Village Travel Agency

10/21/2024

Amazing experience. We watched this lioness for almost an hour as she was preparing to hunt. There were impalas by the riverbank and she slowly, slowly advanced to them, taking little breaks till she positioned herself behind the bush, ready to strike.

10/15/2024

Special moments like these are what makes Musekese camp such a great place.
Surprise lunch on the river for me and my guide. We ate while chatting and looking at hippos, crocs and elephants.

10/10/2024

10/08/2024

Getting to Musekese Camp in remote part of northern Kafue National park is a plane, car and boat affair, but so worth the ride!

10/07/2024

Getting to remote safari lodges in Africa many time requires flying small bush planes. On my trip to Musekese camp in Zambia, it was 2 passengers Cessna 712, smallest plane I ever flew and my pilot Dihan actually let me fly the plane!!
On return slightly larger 6 seat plane.
My recommendation if at all possible is to take early morning flight. As the day gets hotter, plane ride can be a turbulent affair.

10/06/2024

Incredible Ila Safari Lodge at Kafue National Park in Zambia

10/03/2024

Close encounters at South Luangwa NP in Zambia

10/01/2024

Pizza lunch at South Luangwa.
Many safari lodges surprise the guest by unexpected bush lunch or dinner.
Here we rolled our own pizza dough and chose our own toppings, courtesy of the Bushcamp lodges.

09/26/2024

Brilliant game drive in South Luangwa National Park

09/25/2024

Beautiful KuKaya camp in South Luangwa National Park, one of the 8 properties of the Bushcamp Company.
The company is a leader in conservation and community involvement. They provide 4000 meals a day for school kids, they drilled 250 boreholes to provide safe and clean water for 75000 people and sponsor 350 students annually.

09/23/2024

Flying to South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, my first safari stop.

06/17/2024

https://www.fodors.com/news/news/fake-airline-accounts-are-taking-over-social-media

Fodor's provides expert travel content worth exploring so you can dream up your next trip. The world is a weird and wonderful place—we want to show you around.

06/04/2024

My native country

https://www.facebook.com/share/VTWUHjb1eM3jjZy4/?mibextid=WC7FNe

17 Facts You May Not Know About Slovakia:

1. Slovakia boasts a Guinness World Record for the largest ice cave in the world, the Dobšinská Ice Cave, with spectacular ice formations that are a sight to behold.
2. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is one of the only capitals in the world that borders two other countries: Austria and Hungary.
3. The Slovak flag, with its iconic tricolor design of white, blue, and red, is one of the oldest national flags in the world, dating back to the 9th century.
4. Slovakia is home to numerous unique folk festivals, including "Čertová Koľba" (The Devil's Backbone), where participants dress in traditional costumes and reenact historical events.
5. The country is famous for its rich spa culture, with over 1,200 mineral springs and thermal spas where visitors can relax and rejuvenate.
6. Slovakia is a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, offering over 6,000 caves to explore, making it the highest cave density in the world.
7. In the town of Kremnica, visitors can see the world's oldest continuously operating mint, which has been producing coins since 1328.
8. Slovakia is known for its delicious desserts, with "trdelník" being one of the most popular. This sweet pastry, made from rolled dough, is grilled and coated in sugar, cinnamon, and nuts.
9. The country is home to the oldest national park in Central Europe, the Tatra National Park, which boasts stunning alpine scenery and diverse wildlife, including the elusive Tatra chamois.
10. Slovak folklore is rich in mythical creatures, including the "čert" (devil) and "kriváň" (a mythical mountain). Legends and stories about these creatures are still passed down through generations.
11. Slovakia is a land of ancient castles, with over 100 of them scattered throughout the country. The most famous is Spiš Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Europe.
12. The Slovak language is unique in that it's one of the few languages that uses a digraph alphabet, meaning it has double letters like "ch," "dz," and "dž."
13. Slovakia is a haven for wine lovers, with over 100 wineries producing high-quality wines, especially in the Small Carpathian Wine Region.
14. The Slovak town of Levoča is home to the tallest wooden altar in the world, located in the Basilica of St. James. It stands at an impressive height of 18.62 meters (61.1 feet).
15. Slovakia's mountainous terrain makes it a fantastic destination for winter sports enthusiasts, with excellent skiing and snowboarding opportunities in resorts like Jasna and Tatranská Lomnica.
16. The country is proud of its rich history of puppetry, with puppet theaters found in many towns and cities. The Puppetry Festival in Banská Bystrica attracts puppeteers from all over the world.
17. Slovakia has a strong tradition of producing quality beer, with local breweries offering a wide range of delicious brews, including the famous Šariš and Zlatý Bažant.

05/29/2024

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-customer-service-dashboard?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3C-EQPcM2mz4-qRI7dvEHpkMKpnNuW9Vjo2qTFJgedlb8xfB3-gdXVKeQ_aem_AYThjON5tJkSyLWYJKTKVnhcvC0FZ0KQIdLxRnlgj_x9J5lkjfI5-x-CWb7tOThHFUM_JaDSviW090m7AUs8Xy5t

Secretary Buttigieg has called upon airlines to improve their customer service commitments to passengers, which all have done to varying degrees.

05/01/2024

Stunning imperial city of Hue in Central Vietnam is a great 1 or 2 nights stop on you journey from North to South of the country.

04/28/2024

Incredible cave Temple in Marble Mountains outside Danang Vietnam. Throughout the years, Huyen Khong Cave served not only as Buddhist site, but during various military conflicts, served as training grounds and also medical facility.
Khong Cave # Vietnam

04/25/2024

Good news here

The new rules deal with delayed or canceled flights and lost or delayed baggage. 

04/23/2024

Halong Bay is a must stop on any Vietnam itinerary. Thousands of limestone islands coming up from emerald waters. We spend night on a luxury ship, took cooking class, kayaked, hiked to largest cave and just enjoyed view from our boat.

04/21/2024

Zaha Hadid’s spectacular futuristic design in Seoul.

04/19/2024

Sapa valley is 400 km north of Hanoi, very close to border with China and it’s known for rice terraces, tribal people and highest peak in Indochina - Mount Fancipan. Cable car ride to the top was unbelievable. Town has a fantastic “mountain town” vibe. Scenery is gorgeous. Trekking is organized from this location also.

04/16/2024

Famous train street in Ha Noi. We watched the train whiz by while shopkeepers cleared the path for it

04/11/2024

Temple of Literature in Hanoi
Dedicated to Confucius, it hosted Imperial Academy -Vietnam’s first National University

03/21/2024

Magical Kenya roadshow @ Mastro Ocean Club in Seaport. Lots of great new connections made.

03/04/2024

Third LH strike this year.

Germany's Verdi union has called on Lufthansa ground staff to strike on Thursday and Friday, saying in a statement that a revised offer in wage negotiations with the airline was not sufficient to reach agreement.

03/01/2024

Arathusa Safari Lodge where I stayed with my family. Imagine looking out of your room and seeing this.