Tangkoko Nature Reserve – North Sulawesi

March trip to North Sulawesi started with meeting my girlfriend Neja who was volunteering at Tasikoki Animal Rescue Centre. She could only get a few days off so we decided to visit a nearby Tangkoko nature reserve.

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The Wacky Wabbits

Too busy lately to post anything even though I have tons of new photos to show. Spring is here, my first group is already on the way back home and new guests arriving. This is why I am posting just a few shots of these wabbits so you know I am still alive;) Read more

On the Safari in East Africa – part I?

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. Read more

Mudskippers at Tarakan island

Getting from Derawan  to Tarakan island is an achievement itself. It took us the whole day and we used four different transport options; first we hired a speedboat to get to the mainland. Then we took a Kijang to Berau and there we switched to Tanjung Selor. In Tanjung Selor we boarded another boat to Tarakan island. It can be done in one day, but you have to plan carefully. Read more

Samarinda to Berau

After leaving Tanjung Puting National Park, where we met Orangutans, we headed to the East of Borneo, to Derawan island. The way there is not as straight-forward as it looks. We needed to get from the park headquarters In Kumai to Pangkalan Bun airport. Then we flew back to Banjarmasin. From Banjarmasin we took a night bus to Samarinda, which took us around 15 hours. We were exhausted and decided to stay one night to relax in Samarinda. Read more

Our red-haired cousins

Tanjung Puting National Park has three rehabilitation centres for Orangutans within its borders. It is said to be the best place to encounter these wonderful apes in their natural habitat. This was the main reason that we decided to visit it. In previous post you can read how we got there and how does it look like being there. But let’s get now to the Orangutans… Read more

Tanjung Puting National Park

From Banjarmasin we flew to Tanjung Puting National Park. It is supposed to be the best place in the world to see the Orangutans and this was the reason we decided to visit this place.
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Back from Borneo!

After seven weeks of travelling to Egypt and Borneo I am finally back home to Slovenia. Home sweet home! Borneo is an island full of surprises and extremes and travelling there was not an easy time! It is a special place that makes you cry in one moment and jump for joy in the next.

More photos will follow shortly, but for now just this baby Orangutan. His name is Peter and he is an orphan at a logging camp in Kalimatan (Indonesian Borneo). With my girlfriend we are trying to get him to a rehabilitation centre that he would get a proper care and attention. Not an easy thing to do!

Yala national park safari

Yala NP is the most popular national park in Sri Lanka. No wonder why, we were there for about three hours and yet we saw amazing number of wildlife.  I have been to several African countries for Safaris so I did not expect much from Yala. But I was pleasantly surprised by both the landscapes and wildlife we encountered. Here are just some photos of the animals I took during this wonderful safari.
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A brief encounter with wild boar family

Wild boars are really fun to visit at Bavarian forest national park. You can actually get into their enclosure and observe them eye to eye. The enclosure is huge and the boars are not always to be seen, but if you visit them two or three times you have a good chance to come across them.
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Wisent – the giant of the European forests

Wildlife is one of my favourite type of photography. Being in nature on the fresh air and observing the animals of all kinds is a rewarding enough by itself and if I manage to get a decent shot -what would I wish more? Unfortunately it is also one of the most difficult kinds of photography, the animals are unpredictive, usually hard to find and even harder to find in a real photo opportunity position.
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The smoke that thunders

The smoke that thunders or “Mosi-Oa-Tunya” is a local name for Victoria Falls. The Falls lie on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia and can be visited from both countries. I visited the Falls from Zimbabwean side, from the town Victoria Falls.
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Walvis bay – Mola Mola safari

On the way from Swakopmund to Sesriem we stopped at Walvis bay. The idea was to do the Mola Mola sea safari to watch the seals, pelicans, dolphins and other marine animals. The coast was misty and cold. Our skipper Eddie was a great guy with a great sense of humor. He was making jokes all the way and he was really knowledgeable. As soon as we left the harbour we got funny visitor – an adult seal named Saddam Husein (the photo above). He just sat at the back of the boat and waiting for  the fish.
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Canoeing on the Ljubljanica river

Last week my father and I went canoeing on the Ljubljanica river. Funny, I live on the riverbank of the river, but this was the first time this year I went boating. It was a nice sunny afternoon and the light was beautiful. There were plenty of animals around and most of them are accustomed to the presence of people. It is quite easy to take photos, but you shoud be careful that the boat doesn’t turn around.
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Animals save the planet

Here is a site I really recommend you to take a look. It is funny, it is educational, it is good for you and it doesn’t take much time. I enjoyed watching it myself and I am sure you will also. And do not forget to share it! Just click on the image…

Stripes in Etosha

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. Read more

Cape Cross seal colony

A night visitor

Last weekend Neja & I got a pleasant visit. A hedgehog! Lovely fat and sneezy hedgehog! I asked him politely if he would pose for a few photos in our garden. In exchange for some milk and cat’s food he agreed…
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Green frog

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Baby Crossbills

Last week my father and I went to Dolenjska to take photos of juvenile Crossbills. I did not expect what I saw there. These cute little creatures were not shy at all! Actually they were true models – playful, nosy, comedians.
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…of the bears and tigers…

Last summer I was visiting Guilin, China. Since my flight was early in the morning I had some spare time and decided to visit Bear and Tiger Mountain Village (Guilin Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Mountain Villa). It is located on the way from the airport to the city. It is not difficult to find it because of its megalomaniac entrance. I was told that this is some kind of a conservation project where they rehabilitate tigers and Asiatic bears. The place is supposed to have more than 80 tigers, 200 bears, lions, snakes and other interesting animals as well. As a nature lover I was quite enthused to visit this place.

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Koi fish soup?

Koi is Japanese word for Carp, a kind of freshwater fish. Koi fish are found in virtually every Chinese and Japanese garden where there is a pond. The gardens themselves are usually quite lifeless; paths, ponds, stones, stones, bridges, pavilions, stones… There are also some plants of course, but not as many as in Western gardens. You will find Bamboos, Magnolias, Gingkos, Lotuses, Pine trees,… To understand the philosophy of the gardens you must know the symbolism in almost every object placed within the garden. My personal opinion – very different, quite interesting, a bit dull. Fortunately there are throngs of Koi fish swimming around and they offer some great photo opportunities. Some of them grow very big, they look like lazy orange submarines. Read more

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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