I am back from quite an eventful self-drive trip, most of which we spent in our beloved Zimbabwe. I took this photo in Hwange, a park I have visited for the very first time. On this particular day the sunset was magical – with golden light and a magenta sky. Luckily this young elephant bull decided to pose a bit for me to take advantage of the wonderful setting. Young bulls often like to “show off” in front of cars which makes for wonderful photographic opportunities – and the occasional hairy moment! This one even graced us with a little sideways dance – I waited until it crossed its legs and flared its ears and pressed the shutter button.

I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxed the elephants are in this park, you can get pretty close to them safely. This is also a sign that they are not often persecuted, or at least they know that this part of the National Park is safe. I thought it was worth mentioning since last year there was a shocking cyanide poisoning incident in Hwange where hundreds of elephants lost their lives, along with other animals and birds too. From what I understood the perpetrators have been apprehended and dealt with. Let’s hope this area remains a safe haven for these iconic creatures.

Techs: Canon 5D Mk III | Canon EF 200-400L f4 with 1.4 Extender @ 200mm | f4 | 1/400s | ISO 800

I am very honoured that my “Masters of their Domain” photo has been published in the National Geographic Blog, along with 24 other fantastic images.  Check them out by following this link.

I have always wanted to photograph two iconic animals of Africa in the same frame: lions and elephants. My stroke of luck came while visiting Mana Pools, Zimbabwe – to me the most magical place on earth.   I especially like how the trees and the ground form a natural frame for the photo and pull it together.  And thankfully the male lion woke up from his sleeping position just in time to snap this shot.

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The internet can be a great source of information but sometimes also of misinformation. A case in point is that many travelers thinking about spending time in some countries are faced with lots of warnings and exaggerations about safety and other negative issues. While it is of course mandatory to be well-informed and definitely not be naive, one needs to take things into context.

I have visited Zimbabwe twice and most of the people who I told about this thought I was completely crazy. Yet, it is the friendliest country I have ever visited. Same goes for many other places I have visited. I don’t want to imply that whatever negative things that are reported are untrue – bad things do happen, but these bad things do not happen everywhere, all the time and to everyone. How many muggings, rapes, car accidents and murders have you had in your city? Just because the media or some people make a fuss about it doesn’t mean nobody should visit or live there. Furthermore it is always the case that bad things usually get a lot more publicity than good things so it is only normal for things to be blown out of proportion – sensationalism gathers more attention. Ironically, one of the safest countries I supposedly visited was the only one where I got robbed, so go figure.

Many problems that tourists encounter are caused by people letting their guard down or just being plain stupid. Some other problems are caused by people not familiarizing themselves with some security precautions that might be wise in some areas, which you do not normally need to consider at home. And then at the end of the day rotten luck can happen to anyone, anywhere even in the comfort zone of your home.

What I have learned? Not to be put off easily by a lot of horror stories and warnings, and not to make generalizations. Look out for all sorts of advice, from social as well as conventional media but put it in context and take some of it with a pinch of salt.

I am not one of those people who gave up their jobs to travel around the world, at least not yet. I have a regular 9-5 job but try to work through my bucket list little by little. So there are not going to be daily updates about my adventures … but rather a reflection of past travels and other topics that interest me and might interest travellers, whether physical or virtual ones. My main passion is Africa – especially self-drive safaris. So expect quite a few posts about this particular topic! I also have a particular fondness for South America so I will be sharing some of my experiences there as well. Since I cannot be travelling all the time, I like to read as much as possible about these two continents – it helps me stay “in touch” so for sure I will be posting plenty of book suggestions and reviews. And also one other way to indulge in some travelling delights while I am stationary at home is cooking dishes from all over the world – a few authentic and most a fusion of something I conjure up on the spot. So some recipes will be popping up every now and then too. And now let’s see how this thing evolves …

Whether through my photos or blog posts my aim is to bring a piece of the world into your online experience.

I really hope you enjoy my blog and photographs!