Pioneers among us

Dear Agency Partner,

The pioneers are starting to travel again, showing the world what it’s like to be on the road again. During this time, I am reminded of the famous apparel brand, FUBU, For Us By Us, started by one of the “sharks” on the CNBC show, Shark Tank. You see the FUBU brand’s mission in the early 1990s was to be bold and go against the grain, and to shine on their own. Sound familiar? Well, the pioneers who are traveling right now are doing just that – being bold and shining on their own.

And who better to showcase what it is like in Kenya right now with Big Five than one of our favorite travelers, Charlotte French, Cavatica Luxury Travel, which is affiliated with Avenue Two Travel, a Virtuoso agency.

Charlotte traveled through Kenya with Big Five just a few weeks ago. She trekked in search of wild rhino on foot in Sera Conservancy; visited the very private Singing Wells in the Northern Rangelands; and tracked the elusive leopard in Kalama Conservancy near Samburu. And, of course, she ventured into the private reserve to see the herds of buffalo, zebra and others in the Masai Mara. She was able to see the conservancy model in action, which Big Five has long supported.

Now I have to admit, I traveled with Charlotte in Colombia last year and she understood from the very beginning of our commitment to conservation and travel.  On this trip, she carried out some great inspections of her hotel accommodations at Hemingways Nairobi, Saruni Rhino in Sera Conservancy, Saruni Samburu in Kalama Conservancy, Hemingways Ol Seki Mara in Naboisho Conservancy, and Elewana Sand River Camp, known for its location close to crucial water bodies that are ideal for viewing the annual great migration. Charlotte then extended her stay at Hemingways Watamu, near Malindi on the Kenya coast.

With a background in biomed, Charlotte carved out a career delivering needed AIDS and other medicines to remote parts of the world, including areas such as Congo. Yet, she found that she could not enact change and help in the way she wanted to, which led her to the travel industry. I think that is what makes me a great admirer of hers, and why I thought it was important to share her story.

I remember a conversation with her in April, when she told me that she had received numerous offers to return to the biomed industry when travel came to a halt. But she so believes in the power of change through travel for the long term. I thought this was one of the best examples for anyone to follow. So when Charlotte asked me about going to Kenya, how could I say no? I knew Charlotte would paint an accurate picture of what the safari experience is like right now, because she believes what I believe – that you do not have to convince an adventure traveler that it is safe to hit the road again. You simply need to show them the truth.

Charlotte channeled her inner JK Rowling with an in-depth blog and presented a movie of her experience. So whether you are a reader or a visual learner at heart, she has you covered. You can watch her safari video here, or enjoy reading her blog Parts 1 through 4.

To learn more about Charlotte French and Cavatica Luxury Travel, visit this link. 

To learn about custom sustainable safaris in Kenya by Big Five, click here.