Today we’d like to introduce you to Karin Jones.
Hi Karin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 1987, as a gal from New York City, possessing an adventurous spirit and an education degree, I set off on my first African safari to Botswana, South Africa, and Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe. Nothing was ever the same.
It was a mobile camping safari. A few years later, after working for several safari companies and moving to Los Angeles, I met my husband and did another mobile tented safari to Samburu, Kenya on my honeymoon safari with a private guide. The authentic nature of being under canvas in the bush, “sleeping close to the earth, hearing the sounds of lions at night, and hippos walking past your tent,” and trying to peer out the netted “window” —
Fast forward to 2009, l had by now spent decades working as a leader in the safari industry and had grown weary of the cookie-cutter trips and crowded destinations favored by large, mainstream safari operators. There had to be a better way.
This love of these first mobile tented safari experiences, far from the masses & deep in the bush, became the guiding principle when I joined forces with my friend and colleague Anastasia Mann of Corniche Travel Group, who sought my know-how in leading at the helm as Managing Director of Anastasia’s Africa.
Working with a hand-picked team in the U.S. and on the ground in Africa, the Company’s ethos was built on tailor-made journeys to exceptional places, featuring intimate and special properties carefully selected for each traveler. Additionally, when it makes sense, we try to encourage clients to experience at least a few nights “under canvas”. The variety and options to do this range from sleeping close to the earth to elegant safari tents with 4-poster beds…
Today, Anastasia’s Africa has earned countless awards and consistent recognition as one of the best boutique safari operators in the business, with deep ties to Africa and a common vision shared by all who work here: a safari should transport us far from mass tourism; it is a profound, one-of-a-kind journey created with attention and care. We treat our travelers not as clients but as friends, and nothing but the most thoughtfully planned and artfully executed journey will do.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Probably the biggest struggles would include balancing being a mom of two teenagers, including an autistic child in the early years of our company, as well as world & economic issues affecting travel and travel to Africa, specifically including 9/11, the 2009 recession, the Ebola outbreak and, of course, Covid!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Why come to us for an African safari? Because we truly love Africa.
This is recognized not only by the suppliers with whom we work, including lodge owners, guides, and hoteliers, but most importantly, our clients, who appreciate having an experience that surpasses even their greatest expectations.
From majestic plains teeming with wildebeest and zebra, vibrant markets of North Africa and the exhilaration of Cape Town, gorillas & chimps in the mountains, and white sands beaches of Africa’s coast & islands to prolific waterways of the Okavango Delta, this diverse continent is striking in its extremes. We expertly guide our clients deeper into this majestic land and collaborate with them to plan a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Africa.
My team and I travel to Africa ourselves at least once or twice each year. I just returned from a month in Egypt, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa.
Our Commitment is to Custom Design each Journey to Specification.
Don’t Come to Us if you want a thick, glossy brochure full of packaged, pre-scheduled trips.
Our mission is to provide travelers with the highest quality conservation-based safari experience while creating awareness for and ensuring a positive impact on sustainable and responsible tourism, conservation and community development initiatives.…
Your guides educate you about local conservation efforts, you’ll see how the local communities live side-by-side with Africa’s big game, and a portion of the cost of every safari directly supports the management of wildlife conservation areas.
We know the seasons, the wildlife movements, the lodges & camps, and the people on the ground.
We know how to get our clients from point A to point B in the best logistical ways. We collaborate to custom tailor a one-of-a-kind safari itinerary with all the nitty gritty details behind the scenes expertly organized, leaving clients to enjoy the wilderness they traveled so far to enjoy!
As a boutique company with low overhead, the company can also go head-to-head with any of the large, corporate African tour operators and beat them every time on price and originality.
This enables us to offer clients our expertise and keep the costs down while using the client’s vision as our roadmap to create their dream safari.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
As a first-generation American (my mom was Swiss), it was visiting my family in Switzerland and hiking in the Swiss Alps together. I still remember the sound of a Swiss cowbell, stopping at a mountain cafe for lunch, and playing with my cousins even though we could barely speak the same language. I am still close to my family in Switzerland and often visit them en route to Africa.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://anastasiasafrica.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastasiasafrica/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SafarigalUSA/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/anastasias-africa
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/safarigalkarin
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvvut5z0bQ7k3FgAk_sR8dw
Image Credits
Karin Jones
