Mike Cromwell

On this trip, we visited three uniquely Italian locations: canal filled Venice; the beautiful mountains of the Dolomites and the colorful rolling hills and fields of Val D’Orcia in Tuscany. The urban complexity of Venice stood in stark contrast to the drama of the mountains and the subtleties of the Tuscan vistas. We enjoyed the food, people and cultural outings, especially the Murano glass making demo and the pizza-making class. This trip is a great way to see some of the variety Italy has to offer visitors.

Looking at a map, the Lofoten Islands should be a frozen wonderland in February since they are located north of the Arctic Circle. However, the climate is very temperate for their northern latitude due to the Gulf Stream hitting the Western Coast of Norway. This makes the weather very changeable, which we experienced. When the clouds eventually cleared, the Aurora Borealis appeared and the cooler temperatures enabled a fresh blanket of snow to make the scenery look like a winter wonderland. It was nice to spend all our nights in one place. Getting there required some effort due to the four flights we had to take. This trip was a special experience that called for a little patience with the weather.

The itinerary for this visit to Indonesia was packed with a wide variety of interesting locations in Bali, Java, Borneo, Flores Island and Komodo National Park. I thoroughly enjoyed that opportunity to photograph beautiful landscapes, significant temples, local villagers and fishermen, interesting dancing, orangutans and monkeys. We had a great group of co-travelers. I also enjoyed the variety of accommodations and cuisine.

We started in Marseilles and visited Provence and Camargue in southern France. We saw plenty of Lavender in Provence along with some Roman history. We even caught a glimpse of stage 16 of the Tour de France. The highlight of the trip was in Camargue where we photographed the well known white horses as well as the bulls. The trip was well planned. We had a good group of co-travelers. The food was superb.

Tish and I had a great time on this trip. It was Tish’s 2nd time to Galapagos, my first. The boat was nice and the crew was very attentive. The wildlife was fearless, as advertised. I understand that it was unusual for us to see as much greenery as we did due to El Nino. The birds in flight opportunities were spectacular.

This trip gave us a good historical, cultural and landscape experience in this very small underdeveloped country that spun off from Yugoslavia in the early 1990’s. I think I saw more different religious buildings during this trip than in the last decade. It is hard to fathom that a number of these churches and/or monasteries are over 1,000 years old.

Seeing the Leopards and Lions at Londolozi and Kirkman’s Kamp sets a very high bar for watching big cats. The ability to see these and other animals in the wild is a special experience at these locations. Of course the accommodations were great and group was very compatible. I highly recommend the Cape Town Extension.

We had a grand time seeing the western and northern coasts before ending the tour in Dublin. Culture, landscapes, history, food and more. We were very lucky having had almost no rain. It was a very compatible group that all had negative covid tests before returning home.

We had a wonderful time touring through the country side and meeting locals in intimate settings. The landscape and portraiture photo opportunities were non-stop. The food and drink experience was first rate. Out guide, Daniel, is very knowledgeable and well connected. Dan Cox had to hold the fort down without Tanya, whom we missed.

Cuba is a colorful country with colorful people and cars

Slovenia is one of the most picturesque places that Tish and I have been. It is not yet been spoiled by the mass tourism market. With its old churches, mountains, lakes, quaint towns, caves, lipizaner horses, vineyards, good wine, good food, charm, cleanliness, friendly people, and nice places to stay, it is impossible to not fall in love with the country.

We had a great time that included fantastic wildlife sightings, great accommodations and excellent travel companions.

This trip had a wide variety of wildlife, ecosystems and experiences. Tish and I got to relax and meet new people while Tish had a great time bird watching and I got a chance to take a few pics.

The combination of urban vibrance in Buenos Aires and striking landscapes in the desolate areas of Patagonia created a rich and diverse experience.

Going to Kenya with Dan and Tanya was a semi-mystical experience. Tish and I had a great time, learned alot and came away wondering how long before this wildlife will not be with us.

This was the first photo trip that Tish and I had taken. The group made us feel welcome and the surroundings were majestic.