Destinations
General information
Pre-safari preparation
Add-ons
To complement your tailor made safari you may choose a professionally qualified private guide to accompany your entire trip. This service adds continuity to your holiday and guarantees that you are not retold aspects of flora and fauna that have already visited, allowing you to delve deeper into behaviour, specific ecosystems or other areas of special interest. In addition, your guide will act as your point of contact throughout your safari and be on hand to ensure you to make the most of your Golden Okavango experience.
Rob
Rob was born in the southern highlands of Tanzania and was introduced to the bush at a young age. His first stomping grounds were in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania, where the family would regularly go camping. After finishing school, Rob went on to work in Ruaha guiding for a season at a lodge with family friends. This is where he knew that a life of guiding and working in the bush was unquestionably the one for him.
Rob studied in Bristol, UK and graduated with a BA (Hons) but the bush was always calling. Before leaving the UK for good and returning to his roots, Rob was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). He came to Botswana and was immediately taken by the incredible wilderness and diversity of the country and soon realised that this was to be his new home.
He went on to start up Golden Okavango, and today, as Director of the company and a fully licensed professional guide of Botswana, he continues to work throughout the country, in the Okavango, Chobe and Kalahari, leading safaris for many clients who keep coming back for more.
Adam
Born in Kenya to a family that emigrated there from England in the fifties, after driving overland across the Sahara in a World War II army ambulance, Adam joined his father's Kenyan safari company after leaving school. He worked his safari apprenticeship for 4 years driving trucks and leading safaris throughout East Africa.
For the last 25 years Adam has been conducting safaris, based in Maun at the edge of Botswana's Okavango Delta. He was one of the first operators to outfit 'East African' style safaris in Botswana and was involved in creating the exclusive operator camp sites within Botswana's National Parks as an executive committee member with Botswana’s tourism association.
In a continuing quest to discover more about Africa, Adam has traveled the length and breadth of the continent. In the early days he traveled with just a backpack, but more recently with his own Cessna aircraft which he flew from California to Botswana in 1994.
Discovering new destinations in Africa is a passion shared by Brigitte, Adam's wife and business partner for the last 20 years. During the Botswana rainy season, when they close down for a couple of months, they can often be found exploring the less frequented corners of this fascinating continent.
Brent
Born in the Magaliesberg mountains in 1972, Brent was raised with an abiding love of nature and all things African that has never left him. An abiding passion for both birds and snakes changed more towards birds after Brent was fatally bitten by a Black Mamba in February 2004. Thankfully, fatal is not what it used to be and great medical care means that Brent is still around to seek out the unusual in the African bush. Having been sworn off neurotoxic snakes for the foreseeable future Brent is even more passionate about his birding and about the bush in general.
Clinton
Clinton was born and raised in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. From a very young age, he has had a passion for wildlife and the environment and having grown up in a tourism based town (Victoria Falls) has a particularly strong talent and passion for hosting guests on safari.
Clinton started his guiding career in Zimbabwe in 1992. The guiding courses in Zimbabwe are amongst the toughest in Africa – taking 4 years to qualify. After his apprenticeship, he qualified as a hunter/guide, canoe guide, whitewater guide, water rescue technician, basic paramedic and went on to guide in Zimbabwe for 8 years in different areas, finally moving to Botswana in 2000.
Once in Botswana, Clinton found his niche in mobile safaris. Clinton best describes himself as a passionate naturalist, having fine tuned interests and skills in the fields of both fauna and flora including a good knowledge of photography.
Grant
Grant Reed has been an active and qualified nature guide from the age of 16 but began his guiding career at the tender age of 8 where he took walking trails guided by his father Mike Reed. He wrote the text for “Okavango- Spirit of Life” as well as the presenter for the wildlife documentary “From Dust to Dust- the Story of Lake Ngami”.
His qualifications include a post-graduate degree in Nature Conservation, Field Guide Association of Southern Africa Level iii as well as Special Knowledge and Skills (SKS) Dangerous Animals (DA) and SKS Birding and he is a registered specialist botanical guide with the National Botanic Institute (NBI) and one of the first guides to attain the SKS Wildflowers theory qualification.
He is a qualified and experienced guide trainer and assessor. Grant has been leading special interest natural history safaris for the past 15 years in southern Africa. His areas of expertise are birding, walking safaris, photography (he has won several awards) botany and dragonflies.
Grant lectures annually in Britain as well as north-America on Birdwatching and Conservation in southern Africa.
Greg
Greg’s unequalled passion and enthusiasm is what make him the ultimate Okavango Fishing Guide. Born in Zimbabwe, schooled in South Africa and been working in Botswana since 1996. His exceptional knowledge of the river, its fauna and flora and its surrounding eco-systems are testament to his many years as a Professional Guide.
With his expert fishing skills he guarantees that even as a novice – you will experience the thrill of catching one of the worlds foremost freshwater fighting fish, namely The Tiger Fish (Hydrocynus Vittatus).
For Greg, fishing comes a close second to breathing and for all who are looking to experience fishing at its best – he’s your guide.
James
James Haskins, a citizen of Botswana, grew up in and around the bush on the outskirts of Francistown where he was raised in North Eastern Botswana; The Haskins family set up a trading store more than 100 years ago in this remote part of the country. James is part of the fifth generation of this family to grow up in Botswana. It was here that his passion for nature and love for the country of Botswana began. Since his early childhood, he has had an unquenchable desire to traverse the remotest corners of the country, by vehicle or by foot, to gain a better understanding of Botswana’s wildlife. James completed his BSc in Geography in 2001 and followed his ambition when he started guiding safaris in the Okavango Delta, Kalahari and Chobe National Park. His enthusiasm for African wildlife grew when he took up digital photography. James’s guests appreciate his ability and patience to capture special moments through this medium. An accomplished naturalist and avid conservationists, James enjoys interpreting nature and leaving safari enthusiasts with a deeper respect for Africa’s Wildlife. Indeed, James combines the skill of a great game guide and a profound appreciation for his homeland.
John
Born in South Africa in 1962, John has been in Maun, Botswana at the edge of the Okavango his whole life. Growing up John and his brother spent any spare time they had playing in the bush, either by boat or morkoro or on land. John has always loved the open waters of the Okavango and has been kayaking here since the age of 8. His knowledge of the waterways is second to none and his love for the Botswana bush is evident to anyone spending time with him out there. More recently John has been setting up exciting trips in various areas of the Okavango as well as down the Thamalakane and Boteti Rivers.
Lisa
Lisa Reed was born in 1974 in Zimbabwe and spent her school years in South Africa. Lisa has lived in Botswana since January 1996. Lisa has studied Tour Operations formally but has spent most of her working life in or associated with Safari camps.
Lisa has worked or visited most Southern and East African safari countries but still rates Botswana’s wilderness as the best. Her interest in children and education was triggered in her early adult years in Zimbabwe where she worked with children in the bush. Lisa has been guiding Safari groups (from two to twenty four guests) throughout Southern Africa for the past 12 years; she holds a Botswana and south African guides licence.
Lisa has managed safari camps on her own, and been involved with the building and decorating of numerous camps throughout Botswana. She now lives in Maun and freelances as a specialist Family / group safari guide. Lisa is very involved in the Maun community and when she is not on safari she runs a local craft centre, where they make hand made paper and paper products from Elephant dung.
Lisa has a natural affinity with children and families and enjoys passing on her years of bush love, experience and knowledge to the next generation.
Lisa has that quality so valued by children and groups – enthusiasm. Lisa works hard to ensure that the parents relax and the children are educated, have fun and enjoy – what more could you want.
Her ability with children has meant that many families have enjoyed a special time together in the bush classroom and have returned with closer bonds that come from a very personal and special shared experience. She has been guiding for over 12 years now and has a 100% success rate with her guests, she has never had a negative report, she is very proud of this record, and due to this has many families and specialist groups returning to the wilderness to go on yet another educational adventure with her into some of the most exotic, interesting places our fascinating planet has to offer.
Martin
A third generation Motswana, Martin has been leading boat safaris through the Okavango Delta for a very long time. Going back three generations, Martin and his family have guided royalty from all over the world throughout Botswana. By his own admission Martin says he knows the Delta like the back of his hand, mainly because that is the shape that the Okavango takes! He leads trips from a gentle afternoon’s sundowners on the water, all the way through to 10 day Trans-Okavango trips, and no matter which trip you are doing with Martin, his fishing rod is never more than an arm’s reach away, ready to catch, breakfast, lunch or dinner. An expert fisherman, Martin has been known to cross the length of the Delta with one fishing rod and one lure, catching fish the whole way, and finishing with his lure still in tact. He has an intimate knowledge of the Okavango’s main channels, lagoons and all the interconnectivity in between. Known for his talent to discover new locations to take guests to, and for reaching areas no one else knows about, Martin has the ability to give exposure of the Okavango to guests, that will leave them awe-struck and wanting more and more.
Steve
Steve was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1968. He was “schooled” in Cape Town and afterward studied Hotel Management in Johannesburg. A two year stint in London as a chef and a 3 month backpacking trip through Western Europe took him on to Australia for four years. There was always an interest in photography and travel, but there was also always a yearning to return to Africa. Arriving back in Johannesburg with major plans to travel and explore, he found himself in a chance meeting with an old friend who suggested he try to find work in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. This turned into a three year stint running lodges in the wilderness and was the opportunity to learn more about the bush, gain a qualification as a professional guide and upgrade the cameras. As his cousin once said “don’t you dare live out there without a good camera!” And so started a journey of a life time, guiding specialist safaris, camera in hand. The years of photography eventually resulted in fulfilling a dream from childhood to produce a coffee table book. In May 2008 “Earth Ark – a photographic safari through northern Botswana” was launched in Botswana with the intention of offering a world class product from the country of origin of the wildlife. The 180 page book offers over 120 images as well as illustrations by wildlife artist Kim Thompson.
Living amongst the wildlife has certainly had a profound effect on him. The importance of highlighting the tragic impact of mankind on Earth has become a matter of urgency. The steep decline of wildlife societies across the globe in past few hundred years has led him to want to share these last wild spaces with as many people as possible to showcase these living societies and to make attempts to record them through film and photography.
Thompson
Thompson was born in Molepolole, Botswana in 1971. For as long as he can remember he has been exposed to the Botswana bush, and from a young age fell in love with its raw beauty. He grew up in Orapa, with the Makgadikgadi Pans to the north, the Boteti River and Mopipi dam to the West, and the Kalahari to the south. With this as his base, he explored the surrounding areas, spending time tracking and watching the zebra and wildebeest migrations, as well as learning the intricacies of the bush on foot and by vehicle. His love for the wildlife and wilderness grew and Thompson decided that a profession in this field was the one for him. Obtaining his professional guides licence in 1998, Thompson started guiding in the Okavango, gradually making a name for himself throughout the industry, and ending up as manager/guide at one of the Delta’s most exclusive lodges. Now Thompson is in the enviable position of leading safaris all over the country and stands out as one of Botswana’s most energetic, knowledgeable and professional guides.
RobRob was born in the southern highlands of Tanzania and was introduced to the bush at a young age. His first stomping grounds were in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania, where the family would regularly go camping. After finishing school, Rob went on to work in Ruaha guiding for a season at a lodge with family friends. This is where he knew that a life of guiding and working in the bush was unquestionably the one for him.
Rob studied in Bristol, UK and graduated with a BA (Hons) but the bush was always calling. Before leaving the UK for good and returning to his roots, Rob was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). He came to Botswana and was immediately taken by the incredible wilderness and diversity of the country and soon realised that this was to be his new home.
He went on to start up Golden Okavango, and today, as Director of the company and a fully licensed professional guide of Botswana, he continues to work throughout the country, in the Okavango, Chobe and Kalahari, leading safaris for many clients who keep coming back for more.
AdamBorn in Kenya to a family that emigrated there from England in the fifties, after driving overland across the Sahara in a World War II army ambulance, Adam joined his father's Kenyan safari company after leaving school. He worked his safari apprenticeship for 4 years driving trucks and leading safaris throughout East Africa.
For the last 25 years Adam has been conducting safaris, based in Maun at the edge of Botswana's Okavango Delta. He was one of the first operators to outfit 'East African' style safaris in Botswana and was involved in creating the exclusive operator camp sites within Botswana's National Parks as an executive committee member with Botswana’s tourism association.
In a continuing quest to discover more about Africa, Adam has traveled the length and breadth of the continent. In the early days he traveled with just a backpack, but more recently with his own Cessna aircraft which he flew from California to Botswana in 1994.
Discovering new destinations in Africa is a passion shared by Brigitte, Adam's wife and business partner for the last 20 years. During the Botswana rainy season, when they close down for a couple of months, they can often be found exploring the less frequented corners of this fascinating continent.
BrentBorn in the Magaliesberg mountains in 1972, Brent was raised with an abiding love of nature and all things African that has never left him. An abiding passion for both birds and snakes changed more towards birds after Brent was fatally bitten by a Black Mamba in February 2004. Thankfully, fatal is not what it used to be and great medical care means that Brent is still around to seek out the unusual in the African bush. Having been sworn off neurotoxic snakes for the foreseeable future Brent is even more passionate about his birding and about the bush in general.
Clinton Clinton was born and raised in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. From a very young age, he has had a passion for wildlife and the environment and having grown up in a tourism based town (Victoria Falls) has a particularly strong talent and passion for hosting guests on safari.
Clinton started his guiding career in Zimbabwe in 1992. The guiding courses in Zimbabwe are amongst the toughest in Africa – taking 4 years to qualify. After his apprenticeship, he qualified as a hunter/guide, canoe guide, whitewater guide, water rescue technician, basic paramedic and went on to guide in Zimbabwe for 8 years in different areas, finally moving to Botswana in 2000.
Once in Botswana, Clinton found his niche in mobile safaris. Clinton best describes himself as a passionate naturalist, having fine tuned interests and skills in the fields of both fauna and flora including a good knowledge of photography.
GrantGrant Reed has been an active and qualified nature guide from the age of 16 but began his guiding career at the tender age of 8 where he took walking trails guided by his father Mike Reed. He wrote the text for “Okavango- Spirit of Life” as well as the presenter for the wildlife documentary “From Dust to Dust- the Story of Lake Ngami”.
His qualifications include a post-graduate degree in Nature Conservation, Field Guide Association of Southern Africa Level iii as well as Special Knowledge and Skills (SKS) Dangerous Animals (DA) and SKS Birding and he is a registered specialist botanical guide with the National Botanic Institute (NBI) and one of the first guides to attain the SKS Wildflowers theory qualification.
He is a qualified and experienced guide trainer and assessor. Grant has been leading special interest natural history safaris for the past 15 years in southern Africa. His areas of expertise are birding, walking safaris, photography (he has won several awards) botany and dragonflies.
Grant lectures annually in Britain as well as north-America on Birdwatching and Conservation in southern Africa.
GregGreg’s unequalled passion and enthusiasm is what make him the ultimate Okavango Fishing Guide. Born in Zimbabwe, schooled in South Africa and been working in Botswana since 1996. His exceptional knowledge of the river, its fauna and flora and its surrounding eco-systems are testament to his many years as a Professional Guide.
With his expert fishing skills he guarantees that even as a novice – you will experience the thrill of catching one of the worlds foremost freshwater fighting fish, namely The Tiger Fish (Hydrocynus Vittatus).
For Greg, fishing comes a close second to breathing and for all who are looking to experience fishing at its best – he’s your guide.
JamesJames Haskins, a citizen of Botswana, grew up in and around the bush on the outskirts of Francistown where he was raised in North Eastern Botswana; The Haskins family set up a trading store more than 100 years ago in this remote part of the country. James is part of the fifth generation of this family to grow up in Botswana. It was here that his passion for nature and love for the country of Botswana began. Since his early childhood, he has had an unquenchable desire to traverse the remotest corners of the country, by vehicle or by foot, to gain a better understanding of Botswana’s wildlife. James completed his BSc in Geography in 2001 and followed his ambition when he started guiding safaris in the Okavango Delta, Kalahari and Chobe National Park. His enthusiasm for African wildlife grew when he took up digital photography. James’s guests appreciate his ability and patience to capture special moments through this medium. An accomplished naturalist and avid conservationists, James enjoys interpreting nature and leaving safari enthusiasts with a deeper respect for Africa’s Wildlife. Indeed, James combines the skill of a great game guide and a profound appreciation for his homeland.
JohnBorn in South Africa in 1962, John has been in Maun, Botswana at the edge of the Okavango his whole life. Growing up John and his brother spent any spare time they had playing in the bush, either by boat or morkoro or on land. John has always loved the open waters of the Okavango and has been kayaking here since the age of 8. His knowledge of the waterways is second to none and his love for the Botswana bush is evident to anyone spending time with him out there. More recently John has been setting up exciting trips in various areas of the Okavango as well as down the Thamalakane and Boteti Rivers.
LisaLisa Reed was born in 1974 in Zimbabwe and spent her school years in South Africa. Lisa has lived in Botswana since January 1996. Lisa has studied Tour Operations formally but has spent most of her working life in or associated with Safari camps.
Lisa has worked or visited most Southern and East African safari countries but still rates Botswana’s wilderness as the best. Her interest in children and education was triggered in her early adult years in Zimbabwe where she worked with children in the bush. Lisa has been guiding Safari groups (from two to twenty four guests) throughout Southern Africa for the past 12 years; she holds a Botswana and south African guides licence.
Lisa has managed safari camps on her own, and been involved with the building and decorating of numerous camps throughout Botswana. She now lives in Maun and freelances as a specialist Family / group safari guide. Lisa is very involved in the Maun community and when she is not on safari she runs a local craft centre, where they make hand made paper and paper products from Elephant dung.
Lisa has a natural affinity with children and families and enjoys passing on her years of bush love, experience and knowledge to the next generation.
Lisa has that quality so valued by children and groups – enthusiasm. Lisa works hard to ensure that the parents relax and the children are educated, have fun and enjoy – what more could you want.
Her ability with children has meant that many families have enjoyed a special time together in the bush classroom and have returned with closer bonds that come from a very personal and special shared experience. She has been guiding for over 12 years now and has a 100% success rate with her guests, she has never had a negative report, she is very proud of this record, and due to this has many families and specialist groups returning to the wilderness to go on yet another educational adventure with her into some of the most exotic, interesting places our fascinating planet has to offer.
MartinA third generation Motswana, Martin has been leading boat safaris through the Okavango Delta for a very long time. Going back three generations, Martin and his family have guided royalty from all over the world throughout Botswana. By his own admission Martin says he knows the Delta like the back of his hand, mainly because that is the shape that the Okavango takes! He leads trips from a gentle afternoon’s sundowners on the water, all the way through to 10 day Trans-Okavango trips, and no matter which trip you are doing with Martin, his fishing rod is never more than an arm’s reach away, ready to catch, breakfast, lunch or dinner. An expert fisherman, Martin has been known to cross the length of the Delta with one fishing rod and one lure, catching fish the whole way, and finishing with his lure still in tact. He has an intimate knowledge of the Okavango’s main channels, lagoons and all the interconnectivity in between. Known for his talent to discover new locations to take guests to, and for reaching areas no one else knows about, Martin has the ability to give exposure of the Okavango to guests, that will leave them awe-struck and wanting more and more.
Roger
Roger Dugmore is one of Botswana’s most highly qualified professional guides. The son of a former Great White Hunter who travelled widely through Africa, wilderness is a part of life for him – indeed, when he first arrived in Maun almost forty years ago, trips to school by boat usually involved dodging hippos and crocodiles, and lions and elephants were still a common sight in the small frontier town. Roger has been conducting photographic safaris since 1989 and his passion, knowledge, and experience of wild areas translate into an unforgettable adventure in some of the most beautiful parts of Botswana. His personal interests lie in photography and videography. He has assisted film crews in the making of many documentaries, including “Aspects of Life” and “The Last Edens” featuring the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert. Roger’s philosophy is that every safari is a journey of discovery, where each sunrise marks the beginning of another day of adventure. He is uniquely qualified to take you to wild and untamed areas in absolute comfort, including three-course meals, hot showers, cold drinks, and gives personal attention to your needs. He prides himself in the number of guests that return each year, eager to once again experience their adventures. He also tells some pretty good tall tales around the campfire.
SteveSteve was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1968. He was “schooled” in Cape Town and afterward studied Hotel Management in Johannesburg. A two year stint in London as a chef and a 3 month backpacking trip through Western Europe took him on to Australia for four years. There was always an interest in photography and travel, but there was also always a yearning to return to Africa. Arriving back in Johannesburg with major plans to travel and explore, he found himself in a chance meeting with an old friend who suggested he try to find work in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. This turned into a three year stint running lodges in the wilderness and was the opportunity to learn more about the bush, gain a qualification as a professional guide and upgrade the cameras. As his cousin once said “don’t you dare live out there without a good camera!” And so started a journey of a life time, guiding specialist safaris, camera in hand. The years of photography eventually resulted in fulfilling a dream from childhood to produce a coffee table book. In May 2008 “Earth Ark – a photographic safari through northern Botswana” was launched in Botswana with the intention of offering a world class product from the country of origin of the wildlife. The 180 page book offers over 120 images as well as illustrations by wildlife artist Kim Thompson.
Living amongst the wildlife has certainly had a profound effect on him. The importance of highlighting the tragic impact of mankind on Earth has become a matter of urgency. The steep decline of wildlife societies across the globe in past few hundred years has led him to want to share these last wild spaces with as many people as possible to showcase these living societies and to make attempts to record them through film and photography.
ThompsonThompson was born in Molepolole, Botswana in 1971. For as long as he can remember he has been exposed to the Botswana bush, and from a young age fell in love with its raw beauty. He grew up in Orapa, with the Makgadikgadi Pans to the north, the Boteti River and Mopipi dam to the West, and the Kalahari to the south. With this as his base, he explored the surrounding areas, spending time tracking and watching the zebra and wildebeest migrations, as well as learning the intricacies of the bush on foot and by vehicle. His love for the wildlife and wilderness grew and Thompson decided that a profession in this field was the one for him. Obtaining his professional guides licence in 1998, Thompson started guiding in the Okavango, gradually making a name for himself throughout the industry, and ending up as manager/guide at one of the Delta’s most exclusive lodges. Now Thompson is in the enviable position of leading safaris all over the country and stands out as one of Botswana’s most energetic, knowledgeable and professional guides.
