Where It All Began, 26 Years Ago

This photo takes me back 26 years.

An open vehicle, good company and a landscape that still stops me in my tracks. In those early days of Visitors to Africa I spent most of my time out on the road with guests like these, and it taught me what people really travel for.

It is not only the scenery, although Southern Africa has plenty of that. It is the people you share it with, and having someone beside you who knows the country properly: which road to take, where the light is best in the late afternoon, and which stories are worth telling around the fire.

Much has changed since this picture was taken. Travel is faster, phones go everywhere, and everyone has a camera in their pocket. But the heart of a great journey has stayed the same.

That is still how we work today. Private journeys for one to six guests, small groups of up to twelve, and every trip planned personally, the way it was when we started.

Some things are worth keeping exactly as they were.

If you would like to experience Southern Africa this way, I would be glad to hear from you.

John Sparks