Africa is a vast continent brimming with bucket-list-worthy travel experiences. Whether it’s spotting the ‘big five’ on safari, experiencing ancient cultures, or traversing the snow-capped mountain of Mount Kilimanjaro or Mt Kenya, there is nowhere like it on the planet.
With such diverse wildlife, landscapes and culture, booking an Africa adventure can be daunting – after all, where do you begin? Well, speaking to somebody with first-hand knowledge is a good place to start.
Jersey resident Kim Pierce is a qualified African safari guide who spent more than 10 years living in the bush of South Africa and Kenya, working with conservation trusts and managing camps in Limpopo, Amboseli, Nairobi National Park, and Sir Richard Branson’s Mahali Mzuri Camp in the Greater Mara.
Now, she has launched her own luxury safaris alongside her work as a travel consultant with Travel Counsellors.
Luxury meets conservation tourism
With conservation and eco-luxury as a key ethos, Kim’s special safari adventures have been crafted using her own personal Kenyan network and eco-focused community projects – built during her time living in the continent.
‘I went on safari to Botswana when I was 15 and I fell in love with the place. I visited Africa every year after and knew I wanted to live and work there, so that’s what I did. There’s something about being in an environment where you are truly living alongside nature, with no outside influences. When I first went there, you had to climb a tower to make a phone call or get internet, there was no social media – I was just living in the moment,’ said 34-year-old Kim, who is accredited by the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa and the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association.
‘Africa will always run deep in my heart, so I am excited to be in the unique position to combine both of my careers and lead a limited number of trips each year for groups and private parties which showcase the wonders of this beautiful continent, whilst supporting the people and wildlife who gave me such wonderful life-changing experiences during my time there.’
Crafting unique itineraries
In 2009, Kim joined forces with Scenic Air Safaris to create the Satao Elerai Community and Conservation Trust, both of which feature in Kim’s itineraries. Donations from the sales of these safaris will go towards the trust and other wildlife charities featured in the trips.
‘The beautiful executive Cessna 208 plane we will be flying on in Kenya is owned by the company I used to work for, so I have been lucky enough to travel on it many times, and the camps included are ones I have either worked at or visited, with managers who are friends of mine,’ said Kim, who grew up in Jersey and moved back five years ago.
Travel agent, host and guide
In addition to drawing on her contacts, Kim will personally be escorting small groups of up to eight people on select itineraries twice a year.
‘Not only will I be acting as agent but I’ll also be hosting the groups and assisting the wonderful local guides out on gamedrives, which has meant I’ve been able to keep these one-of-a-kind safaris very competitively priced. It will be a really personal experience for people and I can’t wait to share these special places, people and wildlife with them.’
Kim will be at La Belle Gourmande, St Aubin’s every Friday from 10am – 2pm throughout March for people wishing to find out more. Alternatively, email [email protected], visit www.KimPierceTravel.com, or call her directly on 01534 747826.
Photos:
Kim Pierce with Richard Branson and other owners of Mahali Mzuri Camp in the Greater Mara.
Dressing up for a Maasai Ceremony with the Elerai Maasai community
Cessna 208 Private Plane on a low scenic flight over the swamps and elephants of Amboseli National Park
