Nomad Africa Adventure Tours

JULY 2017

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NOMAD AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURS

ADVENTURE, PASSION, AND INNOVATION Impossibly vast, immeasurably ancient, and breath-takingly beautiful, Africa has long enchanted visitors and tourists with its outstanding natural beauty and character. The region is a sublime melting pot of culture and history – a sensory overload for travellers fortunate enough to experience it, but the biggest draw for tourists remains the safari tours that show its world-famous wilderness destinations and rich animal life in all their glory.

WRITTEN BY DJAMIL BENMEHIDI

NOMAD AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURS

Nomad Adventure Tours, one of the oldest and best-

regarded safari tour operators in the Southern and East African region, is a name which may be familiar to Endeavour readers. Through its knack for innovation and ability to bend with the winds of change, Nomad has shown thousands of satisfied customers all that is best about this remarkable continent for 20-years. We revisited the company to find out more about the secret to their success, and an exciting new partnership with Toyota which will see the company become the envy of the sector.

I

n a world where the hand of man can be seen and felt at every turn; where nature in its most raw and unspoiled form is retreating on all fronts before the relentless and irresistible

march of human progress, magnificent African landscapes like that of Serengeti National Park and the Okavango Delta stand as

Awake to the birdcalls of the Kalahari and prepare yourself for a day in the bushveld.

bastions of the natural world. Certainly, they are a valuable and accessible reminder that life doesn’t begin and end in the sprawling cities and urban centres where so many of us live and work.

For a tourist who has never before seen the early-morning sun rise over the horizon of the Masai Mara, or the sight of giant herds of wildebeest, thousands-strong, stretching almost as far as the eye can see; who has never felt the heat of the African sun on their skin, or experienced the sounds and smells of its unspoiled wilderness, the experience of leaving the hustle and bustle of urban life behind to head off on safari can see them leave a different person at the end of it all.

This ability to inspire such change is, in Alex Rutherford’s view, one of the parts of the job that makes the rigours of running one of Africa’s leading safari tour operators worth it: “If you’re running safari tours for 15,000-20,000 vs. 500 people that are paying 10x more, I’ve found that the wealthy guys tend to

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be a little jaded with the majesty of the world. We’re talking about people who can afford to travel anywhere, and who’ve seen and done most of it.

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Each of our luxury suites is designed to pro-vide a uniquely memorable stay. Enjoy breakfast at one of the quaint surrounding coffee shops, or fuel your adrenalin addiction at the nearby sky dive school, dune or ocean adventure locations.

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Whatever your visit, our luxurious suites look forward to welcoming you.

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NOMAD AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURS I’m more into the guys who’ve never been into the wilderness,

year, this expansive array of scheduled tours and itinerary options

for example, who come from South Korea and who’ve never been

now includes the option to fly down to the South African coastline

out of the city and end up in the middle of the Namib Desert. They

and take to the waters, as Alex explained:

start crying because they’ve never been alone or exposed to that

“Most people don’t know this but South Africa is one of the

level of openness and silence – they go home changed completely.”

diving hotspots of the world, specifically for apex predators – the

Since he first established Nomad Adventure Tours in 1997, Alex

sharks, the whales, the dolphins, the seals that are abundant in

has utilised his passion for adventure and love of Africa to show

South African waters.

travellers what makes this land unique, and take them on a long

We’ve now launched this year on a scheduled tour basis,

and winding journey across up to 14 countries to see with their

incorporating our land tour products with diving – we call it the

own eyes some of the most spectacular sights they will ever gaze

‘Big 5 and dive’. Customers taking this combined package see it all

upon. Each year, the Nomad team travels an average of two million

- starting at the Kruger National Park where they go game driving

kilometres over more than 1000 tours a year, offering packages

and all of that before they then fly down to the coast and dive in

that take their customers across the length and breadth of sub-

South Africa’s pristine waters. This tour package is unique – there’s

Saharan Africa.

nobody else doing it like we’re doing it. It’s a new package so it’ll

From serene journeys across the landscape of the ‘Garden Route’ in South Africa to epic treks into the mountains of Rwanda

take a bit of time to bed in like all new products but it’s a valuable addition to our portfolio of tours.”

or Uganda, home of the Mountain Gorilla – a critically endangered

It is this ability to meet the needs of an incredibly broad clientele,

species despite the urgent conservation efforts that have been

and deliver customised tour options, that has acted as one of the

implemented to protect them, Nomad’s varied and expansive

key drivers of Nomad Tours’ success over the past two decades.

itinerary options means that there is something for everybody,

Travellers who choose to see the sights of Africa with Nomad Tours

whatever their tastes and whatever their budget. And as of this

come in all shapes and sizes, so to speak – in any one tour, a group

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Congratulations to

Nomad Adventure Africa Tours

MALAWI Tel +265999075566 +265888192003 Email info@ngalabeach.com Web www.ngalabeach.com

on 20 years of successful and inspiring business

NOMAD AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURS can be made of people aged from 18 to 80 and be any of a dozen different nationalities, and hail from all walks of life.

with professionalism, decorum, and friendly and engaging manner.

For this reason, Alex has been careful to choose tour guides

“We really accommodate a huge and varied cross-section of the

based on their capacity for lateral thought and their temperament,

market. The campers are often younger, they’re on a budget and

as opposed to qualifications background – people can be taught

they’re not afraid to rough it a little. The mid-range guys tend to be

to drive and to cook, but good character is something that people

a little older and prefer a little more in the way of creature comforts,

come with. This approach to recruitment extends to the wider

such as a roof to sleep under, but are looking for something that

Nomad Tours team, as Alex was keen to highlight, and judging by

isn’t overly expensive, then there’s the older, wealthier clientele

the company’s track-record of success, it is an approach that which

who don’t want to camp anymore and expect a degree of comfort.”

has been vindicated:

Catering to their needs in this regard is essential, and so too

“Pound-for-pound

my team

are

top-drawer people

–

is ensuring that Nomad’s team delivers a superior customer

exceptionally good staff. The workloads can be huge, the hours can

experience that will see customers fall in love with Africa, and

be long, but that’s the nature of tourism. It can be a high-stress

catch the safari bug to the extent that they come back again. Much

environment. If you have the right people, you get staff retention,

of this responsibility falls onto the shoulders of the company’s

and then you have the meat and bones of your company in place.”

tour guides – individuals who, in Alex’s words, are ‘the priest, the

Last but not least, innovation has played an integral part in

doctor, the lawyer, the friend, and the commander’ of each and

Nomad Tour’s continued presence at the front of the industry.

every safari tour. On a multi-country tour there are a thousand

Whether the company is mapping out the most exciting, visually

different variables to consider and a thousand different dilemmas

striking safari tour routes that rival companies have yet to find,

and challenges that could be faced, relating to the climate, the

or designing overland-diving hybrid tour packages – an afore

food, the vehicle, and maintaining a healthy group dynamic. It is

mentioned industry first, Nomad Tours has achieved longevity and

a delicate mix, and the tour guide must take control of everything

a formidable reputation amongst its peers because of its ability to

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NOMAD AFRICA ADVENTURE TOURS stay ahead of the curve. Indeed, the most exciting development to

something that everybody will look and think “wow, I want one.”

emerge from Nomad Tours since we caught up with the company

This new concept of 4x4 luxury overland travel will allow Nomad

last year surrounds an ambitious partnership with Toyota which is

Tours to reach out into a luxury market, centred around less people,

on the cusp of coming to fruition – one which will further cement

more comfort. The technical innovations of the new Hino, such as

the company’s status as an industry trendsetter.

seats that will be able to swing from forward-facing to side-facing

“As of January next year we’ll be launching five Toyota Hino 4x4

– perfect for game driving, where customers will want to have their

custom-built trucks which will be the first of their kind in the tourism

own private window that faces outwards – are as-of-yet unheard

industry worldwide. The vehicles we’re building are exceptional –

of in the industry, and will help make the customer experience of

they will provide true 5-star travelling for our customers. There’s

seeing Africa that little bit more special.

individual aircon, there’s toilets, there’s individual electronic safes,

Even for a company so accustomed to change and excitement,

reclining leather seats – endless luxury for a safari tour. They are

these are heady times for the company. As Alex himself admitted,

top, top of the range.

Nomad Tours has reached the zenith of what can be achieved

They will be a more expensive option for our customers, but

through what it was doing before. However, through his ability

not exorbitantly expensive – we’ve capped the number of people

to adapt to a changing marketplace, not to mention an ever more

to 12. They will be for people who want a more bit more space

demanding clientele, new horizons have opened up for man

and a bit more privacy, a little bit older, perhaps not that keen

and company – a testament, certainly, to what can be achieved

on the camping thing anymore. It’s a new product, and it stands

when you go about business with great passion and love for what

alone against what’s currently in the market. I think from a Toyota

you do.

perspective it’s going to be absolutely phenomenal because we’ve been busy designing the vehicles and they will look a million dollars – these brand new Hino models will be completely new, and

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Congratulations to Nomad Adventure Africa Tours on their 20th Anniversary

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