New Year Resolutions - Week 23 Achievements & Failures #TheLifesWay

Hi Friends,

Week 23 was one of the best ones as my parents were here in Johannesburg along with my brother too and we went to see the African Wildlife in Kruger National Park. It was a 2 nights stay at Satara Rest Camp and 2 nights at Skukuza Rest Camp. We took the comfortable Sunset Safari twice and an early morning Safari. It was really nice and some of the days it was too cold too. We had the best sightings ever seeing the Lion on all 3 days and Lioness and Cubs with their number going as high as 13 in one batch. 

Week 23 - Sat 04 Jun 2022 - Fri 10 Jun 2022

1. Kruger National Park - I took holidays for the first 4 days of the week and came back on Thursday and returned back to work on Friday. The sighting at Kruger National Park was amazing as the park was not flooded with tourists but there were a lot of European tourists in the park. 

2. Walking - No walking was performed as the whole day used to go in our car and then rest on the Safari vans. Will try to cover the same in the next few weeks. 

3. Entertainment - Watching animals and taking their photos and shooting vertical format shorts for my Youtube shorts channels was the only entertainment we have had other than the amazing food and lovely company of my family members. I have posted a lot of content from Kruger National Park on my Youtube Shorts this time around. To end the week we had a family dinner at Taste of Punjab in Sunninghill and my brother and his family loved the food there. 

4. Youtube Shorts - I achieved the 1000 mark at 283 videos on 9 May 2022 and saw that at the end of the week I am now standing at 383 videos with more than 1250 subscribers. All of them were shot using the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G smartphone which I took to the park along with selfies. Thanks to Samsung South Africa for the same. 

5. Thank You - I was lazy on the same and only was able to take them past the 48000 mark from the 42640 mark which was done till last week. 

The Lifes will slowly go back to normal as the office will start soon and then the emptiness will be felt as the kids will go back to their schools and all the fun and togetherness will again become like talking to the walls. This is the most difficult phase that will remind you of all the memories that took place when your relatives were there for you. 

Week 22

Cheers!!!

Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate on your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #10YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

Brown-hooded Kingfisher @SANParksKNP @SANParks #KrugerNationalPark #SouthAfrica

Hi Friends, 

Sometimes in life, you wonder that you shall have the higher zoom camera to capture the beautiful birds which are far on the branches or are flying high in the skies. A similar experience happened to me when I saw this beautiful Kingfisher bird which was sitting far high on the branches of a tree inside the Kruger National Park. 

Kruger National Park is filled with so many different kinds of birds and you need a good telephoto lens so that you can reach them from far far away. It's always good practice to rent the equipment if you can't own the same. 

Brown-hooded Kingfisher is almost the size of Cape Sterling which I shared photos earlier in my posts and weighs just 60 grams. You will be able to find them near any water source especially rivers inside the Kruger National Park. 

In the end, Kingfisher is one of the beautiful birds with a loud and harsh voice. You will find them in pairs maximum else it also roams alone. People also say that it showcases the most dramatic courtship displays in the mating season. All the photos are taken using Nikon D7000 and Sigma 70-300mm Telephoto lens inside the Kruger National Park in South Africa. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts and subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel too where contests will be held in the month of July 2020. Namaste!

Impala @SANParksKNP @SANParks #KrugerNationalPark #SouthAfrica

Hi Friends,

Impala is found all over South Africa in all the game drives and all the national parks and they look really lovely in their beautiful and agile body. 

This photograph is my favorite as one of the Impala takes the center stage while others check out my next movement to start running from the spot. This led to a great photographic capture as the sand creates the stage like a podium and the grass in the background created the others in far watching the performances. 

The beautiful Impala can run at its maximum speed of 80km while 60km is general. One fun fact is that they are also called as McDonald's of the Bush as they are readily available for the carnivorous animals to hunt them easily. 

Because they have dark brown lines on either side of their bottoms and one in the middle of the tail, making it look like an M logo just like on McDonald's stores all around the world. If you ever make it to South Africa, do check them out at the Kruger National Park and enjoy this beautiful animal and if you are lucky enough, you will see them getting hunted by the Leopards and Lions. All the photos are taken using the Nikon D7000 and Sigma 70-300mm telephoto lens. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts and subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel too where contests will be held in the month of July 2020. Namaste!

WWF Soundscape Playlist Brings Nature Inside @WWFSouthAfrica #NatureMatters

Hi Friends,

To put us all back in touch with nature, WWF South Africa has launched a restful playlist of the unique sounds and features of Africa’s natural heritage for enjoyment safely at home, while observing the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.

The WWF playlist, titled ‘Bring Nature Inside’, captures the soundscapes of our beautiful natural world and features the sounds of projects and areas where WWF is actively working.

“We wanted to allow people to experience the richness of nature. With many of us feeling overwhelmed by the current state of the world and the unique disruptions we are facing, it is imperative for us to take care of our mental and emotional well-being. Nature provides the perfect ‘escape’ that we need during this time,” says Justin Smith, head of business development at WWF South Africa.

From the enchanting sounds of rhino translocations to the soothing backdrop of a free-flowing river and the rhythmic sound of the Atlantic Ocean, each authentic track features immersive sounds with a description that brings together the beauty and significance of our natural resources and showcases the work WWF is doing to help protect South Africa’s natural heritage.

Contribute by listening

“Fostering a connection with nature during these unsettling times is essential for our well-being and a reminder of the ways in which we can look after our environment, especially as the world searches for a new normal in how we live,” says Justin.

With its 10-hour long mix of different calming and inspirational tracks, the WWF SA soundscapes can be enjoyed in any setting; whether you are working, exercising, cooking, gardening, or simply taking a break from your home desk. For access to the WWF SA Soundscape Playlist please visit wwf.org.za or click on the below links:

1. SoutPansberg 2. HighVeld 3. Fishing 4. Rhino 5. Beach 6.Bees 7.Sugarbird 8. National Park 9. Windfarm 10. Pastures

The soundscapes will also be available on various streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer, Google Play, and Amazon. A percentage of the streaming royalties will go to support WWF SA’s ongoing conservation work, at no cost to the platform user.

“We are excited to share soundscapes with our audiences. Distance does not mean disconnect, and we hope that with this platform we can help bring some solace and peace to people in these extraordinarily trying times. At the same time, we want to highlight that nature still matters; we must continue safeguarding it so that we can all enjoy it together again in the future. As an added benefit, every time a track is streamed, WWF will earn a modest amount of much-needed money to put towards its conservation efforts,” says Justin.

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts and subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel too where contests will be held in the month of July 2020. Namaste!

Bats at #Satara Rest Camp @SANParksKNP @SANParks #KrugerNationalPark #SouthAfrica

Hi Friends,

As we were passing through the Satara Rest Camp and entered the small market inside the camp for some Ice cream and to go to washrooms etc, I checked out a tree outside the market. I was totally afraid to even watch these bats and click photos. 

There were flying all over the market and I really wanted to run away from that spot. But as this was something I have never felt in my life, I took out the camera and clicked some photos before leaving this place for our continued journey inside the Kruger National Park. 

Bats are an integral part of the Jungle ecosystem as a single bat can eat up to 2000 insects a night which will otherwise keep you from sleeping. They eat all kinds of agricultural and household pests even mosquitoes. 

They are part of many camps and are found in large numbers in Kruger National Parks and comes in 65 species only in South Africa out of 1200 species worldwide. SAN Parks have now tried to isolate their chalets and houses free of bats entering the houses by closing all kinds of holes in the roofs and chimney openings. This has helped the tourists to sleep perfectly well inside the rest camps but the jungle is a jungle and you can't restrict them so be prepared to stay with them as you are in their house. 

All the photos are taken using Nikon D7000 using the Sigma 70-300mm lens. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Wild Dog in @SANParksKNP @SANParks #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

Wild Dog is one of the most dangerous of wildlife animals as they attack with their whole family of hunters and keep you chasing till you start gasping for breath and will start eating you alive. 

Though they are themselves endangered animals from Africa's mammal species because of the killing by Human beings as sometimes they enter human areas and tries to take the small pet animals like cows, lamb, goat, etc.

Though they are not found so easily in Kruger National Park, I was lucky enough to see them in huge numbers as I was at the gate of the park 2 hours before it's opening time and my car was number 1 for the day to enter the National Park. I felt really great just like people who do the Amazing race feel when they reach the Pitstop to Phil. 

Don't think of Wild Dogs as your pet dogs as they are very aggressive and only live for about 6 years inside the Kruger National Park before they die. 

Rangers of the park do tell that they can even chase the Big 5 animals like Lion and Leopard because they try to take away their hunt and keep chasing them and start biting them from all sides as they attack in big numbers and Lion do run away seeing them leaving their hunt for them to cherish. It means Unity is definitely Strength for this small looking but predator like nothing known ever. All photos are taken using Nikon D7000 using Sigma 70-300mm lens inside the Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Love is Not the Solution @SANParksKNP @SANParks #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

Love is not the only solution all the time sometimes you have to take a stand and fight for what you feel is right. It does matter that what you are feeling should be validated against your principles and value systems but once your heart validates the same, you can take your stand and fight till the end. 

We generally take a back stand when we feel that we might hurt the other person closer to us but if he has done something bad which hurts your feelings and is continuously doing it again and again without realizing the same then go and talk to that person. 

If then also instead of listening to you, he tries to bully you in any way then it's the fight or flight but as a family, you can't flight so fight for what is right and take a stand. 

In the end, you will get some punches but your heart and mind will become satisfied that you have made the other person think from your standpoint or view and maybe he will also realize the mistake he has been doing with you by taking you for granted. 

All the photos of these beautiful Springboks are taken by Aashish Rai using Nikon D7000 using Sigma 70-300mm lens at Kruger National Park, South Africa. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Cape Sterling @SANParksKNP @SANParks #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

Kruger National Park is a must-visit place in case you are visiting South Africa and love wildlife too. The habitat and vegetations change from camp to camp as you travel from one end of the park to another. 

I was at Skukuza Rest Camp for my morning breakfast when I saw this beautiful glossy blue colored birds flying length and breadth of the restaurant in the search of some food. 

This one is named Cape Sterling and you will easily see them in this base camp and Skukuza camp has a nice view of the river underneath. 

I tried to take pictures of this one flying but those came out very blurry and not good enough to share and go directly under the category of shift+delete. 

All these photos are taken by Aashish Rai at the Kruger National Park using the Nikon D7000 camera and Sigma 70-300mm lens. 

The search for food is the biggest reason we all wake up in the morning and in the animal kingdom the survival of the fittest along with taking care of oneself is of utmost importance. 

This is a very quick flying bird and its silky blue and green feathers look great and the eyes of this bird can be noticed from far far away. I hope that you make Kruger National Park a must on your trip to South Africa.

Namaste!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

African Sacred Ibis Enjoys Walking Inside @SANParksKNP #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends, 

Kruger National Park is filled with wildlife that you need to identify using the various birds and animal manuals available at the stores' insides the park. I had the pleasure of going with the guy who loves wildlife to the core and together we roamed from the start of the day till the time gates close of the rest camps. 

Time management is of supreme importance if you are inside the park and you need to predefine where you want to go and what you want to do in Kruger National Park. 

There are so many loops - gravel and dirt roads which will take you off the main road and that's where plenty of waterbodies lies and wherever there is a waterbody you can easily see some of the group of animals arriving at different times of the day. 

The speed limit of your car is also important as you will be fined heavily around R2500 if you cross the speed limit of 50km/h on the tar road and gravel its 40km/h. There are rangers throughout the park hiding behind the trees, caves and on famous routes and straight roads. 

African Sacred Ibis is one of the beautiful birds found in Africa and you will spot the same inside the Kruger National Park. We found this bird close to the Mopani Rest Camp gates once we came out of the same and traveled around the Tropic of Capricorn loop.

If you are interested in Bird Photography, you shall take the biggest possible lens giving you enough zoom as these birds don't come close to the vehicles. If you have a hybrid camera with a 40x zoom that will be great for the Kruger National Park. 

I really loved the black and white color combination of the birds' feathers and it really made it glow in the park filled with small flowers on the grass.

All the photos are clicked by Aashish Rai using Nikon D7000 camera with 70-300mm Sigma Lens at Kruger National Park in South Africa. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Giant Plated Lizard Came to Meet #Mopani @SANParksKNP #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

Starting with the journey to Kruger National Park in various posts will definitely give you the wide availability of wildlife in South Africa. We camped at Mopani Rest Camp which is one of the best camps in the upper region of the park. 

At the end of our second day traveling from camp to camp, we had a braai in the evening and when I wake up in the morning and came outside to the kitchen area, I found this huge Giant Plated Lizard feasting on the leftovers of food from the dustbin. 

I was so scared to see it so up close that I stood still and was not carrying any camera at that time. I just took the time to check it out with my eyes and didn't make any noise. 

When my friend came from the bathroom I told him about this thing and then went and fetched the Nikon D7000 camera to take these pictures. Even then I didn't want to go so close to this big reptile also called at Giant Plated Lizard. 

There was a whole family of these lizards who was making rounds near all the chalets as the maintenance staff was clearing the dustbins in the morning. They were feasting on the chicken bones and the leftover meats. 

I don't know about you but if this lizard comes running after me, I would run like anything and yell at the top of my voice to help. This is something crazy I saw at the Kruger National Park, South Africa. 

The lizard has no intention to attack and went away shyly into the bushes and covered herself with the leaves and just like a dog makes its hole in the ground, she made it underneath a stone till the time she could totally relax and hide away from the naked eyes of human beings. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Crocodile Stood Still #DinosaurPark #Sudwala #SA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends, 

Crocodiles are one of my favorites wildlife animals due to its capacity to stay calm till the time of the attack and they can still themselves like made of rock or something fooling other animals and even human beings. 

Recently, we went to Sudwala Caves which is one of the oldest caves in South Africa which has not been uncovered fully and it is believed that the stalagmites and stalactites inside are thousands of years old. 

Next to the caves, there is a Dinosaur Park which has all the kinds of dinosaurs in their full avatar made up for kids to learn and enjoy. This park has a separate ticket and it gives you a walking tour to see all the animals in an artificial jungle setup. 

Though there is not much for adults they definitely need to go as there are some crocodiles at one end of the park which is far in a deep hole. 

But at the start or the end of the park depending on how you start the tour - clockwise or anticlockwise, there is this small wall which has these two big crocodiles which look like artificials and kids can easily climb the wall. 

My daughter and her friend were totally fooled and they thought it to be not real or alive but then I showed them the breathing mouth which was pulsating and it was so dangerous. 

All the photos are taken by Aashish Rai using Canon EOS 77D camera. 

Sawubona!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

National Animal of #SouthAfrica Springbok @RhinoandLionSA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends,

Springbok is the National Animal of South Africa and also the name of the Rugby team of South Africa also known as The Boks or Die Bokke in Afrikaans. 

Springbok is the cutest animal and every time I see them I want to bring one home as a pet. The way they walk, their small tails, their cute face, lovely eyes and the body colors all attract me to this animal. 

The best part is their agility, speed and they can also jump high in the air from the still-standing pose. I have never been able to capture them in the air so far but I am trying my best to be at the moment when some Lion or Leopard is chasing them. 

Here the animal is in its natural setting, eating dry and wet grass and the backdrop is matching with the color of its skin and that was the reason I chose to present these photos to you. 

The way nature plays with the colors of the animals is amazing and beautifully crafted with light brown, dark brown and white colors. No wonder they are worthy of the title to be the National Animal of a country. 

Their horns are showcased in many hotels and restaurants here as decoration and even nightshades or lamps are made from them. You will find Springbok in all Nature Reserves throughout the country and here I have captured them at Lion & Rhino Nature Reserve, Johannesburg, South Africa using the Nikon D7000 Camera. 

Sawubona!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!

Yawn Can Be Dangerous! @RhinoandLionSA #PhotoYatra #TheLifesWayCaptures

Hi Friends, 

Yawn is an involuntarily opening one's mouth and inhale deeply due to boredom or tiredness as per the dictionary and here is this Lioness whose unbrushed teeth you can see in all its might. 

The power of these jaws can easily crack the bones of any bull or ox and even horses, humans are just tender meat. 

Nature has given her teeth which will make a hook kind of grip in a single go. There is no saving yourself if it attempts and is able to open her mouth and put some teeth into any animal's legs etc. 

If the lioness is feeling boredom, what about the humans locked inside their houses these days. 

So as Steve Jobs once said that Keep Looking Don't settle, we too need to keep ourselves focussed on the strengths we have and improve them further by giving it a focussed thought of improving. 

It is indeed easier said than done but I am also trying hard to accommodate with a clear mind and getting back to the class nursery when the timetable was introduced to us in schools. 

Once I have completed this admin work, I am able to focus and is ready for any goal, any habit, any project which I need to complete within the next few days. I am ready to attack with complete focus and fire in the belly.

All the photos are taken by Aashish Rai using the Nikon D7000 camera at Lion and Rhino Nature Reserve, Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Namaste!!!

Contact Aashish Rai Jain at thelifesway@gmail.com or editor@thelifesway.com to send your products, launch event invites, and services to be consumed. #TheLifesWay #PhotoYatra #7YearsofTheLifesWay. Follow me on www.instagram.com/thelifesway for all travel-related photo posts. Namaste!