beach Archives - Kzara Visual

Posted on August 25, 2022April 26, 2023 by Chantelle Flores — Leave a comment

The world’s most breathtaking sunsets and a note to all photographers

We all know that Bali offers some of the best sunsets in the world. With this in mind, I decided to put together a list of some of my favorite spots for landscape photography.

#1 Kuta Beach

| Image by Chantelle Flores | www.kzaravisual.com

#2 Tanah Lot Temple

| Image by Chantelle Flores | www.kzaravisual.com

A note to all photographers wanting to visit
The sun sets in the middle of the sky!

Being a photographer who is constantly studying my subject (the environment in this case), I have this inherent ability to notice when things are different. It will annoy me to the point of trying to figure out why.

One thing that ‘annoyed ‘me (only a little) was where the sun sets. Yes – where! The Bali sunsets in the middle of the sky and not on the horizon line.

The first night I thought I still had time to capture that perfect shot and ended up missing the sunset, instead I was greeted by fast-approaching darkness. I was so bleak but it got me thinking of why this could be. I am used to the sun setting on the horizon line, but why is it so different here? It bugged me so much, I just had to ask the locals why.

Bali is on the equator line and has no twilight. Darkness falls almost instantly after sunset.
At low latitudes, the sun sets perpendicular to the horizon, while at higher latitudes, the sun can set at a more oblique angle, allowing it to remain close to the horizon after sunset for a longer period of time.

Places on the equator experience the quickest rates of sunrise and sunset in the world. Such places also have a theoretical constant of 12 hours of day and night throughout the year.

Interesting hey?

As much as it annoyed me they were the most beautiful sunsets I have ever experienced in all of my travels to over 50 countries.

All images on this site are the property of Chantelle Flores unless otherwise specified.

www.kzaravisual.com

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Posted on August 25, 2022April 26, 2023 by Chantelle Flores — Leave a comment

An Upcoming Tourist Attraction that Still Offers Peace and Tranquility

Just 1.5 hours from Cape Town, at West Coast National Park, I found peace and tranquility.

South African | Image by Chantelle Flores | www.kzaravisual.com

A mere 90 minutes drive from Cape Town’s city centre you will find the West Coast National Park.

San Parks describes its park as follows:
Thousands of seabirds roost on sheltered islands, pristine golden beaches stretch endlessly into the early morning mist and brooding salt marshes are home to vast concentrations of migrant waders from the northern hemisphere. During the spring, the Strandveld is embroidered with a tapestry of multi-hued flowers, while in the Postberg section, many antelope are to be seen in a setting that is as unique as it is idyllic.

The description of this place intrigued me, so I hopped on a plane, rented a car, and drove through to see what all the fuss was about.

South African | Image by Chantelle Flores | www.kzaravisual.com

On arrival, I was instantly filled with peace while silently sitting absorbing the soothing sounds of the ocean waves gently breaking on the shoreline. I sat breathing in the fresh coastal air and marveled for hours at the wonders of nature with not a soul in sight. I took in scenes of abundant wildlife and strolled for hours along the blanketed floral landscapes. I explored marshlands and was greeted by colonies of scarlet (lesser) flamingos. My soul was at home.

South African | Image by Chantelle Flores | www.kzaravisual.com

I bathed under the pastel pink and blue sunset of Kraalbaai Beach.

South African | Image by Chantelle Flores | www.kzaravisual.com

The next morning I went hiking in search of 20-million-year-old fossils, specifically those named by our ancestors as “Eve’s footprints”. I visited Constable Kop, the Park’s highest peak and South Africa’s very own extinct volcano dating back 500 million years.

South African | Image by Chantelle Flores | www.kzaravisual.com

With little effort, I had found my very own tranquil retreat.

The article first featured on thesouthafrican.com
http://www.thesouthafrican.com/an-upcoming-tourist-attraction-that-still-offers-peace-and-tranquility/

www.kzaravisual.com

#thesouthafricancom

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Posted on August 25, 2022April 25, 2023 by Chantelle Flores — Leave a comment

#HikeSA, Week 2: Duiwelsgat Hiking Trail & Klipgat Cave

It’s no secret that I love exploring new places, so you will often find me driving around looking for different things to do in each area. Google is always my last resort, and I like to feel like I am a conqueror of every land I visit. I like to feel like I have discovered a hidden secret that is unknown to man. After my first experience of shark cage diving with Great White Shark Tours, I got a taste of Gansbaai and wanted to experience it a little bit more in the limited time that I had there. I was there as a kid, but I don’t remember its beauty or its charm.

The coast is beautiful and I wanted to source a few new locations to photograph. I parked at the Harbour and walked for a good couple of KM. I didn’t feel the distance, instead was so amazed at how untouched my surroundings were. There was not a soul in sight and I had all these beaches all to myself.

Later I found out that this 7km walking trail along the coast is called Duiwelsgat and ends at the Klipgat Caves. I didn’t make it as far as the caves (Have I known this, I probably would have). This walk showcases some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery of the Western Cape.

This trail got its name from the large privately owned cave that can be found under the De Kelder houses and can be accessed only at low tide. This is also one of the only freshwater caves along the coast of South Africa and has a stone wall above that protects a sinkhole into the cave. It is also considered one of SA’s most valuable cultural and historical sites and hints to an earlier civilization dating back to 85’000 years. Excavations have discovered some valuable artifacts here, and previously the cave was 5km from the ocean. It just shows how much the ocean has evolved over the decades. Many other limestone caves can also be found in the area.

Image Credit: Xplorio

The cave can apparently only be accessed with a guide, but I did hear that you can gain access directly to it in De Kelders. The hike also forms part of the greater Perlemoen Trail – a 1 to 7-day hike along the coast of the Western Cape.

Image Credit: Wetu

The trail is pleasant and offers dramatic ocean views contrasted with pops of yellow and green fynbos. Have a swim in the many rockpools that pepper your way. You will pass places with names like ” Skulpiesbaai” named due to the abundance of beautiful shells found there. I saw loads along the way and it reminded me of how the beaches were when we were kids.