Inspiring African Travel (James, Jules & Stuart)

You often hear of gems in the travel world but Chumbe Island really and truly is. This podcast will follow our trips to this remarkable place. An affordable yet still exclusive tiny island off the coast of Zanzibar.

Staying here is exactly like you imagined a tropical island when you were a child. Rustic bungalows nestled in the lush forests. Turquoise ocean, whites sandy bays and the world’s largest and most elusive crab! Over the last 30-years Chumbe has turned this island into an award winning marine conservancy and community tourism project.

Enjoy this episode as we inspire you to visit one of our favourite places in Africa! Chumbe Island! 

https://chumbeisland.com

https://www.instagram.com/chumbeisland/

https://youtu.be/IO9IVhWHkYo

For our second episode of celebrating - 2022 The Year of Travelling to Africa - we’ve gathered snippets to bring you from all over Botswana and Zimbabwe. Africa’s Eden launched the first in-destination travel show post-pandemic which took place this month in Victoria Falls.

So we used the opportunity of having everybody together… in person… and caught up with lodge managers, guides and tour operators from around the region as well as the event’s organisers. In this episode share the buzz and excitement as travellers arrival numbers are on the up and the tourism industry is back in full flow!

Congratulations to Africa’s Eden for pulling off what promises to be a highlight on every calendar within the African Travel sector.

We’d like to thank Kumbi Chiweshe, Andrew Flatt, Jillian Blackbeard, Walter Smith, Alexandra Mucheik, Ernest Chaba and Florence Kagiso for taking the time to contribute to this episode and we hope you enjoy feeling the energy of our wonderful African Tourism industry back in full force as much as we do!

For more information about Africa’s Eden please check out https://africaseden.travel.

We also feature The Victoria Falls DMC who can be found on https://www.victoriafallsdmc.com.

To have a look at the beautiful new Pioneers Lodge in Victoria Falls which played host to the event https://www.pioneersvicfalls.com.

Are the UK travellers ready to come to Africa? 

It was time to move the interview studio to a pub in the UK and James found a willing interviewee in the form of Chris Fortescue from Africa Collection. Chris and his business partner James, have been operating Africa Collection for over 20-years and shared his thoughts on the travel sector and the challenges and opportunities for the coming years. 

As always a quick catch up with Stuart and James and another week goes by with the skies and the arrivals into Africa climbing by the day! 

Please also check out the Africa Collection Facebook Page for regular Africa travel updates from the UK.

After recording the interview the PCR requirements we spoke about were all lifted.

In episode 1 of series 3 we interview professional guide Bihelang Kasale – known to most as “Dutch”. African Bush Camps generously invited us to their stunning new Khwai Leadwood camp in the Khwai Concession of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Just a few months old on a beautiful floodplain we spent time with this lovely man and learnt about his total love for Spotted Hyenas!

In episode 3 of local guides in Africa we talk to a guide with a difference. A scuba diving guide and instructor from Tanzania called Frank Mollel. 

He’s a proud Masai from the mountains near Arusha and discovered an absolute passion for diving 15-years ago and never looked back. 

His passion has led him on a crusade to help teach the local communities of Zanzibar to swim, dive and care for the ocean through understanding more about the environment.  

Frank instructed Julia to become a qualified diver in 2018 and he promises to be there when Stuart learns to dive. He did try to teach James how to put on a traditional masai blanket but that didn’t go so well.  

A very, very cool dude and we hope you enjoy our little journey discovering Frank’s love for protecting the environment, for Zanzibar and for diving in the ocean! 

Check out: 

Linda Bahari project on Facebook to learn more about their work in Zanzibar supporting the community in teaching them to dive and appreciate the Ocean. 

Dive Point Zanzibar – a great dive school in Zanzibar also supporting Linda Bahari project. 

Marine Lodge Zanzibar where dive point diving school is – a great property near the key diving points in Zanzibar. 

Frank the Masai Diver on Instagram.

Welcome to Inspiring African Travel…!

Today’s episode is Part 2 so if you haven’t listed to Part 1 where we introduce you to Grant Reed and the African Guide Academy then please jump back to the previous episode.

In this second and final part of the interview we’ll discover more about how you can come to Botswana and spend anything from 7-days to a full month immersed in the Okavango Delta learning the art of guiding… but we’ll also dig a bit deeper into how you can give back and support women and local citizen empowerment while having an epic experience in the wilderness.

So please Enjoy!

Introducing you to inspiring wilderness connoisseur and professional guide trainer, Grant Reed. 

For just under 20-years Grant and his family have dedicated their careers to establishing a world class training school – The African Guide Academy. We talk to Grant about the school and how international visitors can take part in compact (7-day) or thorough (1-month) guide training courses and why it is one of the most rewarding and truly immersive wilderness experiences any traveller can have when coming to Africa. Set in remote concession in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, Grant shares his stories, values and experiences which will surely inspire you to come and take part in this incredible opportunity to learn about the African bush! 

You can find out more about the courses on https://www.guidetrainingcourses.com

The company also run organised wilderness adventures throughout Botswana and neighbouring countries https://www.guidetrainingcourses.com

Grant and his team also launched their very own wildlife app for Botswana which can be downloaded off the app store by searching for BOTSWANA WILDLIFE GUIDE 

We chat to Skinner Ndlovu – possibly the most experienced guide in the Zambezi River region of Zimbabwe. He has been guiding the thrilling rapids of the Zambezi for over 20-years and represented his country in rafting tournaments around the world. Skinner explains why the Zambezi is the safest but also the most thrilling white water rafting destination in the world and some of the different trips you can do through his company Wild Horizons. To find out more from this energetic and passionate man have a listen and you’ll surely be inspired to join him one day! 

For the next 20 minutes we’re going to transport you with legendary desert guide. Super Sande to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Northern Botswana – the worlds most expansive salt pans.

In early June, James and Jules we were so lucky to go and stay at the renowned Jacks Camp. The completely newly built camp is one of a kind in Botswana. Originally an Uncharted Africa property the Jacks Camp Falls under the Natural Selection group of wonderful wilderness properties located in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.

There is a gentleman that works there called Supa Sande – he has been working with them basically all his adult life.
A true custodian of the salt pans and he’s guided and mentored so many people through his time learning and interpreting this incredible landscape.

He’s a difficult man to pin down as he moves around the country private guiding. We basically pulled a map out in a small room near the airport and that was our studio so forgive us for some minor audio glitches.

We’re sure you’ll enjoy our little chat about this truly unique place.

Welcome to episode number 4 of GUIDE STORIES. This episode we’re going to explore an area of Botswana that is a little less known to many visitors to this country. Amongst thousands and thousands of square km’s of flat Kalahari desert you will find two Unesco World Heritage sites. The iconic Okavango Delta and the Tsodilo Hills.

We spent the day with a local guide by the name of Lopang Mojanga. His family were descendants of the river bushman who settled in the area thousands of years ago travelling down the nearby Kavango river which leads into the Okavango.

Other than being the pinnacle point of Botswana towering over 400meters above the Kalahari desert, Tsodilo Hills are an incredibly significant cultural site. Home to some of the highest concentrations of ancient rock art in the world.

In this episode we’ll document our trip hiking up to the top of the highest peak and exploring the area with this remarkable guide, Lopang – we hope you enjoy.

To see the video content from this amazing trip please head to our YouTube channel.

We stayed at Nxamaseri Island Lodge which is the closest lodge to the Tsodilo Hills located on a beautiful stretch of the Okavango panhandle.

We get together to talk about one of Botswana’s most remarkable regions.
The Chobe Floodplains. Along the Chobe River, arguably the most visited safari region of the country, lie the Chobe Floodplains - a series of open grasslands that change month by month and season after season and yield some breathtaking wildlife encounters. We share our experiences, tips and love for an area in a popular wildlife destination that so many visitors overlook!
Don’t forget to get in touch if you have any questions about travelling in the region!

You can watch all the episodes about the Chobe Floodplains on our website at - http://inspiringafricantravel.com/inspiring-african-experiences-the-chobe-floodplains/

James, Jules and Stuart got together for another virtual catch-up. With James and Jules spending some time in Johannesburg we were hoping for a physical meet-up but the revised COVID-19 restrictions prevented us from getting together. In this episode we introduce you to our next podcast series – guide stories. Our intention for this series is to introduce you to local guides in the tourism industry who have fascinating stories to share. This series we share insight into the amazing characters you meet when travelling to Africa. They share their love for nature, why they got into the guiding industry and some of the enthralling stories they share with their guests. From local safari guides in Botswana to diving instructors in Zanzibar, we have a fascinating group of passionate individuals who we are looking forward to introducing you to. Stay tuned for more….

Our interviews meeting inspiring people in the African travel industry is back with series 2 – Local Heroes in tourism in Africa. We have spent a lot of time getting hold of some lovely people with inspiring stories about their journey in African tourism. We bring you the people who do not normally have the platform to share their story. The next series will not only take you on journeys through the lives of people wonderful people from Africa, but they will also inspire you about the beautiful destination and the good that tourism can do for the communities and protected areas. 

We interview a man who was born within a nomadic community living in a remote part of the Okavango Delta. A man who went from a community of hunter gatherers living off the land to becoming a professional guide and ultimately mentoring his beloved nephew to become an industry leader in the safari business in the country.

 
A wonderful woman speaks to us about her tough upbringing in the highlands of Zimbabwe helping her mother tend the fields while walking everyday, sometimes two hours each way just to get to school. 

We meet a man who is helping create a brand new game-reserve and conservation area in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. He was born on the very same land that is now becoming a community involved project in re-wilding this stunning area. 
Just a few of the Local Heroes that will be sharing their inspiring stories with us as we bring you closer to the beauty of our continent and the people involved in tourism here. You can watch the video interview on our Youtube channel – https://youtu.be/edp-m5KtF2s and website – www.inspiringafricantravel.com.

We’ve reached the final episode of the series which features Katie McDonough our friend from Explore Inc in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Katie is an African Expert and sends hundreds of high-end travellers across to Africa every year. As we’re celebrating 2022 the Year of Travelling to Africa it was great to chat to Katie fresh off the plane from her trip to Tanzania. Her first trip back since the pandemic.

Enjoy our chat about her experiences on the ground and as usual some good tips in there for everyone!

If you have any questions about the places we spoke about in the podcast please feel welcome to get in touch on hello@inspiringafricantravel.com.

Visit Explore Inc online at https://www.exploreinc.com.

If you haven’t caught our first series – Women in Travel – please do have a listen. In this first episode of Local Heroes in tourism in Africa we wanted to bring you another amazing woman. Barbara spent her childhood helping her single mother tend the fields and walk hours and hours to school every day. Her mother sacrificed everything to help Barbara take an opportunity to get a sponsorship and higher education. After that there was no stopping her and she pledged the rest of her career ensuring she helps others get the same opportunity.

Through her company Wild Horizons in Zimbabwe who run an incredible tourism operation, she works extremely close with the directors managing all aspects of the business including the charitable work. Along with the hundreds of children that Wild Horizons support, Barbara along supports 17 children. She is a true icon when it comes to understanding how tourism benefits the local community. Well done Barbara for all your commitment and enjoy this powerful chat with this remarkable lady!

Part two of our journey following the lives of this amazing pair of local heroes in tourism in Africa.

Towards the end of John’s proud career working at Camp Okavango, he mentored his nephew as he began his career in tourism. We hear more from his nephew, Mc Odumetse, about his early days coming into tourism as a barman to becoming Operations Director of one of the most successful safari groups in Botswana.

We chat more with Mc and his amazing uncle John about the early days of life in the Okavango Delta and their stories and love for the place.

Two great people showing the story of low-impact responsible tourism on the precious ecosystems but importantly the lives of the citizens of Africa.

Thank you John and Mc!

For our next interview we are trying something slightly different. We’re taking you on a journey with two remarkable individuals who have made their mark on the travel industry.

John Kata was born into a nomadic community living off the land in the Okavango Delta. When his family moved down to a town a few hundred kilometres away to start a new life, John remained behind to help build one of the country’s most established luxury safari properties – Camp Okavango. This was 1980. In 2019 after nearly 40-years of guiding international visitors through this remarkable wilderness, John retired from that very same camp.

Possibly the Botswana’s longest serving member of staff in the safari sector. We’re also joined by his nephew Mc Odumetse who after losing his father at a young age has always looked up to John as his father figure. Mc started in tourism as a waiter and went on to guiding. Today Mc is the director of operations for Chobe Holdings which owns and operates 13 top end safari camps and lodges in the region.

In order to take you on this journey to really uncover the story we asked Mc to translate for his uncle John as we explore his history and the early days to where we are today. Two wonderful people – absolute local heroes in tourism that really epitomise what this series is all about. We hope you enjoy!

In our final episode of series 2 we speak to Michael Kamerika from the Ongava Private Game Reserve in Namibia. We talk to Michael about his journey into the travel industry starting from humble beginnings on a family farm. He tells us about the impact guiding has had on his life and his passion for Rhino & conservation. The Ongava Private Game Reserve, which is located just outside the world famous Etosha National Park, has been instrumental in protecting and conserving Namibia’s black and white rhino population.

With the exceptional rains in Namibia this year, Michael paints a beautiful picture of seeing the desert in full colour. If you haven’t yet subscribed to the podcast please do so you can catch this episode and all that we have planned after series 2 will be revealed soon!

This gentleman is Musa Mbatha – a good proud Zulu man who is the reserve manager for Babanango Game Reserve in the heart of Kwa-Zulu Natal. We loved talking to him and he is brimming with passion for the new venture and his love for tourism and conservation.  

From a young age, Musa took a keen interest in conservation has worked in tourism all his life. Most recently he has worked closely with the project managers behind the establishment of a new game reserve – Babanango. A phenomenal community empowered project returning areas of farming to pristine natural ecosystems. Musa has been the go-to man for establishing the game reserve and liaising with the local communities. The Inspiring African Travel team certainly learned a lot about this area through Musa’s interview and it is so encouraging to discover what good old enthusiasm and collaboration can achieve in creating successful tourism operations that preserve our wild areas and empower the people. Enjoy this and be sure to follow the team from Babanango on social media. 

Meet Vincent Kokomane! Determined to be successful from a young age, Vincent has worked his way up the tourism ladder from the very beginning. As a young boy from a small village in Botswana, Vincent would spend his youth walking into expensive hotels in South Africa and dream about working in hospitality.

He applied his ambition with his infectious personality and before long he was in marketing, then management and established his own travel company called Double Tracks Africa a few years ago. In this episode, we learn how the private sector together with government support through responsible tourism development can empower the local citizens of Africa.  

With one episode left to go in our first series - #WomenInTravel - James, Julia, and Stuart come together for a conversation about their journey with #InspiringAfricanTravel. We’ll share with you some sneak peeks into the next series and why it is we’re doing this. Thanks to everyone who’s subscribed and been a part of the journey so far and we promise we have lots of cool stuff to come for those of you who love travel in Africa and everything it stands for! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episodes and the youtube channel is up and active as well!

You can also watch this episode on our Inspiring African Travel Youtube channel.

Everyone tends to talk about “Gorilla Trekking” as one of those bucket list things to do in Africa. In this episode we share our tips from Uganda and Rwanda where we went on Chimpanzee, Golden Monkey and Gorilla treks. While gorilla trekking is a profound experience we’re here today to share insight as to why there is so much more than just the gorilla trekking. We interview a specialist ranger from Uganda and we hope to bring you lots of useful information and the usual quality banter from the Inspiring African Travel crew! 

Information on this episode:

Bernard at the team from https://nzizahospitality.com curate trips across Africa and specilialise in Uganda & Rwanda. They planned James & Julia’s trip and did a wonderful job. 

Africano Kob who featured in the interview is a former ranger from Kibali and now guiding for http://spekeugandaholidays.com 

If you want to see the videos featured in the episode check out the Touched by a Wild Mountain Gorilla Clip and the Chimp Trekking with James and Julia links.

For any further questions or information you’d like from the team please do get in touch on hello@inspiringafricantravel.com or reach out to us on social media. 

There is a place in Botswana called Makgadikgadi. Home to the largest collection of salt pans on the planet. A vast open, desolate place in what is already a vast, open desolate region - the Kalahari Desert. 

In this episode we’re going to transport you to one of our favourite lodges, Leroo La Tau, and talk you through an experience of spending a night out sleeping in the middle of one of these ginormous salt pans. A place where you will witness a blanket of stars unlike anything you could imagine. Where you can take in the seemingly never-ending horizons of the salty white surface that could only be matched by being on the moon. 

Links include: 

One of our favourite places in Botswana referred to as the base from which to experience the salt pans sleep out https://desertdelta.com/camps/leroo-la-tau/

The book referred to with expert knowledge on the formation of the salt pans https://www.nhbs.com/makgadikgadi-botswanas-dusty-wetlands-book

Welcome to series 4 of Inspiring African Travel. 

We have decided to dedicate this series to celebrating 2022 as the year of travelling to Africa. Yip we’ve called it! 

Travel to Southern and East Africa is WELL underway and bookings for the upcoming season are exploding by the day! 

For this series, every few  weeks we’ll catch up and talk about what's happening in the travel sector. 

What's new from the people operating on the ground in destinations across the continent and also from travel companies around the world that sell our destinations. 

The lifeblood of our industry! 

We want to share real time feedback about bookings into the continent of Africa to give you ideas and of course inspiration.  

Our man on the ground at the moment in Zimbabwe, Andrew Flatt, will be talking to travel industry people in Victoria Falls who are attending Africa’s Eden travel trade show - the first of a new kind of travel show in Africa. He’ll be sending us short interviews from travel sellers and safari operators and those at the coalface from all corners of the region. 

If you’re wondering… if this podcast is aimed at you? YES! This series should be enjoyed by anyone affected by travel in Africa. 

We hope those of you working abroad in travel companies will have the opportunity to gain ideas about overcoming obstacles and share inspiration for building momentum in 2022. 

Of course if you’re a keen traveller who listen to the show and love Africa. Here’s your chance to hear what we get up to and why this year will be the year to travel to Africa! 

Now that’s the short introduction but we hope you enjoy our series overview episode as we catch up and give you insight into the coming months. 

Why the unusual paining you ask? We try to educate Stuart into the way of art so have a listen to find out what his take on this painting way. 

And no, nothing to do with Inspiring African Travel but it made us chuckle! 

For the next few months we’re going to be exploring some of the inspiring African destination and experience that we’ve had and share our tips with you.

Coming up in episode 1 we'll be taking you to Uganda & Rwanda to discover Chimp trekking and other primate experiences. Then later in the series we'll bring you hidden gems off the coast of Zanzibar, how to climb Kilimanjaro, Sleeping out on the epic salt pans of Botswana, discovering Kwa-Zulu Natal and much, much more.

In this episode we decided to compare notes with our friends on the other side of the Indian Ocean. Speaking to two real life Australians we find out how their COVID pandemic journey in the travel industry has affected them as individuals and not just the outbound market to Africa.. but their own domestic and international industry.

Rhett Lego from TCMG in Germany has been marketing Australia as well as other regions since the naughties and comes with some fascinating insight into the tourism sector within Australia.

We also chat to Ryan Kendall from Untamed Safaris in Australia and his outlook for arrivals from the Australian market into Southern and East Africa. Ryan Kendall can be contacted on info@untamedsafaris.com.au and on Instagram.

We discussed The incredible El Questro in Western Australia Kimberly Region.

And back due to a request from a few of our listeners, Stuart and James have a their bi-weekly catch up before the episode.

More Notes from this podcast:

The rest Is History Podcast: Lessons from history on the Ukraine crisis - Our favourite podcast of the month.

The largest waterfalls on the planet. Located seemingly in the centre of Southern Africa, the falls stretches between two countries. It spans 1,700 meters (5,600 feet) between Zimbabwe and Zambia and is simply one of the most stunning things to see in Africa. 

This is a place we have all visited many times and it never disappoints. In this episode we’re going to explore some of the insider tips to help you get the most from your visit while exploring some of the things we love about this destination. 

Jess White who works with Wild Horizons in Zimbabwe is a Vic Falls local joined us for this episode and helps give us loads of insider tips and ideas. 

The falls drop just over 100 meters from top to bottom. Not the highest… but but when you consider that the mighty Zambezi river is one of Africa’s biggest rivers then you can just imagine what a spectacle this nearly 1.7km of waterfalls really is.

The spray that shoots up into the air from the thundering falls rises up about 800m of 2,600 feet into the air and so on a clear day you can see the falls mist from about 50km away! 

The locals called it MOSI OA TUNYA  - the Smoke that Thunders. 

Want to know what to do, where to eat, what else to see while you’re there and how we can help inspire you to get the most from your visit? If so listen in and as always here are the links to most of the places we mentioned. 

Wild Horizons are an incredible local resource and can help you plan everything from rafting the Zambezi to dining on the Zambezi. Accommodation and transfers you name it. We love these guys.

Dusty Road for an incredible local styled culinary experience in the Falls.  

For more information on Bike Tours in the falls.

We spoke about the power of the Negative Ions in Victoria Falls. You can read more about that here in this blog from Wild Horizons.

The Lookout Cafe for a must do stop while in the falls. 

If you enjoy the active outdoors in Africa then this episode is for you. James recalls his experience trekking up Mt. Kilimanjaro. We invite Ake Lindstrom from Summits Africa to share his wealth of guiding & mountaineering knowledge to help inspire you and provide tips to get the most out of your Kili trek. 

Ake (pronounced Orca) has summited Kili over 80 times and so he’s fairly qualified to give us his tips. However, we wanted to use the lure of summiting Africa’s highest point (and the world’s highest freestanding mountain) to share with you some other incredible hikes and treks in East Africa. Try Mt. Kenya or imagine a 7-day trek through the Great Rift Valley between ancient craters, active volcanoes and vast open areas dotted with remote Maasai communities. 

We believe hikes are the best way of ‘taking in’ a country. You get to spend more time soaking up the scenery and learning about the ecosystem when you’re not rushing from place to place. It’s also an incredible way of meeting local people – the best way to appreciate any region. 

To learn more about this episode: 

Follow Ake on Instagram on: https://www.instagram.com/justcallmeorca/

Summit Africa treks and information:  https://www.summits-africa.com

We also talk about the incredible Lake Natron Camp and Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano features on the Great Rift Valley treks.

https://www.lake-natron-camp.com

The team at Inspiring African Travel have been busy at work as international arrivals to Africa are growing by the day. This is great news for us all. In this podcast episode we share some news from Botswana and surrounding countries. How are guests getting in and out of the countries? How are they getting their PCR tests in remote camps and lodges? We share with you our experience on the safari industry in Southern Africa as we open up and what to expect when you get here. 

As we have been fortunate enough to spend some weekends and time away we also share some of the breathtaking places we’ve seen around Botswana as we take you on a virtual journey from the remote corner of the Makgadikgadi Pans to the well renowned Chobe National Park and into the Okavango Delta. 

There is a video version of the podcast on our youtube channel or social media @InspiringAfricanTravel 

Mentioned in this podcast:  Eselbe Camp – Also on Instagram
A camp and backpackers full of character with access to canoeing and paddling on the Nata River and exploring the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans (we’ll be back there when the migrating flamingoes arrive in may) 

We then headed to Chobe Game Lodge  https://www.chobegamelodge.com where James & Julia based themselves for 2-weeks. While they were there there you can see the Virtual Safari they had on the instagram account www.instagram.com/chobegamelodgeThey then headed to Savute Region of Chobe National Park. Check out #SavuteSafariLodge on instagram and https://desertdelta.com
Finally James & Jules visited the beautiful little Macatoo Camp with https://www.africanhorseback.comA stunning luxury camp for the safari goers looking for an authentic wild experiences… not just for horse riders! 

In episode six of our series Women In Travel we speak to a delightful lady called Aggie.

She is the manager of a 5-star lodge called Royal Chundu set on the banks of the Zambezi River, just upriver from the incredible Victoria Falls in Zambia.

Aggie talks to us about what she learnt in becoming a manager, an entrepreneur, and a leader in community-based tourism initiatives from their little piece of paradise in Zambia. She also talks to us about their online store which has been selling authentic Zambian products during the COVID-19 pandemic to help support local community members.

We hope you enjoy this interview with the lovely Aggie!

We were invited to join Florence Kagiso at her home in Maun - the gateway to the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Florence is a professional safari guide and in this interview, James talks to her about growing up in a small village and how her upbringing eventually led her to become one of the country’s most well known female guides.

When she joined Chobe Game Lodge in 2004 she was the only lady in a team of 12 male guides and has gone on to win awards and travel the USA promoting female empowerment in tourism. She is a wonderful lady and so humble in what she has achieved.

In the first series of Inspiring African Travel, we talk to Women in Travel. We interview women who share their stories of female empowerment in tourism and inspiring us about travel in Africa.

In episode 3 we meet Gorata Nyame from Botswana. Gorata started as a waitress at Camp Okavango with Desert & Delta Safaris in 2017 and within 1-year was awarded two company accolades for outstanding performance!

A year after that she was on the management team and she was shortlisted for the RISE Africa award at the We Are Africa show in Cape Town… an award celebrating young upcoming stars from the African tourism industry.

Gorata is a lovely young women ...she has a burning desire to be successful and a great future ahead! We hope you enjoy her chat with James.

For the final episode of our first series, we caught up with Zimbabwean travel writer & photographer Mana Meadows. 
We interviewed her in Zambia mid-way through an epic adventure called “Walk Luangwa”. A team of adventurers walking hundreds of kilometers through some of Africa’s wildest National Parks raising funds for NGO’s involved in conservation, tourism, and local community development, who have all been so badly affected by the COVID crisis. 

If you are interested in finding out more, please check out the Walking Luangwa page as well as their Instagram and Facebook accounts (@walkluangwa2020). You can also follow the tag #walkluangwa2020, and Remote Africa (@remoteafrica).

Mana is an all-out inspiring women and Africa is in her blood. So much so, her father named her after their favourite place in Africa - Mana Pools in Zimbabwe.  She’s an extremely talented writer and as we draw this first season to a close, she shares her stories of inspiring women and we talk about our take on the road ahead for female equality in travel. 

You can see more of Mana’s work and portfolios on www.manameadows.com and follow her on @mana_meadows as well as her new organisation @conservationstorytelling. She also talks about her most inspiring woman Chido Govera who founded The Future of Hope Foundation and has done talks all over the world sharing her story to success. 

Episode 5 is with Mpho Keromang from TSL College in Botswana. Mpho is a Woman in Travel with a natural gift for what she does. After starting as an apprentice lodge manager in the Okavango Delta she quickly realised her passion lies in training. Mpho’s spent many years developing the skills of local citizens to help them advance their careers in tourism and in this episode she shares some great stories in her experience getting to where she is today.

In this episode we take a quick detour from Women in Travel to speak to an inspiring Woman in Conservation.

Dr. Tempe Adams works with Elephants Without Borders. An NGO dedicated to the protection and conservation of Africa’s elephants through a variety of innovative research and educational studies.

Her role in the organisation is working with communities in helping them live and farm within wildlife areas. She is currently based in the Chobe District of northern Botswana, an area renowned for its high elephant population. Tempe recently published a scientific paper which provides hope towards combating human-elephant conflict by conserving elephants and empowering rural communities.

Her work has been recently featured on BBC – Disco lights keep elephants away from farmland in Botswana. 

She’s so passionate about succeeding in uniting conservation and community empowerment. At Inspiring African Travel we know that responsible tourism can play a crucial role in assisting their work…

Welcome to episode two of our series Women In Travel. 
In this episode, James interviews Vihemba Vasco - the marketing manager at Bush Ways Safaris in Botswana. Vee as she is affectionately known is a strong, determined woman. Virtually her whole family work in tourism and Vee is no exception. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and her confidence has been the driving force behind her success. She shares with us the frustrations of being a young female professional and not been taken seriously but then how her tenacity paid off
Vee is definitely an inspiring woman and we thoroughly enjoyed our discussion with her. 
We hope you enjoy this episode. 

After you listen to this episode you will surely be pumped up to go and explore our beloved KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). It’s absolutely jam packed with tips of places to go, what to do there and how to make the most of your time in KZN so scroll down the notes for as many of the links we could gather from the tips we brought you. Our guest for this episode is KZN expert travel writer & photographer Melanie Van Zyl. She live in sunny Pietermaritzburg at the start of the KZN midlands and has become an absolute fantastic of the region! Like all places there are just so many more things we didn’t have time to talk about so we focus on 5 topics and regions to get you more than going.

1. We start off with Durban the city - the hub of KZN and while we’re not big into cities on this podcast, Mel tries to persuade us otherwise!
2. The Drankensberg Mountain range. Superb hiking and Definitely South Africa’s most significant mountain range. 
3. Kosi Bay and the surrounding beaches & bays for remote, tropical wilderness experiences and incredible snorkelling and diving
4. The KZN Midlands - a region that starts an hour inland from Durban all the way to the Drakensberg. Its one of the most perfect road trip areas full of quaint places to stay and explore. Its foodie heaven and also full if nature trails and outdoor things to do.
5. The game-reserves & wildlife areas of KZN. Possibly overlooked because of the famous Kruger in South Africa.. we’ll take you through the best places in KZN that offer truly unique ecosystems and African wildlife experiences.

Thanks again to Melanie for agreeing to help us out it was lots of fun and you can find all her details in our notes on the site as well. To know more about Melanie Van Zyl our guest on this podcast and expert on all things Kwa-Zulu Natal follow her website link or find her on Instagram, and Twitter. The city life of Durban Check out Summer Hill for Mel’s recommendation for a really fun Durban styled sustainable meal using local produce from local farmers (around 20-minutes from Durban). The amazing South African Indian curry restaurant we recommend near Florida road in Durban is Malis - Fantastic homemade curry! Don’t let the looks deceive you. This place does an outstanding nosh! The Kosi Bay Area of KZN The incredible Isimangaliso Wetland Park. An extremely unique game reserve and ecosystem in Kwa-Zulu Natal. Kosi Forest Lodge for the amazing Raphia Palm walks where you can find the rare Palm-nut vulture and enjoy massive wide-open deserted wild beaches. Coral Divers - Mel’s recommendation for an amazing place to stay for diving, fishing and exploring. Chilled, relaxed vibe and inside the park. The Drakensberg Mountains  One of Mel’s favourite places for hiking, views and remoteness is the Mnweni Wilderness Area. You can find out more about this region and hikes here: Womxn for Wild offer these guides hikes of the Drakensberg. Mel’s recommendation for escorted guided hikes in the Drakensberg - Path Finder SA. To get to the highest pub in Africa and enjoy the Sani Pass (although in Lesotho and not in KZN) you’ll get epic views of KZN...

In our official relaunch and opening episode to series 6, we are so thrilled to welcome you back to Inspiring African Travel.

This episode is our heartfelt dedication to our beautiful co-founder, Julia Spry-Wilson, and a glimpse into our 2024 fundraising plans in her memory.

With mixed emotions, we're excited to resume our podcast, sharing our enduring passion for African travel. However, our hearts are heavy as we remember Julia, our co-founder, inspiration, and of course, James’ wife. Her passing on January 26, 2023, left a massive void. Beyond the podcast, she was a cherished friend and colleague to many listeners, leaving such an great impact.

After a year of healing and reflection, we're back. Stuart and I will continue uncovering the wonders of Africa, just as we have from the beginning.

In other news, we've officially launched a fundraising campaign, a testament to Julia's vision. Inspiring African Travel has always championed positive impact, responsible travel, community upliftment, and conservation. Julia's dream, as we discussed before her passing, is now a reality. You can learn more about our fundraising projects on our website as well as donate and join our mailing list!

Navigating life without Julia is an ongoing struggle, a daily journey of grief and adjustment. Yet, amidst the pain, there's gratitude for the love she shared and her profound impact on so many people.

As we embark on this new chapter, exploring Africa and engaging with inspiring individuals, we invite you to join us—whether you're returning or joining for the first time.  

Thank you for coming back, and thank you to Jules. Our eternal inspiration!

Your spirit lives on in every adventure we undertake.

Welcome, everyone, to Episode 2 of our relaunch series of Inspiring African Travel. Our main goal here is to honour the memory of our co-founder, my incredible wife, Julia.

We're also thrilled to update you on our fundraising project for the three amazing grassroots projects we're supporting. First and foremost, a massive thank you to everyone who has donated thus far.

Our target was to raise GBP 30,000 this year, and we're already approaching GBP 5,000! That's nearly US$6,000 already – an astonishing response. The feedback celebrating Julia's legacy has been incredibly generous and heart-warming. If you haven't already, do check out our relaunch episode, just before this one.

We've been sharing more details about the projects we're supporting on our social media channels and will continue to do so. If you haven't already, please follow Inspiring African Travel on Instagram, Facebook, etc.

In this episode, we're sharing a conversation recorded with Stuart, as another tribute to Julia and her influence on our lives and the inception of this podcast. Our mission is to share our passion for travel in Africa and share our unique experiences and tips from around the continent.

Julia's impact on our lives and this podcast has been immense. So, here's our tribute conversation, recorded from the beautiful Modderfontein Reserve, nestled in the heart of Johannesburg on a chilly morning.

Modderfontein Reserve is actually the second largest private park in Gauteng, South Africa.

https://modderfonteinreserve.co.za

They're on a mission to replant over 5,000 indigenous trees and create a sanctuary around the city. It offers fantastic mountain biking tracks, breathtaking trail running, and scenic hikes, which we thoroughly enjoy every time we're in Johannesburg.

There's also an incredible farmers' market on weekends, offering a variety of treats, including exceptional coffee, which Stu and I were savouring on a large rock in the valley on that misty morning.

Thank you once again, everyone. Enjoy our conversation, and we'll catch up with you for Episode 3 in a couple of weeks, featuring our good friend, Frank, the Masai diver.

But for now, here we are in Jozi, with James’ great friend Stu, who he’s known since 1997 and who has been an incredible support and integral part of this podcast. See you soon!

Welcome back to Inspiring African Travel! In this episode, we bring you Episode 3 of our podcast relaunch, recorded in Zanzibar last year at the Divepoint Scuba Centre, situated at Sunshine Marine Lodge on the east coast of the island, directly opposite some of the best diving sites in the area.

We had the pleasure of meeting up with Frank Mollel, also known as Frank the Masai Diver, who initiated a project in Zanzibar a few years ago called Linda Bahari.

As part of our fundraising project dedicated to Jules, we'll be contributing towards their work, which involves rehabilitating coral in their operating area, as well as providing crucial training and support to the local community in conservation efforts while creating employment opportunities.

Frank is one of Julia's closest friends, and we're so excited about spending more time with him in Africa in the future. He is a wonderful human! 

The conversation was recorded early in the morning before our last dive in the coral nursery, where we delved into Frank's friendship with Julia and discussed the legacy we aim to create in her honour.

If you're interested in learning more about Frank, you can listen to our first episode featuring Julia, Stuart, and us back in 2021. Podcast episode in features in series 3 – Guide stories or on youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfvlCiQ3HTo

Once again, everyone, thank you for the incredible momentum behind our fundraiser. We've raised nearly GBP 6,500, and a portion of these funds will be directed towards supporting the valuable work of Linda Bahari on the island.

Thank you for listening, everyone, and we hope you enjoy the episode!

Welcome to our fourth episode of the podcast relaunch where we’re now bringing you closer to the West African portion of the fundraiser beneficiaries. The Awutu Winton High School in Ghana.  A portion of the funds raised from the Inspiring African Travel fundraiser will be going towards this wonderful school and we can’t wait to share the work that’s been done as the year progresses.  James & Max teamed up for this episode and brought together three things that form a great part of their lives. Walking and being in the outdoors, passion for being in Africa and making a […]

Welcome back to our relaunch series and this is episode 4 dedicated to our co-founder, Julia, and launch of our fundraising year. We want to bring you a lovely episode recorded with Andrew Flatt from a tranquil channel in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Before we do that a quick update. Fundraising Update: We’ve kicked off our fundraising year in Julia’s memory and are thrilled to share that we’ve raised an incredible £6,000 so far for our projects! Our goal is to raise GBP30,000 so we still need your support!  Haven’t listened to our previous episodes on Ghana and Zanzibar? Be […]

Welcome back to Inspiring African Travel! In this episode, we’re excited to introduce our third fundraising beneficiary for this fundraising year. We’re raising money for three wonderful grassroots projects in Africa in memory of Jules. Dr. Tempe Adams’ Wildlife & Community Co-Existence Initiative in Botswana Tempe is a long-time friend of both James and Julia’s. We had an insightful conversation with her about where the funds will be allocated in Botswana, focusing on helping local communities coexist with wildlife. This is a crucial topic for the safari industry, which relies on the incredible wildlife that draws travellers to the region. […]

Welcome back and we’re halfway through our fundraising year in memory of our beautiful co-founder Julia. So far, we’ve raised GBP 6,478.00! In this episode, we’ll be giving you an update on the three projects we are supporting and how your donations have made a difference. To give you a little sneak preview, we’ve been able to sponsor six children for a year through the Awutu Winton School in Ghana. Funds have gone towards helping repair the coral nursery at Linda Bahari in Zanzibar, and we’ve also managed to help launch a new research project aimed at helping wildlife and […]

Welcome back to Inspiring African Travel and the kickoff of our brand-new travel series! Hard to believe, but we’re now in Season 7—we’ve outstripped Breaking Bad and Ozark in terms of seasons! We’re feeling pretty pumped over here! This season, we’re excited to bring you Untamed Routes: Discovering Africa’s Hidden Treasures. Over the next two months, get ready for some incredible adventures as we delve into Africa’s lesser-known wonders. From unexplored hikes in East Africa and fascinating mammal migrations to off-the-beaten-path destinations in Namibia, we’ve got plenty of hidden gems lined up for you. In Episode 1, we’re kicking things off with a destination special. Think Top Gear meets Inspiring […]

Welcome back! This is episode 2 of our series, Untamed Routes. Today, we’re venturing into Tanzania to explore Mount Meru, the country’s second-highest peak, often overshadowed by its more famous neighbour, Kilimanjaro.  Untamed Routes is about seeking out destinations that aren’t necessarily on everyone’s radar. We’re drawn to places that might not be the highest, biggest, or most visited—but are rich in beauty, culture, and experience. Mount Meru is Tanzania’s second highest summit at 4,566 meters (14,980 feet) and the fifth-highest mountain in Africa, but it offers something truly special: a quieter, more intimate trekking experience, stunning landscapes, and a rewarding sense of accomplishment. James […]

Welcome back to Inspiring African Travel! You’re tuning in to Episode 3 of our series Untamed Routes. In this series, we dive into off-the-beaten-path adventures—those that take you beyond the typical bucket-list destinations. Untamed Routes is all about uncovering the second biggest, the oldest, the longest—whatever it might be—that offers a different kind of thrill and connection with Africa’s wild places. In our last episode, we shared why trekking Tanzania’s second-highest mountain might just be the adventure for you. Today, we’re heading off to Botswana—a destination famous for its epic elephant herds, the Okavango Delta, the famous Chobe River safaris, and the Kalahari Desert. […]

In this episode of Untamed Routes, we take you to Lake Natron, an accessible, yet very remote and breathtaking location in Tanzania. Far from the typical safari circuit, Lake Natron offers surreal landscapes and cultural experiences that make it a hidden gem for adventurous travellers. We share insights into the unique setting with the iconic Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano as the backdrop and the incredible interactions we had with the local Maasai people as we uncover why Lake Natron should be on your travel radar.  Some of the highlights include:  Conquering the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano and its challenging ascent. Hiking through the Ngare Sero Gorge, cooling […]

In this special episode, we take a heartfelt journey through a year of incredible achievements dedicated to the memory of Julia, our beloved co-founder and champion of Africa. As the fundraising year draws to a close on 26th January, there’s still time to contribute. Join us as we reflect on the impact we’ve had through three inspiring projects: This episode takes you through the emotions and milestones of this fundraising year, demonstrating how generosity and a shared love for Africa can create a lasting legacy—changing lives, protecting wildlife, and building sustainable futures. Thank you for being part of this journey, […]