Dickie Ashcroft is the Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Uganda & Rwanda Senior Specialist at Audley Travel. Inspired from a young age by the classic stories of the African exploration, after schooling in Shropshire and graduating from university, he packed his bags and headed to the Caprivi Region of northern Namibia to train as a guide.

Apprenticing with a safari company operating throughout Namibia and latterly Botswana, he then moved to Tanzania in order to manage a lodge in one of the country's remotest national parks, Katavi. He's one of the first people to successfully kayak the length of Lake Tanganyika, the world's longest lake, completely unsupported -- all in aid of Dolam Children's Home Namibia.

Dickie shares some of those early memories of inspirational adventurers and his family's influence, and what it was specifically about Africa that captured his attention. He relives those early days of arriving in Africa for the first time and enormous culture shift between Shropshire and Namibia. He tells host Si Willmore about Caprivi and Katavi national park, including the staggering landscapes and the wildlife we can expect to see if we visited - including "a pile of sleeping crocs" which hibernate in caves.

Dickie also recalls kayaking the length of Lake Tanganyika, the world's longest lake, unsupported – including a day where he and his partner were in the boat for the entire day, travelling from sunrise to sunset and not leaving the boat once -- even for a bathroom break! To conclude, Dickie shares some recommended destinations and itineraries in Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Uganda and Rwanda including the inimitable gorillas and chimpanzees in and around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.

In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.