About Slávek Honzík

Traveler Slávek Honzík was born on August 14, 1967, in Klatovy. He spent his youth in Dolní Lukavice and later in Plzeň. After finishing secondary school, he moved to Prague for his studies. After turning fifty, the start of the "better half of life" (though certainly not for the faint-hearted), he moved back to his family home in Dolní Lukavice. He currently teaches at an elementary school, is writing a book, and writes various articles on history and geography. As the chieftain of the Gabréti tribe, he also organizes historical and cultural events centered on prehistory, antiquity, and the early Middle Ages. From a young age, he loved traveling with his parents to explore the beauty of Bohemia and what was then socialist Europe. Fortunately, the Velvet Revolution of 1989 opened the door to the wider world, and travel became a major passion for him.

He organizes the "Gabréta" travel expeditions. To date, he has successfully led 33 such trips. On average, 10 to 15 travelers participate in each expedition; the group sizes have ranged from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 27. Destinations often include historical monuments, significant archaeological sites, natural wonders, attractive and interesting cities, and lesser-known, "undiscovered" landmarks. These trips are generally adventurous in nature. Travel is undertaken by car, by bus, or, most frequently, by air, while accommodation ranges from camping in the wild to stays in campsites, guesthouses, or hotels. He organizes some expeditions independently with friends, while others are arranged in collaboration with travel agencies. As of this year, he has visited 88 countries across five continents. He has not yet set foot in Australia or Antarctica, but his traveler's eye has already beheld all of the "New 7 Wonders of the World." Among his most memorable travel experiences are visits to the legendary Machu Picchu, the tombs of Persian kings in Iran, and the fabled city of Babylon in Iraq; an expedition across Sudan; a solitary walk with a male and female lion in Senegal; breathtaking views of Iguazu and Victoria Falls; witnessing loggerhead sea turtles laying eggs and their hatchlings emerging in Oman; and an encounter with a lioness and three cubs in the African bush in Botswana.

Naturally, other wonderful travel memories are also created during evening gatherings with friends while on the road. Currently, his top priority is an expedition to South America, where he hopes to visit Ecuador, Colombia, and the Panama Canal. His other plans include trips to Southeast Asia (Laos, Cambodia) and Australia, as well as visits to Mali, Chad, Angola, the Congo, and Ethiopia in Africa. For the time being, a trip to the beautiful and fascinating country of Yemen remains an unachievable goal. During his travels, he enjoys meeting local people, sampling regional cuisine and drinks, taking photos with local children, and observing daily life and events in these locations.