The places we love. The experiences we rate. The stories we tell our clients. And the things you only learn when you’ve spent years traveling through Africa.Come behind the scenes of Anywhere in Africa Safaris.
But I so did! As Anywhere in Africa Safaris’ Marketing Manager for the past seven years, I’ve grown particularly fond of Kirsty Gordon. And luckily for me, her incredible African safari-planning skills don’t extend to the backend of this website, where you find me now, telling the world just how wonderful it is to not only work with Kirsty Gordon, but to call her a dear friend.
Dreaming of a safari? Aren't we all? Yet what few people realize is that the elephants crossing the golden plains are often there due to the incredible conservation work done by women working tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring that these moments continue to exist for generations to come. This Women's Month, I want to celebrate one of those extraordinary women. Her name is Debra Stevens. And to say I'm in awe of her, would be an understatement!
There are certain TV shows that have an uncanny ability to send you down a Google rabbit hole. For me, Clarkson's Farm is one of them. Yes, Jeremy Clarkson is entertaining, but beyond the humour, the latest season had me fascinated by something else entirely: the incredible advances in agricultural technology.
Few travel experiences carry the emotional weight of an African safari. For some, it is the ultimate connection to nature while, for others, safari tourism raises uncomfortable but important questions. Is it ethical to observe wildlife this way? Who truly benefits? And what impact does tourism have on both wildlife and local communities? The truth is that there is no single answer to the question: Is a safari ethical? Safari exists in shades of grey, not black and white. Ethics in travel are rarely determined by simply going or not going. Instead, they are shaped by hundreds of decisions made behind the scenes, from who owns the lodge and how staff are treated, to where roads are built, how sightings are managed, and whether nearby communities are genuinely benefiting from tourism revenue. In many ways, an ethical safari is less about appearances and more about systems and here’s what we mean by this:
Africa has given me a life I could never have imagined. It has given me a career built around the magic of this continent, and friendships that span countries and cultures. It has given me a front-row seat to the extraordinary beauty and resilience of the people who call Africa “home.” And for that, I have always felt a responsibility - one that has certainly gotten louder through the years. Not just to showcase Africa to the world, but to give something meaningful back. One of the ways I do that is by supporting an incredible organization called Uthando South Africa.
I’ve been sitting with this for a while. It’s not easy to write and it’s something I never thought I’d have to do again in a post-Covid world. Watching the headlines roll in. Watching the tone of emails shift. Watching the hesitation creep into conversations that, not long ago, were filled with excitement and most importantly, certainty. And if I’m honest, it’s been hard. No, not from a business perspective, but from a deeply personal one. Because the place that seems to be absorbing this uncertainty and second-guessing is my home continent - the one I love with my whole heart. Africa.
Some people fall into careers. Some are nudged. And then there’s people like me, who are claimed by a continent. It started at age 19, a heartbeat I found a rhythm in and one that I’ve been dancing to ever since.
Across Africa, there are different months of the year where each country seems to loosen its shoulders, breathe out, and show you a side kept tucked away from the crowds. I call it Africa’s “Secret Season”. It’s a deliciously underrated stretch when thunderstorms rehearse their own opera, the air gets that soft, humid glow, and the bush puts on its most photogenic outfit.
Somewhere between my bank telling me “your query is important to us” for the thirtieth time and my tax app insisting I chat to a bot named Felix, I realized something: The world has quietly turned into one large, humming helpdesk AI ticket, and as this banner image shows - AI makes mistakes too (checkout that spelling of zebra)!
For most of my adult life - complete with a degree in African history, plenty traveling, and a job in advertising working on the likes of Netflix and PepsiCo - I was fairly confident in my bush knowledge. The Big 5? Easy. Lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo. Gold star for Adrienne. But then came motherhood...
I completely understand how easy it is to think that a budget or DIY safari is easy to pull off. Especially, in an age of travel influencers and instant online bookings! It’s tempting to believe that planning your own African safari will save you money or going with a packaged tour that thousands of others have done. After all, how hard can it be to click “book now” and head into the bush?
There’s luxury travel. And then there’s Anywhere in Africa Safaris travel. The kind that feels effortless, where every tiny detail has already been thought through before you even think to ask. But behind that calm perfection is a team who will go to the ends of the earth - and sometimes quite literally across it - to make sure every moment of your journey is flawless.
