Driving through the Namib desert was a great experience, an art which we as "town clowns" do not master. It does not always bring out the best in people, but when you do succeed to cross this sea of sand as a team, after getting stuck many times, it feels like quite an accomplishment. To begin with you have to be patient and take your time to decide which route to take or you might end up in a...
During our recent trip to Namibia we drove up all the way to Angola, along the Skeleton Coast. Due to the cold Benguela Current, the coastline was blanketed by mist most of the time, making the remains of the ships of the poor souls who stranded there even more eerie. Although the area is desolate, the wildlife is amazing. We saw seal colonies and predators, like jackals and brown hyena. We even...
We just returned from a great trip to Namibia. Our first stop was Desert Rhino Camp in Damaraland, where they have the largest free-ranging population of black rhino in Africa. The rhinos are well protected due to a unique conservation approach where the local community plays an important role, together with Save the Rhino Trust and the government. We hope that this model will be able to...
Walking through the African landscape during our last safari, we come across a colorful group of Masai with their cattle. However picturesque this scene is, it also demonstrates the balancing act between wildlife conservation and cattle grazing. Traditionally cattle is very important to the Masai. Apart from supplying milk and meat, the animals reflect their wealth and status in the community....
Around a big safari camp there is always a lot of activity, like generators, cars, people, so animals tend to stay away. Therefore we love to go fly camping. A small camp brings you even closer to the wilderness. It is great to stand under a bucket shower in the middle of nowhere. Evenings are spent around the campfire, where marvelous bush dinners are being prepared. At night you sleep in a...
On our last safari in Kenya we did some great walking in the Naboisho conservancy in the Mara. The scenery is stunning, with both wide open planes and nice little rivers flanked by beautiful trees. Observing wildlife on foot is quite different than from a car. You tend to focus on the "small" stuff, like birds, insects and the vegetation. Most of the animals tend to run, as soon as they see a...
A year ago, we decided to sponsor some of the elephants in the Elephant Orphanage of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. During our last safari to Kenya, we visited the Nursery in the Nairobi National Park. It was endearing to see the elephants run towards their "home" after a long day in the bush. Before bed the little ones get a bottle of milk and some freshly cut leaves. The trained keepers...
We grew up in the Netherlands and moved to Germany in 2003. Together with our dog Duvel we now live in the picturesque Treppenviertel in Hamburg, along the river Elbe. Willem currently works at a ship-owning company. After a career in marketing, Tanja studied illustration design and started her own book publishing company, twikga, in 2010. We started traveling together in 1992, when we...
