Sep

03

2023

SAND LOVERS ONLY

Landscape / Nature / Photo tour / Travel / Wildlife  Posted by / 3 comments

A photographic tour into the Namib Desert

with Hougaard Malan

A trip into the sand, no roads, no tracks, just sand

I like crazy trips, extraordinary ones. So when I saw the photos from this trip last year, and had a chance to book a spot for this year, I jumped at it. Six nights of camping in the Namib Desert, no phones, no internet, no people for miles around but our little group. Jürg loves it for the astro-photography, no light pollution at all and an amazing African sky. I am in it for the experience, for the camping and just for the adventure, I will do travel photography. 

We take everything: water, petrol, food, tents, bedrolls, stretchers, firewood and booze. The latter we had to go shop ourselves, so we didn’t take along too much weight. Now what, and how much, do you drink in 6 days in the desert ? (except the water which was provided for). This led to an interesting trip to the supermarket. At the SPAR they asked us if we were having a party, so much alcohol…. Well, sort off. If we didn’t need any meat ? No the other guy is bringing the meat, we just need drinks. They helped us carry everything to the jeep, I’m not telling how much, but two guys helped us….in the end the whole SPAR knew us. Short extra stop at the liquor store for gin. Also very, very important ! Then to the hotel for our last night in „luxury“ and a super dinner at the Godenfang Restaurant. Tomorrow the adventure starts.

DAY 1

Briefing at 07:30, then breakfast. We leave at 10:00. It is a long driving day today, about 200km of desert lie ahead of us. We turn off the tarred road shortly after the airport, from now on it is sand only ! We drive in Convoy, 6 jeeps. In Nr 1 is Ruedi, who sets the tracks, in Nr 2 with driver Jandre, it’s Jürg and me and young Alex his assistant. Nr 3 is the girls car, 3 ladies and Mornay at the wheel, Nr 4 with driver Marius is the boys car with 2 guests, and Hougaard. Nr 5 is the camp chef Martinez, the best guy on the tour, and cook Andre. And in the back, Nr 6 is Dennis the concession guy, controlling us, so we behave, don’t fly drones and don’t litter.

The start of an adventure

The start of an adventure

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Apr

15

2023

SENJA at 69° NORTH

Landscape / Misc / Nature / Travel  Posted by / 0 comments

LOFOTEN’S LITTLE SISTER

ARRIVING

Senja, Norways second biggest island lies about 350km above the Polar Circle at 69° north. We arrive around 22:30, at Bardufoss airport, which suitingly is called Snowman Airport, once again a place hardly anybody knows,  just the way we like it ! To be honest I didn’t know it existed until I needed a flight to Senja. We get the car, definitely a 4WD, at the SIXT desk. Okay, that’s new, the guy stays inside and we get the car key: your car is outside, deep frozen… with the motor running and the heating at 28°, to defrost I guess. We still can’t open the hatch, so we dump everything on the back seat and head for the hotel. It is minus 18 degrees or so.

HUSØY

Welcome to the polar circle

Welcome to the polar circle

After breakfast, and scraping ice off the car for about half an hour we leave for Senja. The drive itself is already an adventure, the weather is sunny and we drive through snowy forests, past cute red cabins, see beautiful mountain peaks gleaming white against a blue and sunny sky. This is great.

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Jan

28

2023

5 DAYS IN VENICE – CITY OF LOVE

Landscape / Misc / Travel  Posted by / 1 comments

But only if you are ready for at least

15’000 steps a day

Venice is an absolutely magical city. Beautiful old buildings, cultural highlights around every corner, the huge Grand Canal winding through it like a big fat snake, framed with majestic palaces, the overly richly decorated Palazzo Ducale, the Markus square, gondola floating through quiet little waterways, basilica and towers (most of them tilting slightly) around every bend of the canal, and be prepared… tons of tourists ! There are great little restaurants away from the main tourist hub, with sensational pastas and seafood dishes and for the shopping queens there are shops everywhere selling anything from Dolce&Cabana, Prada and Chanel to second hand, there’s something for every girls heart ! And if you are a photographer like we are, this city is simply heaven !

The famous Rialto bridge built in 1588

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Sep

25

2022

SAILING THE SEYCHELLLES

Nature / People / Travel  Posted by / 0 comments

THE FUNKY SAILORS ARE BACK ON THE BOAT !

Our katamaran anchored in Baie Ternay, Mahe

DAY 1 : The Marina

Trip starts in the Eden Island Marina.  We will be sailing a Moorings 4000 katamaran, pretty big I tell you ! The guys get the briefing, the girls go shopping. Takes about 2 hours, the guys were already slightly worried we took off with their credit cards. Got everything from the list, cost a small fortune, and just a few minor mistakes, coke zero instead of normal coke and one other bad one, will tell you later. Thank God for the guys with the golf carts who helped us get everything to the boat.

Our very BIG boat

and lots of food and drinks

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Jun

26

2022

BEST OF BOTSWANA – a pangolin photo tour

Nature / Photo tour / Travel / Wildlife  Posted by / 0 comments

CHOBE- OKAVANGO DELTA- KALAHARI

and meerkats and a helicopter

PART 1: THE CHOBE RIVER

ATTEMPTS TO TURN ME INTO A BIRDER

Around noon the plane lands in Kasane on Botswana’s northern border, Zim & Zam are mere miles away. As we approach the land below us is very green, great rivers and lots of flooded land, they must have had lots of rain here. As there are only about 30 people on the plane the arrival procedure is fast. On we go to the Pangolin Chobe Hotel, which is a famous photo hotel. Great photo pro’s there to assist and guide us, and big lenses for us to try out. Our trip is called the Best of Botswana Photo Safari, check it out here:  https://www.pangolinphoto.com/safaris/11-day-best-of-botswana-safari

The Pangolin Chobe Hotel

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