Inspiring African Travel

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 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 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, 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!

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.

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. 

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. 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! The Drankensberg Mountain range. Superb hiking and Definitely South Africa’s most significant mountain range.  Kosi Bay and the surrounding beaches & bays for remote, tropical wilderness experiences and incredible snorkelling and diving 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. 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 -

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

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

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

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. 

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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! 

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! 

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