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GLOBETROTTING: OUR WORLD
31
Enjoy winter with Kumuka
KEEP ON TRUCKING…
A CHAT W
ITH...
STEPHI VAN MAANEN
CONGRATULATIONS! Kumuka would like to pass on our congratulations
to two of our clients, Mandy and Greg Mulvaney. On 1 July they welcomed Matthew
TOUR LEADER, AFRICA
Lennard into the world. He narrowly missed (by a mere day) becoming Australia’s 21
■ WHAT AREAS OF AFRICA DO YOU COVER ON YOUR TRIPS?
millionth citizen. The couple blessed our 18-day Gorilla and Game tour through Uganda
I lead the Southern Star overland trips that run between Cape Town and Victoria Falls.
and Kenya with a little romance while they honeymooned on it last year.
This takes us through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
■ HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THESE TRIPS FOR KUMUKA?
WHO ARE YOU?
I’ve now been going on trips for eight months.
■ WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
Africa. There are so many beautiful things to experience.
■ WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF A PERFECT CLIENT?
Meet fellow traveller Dan Ring, from Dublin, Ireland
Someone who brings an open mind and a good attitude, especially those who make
an effort to get along with everyone on the trip.
TOUR: THE CHINA EX
PERIENCE
■ WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF A NIGHTMARE CLIENT?
Someone who is narrow minded and has pre-conceived ideas about Africa.
■ WHAT INSPIRED OR ■ HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND TRAVELLING?
MOTIVATED YOU TO I spend the majority of my year on the road. I’d say I’m on the road for roughly a total
TAKE THE TRIP? of 10 months.
To be honest, my ■ WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AREA OF AFRICA AND WHY?
‘inspiration’ was the slow Namibia – the scenery is spectacular and the people are amazing!
and constant pressure ■ WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR TIME WHEN
applied by my signifi cant YOU ARE NOT ON THE JOB?
other! I was really never As I am South African, I visit friends and
into travelling before, as family – most of my time is spent in Cape
it always seemed a bit too Town.
daunting. However, after ■ WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE
taking the plunge, I’ve MOMENT IN AFRICA?
never looked back – can’t Seeing the mighty Victoria Falls for the fi rst
wait to head off again! time. Unforgettable.
■ WHY DID YOU CHOOSE KUMUKA? ■ WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WILDLIFE
Kumuka was highly recommended to us by a friend of ours who’d travelled with EXPERIENCE?
them a year before. After that, we spent hours on the website looking at all the Anytime we spot leopards.
available trips. The thing that clinched it was Kumuka’s friendly and informative ■ WHAT IS YOUR WORST MOMENT IN AFRICA?
emails answering our various questions. I haven’t really had any terrible experiences. My worst moments to date have only to
■ WHAT DO YOU DO FOR WORK? do with poor weather.
I’m an engineering research student. I analyse numbers, then make complicated ■ WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BIGGEST ALLURE OF AFRICA IS TO TRAVELLERS?
redundant graphs with them. And even I think the continent tweaks people’s sense of adventure, with wildlife and the
enjoy doing it! colourful cultures being the biggest drawcards.
■ WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT ■ OVERLAND TRIPS REQUIRE TRAVELLERS TO PARTICIPATE IN WORK AROUND
YOUR TRIP THROUGH CHINA? CAMP, WHETHER IT’S PUTTING UP TENTS OR DOING DISHES. HOW DO YOU
The outdoors. I’d never imagined ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE PART?
there’s so much of it! While I loved the I simply explain that participation is part of the tour and ask people to pitch in. To
landscapes, it was the hiking, cycling simplify things and ensure everyone does a fair amount, I draw up a duty roster.
and climbing on them that made the ■ WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE IDEAL LENGTH OF AN AFRICAN OVERLAND TRIP?
experience so much more special. The This varies for every traveller. It really depends on how much time they have available.
views were also amazing. ■ HAVE YOU NOTICED A DIFFERENCE IN THE TYPE OF TRAVELLER THAT CHOOSES
■ WOULD YOU DO ANOTHER KUMUKA A LONG OVERLAND TRIP COMPARED TO ONE WHO OPTS FOR A SHORT, ONE-
TRIP AGAIN? OR TWO-WEEK OPTION?
Defi nitely! Is that an invitation? There’s not a big difference in the types of personalities of people who choose short
■ WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO NEXT? or long trips. However, the people on the longer trips seem to be more seasoned.
Africa. I’d love to head off and climb ■ WHAT IS THE TYPICAL AGE RANGE ON MOST OF YOUR ADVENTURES?
Mt Kilimanjaro! I’d say most people are between 21 and 40, though we have had some in their fi fties
and one who was 68.
CALL US TODAY! UK 0800 092 9595 IRE 1800 946 843 USA/CAN 1800 517 0867 8

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SUMMER / AUTUMN 2007 Venture Venture SUMMER / AUTUMN 2007
P30-31 GLOBETROTTING.indd 31 17/8/07 07:52:54
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