Trish Berry

Trish was brought up barefoot on an African tobacco and cattle farm (until she was sent to boarding school). 

The farm had thousands of acres of bush filled with duiker, bush pigs, guinea fowl, all things small and the occasional elephant that’d strayed too far from the Zambezi!

Trish studied interior architecture for the corporate market but has spent most of her working life in the safari industry one way or the other. Trish is Financial Director and currently acts as our General Manager.

Having lived for 36 years in Africa, Trish has spent time in England since dark days in Zimbabwe after the 2000 election. She returns to Africa as often as possible and sometimes when it’s impossible - even then it’s not enough to satisfy her love of this amazing continent.

Trish is a seasoned traveller in southern Africa and has spent many days seeking out the remoter and less trammelled spots in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Gabon.

When not in the Devon office this year Trish will be looking for every conceivable business reason to be with her teenage children, Ashton and Corrie at Imperial College in London. 

Trish was recently spotted riding her bike from London to Paris for a charity in Zambia, has also been seen in Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Namibia during the last season.  Trish will be found in Kenya this coming season when not training for some endurance challenges on Dartmoor.

  ...Trish's public albums
 

John Berry

With African roots stretching back to 1820, John grew up as a free-range all-organic kid in KwaZulu-Natal. With big open skies, wild beaches, loads of friends and lots of space the outdoor bug bit hard and at an early age.

So after a first life in South Africa’s corporate world as an engineer, "collar-and-tie" routines were replaced by "shorts-and-rafters" in the Zambezi valley in 1994.

The company was born and John has spent at least some time wearing all of the hats needing to be worn in any fledgling company. Kariba at the start of the internet age was an amazing place until the politicians dimmed the lights.

Hence the move to the UK in 2000. John manages our systems, marketing and technical stuff, serves as our MD and also keeps his hand in at advising clients on their safari plans.

When not in the UK office John will be found on a mountain bike with mates, walking or swimming the family Labradors, doing consumer shows in the UK or travelling. John has a penchant for the wilder and more expeditionary treks wherever they're found in East, central or southern Africa…ever keen to explore.

John serves on the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) board – the primary objective of which is “advancing tourism to Africa”.

  ...John's public albums

Chris Worden

Born in Masvingo near Great Zimbabwe, Chris has lived in remoter spots most of his life. His early interest in wildlife led to a career starting with the Department of National Parks in 1980.  Chris qualified as a Professional Guide in 1986.

One of the "old school" guides in Zimbabwe, Chris has led many safaris through Southern African including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, and further afield in Uganda, Congo, Gabon and Madagascar.

Chris is credited with a study on the White Faced Owl published in several bird books including the definitive work "Roberts Birds of South Africa". An accomplished photographer, Chris won Zimbabwe's Wildlife Photographic Competition in 1993 and has done several presentations for wildlife charities each year since.

Chris is a company Director and our resident Pro Guide spending most of the year planning specialist itineraries to his favourite destinations in Southern Africa.  Chris spends a few months every year conducting private safaris for wildlife photographers and specialist clients.

In his spare time Chris is also our official Hardware and Software Test Engineer and over the years has pushed every element of our office system to its limits ... using two typing fingers!

Whilst not on safari Chris will be found in our Victoria Falls office this season.

  ...Chris's public albums

Jackie Pearson

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, Jackie finished her schooling, earned a Diploma in Tourism and worked for 9 years in sales and marketing for two leading safari operators in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Her speciality then was adventure travel and canoe safaris in Victoria Falls and the lower Zambezi.  During the 1990's Jackie worked closely with our team in the Kariba offices. 

It took a few years of badgering her to join us before she relented - Jackie emigrated from Zimbabwe in 2002 and joined the UK team.

Jackie has travelled extensively through Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zanzibar and regularly visits her family living in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Jackie specialises in tailor made safaris to East and Southern Africa and works with many of our returning clients.

With a young son and a busy husband, Jackie works from her home office in Lincoln - always ready and enthusiastic to help in whatever way!

When not in her office this year Jackie will be found in East Africa....(again and again).

  ...Jackie's public albums

Liz Ferreira

Liz was born in England, moved as a baby to Africa and grew up in Zimbabwe. Based in our Zambezi valley office she lives with her husband and young son in a stunning house perched atop Sugarloaf Hill with an almost 270 degree view overlooking Lake Kariba.

Liz regularly sees buffalo, elephant and lion on trips to the supermarket and is passionate about Kariba, sunny days at the pool and "big town big time" shopping whenever she's near a real city!

As a part of the original team in the Kariba office, Liz initially managed products for the company and is now a mainstay of our consulting team.

Liz has travelled throughout Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa and much of Zimbabwe and continues to work with a strong following of old and new clients travelling to Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

When not in the Zambezi valley office this year Liz will be found in South Africa and Botswana with a short stint in our UK head office.

  ...Liz's public albums

Delene Dempster

Delene is one of the busiest people in the company. Always an excellent ambassador, Delene used to be the first voice you'd hear in our Kariba office before moving to an even remoter haunt in the Luangwa Valley.  Delene is still very fond of her phone but unfortunately lives in an area where there are none!

Part of our original Zambezi team responsible for managing flowcharts and client movements, Delene is now based in Mfuwe, Zambia and serves as one of our specialist consultants taking care of clients travelling on the Zambezi and Luangwa valleys. 

Delene has a closely knit family life with two grown sons and a busy husband - she's always keen to test a new camp, attend a trade show or just go on safari!

When not in the Luangwa valley, Delene can be found in the UK and South Africa this season.

Fi Thompson

British born and then brought up in Nakuru, Kenya, Fi has had a lifelong love affair with Kenya. Clocking up an in excess of 100 international flights in and out of Nairobi Fi has stopped counting now!

With 12 years experience in the safari industry representing various Kenyan based companies in the UK, Fi has been a regular exhibitor at travel shows including Destinations Show, the Bird Fair and CLA Game Fair.

A testimony to Fi's passion for Kenya is that her annual holidays are taken in Kenya by choice and not on behalf of the company.

Fi is looking forward to more research within Kenya and Tanzania this season. When snot breathing and thinking of East Africa, Fi lives in Berkshire with her teenage daughter Alex and an extremely eccentric dog called Bruno.

Mark Pearson

Mark comes into the travel industry from an unusual angle having been a professionally qualified horticulturist and nurseryman with over 20 years worth of experience. He is very well travelled and has visited most of Africa, Asia and Europe.

Mark met another member of our team, Jackie (otherwise known as Misi), and married her in 2003. Together they make our second husband and wife couple with a great strength of experience between them.

His recent forays into Africa have led him to Zanzibar, North Tanzania, Livingstone, Botswana, Victoria Falls, Nyanga and Great Zimbabwe. He has a great love for photography, walking, horse riding and is very interested in the cultural side of countries he visits. Recently he's had great fun on a 2.5 day white water rafting trip on the mighty Zambezi at Victoria Falls which he combined with a safari in Kafue National Park, Zambia.

When not in the office Mark likes nothing better than to practise his horse riding with his youngest daughter for their next horse riding safari in Hwange National Park.

  ...Mark's public albums

Julian (Jools) Simpson

Based in our UK Head Office, Jools is a born and bred Devonian who joined us after graduating from the University of Plymouth and University of Kansas with a BA Geography degree.

Although Jools is the youngest member of the team he's already travelled throughout much of Southern Africa over the past six years especially comparing the standard of Gin & Tonics en route!

Diagnosed with "itchy feet" at an early age, Jools has travelled much of continental Europe and spends the majority of his leave skiing in the Alps or travelling around the USA.

Jools has done every possible Zambezi adventure activity, from bungee, microlight, canoe to quad bike in an effort to avoid having to raft the mighty Zambezi River.

Jools is seasoned in Swaziland and Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa but his special interest areas include Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Botswana and Zambia.

(Jools dreams of exploring more of Africa – but we won’t let him until he’s been rafting!)

See us every year at...

The Scottish Game Fair Friday 2 to Sunday 4 July 2010: hosted by Scotland's Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust over the first weekend in July in the grounds of Scone Palace, Perthshire.

The CLA Game Fair Friday 23 to Sunday 25 July 2010: Renowned as the world's greatest country sport event. The 2008 event took place in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, in 2009 the Game Fair is at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire.

The British Birdwatching Fair Friday 20 to Sunday 22 August 2010: this is the largest international birdwatching event in the world - traditionally takes place on the weekend before the August bank holiday from Friday through Sunday at Rutland Water, Oakham (105 miles north of London).

Destinations Show, London Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 February 2010 : hosted by "The Times", this holiday and travel show takes place over 4 days in Earl's Court around the first weekend every February.

...every year we test some "new waters" so be on the look out!  [Past haunts have been New York, Chicago and Madison (WI)]