My first trip, when I completely fell in love with Africa was spent in Zimbabwe on a 5 day canoeing trip down the Lower Zambezi and then riding elephants through the flood plains at Abu Camp in the Okavango Delta. I was then lucky enough to get a job running San and then Jack's Camp on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana, which I quad biked across and stayed at Kubu Island. After that I moved up to Zambia to Tongabezi, where I bungy jumped off the bridge at Victoria Falls. I then did a stint at Sausage Tree Camp on the Lower Zambezi.

In 1998 I returned to England, where I became General Manager of Art of Travel (which became Steppes Africa and is now part of Steppes Travel).

During this time I have usually spent approximately 2 months each year getting to know Africa better and have been gorilla trekking in Bwindi, hot air ballooning over the Masai Mara, big game fishing off the coast of Northern Mozambique, I stroked a 3 meter honeycomb eel whilst diving in South Africa at Rocktail Bay, climbed the Big Daddy sand dune in Sossusvlei and flew along the Skeleton Coast in Namibia, dived with Great White sharks off the coast of Gansbaai, sailed up the Niger River to Timbuktu and went to the first Tuarag Festival in the Desert, watched the migration in the Serengeti and trekked for chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains in Tanzania and helped release a just hatched green back turtle at North Island, Seychelles.

I have now been with the company for over 9 years and my love of Africa has certainly not diminished. There are always new and exciting destinations to explore and wonderful hotels and safari lodges opening up every month.




Countries you sell?
Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar & Pemba, Zimbabwe

Last five countries visited?
Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Botswana

What has been your favourite travel experience?
Hiking for several hours to see the Gorillas and then returning to meet a group of orphans in Bwindi, Uganda when I ended up agreeing to sponsor one of them through school.

Favourite/most impressive natural wonder?
Sitting on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana, (which are the same size as Switzerland with no-one out there), watching the sun set and the moon rise

Favourite animal?
Elephant

The best hotel/lodge that you have stayed in?
North Island, Seychelles

Your favourite restaurant?
Grand Provence, Franschhoek, South Africa

Your favourite guide?
Mkombe, from Nomad Safaris in Tanzania

What has been your most remote travel experience?
Going to the first Mali music festival in the desert with the Tuaregs riding in by camel. I slept under the stars and ate a lot of goat!

Most embarrassing travel experience?
Losing all my luggage and having to ask the safari camp manager in the main mess tent to wash my only set of clothes, wearing only an oversized t-shirt and a pair of borrowed shoes

Essential item that you always take with you on your travels?
My camera

Your one luxury when you travel?
My mini goose down pillow

What’s your best piece of travel advice?
Always try and visit the local villages, especially the schools as the local experiences are so worthwhile and make the countries come alive and give you a better understanding

Where would you most like to go back to?
Plettenberg Bay

Where you would like to visit next and why?
Singita Pamushana in the Malilangwe Private Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe. I have such happy memories of Zimbabwe and would love to return.