles, and huge caves that are full of scientifically significant stalagmites and stalactites.  Birding, scuba diving, hiking, camping - wild, wild, wild. And a third of the fauna and flora is found nowhere else in the world. It's a relatively new tourism destination, given the restrictions that have historically been in place due to conflict in Yemen, and certainly it is brand new to us and on our radar. Flights from the UAE have been in action since 2021, and Pedro’s business, Africando, is our direct source to discovering Socotra.  But before you are sold on one crazy new destination alone - listen to what Pedro has to say about the west coast of Africa... the “scary side” of the continent. You’ll hear Pedro quickly debunk our assumption that there is anything to fear, and immediately confirm that our curiosity about São Tomé and Príncipe can 100% be backed up by magical facts. Having recently spent some time on these volcanic islands, Pedro described the extremely high count of endemic species, new scientific discoveries all the time, and the natural significance of these equatorial islands off the coast of Gabon. Totally different to Socotra, equally as alluring, this is a Garden of Eden, an African Galapagos, lush, tropical, and forested. Somewhere in between is Madagascar - the third destination Pedro spoke to us about, having visited the “Eighth Continent” in 2023. Another must-do, must-go, must-prioritise spot on the map for us, and somewhere that carries so much allure and interest in our community of keen travellers.  Enjoy this super interesting and informative 30-min chat with a friend and major adventure traveller, and let us know what you think! These places are unreal. Never before explored by BHS, but we’re ready when you are.  Find more info on Pedro at Africando, or on Instagram. Find us on our website or Instagram, or reach out directly at [email protected]. Thanks to Karabo Ramuhashi for editing this season of the podcast for us, and to Trent Ashton for giving us his original hand-drum beat for our intro.

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