A Touch of Africa

Awarded Top-10 Wildlife Travel Blog 

on Terra Incognita, 2018.

It was a moonless African night with a countless number of stars – there are much more of them in the South hemisphere than in the North. No human habitation in tens of miles away: just several tents around a little campfire.

Rangers are quietly talking to each other in one of 11 local languages. One hour more – and they will put the fire out and leave me alone with this night. “Just don’t forget to turn on your torch before going to the toilet: if you see someone’s eyes – better wait a bit.” – Shaba, a massive guy with a low voice, sounds a bit scary even if when he doesn’t say such things. Toilet in the bush camp was, in fact, a hole in the sand surrounded by a piece of sipped tarp. But what shall I do if I notice someone on my way back from the toilet?… For some reason, I was too embarrassed to ask.

Whales in the USA

A friend of mine told me that, being a child, he was aware that a hedgehog is a fantastic creature. And, when he saw a real hedgehog, his world has turned upside down. Something similar happened between me and whales. Intellectually, I knew that they do exist, but I couldn’t believe it in my heart.

Can you imagine an alive creature that has a length as a nine-story building? I’m not exaggerating: the average length of an adult blue whale is 22-27 meters, and in 1926 some bastards caught one that had 33 meters! A blue whale weighs about 150 tonnes - as much as 1800 adult men together, and his heart weighs about 600 kg. They can live without sleep for up to 3 months, hold their breath up to 12 hours and don’t eat for 8 months!

His Majesty Yellowstone, the Supervolcano. Is it going to erupt soon?

Why shouldn’t we visit Yellowstone? - my Dad asked me when I had planned our trip to the north-west of the USA. I had not heard anything about supervolcanos before but was happy to include it in our travel plan.

At the end of the day, the Yellowstone became one of the key points of our 3-week-long trip. So, let me introduce you to the Great Destroyer and Great Creator of new conditions of life, one of the most terrible threats to humanity and in the meantime one of the most beautiful places in the world. This is Yellowstone the Supervolcano.

Please find the travel tips below this video.

Silent. Dangerous. Magnificent. Meet the Leopard!

🐆 I am an epitome of stealth. I can arise from nowhere and vanish to nothing. I can even snatch a sleeping dog without being detected. And of course, non-sensitive two-legged creatures are able to see me only if I had a nice supper and am too lazy to move from my place. And if they stay windward and their smell and sounds don’t disturb me.

I am a simply perfect creature. I am a strong swimmer and, unlike other cats, I like water. I can run with the speed up to 58 km per hour,  leap 6 meters forward in a single bound, and jump 3 meters straight up. Having feline grace, I am the smallest and strongest from the big cats. Once I was spotted dragging a 100 kilograms young giraffe into the heavy brush to hide it.

Do penguins live in Africa?!

Where penguins live? How and where to see penguins in the wild? Are penguins birds or mammals? What are Jackass penguins and why they are so special?

My today's story is about African penguins - cute and friendly creatures live in Boulder's bay just in one-hour-drive from Cape Town. Enjoy! :)

How long are lion’s claws?

“Remain in your seats! Speak slowly! In no case leave the car!’ - our ranger whispered the instructions that all of us already knew by heart. "We are extremely lucky! You see - all the pride is resting on the road!" - Leo couldn’t help expressing his emotions. He deserved his fame as one of the best big cat finders - people tell that it is because of his name. 

Lions were enjoying a sunbath and didn’t pay any attention at us. “It is only until you are keeping

Stopover in Tunis city. What to see in Tunis if you have only one day

During my last trip to South Africa, I had a one-day stopover in Tunis city. I love stopovers: they allow me to see and explore much more! And this day in Tunis was amazing: I have never been to this country, despite it is so close to Malta.

But I was impressed by its authentic culture and sincere hospitality, and will definitely come again! Not to mention that this stopover helped me to save half of the cost of my air tickets to South Africa. So, here is a 1-minute video about the charming city of Tunis. I didn't take my camera, so it is a mobile-sized video story.

I hope you'll enjoy!

Borneo: 7 amazing facts

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, covered with prehistoric forest and inhabited by amazing animals, many of which you can not find anywhere more. In the same time, Borneo has good roads, beautiful beaches, and even a cat city! Borneo is wild, Borneo is huge, Borneo is unbelievably beautiful!

You can find some travel tips below this video :)

Malayan Sun Bears: awesome wild cuteness

Everyone knows what a panda is, but do you know anything about Malayan bears, also named Sun bears?

I heard nothing about them until my visit to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center, where I saw the sign that attracted my attention. Following the directions, I found a wooden platform from which one can observe a piece of the forest with these cute, little jet-black bears.


They are the smallest and rarest representatives of the bear family, with short tails and extremely long tongues that can reach 25 cm!

Feeling Nusa Penida

The island of Nusa Penida near the well-known Bali is not that popular but has its own charm. Being unspoiled by the crowds of tourists, it reminds of Bali like it was 20 years ago: rural, calm, authentic and full of secret treasures, especially inside the ocean. Nusa Penida - it is warm-hearted people, yummy mangos and the incredible underwater world!