Landscape Archives - Wedding Photographers Cardiff

Yala National Park Sri Lanka Travel Photography

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We decided to try a Taxi down the escarpment and onto the plains far below to Tissamaharama where most people spend the night before an early morning safari expedition into Yala National Park. Yala has the highest density of leopard on the planet but is still a huge park (378 sq miles) and chances of a sighting were very slim. We hired a private jeep and guide that would take us into the park arriving a little earlier than most to beet the crazy Sri Lankan queueing system. We did manage to get near the front of the second queue of jeeps at the parks gate awaiting the 6am opening. Once inside, jeeps raced by us trying to get prime positions for any wildlife viewing. Luckily our driver was great and didn’t get sucked in to the mad rush. Our luck was in as the first stop near a watering hole we managed to get prime viewing of a leopard (not the best shot sorry as we were a long way off). The magic moment was soon spoiled however as jeeps were jockeying for position. In the mayhem that followed we were soon totally hemmed in with jeeps all around us, the ones behind having no view at all with drivers and guides getting very agitated. By this time the leopard had enough and slunk into the long grass for a nap – who can blame him? About 30 minutes later we’re on our way to explore some other areas of the park. Some of the animals we saw included Water Buffalo, Wild Boar, Monitor lizards, Chameleons, Mongoose, a lone Bull Elephant, strutting Peacocks, Dear, Crcodile and Monkeys – can anyone spot the Elephant shaped rock? The bird life was amazing, with Owls, Eagles, Indian Rollers, Pelicans, Sunbirds etc. We managed sightings of three of Sri Lankans 7 Kingfishers – the Common, Pied and White Throated and also 3 Bee Eaters which I’ve always wanted to photograph – the Green, Blue Tailed and Chestnut Headed. The beautiful Orange bird with the long tail is an Indian Paradise Flycatcher, we also saw an Asian White version which was also stunning but couldn’t get a shot unfortunately! The next stop on our tour is the coast and Tangalle………..

For a further look at our images of our Cardiff, South Wales landscape and travel photography, please have a look at our other Blog Posts and if you have any questions about our services don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us.

Hill Country Sri Lanka Travel Photography

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The Sri Lankan rail network dates back to British Colonial times. The train journey between Kandy and Badulla in the Hill Country has to be one of the world’s most scenic. The first leg of ours takes us to Nanu Oya and nearby Nuwara Eliya. We climb steadily out of Kandy through Pine and Eucalyptus forests passing many waterfalls along the way. When we reach the mountain tops the forest gives way to endless tea plantations where the Tamil pickers are all busy with their work. Inside the carriage is a carnival atmosphere and a large group of locals soon break out some drums and start singing and dancing. We were lucky to get 2nd class tickets which meant we had our own seats although most of the time is spent hanging out the windows and doors admiring the views and having friendly banter with the ever smiling locals – wow what a journey!

We stopped at Nurawa Eliya (often referred to as Little England) for a couple of nights. The lakeside town has its own golf course and many colonial hotels and buildings one of which, The Grand Hotel is a must to visit for High Tea – also home to a fab coffee shop and Indian restaurant. We decided to take a very early morning trip to the Horton Plains National Park with a fantastic circular hike that takes you to the breathtaking view of World’s End, a near vertical escarpment that plunges to the coastal plains far below. We also took a trip out to the Mackwoods Tea Plantation to see how the different grades of tea are made.

From here it was back on the train for a few hours of breathtaking scenery to the beautiful laid back village of Ella with stunning views through Ella Gap of waterfalls, Little Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock. With it’s great selection of restaurants, coffee shops and cool mountain air this has to be our favourite place so far, next stop is Yala National Park……

Ella Ella Gap Hill Country Horton Plains Nuwara Eliya Sri Lanka World's End

Ancient Cities Sri Lanka Travel Photography

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We travel north of Kandy to the country’s cultural heartland, firstly to the ancient Sinhalese capital of Polonnaruwa, a small town siting on the edge of a large beautiful reservoir or tank as they are known locally. We decide to brave the local bus instead of the tourist A/C bus and weirdly prefer it as the driving is not quite so crazy and with all the windows open it’s cool enough. We spent a memorable day cycling around the large archaeological park discovering the many ancient temples, tombs, statues and stupas, also some local wildlife including many monkeys and a few rather large monitor lizards.
We travel an hour West to Sigiriya, probably Sri Lankas most iconic sight. The near vertical walls of the rock rise out of the surrounding jungle plains. We climb/scramble up the neighbouring rock Pidurangala for a breathtaking evening sunset view. Typically we are last off and have to climb down in the dark, good job we remembered the torch and lucky that our tuk tuk driver climbed with us and knows the way. He is even more helpful the next day and takes us to a sunrise viewpoint and then offers to drive us back to Kandy, a 3 hour trip which proved more relaxing than the buses – apart from the Kandy traffic.
Our next adventure is our first Sri Lankan train ride into the Hill Country.

Landscape Photography South East Asia Sri Lanka Travel Photography

Kandy Sri Lanka Travel Photography

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Here are some pics of Kandy, our first stop in Sri Lanka after a day acclimatising in Negombo – a beach town just outside Colombo. The journey up to Kandy was via two AC buses and quickly got us used to the fact that getting what appears to be a short distance in Sri Lanka takes a very long time. The roads are not in the best state of repair and are totally overcrowded, the closer we got to Kandy the more chaotic the traffic – I guess we wont be getting anywhere fast in Sri Lanka!

Kandy Landscape Photography Sri Lanka Travel Photography

Travel Photography El Rocio Andalusia

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Travel Photography El Rocio Andalusia

We were told of this hidden gem of a village about an hour South West of Seville so we decided to stop for a few nights on our way out of Portugal and back into Spain and Andalusia. Visiting El Rocio is like stepping into a Western filmset with no tarmac just a series of sand streets around a beautiful lake and whitewashed church where Pilgrims flock to see La Paloma Blanca the virgin statue. We took a trip into the neighbouring Donana National Park home to the elusive Spanish Lynx and a host of migratory birds. May be we’ll see the Lynx next time……………..?

Andalusia El Rocio Landscape Photography Spain Travel Photography

Landscape Photography Lagos Algarve

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Landscape Photography Lagos Algarve

Just had chance to go through some of our winters trip to Spain & Portugal this morning, I’ll get there eventually!! Here are some images from Praia Da Luz, some sunrise and afternoon shots at Ponte Da Piedade and some dusk shots at Praia Do Camilo which as it happens has a very nice bar on the cliff top!! The latter two are on a headland just outside the town of Lagos – an absolute stunning stretch of coastline! Climbing down the last section of the cove in Ponte Da Piedade proved a bit of a challenge with my gear and tripod but definitely worth it when you get there – as long as the tides not in of course!

Algarve Lagos Landscape Photography Portugal Seascapes Travel Photography

Landscape Photography Sagres Portugal

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Landscape Photography Sagres Portugal

Situated at the South West tip of Portugal is the sleepy surf town of Sagres. We used this as our first base in the Algarve to explore the surrounding headlands, beaches, forts and lighthouse on both the southern and western coastline. We also had a great drive into the Algarves interior, driving up into the hills and visiting some of the rural towns such as Aljezur and the beautiful hilltop market town of Monchique. We aslo found a great spot for sunset at Castelejo, one of the more remote beaches North of Sagres. The campsite at Sagres was fairly basic, especially when compared to our next stop Lagos!

Algarve Landscape Photography Portugal Sagres Seascapes Travel Photography

Landscape Photography Lisbon Coast

[dt_gap height=”10″ /]Landscape Photography Lisbon Coast

A few hours south we arrive at Lisbon, spread along a hillside overlooking the Rio Tejo and it’s iconic red bridge. Home for the next few days is between the town of Cascais and the Western beach of Praia Do Guincho. We caught a local train into Lisbon and had a great day exploring the city, starting at a stunning riverside square the Praca Do Comercio, a great place to grab a coffee and people watch. We climbed the narrow backstreet alleyways up to the Sao Jorge Castle with it’s magnificent views of the city and river. Time to jump on a local tram and see if we can get lost, luckily it went vaguely in the right direction?? As we had visited the most Westerly point of mainland Spain we thought we had better go and see the most Westerley point of mainland Portugal and Europe, Cabo Da Roca. A few miles North along the windy mountain road is the beautiful cliff top village of Azenhaus Do Mar, a great spot for a sundowner while waiting for the sun to set over the wild Atlantic breakers. We also had a great day exploring the beautiful hillside down of Sintra with it’s historic gardens, mansions and fairytale hilltop Palace, a home to many of Portugal’s monarchs. We also visited the beautiful clifftop village of Azenhas Do Mar where the wild Atlantic surf batters the coast, lying about 40 minutes drive North West of Lisbon.

Landscape Photography Lisbon Portugal Seascapes Travel Photography

Central Coast Portugal

[dt_gap height=”10″ /]Central Coast Portugal – Nazare, Peniche, Obidos and Foz Do Alerho

Here are some images from the coastal region in Central Portugal. We stayed at Nazare, a popular seaside resort at the base of a huge cliff on Portugal’s Silver Coast/Costa De Prata. This stretch of coastline is a surfing mecca with the famous ‘Suprtubes’ at Peniche and the Big Wave Break at Nazare, click on this video to view a world record 100 foot wave surfed! Also in the area is the beautiful Roman hilltop town of Obidos, a great place to explore the narrow streets and stop for some local seafood! the sunset shots are taken at the beautiful lagoon at the coastal town of Foz Do Arelho a great spot for a sundowner!

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For a further look at our images of our Cardiff, South Wales landscape and travel photography, please have a look at our Gallery or other Blog Posts and if you have any questions about our services don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us. Also if you would like to arrange your own Family, Child or Couples Portrait Session please email [email protected]

Costa De Prata Foz Do Alerho Landscape Photography Nazare Obidos Peniche Portugal Portugal Central Coast Travel Photography

Aviero & Porto Northern Portugal

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Aviero & Porto

Here are a few images of our recent trip to Aviero & Porto in the North of Portugal. We stationed ourselves just below Aviero, a beautiful old town set on Canals complete with Gondolas. On the other side of a lagoon is the Atlantic beach that stretches for miles and fringed with colourful striped beach houses. From Aviero we took about an hour long train to get to the centre of Porto to spend the day discovering this beautiful city along the banks of the Duoro river. Even in the cold and rain, we absolutely loved the compact city centre. Of course we had to visit one of the many Port houses that flank the river. We chose the Kopke Port House recognised as the first and oldest and had a memorable tasting session, what better way to shelter from the rain?

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Aviero Cityscape Duoro River Landscape Photography Port House Porto Portugal Travel Photography