Each of our specialists covers a few areas of our programme and all have been recruited for their passion and detailed knowledge of the region. They have all travelled extensively in this area so whoever plans your trip you can be sure that you will experience the very best of the country. Click on their profiles to read more about their background and travel experience.
James' first venture into Africa took place in 1992 when he took up the job of teaching sport in a South African school. From here he travelled around Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia. After completing a university degree, James then spent seven years working as a long-haul consultant within the travel industry. During this time he made numerous visits to Africa including canoe trips on the Zambezi and visiting the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. James' desire to specialise more in travel to Africa brought him to his current role at Audley and he has since been on research trips to Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Mozambique. In his free time James participates in a number of sports as well as trying out the odd adrenalin activity such as bobsleigh or sky diving.
Having had a passion for wildlife and Africa from as early as he can remember, Jonathan made his first visit to the continent aged 16 to explore the plains of the Serengeti. This began an obsession with travelling in wild and remote places and after completing his university degree Jonathan went travelling for a year around the world. After working in Bolivia at a jaguar refuge and trekking solo in the West Macdonnell Ranges in Australia, Jonathan ended up in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park where he worked as a host/wildlife spotter at Tafika Lodge. Since joining Audley, Jonathan has returned to Africa to research Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and Mauritius and has fulfilled one of his lifetime ambitions by travelling to the remote Kunene region of northern Namibia. Outside of work, Jonathan's interests include wildlife photography, conservation and adventure sports.
After graduating from University, Katie took a year to travel around the world. Her first stop was East Africa - after numerous family holidays to the continent which fuelled a passion for the countries and their people and wildlife from a young age, she wanted to explore the area for herself. She fulfilled a dream of climbing to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro and continued her travels around East Africa, travelling overland through Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda where she was lucky enough to see the country's largest family of mountain gorillas up-close. Recent return visits with Audley have only increased her love for adventure in this part of the world. On her latest trip Katie travelled to Namibia where she tracked black rhino on foot and climbed the towering sand dunes at Sossusvlei.
Kirsty Leyns
Botswana & Namibia Specialist
01993 838 527
Expertise:
Botswana, Namibia
Kirsty first ventured to Africa on an overland trip from Harare to Nairobi in 1993. Following her degree at Bristol University she spent fifteen months backpacking round the globe before returning to education at the Royal Agricultural College. After four years in the world of rural consultancy her itchy feet had not been cured and the travel industry beckoned. Kirsty worked for two years in a fly-fishing travel company before joining Audley. Since working for Audley, Kirsty has visited Botswana, the Victoria Falls and the Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique. Most recently she has completed a 4,500km self-drive trip around Namibia including the Caprivi Strip. In her spare time she can often be found mountain biking round the Gloucestershire countryside and she is also a keen skier.
After completing his degree at Newcastle University, Matt spent two months on a voluntary project in Kenya. He mixed teaching and construction work with safari, lazing on the beach and climbing Mount Kenya. Later he worked for three years in sports television production before heading off on his travels again, spending a year visiting Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. While living in Sydney he achieved an Open Water diving certificate and worked for a travel magazine. Since joining Audley Matt has travelled extensively in Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, Mauritius and Mozambique, experiencing all the highlights of these fantastically varied countries. His outside interests include sport, films, music and food.
Before starting her degree at Oxford Brookes University, Victoria spent six months travelling through Africa which sparked her initial love for the continent. Particular highlights of the trip included snorkelling on Zanzibar's coral reefs and tracking lions in the Okavango Delta. Since joining Audley, Tor has driven herself around Namibia several times, visiting all the camps and lodges. She has climbed the dunes at Sossusvlei, kayaked with seals at Pelican Point and explored the Skeleton Coast on a fly-in safari. Tor has recently returned from visiting many of the lodges in Botswana as well as exploring Mauritius. Her most recent adventures have taken her to Madagascar, where she discovered the abundant wildlife of the eastern rainforests as well as the turquoise waters surrounding beautiful islands in the north.