Lucie

MEET LUCIE

I’ve had a lifelong fascination for Africa, one that only continues to grow the more time I spend there.

As a student studying Anthropology & Geography at London University, I fantasised about travelling the length of the continent and in 2008 I finally got the chance when I drove from the UK to Cape Town with my husband Sean in our beloved Landcruiser, Elsie. It took us just over six months to take the ‘Eastern Route’. It was an incredible experience but the highlights were the unexpected; the White Desert Egypt where the wind had sculpted the rocks into strange and wonderful shapes, wild camping on the banks of the Nile in the Sudan where the locals found us fascinating and playing balloon games with kids in Southern Tanzania. In addition to driving down the continent, I’ve also travelled as a normal tourist by plane, train, bicycle and helicopter!

Most of my travels are road trips as I love camping and getting to places that are a little further off the beaten track. I also once drove to Croatia when I discovered that the only way to fly there was with Ryan Air!

MY EXPERTISE

Botswana – Botswana always draws me back. There are so many different ecosystems to explore from the Okavango Delta to the Makgadikgadi salt pans, the diversity Botswana has to offer is exceptional, and nowhere else I’ve been matches it’s feeling of sheer wildness.

Kenya – Kenya’s Northern Territories have a special feeling of remoteness and I love camping here, especially on some of the lesser-known conservancies like Nakuprat Gotu and Sera were it’s just you, the campfire and the wilderness.

MY RECENT TRIPS

I’ve been making up for missed travels during covid and have been lucky enough to spend two months driving through Botswana & Namibia with a brief visit to Zambia’s Lower Zambezi, as well as a Kenya safari.

Before that my most recent trips have also been to Kenya, where I spend a month exploring the country before some quality beach time on Diani, and to South Africa where we drove through the Kruger from North to South.

MY TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS

• The first time I ever saw the Ngorongoro Crater.
• Sailing to Tobago Cays, a reef in the Grenadines and swimming with turtles
• Camping on sand islands in the middle of the Lower Zambezi on a canoe trip & watching elephants cross the river a few metres from our tents.
• Staying on a remote conservancy in Northern Kenya & swimming in pools heated by hot springs

I LOVE STAYING AT....

Delta Camp - Okavango Delta, Botswana. So simple and so immersed in the landscape, the team are true locals and engines don’t feature at all.

Waterberry Lodge - Lower Zambezi. Gorgeous location, great hospitality and genuine purpose.

Flatdogs Camp - South Luangwa. Just, who doesn’t love Flatdogs? Fabulous hosts and the most laid back friendly camp ever.

Alfajiri Villas - Diani Beach. Luxurious privacy with stunning views, the best pool in East Africa, amazing food and exceptional hosting

MY TRAVEL TIPS

• Don’t overpack! Most days on safari you’ll wear the same clothes – no one need know!
• Always have a spare full camera battery, I’ve lost count of the times mine has died just as the most exciting sighting unfolds
• Take every opportunity to get out of the vehicle. Walking safaris are thrilling, boating or kayaking is the ultimate in relaxation and biking through wildlife is great fun.

MY FUTURE ADVENTURES

I’d love to visit Costa Rica and Uganda. Another sailing trip is also long overdue & the Caribbean never disappoints.

MY INTERESTS

• -Safari, safari, safari…. Talking about it, thinking about it and of course, going on safari.
• -Getting out on the water, whether it be sailing in the Caribbean or kayaking on the Thames
• -Making sourdough. You can’t beat the smell of fresh bread in the morning.