I was born in England, but I am half South African and also hold a Canadian passport. I have lived in the UK, Australia and South Africa. From childhood trips to Mossel Bay, South Africa to visit my grandmother, I have never been able to stop travelling. I lived in Cape Town for a while in my twenties, where I learnt to sail, this led to seasons of yacht skippering around the world, eventually leading to a solo nine month drive around Southern and East Africa that truly cemented the continent as my favourite place to visit.
My most memorable trip
Zimbabwe
When I was 24 I joined my Dad in Harare, Zimbabwe and drove through six national parks, and three countries over six weeks. It is still my favourite trip that I have ever done, the mix of countries and cultures on that trip was completely eyeopening, and to share it with my Dad is something I will cherish forever.
On my bucket list
New Zealand
I am itching to travel to New Zealand; the scenery, people and culture are all so in tune with what I love in a destination. I still regret not visiting while I was living in Melbourne.
See where I’ve travelled
Namibia
"I loved camping in the Ugab River Rhino Camp in Namibia, completely on my own with no phone signal and a herd of elephants that visited three times a day - absolutely stunning."
Explore destination
South Africa
"Waking up every morning and looking out over the Atlantic Ocean from my bed while living in Scarborough, South Africa is something I will never forget."
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Tanzania
"Swimming with whale sharks off the coast of Tanzania was an incredibly humbling experience."
Explore destination
Zambia
"While I was in Livingstone, Zambia I tried to really get my heart rate going by swimming in a pool right on the edge of the falls and also trying a bit of white water rafting, it is also where I did a bungee jump many years ago."
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The best hidden gem
Zambia
Zambia is somewhere I would love more people to travel to. The locals are lovely and the national parks feel very exclusive and are absolutely teeming with game, it's a fantastic combination.
My favourite hotel
Wilderness Chitabe
The camp itself is great, with excellent service and a gorgeous design and setting. The amount of animal interaction and density of predators is remarkable.
Jacada planned a perfect honeymoon trip for us. They tailored our trip to our preferences all along the way, down to our favorite foods and wines. There was always someone available to communicate in between destinations, which made it stress free. I wouldn’t have done this trip any other way. Would highly recommend.
Fantastic service, people and planning. Great communication and accommodation as needed. We had an unexpected flight cancellation requiring last minute changes out of our control that were handled with grace and expediency.
The entire trip was wonderful from beginning the planning with James, to booking dinners with Angela, to the on the ground support from Simone. The guidance and recommendations from James and Angela were spot on for our interests and tastes, and everywhere we stayed was absolutely beautiful! For a 3 week trip with many flights, destinations, and experiences, it was…
James our travel concierge truly listened to all our needs and wants and customized our trip exactly what we needed. The hotels were perfect as well as his suggestions. Also, our guide in South Africa Samo was extraordinary made our trip! We can not say enough wonderful things about him!
It worked out exactly as described by the Jacada team ahead of the trip. Like a Swiss watch at work. Thank you for a great family experience.
My top tips
Make sure you have a really good pair of binoculars to help you spot everything your guide points out.
Pack as light as you can no one is expecting you to be in anything other than comfortable clothing - one of the joys of Africa, if you ask me.
Make sure you try and get to the top of Lions Head before sunrise to avoid the crowds and see just how stunning the city of Cape Town is.
Make sure you ask your guide every question you have; you'll kick yourself when you come home and don't have their experience at your disposal.