Senior Safari Specialist

Gemma D'Souza

Do you want a Travel Designer who knows Africa? Gemma specialises in travel to; Rwanda, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa.

My background

As cliché as it may sound, there hasn’t been a day in my 10 years of working in the safari industry that I haven’t loved crafting luxury safari trips for clients.

I’ve spent the past decade working as a safari specialist, curating trips to Africa’s most iconic destinations. I’ve also spent time as an author, designing safari books filled with authentic stories about safari guides, conservationists, and rangers in the field. Africa’s wilderness is about the places and the people – so I am grateful to have a career that allows me to explore both, and ultimately showcase the safari experience in the most authentic way.

I have always had an affiliation with Africa and its wilderness. My father was born and raised in Kenya, so I have a strong connection to that country. As planning safaris is what I do best, I’ve been lucky enough to take my dad back to his roots, while showing him and the rest of my family some of the most impressive and remote safari camps in the process.

‘What is your favourite destination?’ is a difficult question. My answers are linked to emotion: Rwanda makes my heart beat out of its chest; Botswana blows me away with its camp design and wildlife; Zambia grounds me; Kenya makes me feel at home; Namibia makes me sweat (in the best possible way); Tanzania makes me excitable; Uganda’s people fill me with love; and South Africa – well, it offers all the emotions, experiences, and more.

I have gained invaluable experience over the past decade, and have had a lot of fun along the way! From seeing my first honey badger in Botswana, to a morning spent high above the dunes of Namibia in a hot-air balloon, to many more African adventures, I have a passion for fine-tuning clients’ trips to match exactly what suits them.