Africa – Experience it . . . . . .
“Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” -Miriam Beard
African Sunset
As the sun was setting slowly,
The lion settled down…
Forewarned, majestic and holy,
Adorned in golden brown…
Without a qualm, without a care,
At peace with all he knew,
Just calmly breathing in the air
Beneath the sky so blue…
The hot, hot sun had soothed his mind,
All signs of rage had gone
And as it left the day behind,
The moon must carry on…
Night creatures stirred within the soil,
Yet few would sense his power…
Nor think of him that he was royal
And over them he’d tower…
The birds approached him without fear,
They knew that he was old…
They taunted him as they drew near,
Delighting to be bold…
The sunset of his life was now,
When midnight comes to call…
He bore no frown upon his brow…
You see, he’d done it all…
August 2010
The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called ‘African Sunset’.
Our distinctiveness
African Sojourns
is dedicated to creating and crafting personal, tailor-made holidays in Southern Africa and East Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda).
Being an independent specialist company enables us to ensure that your holiday truly reflects your individual style, budget, taste and time considerations. We have had over 80 years’ collective travel experience as well as being born and bred in Africa.
A key philosophy of the company is to remain as knowledgeable and up-to-date as possible about the offerings available.
Being centrally located in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa enables us to maintain excellent direct relationships with suppliers of accommodation, transport and other activities throughout Africa.
Our Story
It all started with one phone call in 2002 from the United Kingdom, requesting help to arrange a honeymoon for a friend in Africa.
Since then African Sojourns has continued to help all our clients experience the drama, the scenery and the overall magic of Africa. During this time the company has grown from strength to strength.
However, our core values remain unchanged and we continue to offer a passionate and personal service, using exclusive, perhaps unusual places that you may not find on the internet.
We love finding off-the-beaten track destinations! We place great emphasis on matching the personality of each client to the specific nature of the product or service we choose for them.
The Team
“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was about to happen.” – A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh
Tracy Woodland
Born and brought up in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe in a family that loved to travel, Tracy has had the privilege to travel widely throughout the world and in Africa. She founded African Sojourns in 2002 but prior to this had spent nearly 10 years in the travel industry, including a year working in a safari lodge in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, 5 years with Abercrombie and Kent, both in London and in Johannesburg and a year with South African Airways helping to develop a new internet tour operation business.
The company has grown from strength to strength over the years with many loyal repeat and referral clients. Tracy continues to travel extensively with her young family through this magnificent and unique continent.
Melissa Connolly
Melissa is a born and bred South African. She has worked in the travel industry intermittently for 20 years whilst raising her 3 children. Melissa has a great passion for Africa, it’s people, conservation and travel.
Robyn Tobias
Robyn Tobias has been sharing her love and knowledge of Africa since 1993. Born in Zambia and raised in the historic battlefield region of KwaZulu Natal, she came into the travel industry after travelling and working abroad for a few years. Originally travelling extensively in South and Southern Africa, more recently she has added East Africa and Madagascar to her list of destinations. She has a great love and enthusiasm for all things “Africa”.
Charlie Harper
Charlie started his career in agriculture and attended the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, UK. He then spent two years travelling the globe, delivering yachts across the Atlantic as well as mustering cattle on a million acre property in North Western Australia. He started his career in travel in 1994 as a Sales Consultant at Abercrombie & Kent in London, before joining Cazenove+Loyd (C+L) as an Africa Specialist in 1997, working his way up to Sales and Board Director.
In 2007, he came to South Africa with his family and settled in the Natal Midlands, working outside of the tourism field for a few years. He has now joined the team at African Sojourns and with his inherent appreciation of boutique properties, true wildlife experiences and love of Africa he is an excellent fit for African Sojourns.
I Know a Place in Africa
I know a place in Africa
Where I can feel the sun on my back
And the sand between my barefoot toes
Where I can hear the gulls on the breeze
And the waves crash on the endless shore
I know a place in Africa
Where the mountains touch the skies of blue
And the valleys shelter vines of green
Where the trees spread out a cloth of mauve
And the bushveld wears a coat of beige
I know a place in Africa
Where I can hear the voice of thunder gods
And watch their lightening spears thrown to earth
Where I can breathe the scent of rain clouds
And taste the sweet dew of dusty drops
My heart is at home in Africa
Where the sound of drums beat in my chest
And the songs of time ring in my ears
Where the rainbow mist glows in my eyes
And the smiles of friends make me welcome
My mind is at ease in Africa
Where the people still live close to the soil
And the seasons mark my changing moods
Where the markets hustle with trading
And creation keeps its own slow time
My soul is at peace in Africa
For her streams bring lifeblood to my veins
And her winds bring healing to my dreams
For when the tale of this land is told
Her destiny and mine are as one
Wayne Visser © 2017
Our Clients
Our clients were drawn initially from our personal networks in the UK, USA and Europe, but now are derived mostly from referrals and repeat travelers who are comfortable dealing with an in-country agent.
We offer our clients a highly personalised service from consultants with an in-depth knowledge of African destinations.
Our Clients include:
- Large international companies and NGO’s: Several conferences for 80 delegates in Johannesburg and Namibia.
- United Nations, World Bank and diplomatic missions: We have arranged tours for high level members of these organsations in various destinations throughout Africa.
- Foundations: Fundraising events on Aids Awareness in South Africa, including visits to Rwanda.
- Teachers organsations: Teachers from the USA spent a week in and around Johannesburg hosted by a local education company.
- Investment organisations: Workshops with senior government officials in various African destinations including Johannesburg, Zambia and Mozambique.
- Many wonderful individual travelers and small groups: People from all around the world on honeymoon, family holidays and annual holidays
We would love to hear from you
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