Tag: Awesome Places and Spaces

Kenya Wildlife Safari: An Experience You Will Never Forget

Wildlife safaris are perfect for family outings. Experiencing the biodiversity in a natural setting is always fun for everyone. Kenya is one of the most sought-after places for wildlife safaris. Its landscape is populated with diverse species of animals. From majestic herds of elephants to elegant packs of cheetahs, Kenya is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts and family excursions. And while many people may think that a wildlife safari in the Africas will cost an arm and a leg, there’s actually some Kenya tour packages that manage everything for you while charging a very affordable fee. In any case, we will review some of the top locations that you must visit if you ever visit Kenya – whether you go alone or through a managed itinerary.

Meru Game Reserve:

This national park covers an area of approximately 870 square-km. The destination is enriched with diverse wild beasts which include elephants, cheetahs, rhinos, antelopes, lions and leopards. The park is covered with tall grasses and lush swamps are scattered throughout. Rivers and streams add a whole new dimension to the landscapes pleasing aesthetics.

Samburu National Park:

The Samburu national park is built around an oasis in the middle of a dry lava field which attracts animals from far and wide. The oasis is sustained by the Ewaso Nyiro River. Along with lions, cheetahs and leopards, buffalos, crocodiles, hippos and elephants are also drawn towards the oasis. Other animals like warthog, baboon, gazelle and impala are found in this destination. The park provides sanctuary to various bird species which makes it perfect for birdwatching.

Amboseli National Park:

With an amazing view of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Amboseli national park is a place of unprecedented beauty. This famous national park covers an area of about 390 square-km. Visitors can enjoy non-park activities like visits to indigenous communities, night drives, walking safaris and still have a great time. The destination is home to some diverse wild animals including hyena, giraffe, wildebeest etc. Birds like pelican, raptor and kingfisher can also be seen in this park.

Lake Nakuru:

Located near the town of Nakuru, this game park is famous for housing numerous flamingos. The park covers around 188 square-km. There is a fenced off area which protects giraffes and different rhino species. Animals like waterbuck, cheetah, reedbuck, bushbuck share this reserve. Large pythons are also seen in dense forests. Along with flamingos, there are more than four hundred species of birds including herons, hammerkops and eagles.

Masai Mara:

It is considered to be one of the best places in Kenya to experience wildlife in its true form. The annual migration of zebras, wildebeest and gazelles takes place in this national reserve. The location encompasses an area of 1,510 square-km and is home to animals like leopard, rhino, elephant, lion and buffalo. There is significant number of cheetahs, hyenas, hippos, jackals, crocodiles and foxes sharing the park. On the other hand, various bird species like eagle, ostrich, hornbill, stork etc. make this destination more valuable.

Mount Kenya National Park:

This national park is located around the highest mountain in Kenya. Covering around 715 square-km, this reserve is famous for elephants and bird watching. Animals like monkey, antelope and porcupine can be seen here. Mountain climbing is one of the fun activities that attract visitors. Views from different peaks put wildlife into whole new perspectives.

Ontdek Kenya Safari:

Ontdek Kenya is a safari operator who specializes mainly in bird watching, walking tours and wildlife safaris. Their services are offered for small groups and as private safaris. Their services are flexible and are constructed around visitor preferences. They usually encourage their clients to visit places which are not often visited by conventional tourists, to experience the essence of pristine wildlife. Equipped with skilled guides and flexible plans, their safari programs are very convenient and worthwhile for family trips.

Nairobi:

Known as the gateway to Eastern Africa, Nairobi gives access to Kenya along with Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. Nairobi national park is a 117 square-km location which boasts the presence of Three Big Cats, cheetah, lion and leopard along with hartebeest, eland, hippos, impala and many more diverse animals. Tourists can visit Daphne Sheldrick Elephant orphanage or the Giraffe Manor to get close acquaintance with graceful animals.

Wildlife is a true gift of nature. One lifetime is not enough to experience it all. But Kenya will definitely satisfy your desires for wildlife safaris and the experiences will be second to none. The mentioned destinations are only some of places that Kenya has to offer. It has much more in store for you to discover.

October 28, 2017
Mid-Century Modern in the Movies: A Look at 5 Set Interiors

There’s a reason that Mid-Century Modern design has continued to hold its ground for the past several decades. Its aesthetic is clean, functional, streamlined and mod. It’s pleasing to the eye and the body. Mid-Century Modern is pure in form and transcendent in grace. Mid-Century Modern isn’t just a movement, it’s a way of life.

The Mid-Century Modern Aesthetic

You may not realize it, but you’ve seen film and television works from, and inspired by, this 20^th century design movement. The films I am about to discuss feature an actor that is both beautiful and organic in nature. The actor is, drum roll please…set design.

Set design is as instrumental to a film as the actors’ performances are. Think about it: how many times have you heard “that didn’t look real” or “The CGI was awful?” You might have been like me and thought the graphics in James Cameron’s Avatar were (at best) of video game quality.

If the set design isn’t believable, if it’s not authentic, an audience will have trouble with the story. Set design helps us to better understand the emotional, spiritual and intellectual state of the character on screen. We learn about their habits, likes and dislikes just by the way an arm chair is angled in the room. Okay, enough of me droning on. Let’s get to the movies!

The Fountainhead, 1949

Based on Ayn Rand’s novel of the same name, The Fountainhead focuses on Howard Roark, an egocentric architect who puts his design integrity above business and personal relationships.Loosely based on American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (who some Architectural Historians believe to be the father of American modern design), the film delves into the psyche of a man who refuses to sacrifice his creative freedom and chooses to instead wander the streets in search of someone or something who will recognize modern architecture as a superior design movement. Using hexagonal grids, straight lines and square, geometric shapes in its set design, The Fountainhead captures the austerity and the beauty of true Mid-Century Modern.

The Graduate, 1967

Like The Fountainhead, The Graduate was based on a book written by American novelist Charles Webb. The film follows a young 20-something college grad named Benjamin Braddock who doesn’t have an answer to the big question: what to next? Enter Mrs. Robinson. Seduced by an older woman and family friend, Benjamin soon finds himself in love not with Mrs. Robinson, but with her daughter. What follows can only be described as a comedy of errors.

We can see the Mid-Century Modern design aesthetic in Mrs. Robinson’s earth-toned home, providing a stark contrast is the white innocence of her daughter’s bedroom. The rounded, oval leather chairs, wooden legs and leafy greenery all suggest a calf lost in the cougar’s den.

The Big Lebowski, 1998

Perhaps one of the Coen Brothers most well-received films, a scene from The Big Lebowski featuring an interior/exterior shot of the Sheats Goldstein Residence shows the asymmetrical, geometric architectural masterpiece designed by John Lautner. The blurring of interior and exterior space emits a feeling of centeredness. With the elongated lines, sunset-colored seating area and sandstone materials,we’re shown just how far removed the protagonist,‘The Dude,’ is from what he thinks is normal. Horizontal planes, earthen tones and pops of color (such is in the pool and the surrounding greenery) marks this set as Mid-Century Modern.

The Incredibles, 2004

In 2004, Disney’s Pixar released The Incredibles, an animated film about a retired superhero family that is called back for one last job, or so the patriarch of the family thought. In a scene typical of the nuclear family, we find the five members of the Parr family sitting around the dining room table.

Unlike other interiors we often see in film, live action or animated, the Parrs’ sit at a Danish Modern table. Their dishware, cutlery, and even the lighting is angular in shape and perfect in its geometry. This children’s film exemplifies the fluidity of the Mid-Century aesthetic.

A Single Man, 2009

According to set design expert,Amy Wells, the film’s director, Tom Ford, studied every object before it was placed as a prop item or set piece in the making of A Single Man. Filmed on location in the Schaffer Residence in Los Angeles, the interiors of the house showcases the traits of George, a homosexual man who has lost his partner in a car accident. Set in the early 1960s when love was still not open to all, George is forced to keep going through his daily routine as though he has not lost the love of his life.

The house is immaculate. The steel, wood and leather finishes combined with the straight linearity of the Furniture and objects tells us George is a man of refined taste. He likes things to have a place, to belong. George does not belong to anyone now that his partner is gone, and this is where the conflict begins in the film. Mid-Century Modern in this film is used to show us that beauty needs life to thrive.

Mid-Century Modern design encapsulates reflection, conviction and willpower. Wouldn’t anyone want to have a home mirrored to their own aspirations?

July 20, 2016
Jacob’s Well – Most Dangerous Diving Spot in Texas
From the above, standing on the edge, on the surface the sight is enduring. Jacob’s Well is a perennial karstic spring and a never ending dark hole, an abyss, this is the one leap that you wouldn’t want to take even a leap of faith. Jacob’s well is located in a Hill Country along with the bed of Cypress Creek in the northwest of Wimberley, Texas. Jacob’s Well is a perpetual artesian spring that nourishes Cypress Creek. It was primarily exposed to the people in 1850. This is indeed one of the most dangerous diving spots in the known world and it has already claimed more than eight lives so far but satirically this is one of the eye-catching, spectacular and extravagant diving spot for thrill seeking adrenaline wholehearted daredevil swimmers too. The opening is 4 meter in diameter. The cave vertically goes down to about 30 feet then the second shaft further goes down to 55 feet reaching to the depth of 80 feet and further reaching the massive full depth up to 40 meters, consisting of four separate chambers (fourth chamber is known as the virgin cave). In 1924 it was measured that 640 liters (170 gallons) of water comes out from the well every second. After the dozen deaths of trained scuba divers the cave was finally sealed off at the depth of 40 feet. The specially permitted technical divers are allowed now. It would have been a flourishing and successful swimming spot for tourists attraction if it had not become too much of a graveyard, illustrated by the local diver Don Dibble. It is a part of a subversive aqua flow classification with natural spring water forcing its way to the exterior all the way through absorbent limestone. The well is a motivation to divers, scientists and artists as well as a great mystery. Few are terrified but many are haggard to it, this is a part of its mythology. Jacob’s Well is the spirit of life, creating water every day for thousands of years. For those who are not in diving, this is a perfect romantic picnic spot for everyone to enjoy. Watch the awesome Jacob’s Well Free diving Video by MicBergsma.[VIA]
October 11, 2015
Glowing Beach at Vaadhoo Island in Maldives
There are so many unimaginable phenomena of Mother Nature among which this tiny Glowing Beach at Vaadhoo Island in Maldives turns out to be truly wonderful and serene. The beach glows blue like a millions of tiny little stars deep in the universe due to the uncountable bioluminescent phytoplankton fireflies. These little organisms originate glowing light when they got intertwined. Just like when the waves crashes the on the sandy beach, their cell membrane responds to electrical signals then they glow blue. They also take shape of the footprints when the people walk on the beach. This amazing scene was confined by camera of Taiwanese photographer Will Ho. this phenomenon is in the news for quite a long time but the marine biologists have taken this under consideration very recently. Just imagine if we get to live on this beautiful and breathtaking beach, we’d take a moon walk every single night for the rest of our lives. Check out the Video!
March 21, 2015
Peter Pichler’s Mirror Houses Reflect Amazing Beauty of The Dolomites
People love two things the most, uniqueness and nature. An ordinary farmhouse owner from Italy got this secret straight into his mind and turned his old farmhouse into a full-time luxury holiday units called mirror-houses. The farmhouse was built in the late 60s and has beautiful surroundings of sweet-smelling apple orchards and spectacular mountains of the dolomites. The owner asked the Peter Pichler Architecture to build a structure that offers multiple but completely separate apartments to ensure the maximum privacy of the paying guests.

The guests’ unit has an autonomous area of entrance, garden, terrace and parking. The units are provided with all possible necessary and luxurious items. Each unit has a living room, kitchen, bedroom and attached bath. The roofs feature broad openable skylights to enjoy natural light and ventilation in the rooms. To make it more exposed to natural sunlight, windows and most parts of walls are made of glass (with eastern façade entirely of glass). If you got some money on your pocket, It’s really the best hot spot to spend your holidays among the apple orchards with amazing landscapes of mountains and woods.
March 17, 2015
Amazing Photography of Weasel on Woodpecker
What photographers always dream is a moment worth capturing like this baby weasel hitching a ride on woodpecker. Martin Le-May from London happened to observe this rare scene when he was walking around with his wife. He heard some voices of struggle and distress. An unhappy woodpecker was carrying a baby weasel on its back. Weasels are notorious for dismantling nests. This baby weasel might have lost a grip and let itself drop on the bird who readily took a flight. It was both, a flight and fight. Weasel wanted a safe landing. Finally, woodpecker succeeded in unloading and the little weasel vanished in the grass, hungry.

[VIA]
March 13, 2015
Falling Upwards: King Aragon’s Stairs in France

Ever heard of falling ‘upward’? The King of Aragon Steps (in French; Escalier du Roi d’Aragon) is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking view in the world. The stairway was carved into the side of a steep limestone cliff in Bonifacio, Corsica, France. It was once used to carry water to citadel but it takes visitors to the sea now. Making 187 steps stairway leads from the cliff-top right down to the sea level. This could be the most incredible experience for youngsters. There are no elevators, only leg power is required. It looks like a dark line from far and little tricky to say, which way is the up.

February 5, 2014