A specially created personalised safari, with dear friends of ours who run the oldest Safari company in Kenya.

A little more about our friends James Robertson and Wendy Andrew.

JAMES ROBERTSON ‘ndorobo'

I was given the nickname “Ndorobo”, meaning hunter-gatherers/wanderers, because of my desire to never spend too long in one place. It is my dream to one day move my family into the bush and live the rest of our lives on safari. I need to get my daughters through college first but seeing as my youngest is not yet 2 years old, I may have to wait a while!

It was my grandfather and mother, both guides, that gave me my love of adventure and exploration. But it was a flight with the warden of Tsavo National Park, David Sheldrick, in a 2-seater, open-windowed plane over 2,000 awe inspiring elephants near my childhood home that hooked me.

My passion has enabled me to travel extensively through Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) on foot, camelback, horseback, canoe, raft, boat, plane and more. I have been proud to spend time working in conservation with projects like the Mara Conservancy, a ground breaking initiative of private management within the Maasai Mara Reserve. It is the first of its kind, which promises a secure future for the most supreme wildlife area of the world and will act as a model for use throughout the Kenyan National Parks and Reserves.

On safari, I want my guests to feel that they have experienced and learned more than they ever hoped and to develop a craving to discover more. There is much fun and excitement along the way, the results of which could one day become a collection of amazing short stories. I will never forget witnessing the birth of an elephant and watching in awe as it took its first steps. Or the time my guests thought it would be funny to hide my passport in Zaire at a crucial customs control point. I happily returned the favor by hiding elephant dung in their luggage, which they discovered upon their return to the states.

The greatest challenge of any safari is creating the perfect trip for each guest. I rarely ever do the same itinerary twice and find it a thrilling challenge to mold exciting and diverse adventures for each journey, whether it be a 1 st or 21 st safari. I not only want new adventures for them, but for myself as well.

For many, Africa gets in your blood; it touches your heart and can stick with you forever. Luckily this very thing happened to an incredible woman from America whom I met on safari. Astrid and I have now been married for 20 years and have 3 amazing girls, Emilie – my inspiration (18), Olivia – my clone (15) and Isabella – my high blood pressure (2). In between planning safaris, running our office, chasing warthogs out of our home, trying to get me to stay in one place longer than 2 minutes and raising our girls, Astrid somehow managed to find time to start the first school in Kenya for children with learning disabilities.

While I will not try to convince you to move here like Astrid did, I will do my best to provide you with an experience you will not soon forget – an adventure like no other. I love the thrill of a new safari. I'll be honest; I'll take any excuse to get back out in the bush

WENDY ANDREW

Born in Malawi and educated between Malawi and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) Wendy Andrew developed a love for Africa, its wildlife and culture from an early age. She spent her young years traveling around most of the Southern African countries on Safari with her parents. They were keen amateur naturalists and their knowledge and enthusiasm encouraged and gave her the grounding to develop the skills she has today.

Although she left Africa at the age of 18 to study in Edinburgh to become a Registered General Nurse, a skill that has proved to be useful in the remote lands, she maintained her deep love of all things African and continued frequent journeys into several countries on the continent. She married a British military man and has enthusiastically followed him around the world on many different postings to some fascinating places.

In 2001 Wendy returned to the Dark Continent and is now resident in Kenya. She pursued her great passion and has qualified as a guide and is a registered member of the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association. Her studies continue and she is now aiming to sit her Silver Level exams in the near future.

Wendy is now a freelance guide and has taken clients on safari all over Kenya to the Massai Mara reserve, Samburu, Shaba, Nakuru, Nairobi, Meru, Amboseli, Tsavo and the Coast. She has also led a couple of “ off beaten track” adventures to Lake Turkana, crossing the Chalbi and Kaisut deserts en route to the Jade Sea. Her specialist subject is ornithology.

Wendy lives on the outskirts of Nairobi with her husband, three teenage children and a menagerie of animals. In her spare time she is a member of the East Africa Wildlife Society, Nature Kenya and the museums society. She also belongs to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and continues to take part in ornithological research and survey projects in both Europe and Africa.

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Note: Costs depend on season and final itinerary