A lifelong lover of languages, Nora embraced early cultural immersion through a teenage exchange in France before completing a degree in International Tourism Management across the Netherlands and South Africa, specialising in Lodge & Wildlife Management. Nora qualified as a safari guide while living in the bush, and channels her knowledge of Africa’s extraordinary landscapes and wildlife into every itinerary she creates.
How long have you worked in travel?
For seven years. I had the amazing opportunity to qualify as a safari guide before going to university and completely fell in love with safari life – so working as a destination expert for Africa was a no-brainer. I get to introduce clients to the amazingly grounding experience of being out in the bush and share my passion with those who have also caught the Africa bug!
What do you never travel without?
My camera and a good book.
What would you wish you had with you if you were stranded on a desert island for six months and why? You can choose a luxury and something practical.
My luxury would be a well-stocked Kindle (those batteries last forever) to while away the hours – and finally get some time to empty my ‘to be read’ shelf. As a practical item, I would take an army knife, one with a smooth and a serrated edge; useful for anything from cutting wood to building a shelter, and making firewood to hunting and eating.
If you could travel with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
I would love to go on a safari with one of the great guides of this world, or head into the depths of nowhere with a documentary team. If it has to be a specific person, then someone like Andrew Beck or Dylan Smith – my Instagram home page is full of incredible wildlife photographers, and these are just two of them!
What is your most memorable travel moment?
During my training as a safari guide, we did a sleep-out – yoga mats & sleeping bags on the ground around the campfire – and took turns to keep watch during the night. I woke up as the person next to me got up for his shift. I heard him walk to the vehicle and flick on the spotlight. After a brief moment of him shining light into the surrounding bushes, I heard a very clear exclamation, which was promptly followed by two lionesses walking straight through our camp! Most of the group slept through all of this and woke up the next morning to see them in a clearing just 50-60 metres from us!
What was your worst travel disaster?
A classic flight disaster – or a ‘flightmare’ as it’s called in the industry! I was on a very delayed flight from Koh Lanta to Bangkok, which landed around three hours after the international connection to London had left. I don’t recommend spending 11 hours in Bangkok Airport, especially after getting up at 4am…
What's your secret hidden gem (such as a little bookshop, café, little-known museum/gallery, artisan shop)?
The Piggly Wiggly in South Africa’s Midland Meanders. Apart from having a great name, it is a collection of lovely eateries and interesting shops – an all-around wonderful place to spend an afternoon.
What's the most unusual client request you've received and were you able to fulfil it?
A client who was looking at Zimbabwe for a celebration trip asked whether they could have a DJ during a bush dinner in Hwange National Park. I’m not sure the national park team – let alone the wildlife – would have been too impressed, so we had to let them down on this one!
If you hadn't worked in travel, what would you have done?
I would likely have stayed in Germany and trained to be a teacher – French, English and Maths – which oddly combines similar interest as my job in travel does now: working with people and languages. Although forensic psychology would have been a close second!
If you could retire to anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
The Cape Winelands in South Africa, for its gorgeous scenery and lovely weather, brilliant food and wine, and easy access to safaris in southern Africa.
Favourite book(s) and why?
What an impossible question to answer! I do love a fantasy epos, so perhaps The Lord of the Rings as a representation, or Dürrenmatt’s Der Besuch der Alten Dame – no one quite writes tragicomedies like he did.
