Dickwella – a hidden Buddhist haven

Dickwella is just a small town to the South of Sri Lanka. It is not on a tourist map although there is quite interesting temple to visit. My local guide told me it is nothing special and that we should skip it to save time, but I insisted to stop there. A friend of mine told me it is a must to see it.
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Pearl of the Adriatic

There are numerous historical cities scattered all over Croatian Adriatic sea. Porec, Rovinj, Pula, Zadar, Sibenik, Trogir, Split and of course – Dubrovnik. I visited all of listed cities, but Dubrovnik is my favourite. It is the history, the architecture, its people, lively atmosphere, the restaurants and tourists that make it so alluring. It doesn’t really matter at what time you visit the city in the morning, during the day, the evening, you will always feel the life of the city. And if you want to party, just ask the saints on the photo above where to go.
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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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Kinari Bazaar

Agra is one of the most visited cities in India with foreign and local tourists. Its glorious Taj Mahal is a must see for every tourist visiting this diverse country. Most of the people visit just Taj and Red fort, maybe Fatehpur Sikri on the way to Rajasthan. But there is a lot more to see in this touristy city. Read more

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

…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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The greatest monument to love

This photo doesn’t tell you much? Ha ha, read on…
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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

Predjama castle

One of the most visited places in Slovenia is definitely Predjama castle. It is situated close to Postojna cave about 9 kilometres further down the narrow road. When you get there it is obvious why – the place is incredible! It is hard to imagine that how hard was to build it in this remote location in front of Karst cave. Virtually impossible to conquer – this was a true Eagle’s nest!
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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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Istanbul – Charming city of the Orient

I visited Istanbul in the middle of October. It is a great time to experience this bustling city as it is the end of the peak tourist season. The weather is also pleasant with temperatures around 20-22 degrees Celsius. I thought five nights will be more than enough, but Istanbul has so much to offer, that a man could easily stay for two weeks.

Here are the photos and some useful tips what to do in Istanbul. 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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