20 Best Photos Of 2023

20 Best Photos Of 2023. I am back again with my annual wrap-up of my best travels from the year. It was another incredible year of travel, especially the first half of the year. The first half of the year was supercharged with two big trips to Africa. Please take a gander and feel free to share any comments.

SOMALIA

In some ways, this photo of Mogadishu sums up the dichotomy of Somalia. The buildings surrounding this beach are destroyed, yet there is a beautiful beach with equally beautiful waters. A lot of money is pouring into Somalia from the diaspora and hopefully there is a silver lining for this country that has been racked by brutal violence over the decades.

ETHIOPIA

I met this very smiley girl after I bought some bananas from her in a small market a couple of hours outside of Addis Ababa.

DJIBOUTI

This is the magnificent Lac Abbe, a dry salt lake on the border of Ethiopia. Amazing, otherworldly landscapes.

SUDAN

I had attempted visit in 2021 which was thwarted in 2021, but I was successfully able to visit early in 2023. These Nubian pyramids date back to the 3rd century BC. I visited for sunrise twice and sunset twice. Amazing.

EGYPT

I could have shared 1000s photos for Egypt. There is a reason why Egypt is so popular with tourists, there is an abundance of history and culture and so much of it well preserved. The Valley of the Kings in Luxor contained some amazing tombs with incredibly detailed carvings.

Republic of Congo

This is the Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People known as the sapeurs, a sub-cultured of mostly men who love high-style and can be found in Brazzaville, ROC, and their neighboring capital of Kinshasha. I caught up with them for a photo shoot and shared some beers after.

GABON

This is a Bwiti ceremony I was able to witness. I am still not sure exactly what this is, but was an intense evening of singing, drumming, fire, and dancing.

EQUATORIAL GUINEA

I spent several days in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea. There are not a lot of photo highlights from this trip.

Central African Republic

My hotel overlooked the Ubangi River as well as neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. I walked down to the river and negotiated with these guys for an impromptu tour of the river in this big pirogue.

COMOROS

This is the island nation of Comoros with the natural wonder known as Dos du Dragon. Comoros was a tropical paradise and respite compared to the nations of central Africa.

THAILAND

After a long trip to Africa I returned to Thailand for a respite. I visited one of my favorite islands, Koh Mak, a very laid-back island.

CAMBODIA

I went back to Cambodia for my 5th visit. And my 4th visit to Angkor Wat, arguably the most impressive religious monument in the world. I have been visiting for 20 years.

SOUTH AFRICA

I returned to South Africa for my 2nd visit, but this was mostly a multi-transit visit. I drover 100s of km as I also visited Lesotho and Eswatini and also stayed several times at the airport hotel in Johannesburg.

LESOTHO

The stunning Maletsunyane Falls, a 192-meter-high waterfall. I visited twice during my stay in Lesotho, a tiny landlocked nation found within South Africa.

ESWATINI

I met these two amazing rhinos on a private walk at the Hlane Royal National Park. A great visit!

MOZAMBIQUE

I spent three nights exploring the art-deco capital, Maputo.

MADAGASCAR

This is the Avenue de Baobobs, a must-see in Madagascar. An amazing experience to be here for sunset.

MAURITIUS

These are the stunning waters of Mauritius. This is a great island to relax and enjoy the sun.

BOTSWANA

Botswana is a paradise of nature. I followed some hippos with my drone as they went on a leisurely swim.

MALAWI

Malawi packs in a lot, including fields of tea.

FRENCH GUIANA

This is one of the launch pads at the Guiana Space Station, which is actually Europe’s Spaceport, which is found in South America. This specific launch pad utilized the Russian’s Soyuz rocket.

SURINAME

Paramaribo is an impressive example of colonial architecture. Suriname was formally a Dutch colony. It is also a multi-ethnic society, including people of Indian heritage, hence this temple.

GUYANA

This is Kaieteur, a 226 metres (741 ft) high waterfall located in the Amazon. I visited on a day trip, taking a one-hour flight from the capital to Guyana’s interior.

DOMINICA

This is Freshwater Lake, not a very original name, but quite beautiful. Dominica is a very green and mountainous island nation. I found this lake in the mountains at 2,500 feet.

ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA