Aswan is the southernmost city in Egypt and a place where the Nile cataracts begin. Impossibly hot in summer and  pleasantly warm in winter. When I first visited Aswan I thought this place is magic! Now after a few years I still think the same. Whenever I am in Egypt I just can’t wait to relax on the felucca Nile cruise operated skillfully by a Nubian captain.

Nile at Aswan is different than the Nile in Lower Egypt. There are no green cultivated fields by the river banks, sand dunes of the Western desert reach to the river directly. While the city of Aswan dominates the eastern side of the river, there are only a few Nubian villages and the desert on the western side. There is no bridge at Aswan and the feluccas and motor boats are the only way to get from one side of the river to another.

Who are Nubians? Nubians are the people that live in Upper Egypt and Northern Sudan in the region called Nubia. (Do not confuse them with Nuba people that live in the Southern Sudan and are being victims of a nasty civil war) With a history and traditions which can be traced to the dawn of civilization, the Nubian first settled along the banks of the Nile from Aswan. Along this great river they developed one of the oldest and greatest civilizations in Africa. Until they lost their last kingdom (Christian Nubia) only five centuries back the Nubians remained as the main rivals to the other great African civilization of Egypt.

In the 1960-ties most of their traditional homeland was submerged because of the construction of the Aswan’s high dam. The 500 km long Lake Nasser now stretches along Nubia and many Nubian people were resettled further down the Nile.

One of the Nubian villages on the western bank of the Nile. You can easily recognise their villages by nicely painted houses which represent a stark contrast to dull desert colours.

Aga Khan mausoleum on the western bank of the Nile.

Aswan (from left), Elephantine island and Lord Kitchener’s botanical gardens as seen from the top of the Tombs of the nobles.

A young Nubian boy in front of one of the painted houses. In some villages children (and sometimes even women) will beg for money or sweets. Please do not encourage them by giving them something! Buy a bracelet or some other handicrafts from them instead! This way they can earn money in a honourable way. A bracelet usually costs 5LE and a necklace around 10-15LE (Egyptian Pound).

Nubian housewife at her kitchen. Her mother invited us for a cup of tea and she was kind enough to show me around her modest but clean house.

Nubian girls in front of their house. Before marriage Nubian women wear colourful dresses and after wedding they wear black (at least their head scarf). I hope it doesn’t mean they stop living;)

Hamdi. A chief of the Nubian village on Elephantine island. Very friendly and easy-going man that proudly took us around his village.

Nubian lady with hand-made baskets.

Some of the hand-made crafts Nubians sell to tourists to supplement their income. They are natural musicians and have incredible feeling for rhythm (especially with drums). The funny looking “violins” are called Rababa and after years I still haven’t found out how to get a decent non-window-breaking sound out of it.

A boy wearing Man United jersey and a billiard table in Nubian village – well even Nubians are not immune to western influences. Not to mention TV sets and fans in every house

Shutters are closed during the day to prevent the heat coming into the house. Do not ask me what all these decorations mean. They look nice though.

I met this Nubian boy at a bazaar close to Philae island. He was selling hats and when he saw my big camera asked me to photograph him. It was a pleasure for both of us…

Felucca on the Nile – a must do when you visit Aswan. And try to speak to your Nubian captain – they are friendly and proud people and maybe he will invite yu to visit his village.

Next February or March (2011) I am preparing a photographic tour to Egypt. 15 days, from Alexandria to Aswan plus Sinai – an unforgettable journey and lifetime experience. If you are interested, let me know – I will have the details ready soon!

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Safari shots continuing. This is the second post on wildlife watching in East Africa. If you’ve missed the first one – here is the link.

The photo of the Flamingos was taken at Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. This is probably the most convenient place to see these incredible birds in huge numbers. When I first saw them I was surprised. I expected elegant, gentle birds in a tranquil environment, but  came across noisy, clumsy, smelly and funny looking fellows instead. The biggest fun was to watch them chase each other around the shores of the lake. They looked like a children at play. No sign of elegance that I expected.

Another scenery from Maasai Mara NP. An idealistic image of Impalas, Zebras and a Giraffe grazing together in savanna.

Two juvenile Vervet monkeys at play. They have blue butts:) Sometimes a nuisance, but always fun to watch!

A Spotted Hyena – a rare sight at day-time. Besides Wild dogs, Hyenas are my favourite African beasts. (I prefer dogs to cats, he he…)

Common Bulbuls couple. As their name suggests they are one of the most common birds to spot around camps and lodges in East Africa.

Gnu or Wildebeest. Known as the ugliest and dumbest antelope of savanna. Don’t know about their intelligence but certainly not ugly. Funny yes, ugly no…

Classic view of the NgoroNgoro landscape. Zebras and Gnus grazing together.

A donkey in pajamas.

Elephant family marching through Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

Baby Baboon taking the “mama” taxi.

One of my favourite wildlife shots in Africa is this one. A female Impala gazelle bitting off a young branch.

Two young elephants at play. That was an incredible sight. We were watching them for almost an hour in complete silence. Despite their size, they are incredibly gentle and caring animals.

Stripped Mongooses are always seen in big numbers. They are scouting the area for food and they rarely stop. This was one of the moments they stopped for a second when they noticed us.

Grey Crowned Crane. This one was captive at one of the lodges we stayed in Tanzania. A good opportunity for a photograph.

Saddle-billed Stork. The biggest of all storks and also one of the most beautiful ones.

And for the end an unknown animal that I’ve seen only once in East Africa. Very rare animal, probably on the verge of extinction!

More photos from East Africa are coming so get back in a week or so.

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East Africa is one of my favourite places I’ve ever been. Its wildlife, landscapes, people and pure wilderness itself gets under your skin and you can never forget this unique place on Earth. I’ve been there many times guiding safari expeditions and vacations on Zanzibar island.

Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru Mount Kenya, Aberdares, Arusha, Ngoro Ngoro, Tarangire – these are just a few places I travelled and loved! It is hard to decide which place I liked the most, each one has its unique charms that make it worth to visit.

Kongoni (Hartebeest). Funny looking animal, they are many at Maasai Mara National Park. Actually I like their stupid look and crooked horns

Waterbuck is an antelope with style. A majestic animal, especially adult males with huge horns. Their flesh has unpleasant smell so that carnivores wouldn’t hunt them and their hair is “waterproof”.

Newborn zebra and its mother. A lovely, intimate moment. Lake Nakuru National Park – at the back you can notice the flamingos in the lake.

A Pelican, elegantly gliding among Flamingos at Lake Nakuru. Pelicans are not native to this alkaline lake – the arrived when humans introduced fish into the lake.

Chameleon. Funny little fellow! Once one almost fell on my head from the tree branch. I just love their rotating eyes and their Disco moves!

Sinister look. A young adult lion is having a snack – poor little Thompson’s gazelle. Not much was left for the scavengers – only a part of the scull and the horns.

A special sight – the endangered White Rhinos grazing at the shores of Lake Nakuru. There are Yellow Accacia trees at the back. Lake Nakuru is the best place to see these gentle giants, once we counted them 12 in one day!

Vultures fighting over carcass. There are at least three different species on the photo plus a Marabou Stork (the tall one to the right).

Lilac-breasted Roller. One of the most common and one of the most beautiful birds of African savannah. They are an easy subject to photograph as they are not shy and they like to rest on branches.

This was an unforgettable encounter – a huge lion pride! And although most of them were resting motionless in the bushes, these two charming cubs were playing with each.

Elegant Grant’s Gazelles. The photo was taken just after the rain – you can see they are still wet all over.

In the next few posts I am gonna present wildlife, people and places of East Africa, so stay tuned! You can follow my blog via RSS feeds or via Email subscription (FeedBurner).

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The river that created this natural wonder is the mighty Zambezi. I would recommend to everybody to do a river cruise on the upper flow of the river. A truly amazing experience. An afternoon cruise will reveal you the other face of Zambezi. Peaceful, lazy and full of wildlife – what a contrast to the wild and roaring falls!

An afternoon cruise would be ideal as the light becomes gentle and the animals become more active again. We’ve been on the cruise for less than three hours but we’ve seen a lot of wildlife. This croc payed us a visit – it came directly to the boat – probably waiting for some leftovers.  It is fun to watch the Hippos bathe in the river making loud noises that I will never forget. And there is a plenty of bird-life as well! The cruise was organised by an enthusiastic birder mr. Darryl Tiran. He has an extensive knowledge about the nature (especially birds) and he also runs a budget lodge called the Twitchers. I would strongly recommend to contact him, he will make your trip to the Falls an unforgettable experience. Here is his e-mail (ecolynx(at)zol.co.zw) and his mobile (+26311610222).

The monument to the famous explorer lies within the park.

The gorge, created by the mighty Zambezi.

Beautiful rainbow appears over the Falls.

The river literally “thunders”!

Because of the constant moisture the forest is really lush. A remarkable walk in the shade of this beautiful rain-forest!

One of the highlights of the visit to Victoria Falls is definitely a helicopter flight! A twenty minutes ride is enough to circle the Falls two times – try to get a seat in front – you can take photos through a small window.

Here you can clearly see the upper part of the river (bottom of the photo) Where the river runs wide and slowly. Then there is a “smoke” created by the falls and later the narrow gorge cut into softer terrain.

A nice perspective of the Falls. Here at the bottom of the photo there is a lush forest where you can walk and enjoy the views of this natural wonder. There are several view points where you can get closer to the cliff for a clear views.

Here are some further tips of what to do and on what to be careful about;

-Have a dinner at Boma restaurant. Try the game meat from warthog, buffalo to different types of antelopes. And of course you get a certificate if you eat the Mopani worm! I have mine on the wall:)
-You can trade your old clothes and shoes at local handicrafts market in Victoria Falls town. Locals make fantastic wooden and stone sculptures, souvenirs, kitchen utils…
-Bargain hard!
-Keep your valuables safe. The town is not dangerous, but pickpockets are plenty.
-The best time to visit the Falls is in the morning. The light comes from the right direction, it is not too hot, there are less visitors and you might spot some wildlife.
-Even in the dry season the moisture is a big problem so keep your camera and other electronics in a dry place. You will get wet no matter how hard you try to stay dry.
-Do not bother to change your money to local currency! you will have difficulties to spend it and the mighty Dollar is accepted everywhere.

I spent two days at Victoria Falls and i can say it is just enough. People say that Zimbabwean side is better to watch the Falls, but Zambian side is more pristine and there are better wildlife spotting opportunities. I can only say that Zimbabwean side is fantastic!

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Juvenile pelican. The bird was used to humans and I could get close to him to take this shot.

The entrance to the harbour.

Portrait of an adult pelican.

Google. That’s the name of this cute baby seal. This is a cape fur seal – see my previous article about them.

I want fish!!! It looks scary, but the seals are really tame and you can caress them and feed them with the fish.

Eddie is feeding the seagulls.

I want fish too!

Fishing industry on the sea. One of these ships was Russian, the other Chinese.

The seals were chasing us and i couldn’t believe my eyes how fast and skilled swimmers are they!

Finnaly we spoted the dolphins. Elegant creatures.

The light house at the end of the Walvis bay.

Siesta time.

Delicacy. The fresh oysters with lemon juice and Tabasco – just great!

Mola Mola safari was a great experience and I recommend it to everyone. If you venture to Swakopmund it is worth to do a detour to Walvis bay to do a trip. Here is the link of the Mola Mola company. I was really satisfied with their service and Eddie was a great guy, he made this trip an unforgettable experience.

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Namib desert is probably number one attraction in Namibia. The red dunes are the subject on every tourist brochure photos and a visit is in every itinerary of Namibia that travel agencies offer. And I do not wonder why. I was admiring the photos myself and I hardly waited to get there. The Namib is the second largest desert in Africa and it is the part of Namib – Naukluft national park. Most popular place to visit in the park is Sesriem, which is a starting point to the Sossusvlei and Deadvlei areas.

The visit to the dunes usually takes one night in the park or at some of the lodges just outside of it. If you can afford the lodges inside the park I would strongly recommend you to do that. The park gates open at sunrise, but if you stay inside the park you can get to the dunes even earlier. This way you can avoid the crowds and enjoy the tranquillity and vastness of the dunes.

We arrived to Namib desert lodge in the afternoon after a long drive from Damaraland. The sun was already low and I went to the red cliffs to make some landscape shots. I was outside and I was alone. There was a light breeze and the sunlight was pleasantly warm. Unforgettable!

Early in the morning about an hour before the sunrise we departed to the Sesriem. When we entered the park the sun was already up, but there was thick fog. We couldn’t see anything, but fortunately the fog was disappearing and it was creating lovely textures on the dunes.

The famous Dune number 45. This is usually the first stopover for most of the visitors.

Every drop of water counts.

How to climb the dunes? Barefoot!

This little bird was bathing in the sand and cleaning its feathers.

Deadvlei. The most picturesque area of the dunes.

The Namib-Naukluft national park with its red dunes is a wonderful place that will stay in your heart for ever. I promise. It is worth the effort of getting there, waking up in the middle of the night and the costs. But do not forget about basics. This is a desert and this is Africa. Do not forget the sunscreen, plenty of water and a hat. in the morning it might be cold as well, so take something light to wear. Handle your camera with care, because those nasty little sands will get everywhere – even to the places you do not imagine:).

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It was first discovered by an explorer and botanist Friedrich Welwitsch from Austrian empire. It is named after him although he wanted to give this plant different name – like the local people were naming it. But it was such amazing discovery that scientists named it after him. Actually Welwitsch was from Slovenian origin, his Slovenian name was Friderik Velbic and since there was no independent Slovenia at that times he was an Austrian citizen. Not a lot of people know that Welwitchia has also a Slovenian name – Velbicevka or Velbicica.

This photo was taken at Welwitchia plains, just half an hour drive out of Swakopmund. Trully amazing area! The Welwitchia on the photo is a female – almost forgot to mention:)

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A polite question and she agreed. She looked at me gracefully when I took this photo. A small doll on my desktop still reminds me of beautiful lady Africa.

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Etosha is one of the most interesting national parks I have visited so far. The name itself means “The great white pan” after huge mineral pan that dominates the park. Etosha NP is huge – it is even bigger than my home country Slovenia.  For a visit of the park I would recommend you t least three nights in the park to cover the most interesting areas. Even if you do self driving it is not difficult to navigate and spot animals. The best scenario would be driving from one waterhole to another and then another… Waterholes usually attract a lot of wildlife and even if at the moment you get there there is no animals it is worth to stop. If you stop the car engine and just enjoy the quietness and wait for a while, animals will come.

There are not many lodges inside the park, but most of them have a camping site as well. Good idea is to stay at the lodge/camp that has a waterhole which is lit at night. It is great thing to take a couple of beers (Tafel Lager is my favourite), sit in a quiet and observe the animals. It is not uncommon to spot elephants, rhinos or even lions soon after the sunset. A true spectacle!

Waterholes are like theatre in nature. We were enjoying the quiet moments with just a few wading birds around this waterhole. Then the warthog came to get some refreshment. Then the impalas. Soon after them an elegant giraffe payed a visit. A group of zebras was following. And for a grand finale, a magnificent Kudu bull!

Zebras in a morning light.

Most of the zebras had muddy legs. It looks like they were wading across the white pan, that was still not completely dry since the last rains.

I just like the haircut of the zebras!

Funny but unlike the zebras I’ve seen in East Africa these in Etosha were not completely white.

We have encountered a big number of different animals in Etosha. but the most memorable for me were zebras. Funny, zebras are one of the most common animals in the park, they are everywhere. Most of the people are thrilled when they see them for a first time, but later on the enthusiasm fades away.  But for me it was really a great experience when we were watching them graze in a beautiful morning light. There were hundreds of them passing by our car and nobody spoke.

This little fellow was one of the last zebras we’ve seen before we left the park. I will come back to this beautiful place for sure! Someday.

If you liked this post, please read the others from Namibia as well!

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Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus) are actualy not real seals. They are species of sea lions. In Slovenian we call them sea bears (morski medvedi) – what a confusion – lions, bears, seals maybe?!? The fact that the Cape cross is their breeding area makes it even more interesting. There is a lot of puppies like the one on the photo below.

The visit to the colony was lovely experience. I enjoyed every minute of it although the smell is repulsive. But after a while I forgot about it and just enjoyed the company of these lovely animals. Recommended!

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