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+44 207 384 2332 Plan Your Trip

+44 207 384 2332 Plan your trip

Private Safari Guides

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Travel with One of Africa’s Finest Private Safari Guides

Travelling with a private guide transforms a safari into a far more personal and rewarding experience. Unlike lodge guides, who usually join you only for scheduled game drives, a private guide accompanies you throughout the journey and is often involved in the planning stage as well. This continuity allows them to understand your interests, pace and priorities, shaping each day accordingly and creating a safari that evolves naturally as the trip unfolds.

Private guides bring exceptional depth of knowledge about wildlife, landscapes and local cultures, helping you interpret what you see and adding context to every sighting. Many are multilingual and highly experienced in working with international travellers, making the experience more engaging and accessible. Because they stay with you throughout the journey, they build a deeper understanding of what you most enjoy and can adapt plans to suit.

Another advantage is flexibility. Without the constraints of shared vehicles or lodge schedules, you can spend longer at sightings, adjust the day’s plan or explore areas in greater depth. Many private guides also have specialist interests – from birding and photography to tracking big cats or studying ecosystems – allowing you to choose a guide whose expertise matches your passions. These are often the professionals sought out by documentary makers, researchers and wildlife photographers who require the very highest level of knowledge in the field.

Tendekayi Guni

Tendekayi Guni, known as Tende, is an experienced safari guide whose work spans the ecosystems of East and Southern Africa. Based in Tanzania, he leads journeys that combine deep wildlife knowledge with a thoughtful, attentive approach to the natural world.

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Deborah Niheza

Deborah Niheza is a passionate safari guide born and raised in Rwanda, where her fascination with nature began at a young age. As a child she was drawn to the small details of the natural world, the colours of plants, the calls of birds and the subtle signs of wildlife that many people overlook.

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Wickliffe Odera

Wickliffe Odera is a Kenyan safari guide whose work is rooted in a deep enthusiasm for nature, conservation and sustainable tourism. Raised in western Kenya, he developed an early fascination with birds and biodiversity, interests that continue to shape his guiding today.

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Jeannette Rugero

Jeannette is one of East Africa’s most respected female safari professionals, recognised for her regional expertise and commitment to conservation and community-led tourism. Born in Tanzania to Rwandan parents who had fled the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, her upbringing was shaped by resilience and determination.

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Jackson Looseiya

Jackson Looseiya is one of the Maasai Mara’s most respected and recognisable safari guides. Born and raised in the heart of the Mara, he grew up surrounded by wildlife and learned the rhythms of the bush from an early age.

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Samira Hamisi Juma

Samira Hamisi Juma was born and raised in Mombasa, where her fascination with history, culture and exploration first took shape. Growing up on Kenya’s coast, she developed a strong interest in the stories and traditions that define the region.

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David ‘GG’ Githu

David Githu Gathimba, known as GG, is a Kenyan safari guide and naturalist whose career has been shaped by a lifelong connection to the outdoors. Born in Kenya’s central highlands and later spending time in the Rift Valley lakes region

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Willis Okech

Willis Okech Oyugi is a Kenyan safari guide, environmental historian and naturalist whose safaris combine wildlife expertise with a deep understanding of Africa’s landscapes and history. Often known simply as Professor ‘O’, he brings an academic perspective to guiding,

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Who Should Consider a Private Guide

A private safari guide is ideal for travellers who want a deeper, more flexible safari experience. Rather than joining different lodge guides along the way, you travel with one expert throughout the journey, allowing them to understand your interests and shape each day accordingly. This works particularly well for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and birders who may want to spend longer at sightings or focus on specific species.

Private guides are also valuable for families and small groups who appreciate continuity and a more personal pace. Having one guide throughout the trip creates a relaxed atmosphere and ensures that every member of the group is engaged.

They are equally suited to returning safari travellers looking to explore Africa in greater depth. With their knowledge of different regions and ecosystems, private guides can help uncover quieter areas, interpret wildlife behaviour and share the stories behind the landscapes. For those seeking a more immersive safari, travelling with a private guide can transform the experience.

Benefits of a private guide

Continuity throughout the journey: your guide will be involved in the early stages of planning the trip and will travel with you from start to finish, building a deep understanding of your interests and shaping each day accordingly.
Greater flexibility: without the constraints of shared vehicles or lodge schedules, you can linger at sightings, change plans or explore further afield.
Exceptional wildlife knowledge: the best private guides are highly experienced trackers and naturalists who interpret behaviour and explain what others might miss.
Specialist expertise: whether birding, photography, big cat tracking or walking safaris, guides can be matched to your particular interests.
Access and connections: respected guides often know the best locations, seasons and local experts, opening doors to deeper experiences.
A more personal safari: travelling with a dedicated guide creates a relaxed rhythm and a far richer understanding of Africa’s landscapes, wildlife and cultures.

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4 Reasons to book a Private Safari Guide

#1
Ultimate tailoring

Our handpicked guides will continuously work to adapt your trip as you travel

#2
Special Access

As private guides work outside the schedules of most lodges, they can often get you places that others can’t

#3
Specialists

Perhaps you’re a photographer or a birder, we can match you with a skilled guide to focus in on that passion

#4
A friend for life

Travelling with a private guide creates a connection far beyond any other. You will forever have that friendship built over shared experiences and learnings.