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The Soul of Botswana - a film by Roland Steffen
“You will never be able to leave Africa. It will always remain in your heart.”
This film documents the experience of a mobile safari in the Okavango Delta, Botswana in 2022.
All video and photo footage on land and in helicopters were taken between the end of May and the beginning of June 2022 in Botswana in the area of Chobe River, Savuti, Khwai Consession, Moremi Game Reserve and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pan by Roland Steffen.
Moremi Game Reserve - part four of our mobile safari in Botswana
We spent the last three days of our Mobile Safari in the Okavango Delta at the Moremi Game Reserve. This is probably the most famous part of the Okavango Delta - and rightly so! Moremi Game Reserve is all about the big animals. Perfectly adapted to life on the water, antelope graze next to watchful buffalo on riverine meadows framed by mighty trees reaching into the sky, from whose branches leopard tails and paws dangle with relish.
Khwai Concession - part three of our mobile safari in Botswana
After three eventful days in Savuti, we drove further south to the Khwai Concession Game Reserve, where we spent another three days in a fantastic landscape on land and waterways. The Khwai Concession is a region in the north-eastern Okavango Delta boasting an impressive fauna. It is a superb alternative to the Moremi Game Reserve, which can be visited all year around.
Savuti Game Reserve - part two of our mobile safari in Botswana
Our journey in Botswana started end of may 2022 at the Chobe River and led us south via Savuti, Khwai River to the famous Moremi Game Reserve, far down in the Okavango Delta. I already wrote about the first part at the Chobe River in the last blog entry. Here we are talking about a completely different landscape - the Savuti Game Reserve. We spent a total of three days at our Mobile Safari Camp in Savuti. Here are a few photographic impressions of the landscape and wildlife in Savuti.
Chobe River - The beginning of a wonderful journey
Our journey in Botswana began at the end of May 2022 in Kasane, more precisely at this legendary Chobe River. Botswana, like many other countries, still suffers from the pandemic or the lack of guests. For us, this was of course positive, because Kasane is otherwise overrun by tourists, as the Vic Falls are also a stone's throw away.
Maalin Nugur de Babaluna 17.5.2004 - 22.5.2022
RIP Maalin - 18 years with the dearest, most beautiful and wonderful cat have come to an end today. We are very sad but also grateful for the beautiful, shared and eventful years with you - we will miss you very much - take care and give Olio our best regards.
Just arrived! The Wild Bokeh T-Shirt
We are happy to announce that the new "The Wild Bokeh" T-shirt is now available for order in our shop (currently only in Switzerland). For every shirt sold, CHF 15.00 will go to our "The Wild Bokeh" Wildlife Trust.
Botswana - one week to go - the gear is ready!
After long weeks of optimization my photo and film equipment for Botswana is finally ready. When flying to Africa the size of the equipment is always a compromise between professional demand and allowed weight. In Botswana the small planes always have a weight limit and I always have too much weight...personally and in the bag ;-)
Reflections - Lake Partnun
Lake Partnun is a mountain lake in the Partnun area north-northeast of St. Antönien in the municipality of Luzein of the Prättigau-Davos district in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is located in the Rätikon at an altitude of 1868 m above sea level slightly south of the border with Vorarlberg.
See what lies beyond - Phinda Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal
With it's temperate climate, ease of access, variety of Big 5 Reserves and incredible beaches travelers are fast adding KwaZulu-Natal to their itinerary. No where else in South Africa can one enjoy such a variety of Bush & Beach Big 5 Safaris. The last time we visited South Africa in February 2020, we explored KwaZulu-Natal for the first time and we were thrilled. This region near Durban has to fight at the moment unfortunately with enormous floods and vilene victims as well as at times with unrest.
Ostern - Wir sind dann mal weg!
Ja, ich weiss, jetzt denkst du sicher “noch einer der an Ostern im Stau stand…!” Tatsächlich sind wir mit unserem WoMo vom Prättigau an den Bodensee und von dort in mein Heimatdorf im Kanton Bern und dann noch ins Elsass gefahren - Family Business in drei Tagen - und wir standen nie im Stau! Man muss einfach nicht in den Süden fahren sondern immer westwärts.
Leica Summilux-R 50mm f 1.4 with Leica M10-P
Today I tested a Leica lens from the 80s with my Leica M10-P - The Leica Summilux-R 50mm f 1.4 with a corresponding R to M adapter. Since the lens is not coded and the inexpensive adapter does not allow focusing through the rangefinder, correct focusing is only possible using focus peaking via Live View.
Vals - mehr als nur Zumthor's Therme
Peter Zumthor hat mit der Therme ein grandioses architektonisches Meisterwerk geschaffen, das weltweit Beachtung findet. Aber auch die ambitionierten Bergfreunde kommen auf ihre Kosten. Als südlichster Ast des Bündner Oberlandes reicht das Valsertal weit in den vergletscherten Alpenhauptkamm. Die Berge der Länta sowie des hinteren Peil- und Canaltales bieten dem geübten Bergsteiger eine Fülle spannender und erlebnisreicher Hochtouren.
Val Lumnezia - Das Tal des Lichts
Das Val Lumnezia, das sich als grösstes Seitental der Surselva von Ilanz südwärts erstreckt, ist ein sonniges Alpental mit einem grandiosen Panorama und gilt als kleine aber feine kultur- und naturnahe Feriendestination.
Winter is back!
Actually, we were already looking forward to spring - but far from it! Winter is not only back in the Swiss mountains, also in the lowlands the white splendor and the cold is back. A few mood pictures from our walk today in Klosters, Graubünden. Pictures taken with my LEICA M-10P and the awesome Voigtländer APO Lanthar 35mm f/2.0 - all manual ;-)
Warum sind Afrikanische Wildhunde so gefährdet?
Afrikanische Wildhunde (African Wild Dogs / Africa Painted Dogs - Lycaon pictus) sind vor allem wegen der fortschreitenden Fragmentierung ihres Lebensraums, Konflikten mit menschlichen Aktivitäten und Infektionskrankheiten gefährdet. Der geschätzte Rückgang der Populationsgröße des Afrikanischen Wildhundes ist aufgrund der Neigung der Art zu Populationsschwankungen ungewiss. Sicher ist jedoch, dass der Afrikanische Wildhund nach dem Äthiopischen Wolf das am stärksten gefährdete Raubtier in Afrika ist.
Juri Durkot - ein Tagebuch aus der Ukraine
Die meisten Schweizer auch in meinem Alter haben keinen Krieg im eigenen Land erlebt. Um so schwieriger ist es zu verstehen, was der aktuelle Krieg und das Leid für die Bevölkerung von Ukraine wirklich bedeutet. Ich habe im Netz ein tägliches Tagebuch von Juri Durkot aus der Ukraine gefunden, welches ich hier mit euch teilen möchte.
Alexei Navalny urges Russians to protest daily against Ukraine invasion
Alexei Navalny urges Russians to protest daily against Ukraine invasion