Cape Cross seal colony is situated on the Atlantic coast of Namibia. It is around one hour and a half drive from Swakopmund. If you are arriving from Damaraland it is worth to turn north first to Cape Cross to visit the colony and then back to Swakop. This is how I visited it.
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Himba - the beautiful people.

I’ve returned from two week tour to Namibia. It was a great trip, Namibia is definitely one of the top countries I’ve visited until now. Its wildlife, countryside, its people! I visited also the Himba village near Opuwo. I spent about two hours with them and i can only wish it would be longer. At least a day or two.
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Maasai girl

Only one portrait this time. A Maasai girl.

It was after an exciting game drive at Tarangire national park in Tanzania. Late afternoon, the others went to the Curio shop or to the restrooms. I was resting by the car when she came by. Quietly, not saying a word, she was standing and watching me inquisitively. I gave her a pen i was just writing with. We were watching each other for a few moments, then I raised my camera slowly and waiting for her reaction. She did not move at all. I took a photograph, she smiled to me and walked away. A fair trade.

Following the steps of Moses

“In the third month,
when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt,
the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai…”
-Exodus, Chapter 19-

Sinai peninsula in Egypt is totally amazing place to visit! At a first glance it looks kind of dull - just rocks and sand - everywhere the same. But the longer you stay there the more it has to offer. Everybody finds something for himself - rich history, moon-like landscape with colourful canyons, religious experience, sun and sand holidays, local Bedouin culture experience, adrenaline sports or amazing underwater world. It pays to do a little bit of reading before you visit the peninsula. Even if you are not interested in history, it is not hard to imagine that this was the place where Pharaohs were passing when going to wars, where Moses was wandering with his nation and where he received the ten commandments. And recent history is turbulent as well - the building of Suez canal, the six-day war in 1967 and other more recent conflicts with Egypt’s strong neighbor. Read more

Sunset on the Nile

Felucca is cruising down the Nile while the sun sets over the western banks of the mighty river.

Sufi dancing in Cairo

Cairo, the capital city of Egypt is one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever been to. Chaos at its best; polluted air, traffic jams, rubbish everywhere, all the smells of the world, street touts - it all adds to the great atmosphere of the city. I really enjoyed Cairo this new year’s holidays and one of the things I liked the most was the Al Taura Troupe and their Sufi dance performance. Actually I’ve seen them couple of times before, but this time I had my camera with me, so I used the opportunity to make some shots.

Read on for more photos and information about the show.
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Photos from Southern Africa

Recently I returned from South Africa. I was leading a group of 22 Slovenian tourists and we visited Republic of South Africa, Swaziland and Victoria Falls from Zimbabwean side. We had a great time together and we were quite lucky with the weather. Since it was quite a long trip I took more than 1500 photos. Editing was hard, but rewarding. Here is just one photo, hope you like it. Some of the best are published in my personal galleries at Pbase. You can find them here: http://www.pbase.com/ratluk/rsa. I will appreciate any comments and if you find the photos beautiful, please share them with your friends. Thanks!

 

Baboons, baboons, baboons!

Baboons are one of my favourites subjects to photograph whenever I go for a safari. Always funny, especially young ones, very intelligent and they let you to get close to them. It is quite interesting to observe their behaviour, very social creatures with strict hierarchy in the troop. The best time to watch them is in the morning, soon after they get up, when a day is still fresh. The little ones are playing with each other, adults are grooming or even mating…

Morning grooming. Read more

African safari photo tips

One of my favourite travel destinations is definitely Africa. With the word Africa I do not mean the Mediterranean part of the continent, which reminds me more of a Middle East than real “black” Africa. It is hard to say what fascinates me more, the people, their music, unspoilt nature or unique wildlife? Probably the combination of all these things, but the biggest impression makes the savanna with its wilderness, beautiful and cruel at the same time.

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