CLIENT TESTIMONIAL

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL. Here's some recent feedback from Jennifer Hills, 11.7's very selfless and adventurous client, who combined lending a helping hand with holiday. It was her first time to Africa and she covered a lot of ground. Jennifer started in Ethiopia as a part of a medical attaché; as an active ER nurse, she handled a variety of urgent care patients as well as gave a seminar on attaining safe drinking water. She subsequently went on safari in Kenya as well as summited Mt. Kilimanjaro. 

“What an experience. I will send you a few photos to give you a taste of what you made possible. The safari, 11.7 created for my trip to Africa was flawless. Arriving into Nairobi at 6:30AM due to a delayed flight out of Addis was a little nerve racking for me, but as soon as I stepped out of the airport the guys was there with his sign waiting to give me a ride. He took me to the hotel which was incredible. Coming from Ethiopia, I would have been happy with a warm shower and cozy bed, but it was far more than that. The weather was a little cool and they had the fireplaces going and I was able to enjoy some much needed quiet alone time. Every day was better than the previous and the guides, accommodations and the little touches are what made the difference. That Masaai Mara was out of this world. I thank you for all you did to make this possible on such late notice. You are the best. I will recommend 11.7 to everyone. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Jen you are the best.”

Always inspired and somewhat jealous of those like her who have such useful and tangible skills, I’m glad that they can explore Africa with an open heart and mind. I hope to see Jennifer in Steamboat over the winter and talk safari while skiing.

-Jen Johnson 

FIVE WORDS

FIVE WORDS. In a brand proposition survey for 11.7, I posed the question, “what are five words that you associate with Africa?” The results were honest, telling and reaffirmed my gripe with the common perceptions of Africa.

I truly believe we need to change the way the world sees Africa. Common perceptions are often antiquated and skewed by what headlines can accommodate. Pictures of ragged clothing stretched across a malnourished child’s bloated belly are hard on our eyes. The sound of helicopter blades and artillery fire from movies like Blood Diamond and Blackhawk Down are heavy on our ears. And while this is part of Africa and absolutely cannot be ignored, forgotten or glossed over, there is another side – actually other sides. Africa is multidimensional, complex and of course a very large and diverse continent.

I took the 11.7 survey before it was sent out and these are the five words that I associated with Africa: heart, night, sky, warmth and hope. I’ve made it part of 11.7’s mission not only to change common perceptions but also break down the glass wall that makes Africa seem so inaccessible to the majority of people. I want to expose travelers to something that they never expected, put people in touch with those who are like-minded, forge mutually advantageous partnerships and most of all prove that Africa is so much more than any five words. 

-Jen Johnson

REBRAND ZAMBIA

REBRAND ZAMBIA. "The Real Africa" doesn't quite do the country justice. So Zambia's Tourism Board wants to pick your brain for a better slogan. They're partnering with some of the top lodges and offering up two 15-day safaris for helping them rebrand. It's worth a shot; if you don't happen to win, check out our sample Zambia itinerary for the best spots in the soon to be even more fabulous - Zambia. 

AFRICA BUG

AFRICA BUG. I was born and raised in the foothills of the Magaliesburg Mountains in South Africa. And while I am African, and have spend years working and living in the tourism industry throughout the continent, I am still subject to a version of the Africa bug.  

Over the holidays, I spent some time in the Greater Kruger area and I was reminded of my family's trips there. Every year, my family would spend a week in the Kruger National Park. Our Volkswagon Kombi was retro-fitted with a benches, cupboards, luggage racks and curtains. The kids in our family were strewn out on the various benches. My older sister slept on the bench between the drivers seat and back seat. My big brother slept on the back bench underneath the pre-cut bundles of firewood for the braii. I slept behind him in the luggage compartment on the tops of the engine. And my parents slept in a bungalow so the whole family could use the facilities and enjoy dinners together on its verandah. The cupboards housed field glasses as well as bird, mammal and tree books and other game viewing paraphernalia. Breakfast was enjoyed in the van next to a watering hole after waiting in line (usually first) to leave the camp on game drive, when the gates opened in the morning. The African bush is like nothing you’ve ever experienced. At once breathtakingly beautiful, terrifying, the epitome of perfect harmony, yet senselessly cruel at times and always a sensory overload.

These annual trips produced some of my fondest memories. I clearly remember the hilarious face my sister made when my parents made us take terribly bitter chloroquine malaria pills. At the time they were still effective in preventing malaria. The bitter tablets didn’t protect me against "the bug" though; it must have been during these early years of my life that it bit me and it could only have happened during our annual visits to the Kruger. At the time I didn’t show any symptoms. When I reached adulthood and the continent re-opened for South Africans to travel, the symptoms took hold and it has become much more severe since then, probably due to repeated exposure. 

Thirteen years ago I gave up my freshly started career in Urban Planning to be in the African bush more regularly; eight years ago I left my home country to be there permanently. Times and circumstances change and my home base in now in Pretoria. I count the days until I set off for the bush again. Once I get there, I’ll be able to forget about "the bug" I caught all those years ago and the symptoms will be masked by bliss until I have to leave again. Visitors from other continents call it the Africa bug and once it’s bitten you, you’ll have the symptoms for life. There is no medication that can prevent it and the only treatment is to visit again. 

-Chris Smal 

[Your Name Here] | 1 Comment | Share Article

tagged Africa Bug, Braii, Kombi, Kruger, Malaria, Safari, Visit, Watering Hole, africa, south africa