Alex

MEET ALEX

For as long as I can remember I’ve had a huge passion for wildlife and photography. My first experiences of Southern Africa were volunteering for a wild dog research project in Kwa-Zulu Natal. After that I was bitten by the Africa bug and returned again and again to volunteer with endangered species projects.

Eventually an opportunity to move to South Africa and train to be a professionally qualified field guide presented itself and I jumped at the chance! From there I began following a career path of combining guiding guests on game drive, bush walks and wildlife photography mentor-ship. After a good few years of living and working in the bush I returned to the UK, where I continued to follow a career path creating tailored wildlife photography journeys and led numerous privately guided safaris throughout East and Southern Africa, including Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

I feel exceptionally privileged to have been exposed to wondrous wildlife, vibrant cultures and abundant beauty of Africa. And now, working at Far & Wild and being part of a fantastic team allows me to continue sharing my passion for Africa with others, helping them discover it for themselves.

SOME MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES

• Tracking rhino on foot –Taking the time and patience to follow tracks and signs left by an animal and eventually finding them. Discreetly enjoying the experience of seeing them from a even perspective before leaving them undisturbed and going about their day without knowing you’d even been there.

• Walking into an inquisitive lioness and her sub-adult cubs with only a bird book and a pair of binoculars as protection.
• Encountering mountain gorillas in Uganda – there’s something really special about being in their presence. Staring into the eyes of those of these fuzzy black titans and as the noble primate stares back, you recognise something oh-so-familiar.

I LOVE STAYING AT

Letaba Camp - Kruger National Park, South Africa. It is hard to beat waking early and doing a self-drive through the northern sections of Kruger as the sun rises, especially when doing it with great people.

Chitake Springs Camp – Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. This remote area of Mana Pools is phenomenal. Imagine sitting in a dry riverbed at night with an ocean of stars above as a herd of elephants bathed in beautiful moonlight, peacefully walks past no more than 20 meters away from you.

Buhoma Lodge – Uganda. Staying here puts you right on the edge of the mountain gorilla habitat in Bwindi Forest. The views are simply outstanding… a real ‘gorillas in the mist’ experience.

Top Travel Tips

• Make friends with your guide. Having worked as a field guide myself, it always makes for a more personable experience – they’ll share some great local tips with you. Plus, they’ll really appreciate it when you engage with them.
• Take your time. There’s always the temptation to do and see everything…. but that’s not always the best option. Stop and look around. It may just open up a real highlight of your adventure.
• Take photos but also remember to put your camera down and take in the sights, sounds and smells around you, it’ll give you a much more enriching experience.

Where I’ve been recently

Kenya
South Africa
Uganda
Zimbabwe