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I F O U N D T H E R E T H E A F R I C A T H AT O N E D R E A M S

O F I N T H E C O L D W I N T E R N I G H T S B A C K H O M E ,

A N A F R I C A T H AT T O D A Y I S D I S A P P E A R I N G F A S T ,

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All the jobs I’ve ever had have led towards the creation of Journeys by Design – studying tigers in Madyar Pradesh, working as a guide at Tsavo National Park, and setting up the first eco-tourism project in Ethiopia, after completing my degree in environmental science at Southampton University.

My parents arrived in Africa in the late 1960s after my father started working for the UN. My two younger sisters and I lived on the hips of ayahs, or mamitas, and our love of Africa evolved at the hearth of our various homes, from Nigeria to Ethiopia, and on to Lesotho, Kenya and Sudan. We were taught not to be afraid of the animals. At the weekends my parents would throw us into the back of a white land rover and we would explore the bush around us. Left to our own devices, we would play our recorders to entice the inquisitive

giraffe out of the forest, and ride our bicycles into the woods beneath the Ngong hills, our black Labrador Nimrod running alongside, barking at buffalo. Africa, for me, is about reconnection to that feeling I had when I was a child - a feeling of wonder and enchantment.

Why do you want to visit Africa? And why will you choose Journeys by Design? The Africa I have experienced – and continue to experience with my own family – is the Africa I want you to discover. At JBD, we don’t just organise safaris. Obviously, our job is to satisfy your need for adventure, to give you the opportunity to see more of the world and to provide you with the chance to spend memorable time with your friends and family. But, the success of our service relies on the time we take to understand your motives before planning your safari.

However much you decide to invest in your adventure, I am prepared to travel to your home to design an itinerary. My life’s journey through Africa has generated a broad contact list of pilots, explorers, conservationists, writers, lodge owners, farmers and tribes people across Africa. Our bespoke journeys are devised around these characters, whose resources we employ to create the best adventure for you. Whether you want to open your children’s eyes to another way of life by letting them hunt with the Samburu, or you want to challenge yourself physically by riding horses alongside giraffe or by trekking in the Namib desert, we will work it out together.

I couldn’t have built Journeys by Design without my team at home in Brighton. Our office buzzes with tales of expeditions and adventures undertaken by the JBD staff. They recce new areas, explore with their families and understand the continent in a profound way. We are all in love with Africa. Let us take you by the hand and lead you on safari with the kind of knowledge and experience our competitors find hard to imitate.

WILL JONESMANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO

“Africa is raw, elemental, inspiring,” Jones says, explaining why he has centered his life round it. “Africa has something that resonates. It definitely feels like the cradle of man.” Journeys by Design allows him to remain connected to Africa, and his enthusiasm for the continent is reflected by the company’s exhaustive menu of dozens of possible destinations in twelve countries. “Ideally, we like to have a face-to-face preliminary session with clients,” he says, “talking in broad strokes about all the possible options.” To make this happen, Jones or a colleague will often travel to a client’s home.

After all, many trips will crisscross the continent, and encompass a myriad of hotels, lodges, and camps, not to mention multiple flights and a coterie of guides. (Wherever travelers go, Jones recommends a minimum of nine nights, though twelve to fourteen is even better.) For a truly once-in-a-lifetime journey, Jones himself will accompany clients. But the greatest luxury, Jones says, is in the company’s ability to provide clients a true wilderness experience. “It’s about being able to access the remotest, quietest corners of Africa,” he says. “Other operators just don’t have the wherewithal to do that because they lack the knowledge and the logistical background to pull it off.”

REBECCA ROTH BAUMRALPH LAUREN MAGAZINE

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