By 
The Story So Far…
Last November I was lucky enough to be invited to accompany Leave Your Daily Hell and LL World Tour on a press trip to Tanzania with Shadows of Africa. Over the course of a week I got to fulfill a childhood dream by going on safari across Tarangire, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater.
In addition to snapping a hell of a lot of pictures of some of Africa’s most beautiful animals, I was also able to get to experience a bit of Tanzania’s culture and make a connection with the team behind Shadows of Africa. I must have done something right, because they went ahead and offered me a job.
For the past few months I’ve been hard at work updating content and generating new content for their upcoming website relaunch, and this June I’ll be joining their sales team full-time as the Australia & New Zealand representative. In addition to this being a great opportunity for me to work on the other side of the industry I love so much, it also means I get a trip to Africa this June.
Six weeks in Africa? Bring it on!
The Trip
This trip isn’t all about safaris and exciting adventures, of course. While in Tanzania, I’ll also be learning the ropes of the business so that I can operate with more autonomy once I return to Australia. I’ll not only be honing my customer service skills and familiarising myself with the product, but I’ll also be getting some valuable insight into the financial side of things as well as how to best advertise the brand at trade shows etc.
That being said, there’ll still be opportunities for adventure. After all, the best way to familiarise yourself with the product is to experience it, right?
That means I’ll get to revisit some Tanzanian favourites as well as visiting a few new countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. There’s also the opportunity for a sneaky detour to Dubai on the way home…
While I can’t give away too many details just now, I’m very excited about getting to share more pictures and stories from East Africa with you. There’ll be gorillas and chimpanzees joining the lions, leopards, elephants, and rhinos I’m hoping to spot in Tanzania and Kenya, and the extended trip time means I’ll hopefully get a better feel for the local cultures as well.
My one regret from my safari in Tanzania last year was that it was done at a fast pace. Due to the fact we only had a week and were on the road for most of it, I wasn’t able to get a real feel for the country or its people beyond my interactions with our driver and a few hotel staff. I’m really excited for the opportunity to see how the local people live in Arusha and familiarise myself more with the country and its people.
The Breakdown
It’s all looking a little sketchy at the moment, but it’s looking like two weeks will be spent in Tanzania. Some of this time will be spent in Arusha familiarising myself with the business, but I’m hoping I’ll also get the chance to get out on the road to visit some of the parks I missed last time, to revisit a few, and to introduce myself to some of our hotel partners around the region.
From there it’s looking like a week each in Rwanda and Uganda. Having just finished editing the destination guides for these countries, I’m super excited to check them out for myself.
The rest is up in the air at the moment, and that’s how I like it!
Your Say
What’s your next adventure?
Have you been to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, or Rwanda and have a recommendation to share? I’d love your tips!
