About Us
The Judgement behind every choice
The value of an expertly designed safari is not found in the act of booking it. It is found in the judgment behind every choice.
Think of the old story about the engineer called in to fix a machine that has shut down a factory floor. He looks it over for five minutes, pulls out a hammer, taps one bolt, and the machine roars back to life. His invoice reads $1,000. The breakdown: $1 for the tap. $999 for knowing where to tap.
A safari may look seamless from the outside — the right camps, the right guides, the right pacing, the right private access.
What you are paying for is not the mechanics of a reservation. It is nearly four decades of firsthand experience and the intuition to know what is truly worth it.
That expertise has been built since 1987 across 17 African countries — through direct relationships with guides, lodge owners, conservationists, pilots, and operators, including work in Botswana when it was still a rugged outpost, long before it became one of Africa’s most coveted destinations.
It has been deepened through hundreds of meals, countless scouting trips, and long conversations in the field and, over the years, in each other’s homes and offices.
Africa can feel thrilling, remote, and a little intimidating. Our job is to place you into the hands of trusted friends—people we know personally and choose with complete confidence. That trust is proven. We have evacuated clients from a rising Lake Malawi within five hours because the right people were on speed dial. Private gorilla treks have been arranged — including rare time in the field with the Gorilla Doctors — with stretcher carries and porters organized so that less able-bodied clients could experience the trek too.
The work has extended to remote regions such as Kenya’s Suguta Valley and other corners of the continent that rarely appear on standard itineraries — and expressed in journeys so meaningful that clients came home inspired to donate 100 mattresses to an orphanage after seeing firsthand how deeply travel, conservation, and community are intertwined.
The work has been recognized by Travel + Leisure as A-List Advisor for Africa and by Condé Nast Traveler as a top Africa specialist— both across multiple consecutive years.
Anyone can find a camp online.
What is far rarer is the discernment to see past a beautiful photograph — and know whether a property is truly the right fit for your specific style of travel.
That means knowing whether Zimbabwe or Zambia best suits your pace, when to bring in an art expert or birding guide and how to arrange a home-hosted cooking experience that feels genuinely intimate rather than staged, or how to get you out walking with a Hadzabe tribe in a way that is respectful, meaningful, and well handled.
The difference is not simply what we book. It is what we know, who we know, and how thoughtfully we bring it all together.
meet the team
The Faces Behind the Magic: Our Safari Artisans
"Since 1987, I have worked across 17 African countries, from traditional safari icons to emerging destinations few specialists ever reach. I remember when places like Botswana were rugged outposts, long before the country became a luxury hotspot. I knew pilots who now own airlines. That history is not incidental to the work — it is the work."
As architects of African adventures, we safari planners wear many hats, and are equal parts sage trailblazers, savanna strategists, and wildlife whisperers. We're also humble apprentices to nature's grand theater. We're the artisans who craft windows into untamed worlds.
Karin Jones
Founder/Chief Safari Whisperer
Africa first called Karin Jones in 1987, and it has shaped her life’s work ever since. She still spends extended time on the continent each year, sleeping in the rooms, flying the bush flights, and meeting face to face with the guides, camp owners, and conservation leaders behind the experiences she recommends. That firsthand knowledge — continually refreshed on the ground — is part of what sets her apart. With an Executive MBA and a rare combination of intuition, discernment, and operational depth, Karin designs journeys that go far beyond a checklist of beautiful places. She listens closely, uncovers what matters most, and shapes each safari with precision, imagination, and care. For top travel advisors, she is a trusted expert behind the scenes — the person they turn to when they want Africa done properly, creatively, and with extraordinary access. Karin is also the host of Safari ChangeMakers, a podcast spotlighting the guides, lodge owners, conservationists, and community leaders helping shape the future of travel in Africa. For travelers seeking a safari with depth, beauty, and real meaning, Karin brings trusted access, personal dedication, and a lifelong devotion to Africa
W. A (Bill) Jones
Chief Financial Office/Fellow Adventurer
William, our financial maestro, brings a unique blend of fiscal acumen and African adventure to our team. With a keen eye for numbers and a heart that beats for the continent, he ensures our company's financial health while nurturing a deep passion for Africa's diverse wonders. His journeys have taken him from the ancient pyramids of Egypt to the thundering Victoria Falls, and across the wildlife-rich savannas of Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa. Bill has traversed these lands countless times, each visit deepening his understanding of Africa's complex ecosystems, cultures, and economies. But Bill's talents extend far beyond spreadsheets and safaris. A man of many facets, he's graced stages as a charismatic big band singer and made his mark in the entertainment world as a TV and film actor. As a radio personality and presenter, Bill’s engaging style has made him a natural host for travel documentaries, sharing the magic of distant lands with audiences around the globe. In Bill, we have not just a financial officer, but a true Renaissance man whose diverse skills and experiences contribute immeasurably to our team's success and our clients' unforgettable journeys.
Paolo Torchio
Private Guide
Born in Turin, Italy, in 1961, Paolo Torchio came to Kenya in 1990. As a professional wildlife photographer, Paolo has travelled widely in Kenya, Tanzania and other parts of Africa, India and Madagascar. Paolo’s work has appeared in international publications such as Oasis, in his native Italy, BBC Wildlife Magazine and books of Africa Geographic. Paolo is adamant that photography has a decisive role to play in securing Africa's wildlife and their long-term conservation. Paolo was a 2018 finalist and is also the finalist for January 2020. Paolo’s greatest moment in Mara was on the bank of the river while waiting for one of the first wildebeest crossings of the year. He intended to take pictures of the very hungry crocs, but a few seconds after the beginning of the awaited crossing, a huge male leopard came out from nowhere and killed a young wildebeest in the middle of the mayhem and in full daylight. One of the most exciting and unexpected moments of his life.
James Suter
Private Guide
James Suter is a private photographic guide who gained much of his experience working for the world renowned Singita Game Reserves. Now based in Cape Town, he offers a unique photographic safari experience and has recently pioneered the video safari capturing his clients in action while on an adventure through Africa. His passion for the outdoors started at a young age and was passed down from his father. James is actively involved with conservation, particularly in assisting in creating awareness and raising funds for teams working on the ground. < James wears many hats, serving as a spotter, tracker, naturalist, cultural interpreter, host, storyteller, problem-solver, and concierge, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable safari experience for you.
Isaac Mpuchane
Specialst Private Guide - Botswana
Isaac is a phenomenal guide with over a decade of experience guiding through Botswana’s renowned wildlife areas, including the Chobe River, Savute region, Makgadikgadi and much more. Isaac spent several years working in Chobe, honing his photographic skills as a specialist photographic guide on the Chobe River, one of Africa’s wildlife photography hotspots. Isaac combines exceptional knowledge in photographic skills with patience and a passion for sharing his knowledge. He is comfortable hosting top wildlife photographers in vehicles or boats, positioning them to take full advantage of the subject while predicting the movement and behaviour of the wildlife. Isaac can also assist amateur and intermediate wildlife photographers by helping them develop their skills and choice of settings. Isaac’s main set-up is Canon, but he also has a strong handle on all Nikon gear, plus a basic understanding of Sony and other brands’ equipment.
Londani Stayfree King
Specialist Private Guide - Botswana
Known simply as King, has been a professional guide for over 10 years. King’s passion for walking safaris has led him to hone his skills as a specialized walking guide. Equipped with weapons training and a Lead Trails guide qualification from BQA (Botswana Qualification Authority), King ensures the safety of his guests while exploring the wilderness, allowing travelers to connect intimately with nature. Guests looking for a deeper understanding of tracking or a chance to explore more of the wilderness on foot are ideally suited to booking King. Whether exploring walking based camps or planning extended walking safaris, King tailors each adventure to the region’s unique offerings. Although guests choosing King as their specialist guide are choosing a walking safari expert who knows how to make their safari truly special, he is also an excellent choice for any combination of the regions within our circuit, and his exceptional communication skills make him the perfect guide for families and small groups from around the world.
Stretton Barry
Specialist Private Guide - Cape Town
Stretton brings over two decades of hospitality experience to everything he does — shaped by an international career that has taken him through some of the world's finest hotels, the management of a remote island lodge, and a summit on Mount Kilimanjaro. With a degree in Hospitality Management and a Western Cape guiding licence held since 2014, he combines professional depth with genuine, hard-won expertise. At his core, Stretton is a proudly patriotic South African who finds real joy in sharing the best of his country with visitors from around the world. His breadth of knowledge spans history, culture, ecology, and wine — the result of a lifelong curiosity and a restless appetite for travel that has taken him far beyond South Africa's borders. Whatever the topic, he has something thoughtful and engaging to say about it. Stretton is equally at home beneath the ocean's surface on a scuba dive as he is ascending a mountain trail or sitting around a table discussing how climate and terroir shape the wine in the glass. That versatility is one of his great strengths as a guide — and it reflects a genuine enthusiasm for all the ways one can experience the natural and cultural richness of the Cape. Above all, Stretton loves great company. Whether leading a day in the field or hosting guests over a long lunch, his instinct is always to make people feel welcome, comfortable, and thoroughly looked after.
Storm Smith
Specialist Private Guide - Cape Town
Storm is a born adventurer with an unshakeable love for South Africa's wild places. His path has been anything but conventional — from teaching in Russia to earning a postgraduate diploma in Sustainable Development — but every step led him toward his true calling: guiding others through the extraordinary landscapes of the Cape. For Storm, guiding is about more than logistics. It's about fostering a genuine, lasting connection between people and the natural world. He brings to every experience a deep respect for the region's wildlife, ecosystems, and cultures, and an infectious enthusiasm that turns a walk in the bush into something truly memorable. When he's not leading guests, you'll find Storm trail running the mountain paths with his rescue dog Bean, ticking new species with the Cape Bird Club, or hunting for field guides and natural history titles at second-hand bookshops. His ever-growing library reflects a curiosity that never stops — and that same curiosity is what makes him such a compelling guide.
Sallie Jade
Operations Coordinator
Sally Jade is the behind-the-scenes wizard who keeps every journey running smoothly. With a background in television and film production coordination, she brings a rare ability to anticipate details before they become issues. As your trip approaches, Sally ensures final documents are clear, special requests are beautifully handled, and the many moving parts come together seamlessly—so you can focus on the excitement of the adventure ahead.
Emily Cramer & Team
IT Director
Emily Cramer is our tech powerhouse—the brilliant mind keeping our digital world running seamlessly behind the scenes. With a strong background in enterprise systems, she blends innovation, practicality, and calm problem-solving to prevent tech issues before they ever become visible. Whether it’s remote access, data security, or the unexpected challenges of working from anywhere, Emily and her team keep our digital foundation steady, secure, and ready for what’s next.
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