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.

Derek Shenton is the Head of Operations at Shenton Safaris in Zambia. He’s a third-generation conservationist and safari guide who helped to establish Kaingo Camp in 1992 and Mwamba Bush Camp in 2000 and nowadays is involved in everything from camp building, to guide training, to road maintenance. He’s also on the board of Conservation South Luangwa (CSL), an organisation established to protect the ecosystem of South Luangwa, also known as The Valley of the Leopard.

Derek shares the story of how his grandfather, who was actually born in Leicester in the UK, moved to Johannesburg to 'chase the dream' before moving to Zululand before his father Barry was born in 1929. He tells host Si Willmore about them working in the game department in Northern Rhodesia, operating side-by-side with local Chief Nsefu -- perhaps the first community-based project of its kind.

Derek also reminisces about building Kaingo Camp in South Luangwa National Park, known by some as the birthplace of Walking Safaris, with his father. This included felling a massive leadwood tree to build a bar, long before the days of power tools -- with the appropriate approval from the local authorities, of course.

He shares some of the experiences available at Mwamba Bush Camp, including the abundant wildlife -- 400 bird species such as Pel's fishing owl and 60 different mammals including elephants, lions and impalas. At Mwamba, the wildlife hides are Derek's own creation; he has chosen each location after years of observation working with his wildlife photographer wife Jules.

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.

Tour operator Cazenove and Loyd -- more commonly, cazenove+loyd or simply cazloyd -- has been designing personalised itineraries, group trips, and celebrations for over 30 years, providing exclusive access to inspiring people and places. The company specialises in immersive travel that showcases authentic local culture and communities, from popular destinations like India, Kenya and Peru, to hidden gems like Oman's Dhofar Province, Turks and Caicos, and the Pacific Islands.

Host Si Willmore speaks to Henrietta Loyd, co-owner and founder, and Terry Moohan, head of division for Africa & The Indian Ocean. Henrietta shares the story of how cazloyd was set up and what it was like for two women in a traditionally a male-dominated industry, while Terry discusses the African countries cazenove+loyd specialises in and the destinations that are the most popular for their clients.

Henrietta and Terry both share some of their our standout travel experiences, including recent trips they most enjoyed planning -- including a round-the-world trip and a wild party in the Moroccan desert! -- as well as insights into a typical client and how their needs and expectations are changing.

They discuss the art of listening and how to understand the real motivation behind a client's travel ideas, and they muse on what the next five years look might like for cazenove+loyd. Henrietta and Terry close by sharing plans for their next trips, to Botswana, 'the Jurassic Park experience' in Sao and Principe and Bhutan, which is quickly becoming Henrietta's second home.

This is series 7 of the JRNY Podcast, where host 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.