Having been raised in six African countries, Will graduated with a degree in environmental science from Southampton University, before spending four years in Ethiopia, first as a volunteer in its national parks, and then as the driving force behind the country’s first ecotourism project at Bishangari Tented Camp.
From Ethiopia, Will went to work as a guide and luxury lodge manager in Kenya, at Galdessa in Tsavo East, and at Borana on the Laikipia, before returning to the UK, where he set up Journeys by Design in 1999.
A lifelong advocate of sustainable tourism, Will’s primary motivation in the setting up of Journeys by Design was to help contribute to the work of a small but growing band of thinkers, wildlife experts and environmental specialists, all of whom see high-end, low impact tourism as the best way to save and then grow Africa’s many wildernesses.
In this respect, Journeys by Design handles fewer than 200 clients a year, preferring to concentrate its efforts at the very top end of the specialist luxury safari market. With a complement of just nine staff, the company is small, personal and has a reputation for providing the very best of services, a standard unparalleled throughout the industry. Will is delighted that 70% of Journeys by Design’s business is either repeat or referred.
Will travels to Africa at least five times yearly and has formed excellent relationships with the guides, pilots and local communities that play host to our safaris. While he knows all the countries represented by Journeys by Design very well, Will specialises in designing itineraries for Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Tanzania.
As part of Journey by Design’s premier service, Will offers the opportunity for a client to be personally hosted on safari. Among many, he was fortunate to have hosted Ralph Lauren and family on their first trip to Africa. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 2019.
For travel and wider conservation matters, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Will.