May
05
2024SVALBARD RE-LOADED
Halfway between the northern tip of Norway and the North Pole, at around 78°N lies the archipelago of Svalbard. It’s most famous and well known island is probably Spitzbergen, that’s where we started our tour.
The two of us, posing in front of the Virgo parked in the ice
We did this trip before, but crazy us, we wanted more ice, so this time we decided to go earlier, the middle of April. As we arrive in Longyearbjen there is definitely more snow and ice, and it is bloody cold. Temperatures are at -15°C and there is a strong wind blowing, chill factor double plus. That’s what you get !
We got what we wanted…
Nov
06
2023KENYA with GAMEWATCHERS SAFARIS
4 Porini Camps in 4 different parts of Kenya
Paka Kubwa means big cat in Swahili, and we saw a lot of big cats, they are cool, but we enjoyed the little cats even more. Baby lions are just the best thing to watch, especially when they are playing, fighting and running around. They are beaten in cuteness only by hyena pups, which are getting to be my top favorites.
NR.1: NAIROBI- Nairobi tented Camp
I’ve visited Kenya before, now for the first time, I’m traveling with Gamewatchers Safaris, I must say, I’m impressed. From start to finish everything worked flawlessly. We arrive late, at 10pm and take about an hour for the passport control. Edith, a lovely, friendly, very helpful lady from Gamewatchers Safaris is there to greet us, help us exchange money. We don’t really need much money, just for tips and souvenirs, everything else is included, food, drinks, flights between camps and game drives. We drive 30min on the outskirts of Nairobi to the park gate, then another 30min to camp, which is in the middle of thick bushland, we get there in the middle of the night, but all the staff is there waiting for us, if we would like dinner. No thank you, I just want to sleep. So 2 Masai guys with torches take us to our tent, see you tomorrow.
The lounge area at Nairobi Tented Camp
Sep
03
2023A 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
Apr
15
2023LOFOTEN’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
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.
Read More»Jan
28
2023But 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
Mar
16
2022The ultimate Lofoten experience
A photo tour with Christian Hoiberg
Auroras or northern lights are hard to find. You preferably need to be way up north, better even to be above the polar circle, in a dark night without much light pollution, (meaning far away from everybody and everything). Then an aurora of 5+ on a scale of 10. Plus you need clear skies, which is probably the biggest problem.
Our first night here, and already an aurora
So we went to the Lofoten, way up in the north of Norway, in February. The trip was postponed twice because of covid, but when Norway opened up on Feb 12th 2022 and we were offered the option to go on very short notice we said: yes please ! If this trip was meant to be, the good Lord could have given us a bit nicer weather though. We counted it all together, the sunny and not totally clouded times and we came to about 2 hrs in a whole week. We were told later that is pretty much the normal thing here, we were lucky. To be honest I’ve never had such lousy weather and in spite of that, such a fabulous time !
Red cabins and cloudy skies, as always
Oct
27
2021UGANDA: Part 2
From tree climbing lions to gorillas and gorgeous lakes
TO THE QUEEN
We leave Kibale Forest for the Queen Elisabeth N.P. Soon we turn off the main road and take a mildly bumpy dirt road along crater lakes and through banana plantations. The scenery is simply the best.
Bananas, bananas, bananas
We started with bomasa palms, woodlands, rainforests, followed by maize fields, high grasses, swamps, then the tea and coffee plantations and now the bananas. To be honest so far I like this part the very best. The landscape is very hilly and we keep seeing slopes full of banana trees, interspaced with little houses where colorful laundry is drying outside, kids run towards the road to wave at us. The weather is sunny and not too hot yet, it’s just perfect. All to soon we reach the main road again and are back on the highway 70 south from Fort Portal (at 1480m) to Kasese. From Fort Portal away, the Rwenzori mountains are dominantly present in the west. No snow capped peaks to be seen at the time, at over 5000m they are almost always in the clouds.
From dense forest in Kibale to papyrus and candelabra in Queen
Soon after Kasese we reach our lodge on the shores of Lake George. Lots of British royalty represented here in the lakes, starting with Lake Victoria, then we passed Albert, now George and soon we will do a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel joining George and Edward. Only Charles is missing, ha ha, he probably has to die before he gets his lake.
Read More»Oct
16
2021PART 1 : From the source of the river Nile to the chimpanzees in Budongo and Kibale
Where exactly is Uganda again ? It is smack in the middle of Africa. Right on the equator, flanked on the right by Kenya, on the left by the Democratic Republic of Congo. The experienced traveller will say there are better places to go for an „average“ wildlife safari. That may be true, but Uganda is sensational for gorilla and chimpanzee tracking, has great national parks, and on top of that it is the most beautiful country I’ve visited in all of southern and eastern Africa.
This is a matoke country
If I get the driver to stop to take „just landscape“ photos, something is seriously wrong ! I do people and wildlife photography ! But here I just had to stop over and over again, it is so lush and green, so spectacular and ever changing, I am so glad we booked a road trip and didn’t do the fly in&out. Beside that, it is also a very safe country to visit, with incredibly friendly people.
This is not really a „Banana Republic“, but boy they do have lots of bananas here. Call them matoke, which is also the name of our tour company: MATOKE TOURS. Lets hit the road, we’re here for a three week trip, in which we will cover almost 3000km, in an old Toyota Land cruiser with Anatoli our driver.
The trip
Anatoli, our driver
Sep
01
2020Hike, but remember, the only way is up….baby !
The Cinque Terre in Italy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Five little coastal towns, spread out over 20km or so on the north-west coast of Italy, about 1 hour east of Genova by car. I had wanted to go there for ages but was put off by the horrendous tourist numbers, but now seems to be the right time. Because of corona their tourist numbers have dropped to one third of their normal, still more than enough if you ask me.
There are 5 towns from left to right:
Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarole and Riomaggiore.
Monterosso, for beach lovers
Vernazza, the pretty one
Corniglia, on the clifftop
Manarola, surrounded by vineyards
Riomaggiore, the tiny photogenic one
No matter where you stay, they all have their charms and the next town is always close. You get to the next town in minutes by taking the train, the longest you’ll be on the train is 16min from Monterosso to Riomaggiore, or take it easy and hike, as we did.
Read More»Jun
28
2019Part 2: Chile
PARQUE NACIONAL TORRES DEL PAINE
Mon 22: to Chile and Torres del Paine
It is a long and boring drive, the first 2,5 hrs so we simply sleep. We do a coffee stop at Estancia La Leona, the coffee is not too bad, and Jürg treats himself to a gigantic piece of lemon meringue pie, it is about 20cm high, no kidding ! Best of all, it really is good !
On the road again
This thing is huge, but look how happy he is !
From there 1,5 hours to Esperanza for more coffee and super good empanadas, freshly made and still warm. This sounds like a gourmet trip right ?
Another 2,5 hours gets us into Chile and to our hotel, the Hosteria Pehoe, probably the most scenic lodgings in the whole park. It is located on a little island 100m off the shore of Lake Pehoe, and you can only reach it by a foot bridge. Drag along your own bags please, and do pray the bridge holds.
Pray the bridge holds our weight
May
30
2019Part 1: Argentina
Parque Nacional los Glaciares
This National Park was created in 1938 and declared a World Heritage Site in 1981. Its 726’900 hectares host 356 glaciers that cover a total ice surface of 2’600 km2. The beauty of lakes and mountains combine with spectacular glaciers to shape a divine landscape. A photographers paradise you might say. So lets go see.
Hougaard Malan is the best landscape photographer I know. I’ve travelled with quite a few photographers, and each and every one taught me something, but from Hougaard I learnt most. So when he asked us if we wanted to come to Patagonia for 2 weeks in April, and gave us just about 2 days to think it over, it took us 2 minutes to say: yes please !
recent comments