Guides

I was really born in the bush" states Brooks. This rings true as he grew up in the small village of Motopi, on the banks of the then flowing Boteti River and one of the main channels of the Okavango Delta. Belonging to the Bayei tribe (the people who introduced mekoro to the Okavango Delta), Brooks had a fascination with Botswana's wild areas from a young age. Determined to succeed, he began his career in tourism as a casual worker, was soon promoted to waiter and, as his natural talents and ambition presented themselves, was moved into the position of tracker. After a year of sitting in the tracker's chair and watching the guide take all the glory, he became a professional guide in 2000. Since then, Brooks has fine tuned his skills working at Kings Pool and Mombo, both premier camps. In 2006, he left Mombo to join the Explorations team, because he wanted to enhance his knowledge of other areas of the country, and spend more time with guests. His superlative knowledge of the bush, friendly personality and interest in astronomy, birding and the diverse cultures of Botswana, combine to make Brooks a popular guide.

From a young age Thuto had the privilege to enjoy the superb wilderness areas of Botswana. His father was directly involved in tourism conservation which sparked Thuto’s childhood interest in the secrets of wildlife. Thuto attended Treverton College in the foothills of the majestic Drakensberg Mountains in neighbouring South Africa where he continued to fine-tune his natural bush skills and passion for the wilderness. This inspired him to attend and complete a full time course on travel and tourism. He began his career at Khama Rhino Sanctuary and quickly moved to becoming a lodge guide within the Linyanti Concession in northern Botswana. Over the last five years Thuto has done some extensive travelling to some of Africa’s most remote wildlife areas. He has been to Uganda and Rwanda to see the largest primates in Africa - the mountain gorillas, and has snorkelled in Mozambique with the world’s largest fish - the whale shark! He has travelled in the National Parks and Game Reserves of South Africa, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. He has recently returned from Asia to experience the wildlife and culture of Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Thuto is truly passionate about all things wild and loves teaching young children the ways of the bush whilst on safari. He is also an avid photographer and he loves walking and birding. His deep knowledge of the natural world and good rapport with travellers has made him a highly sought after Botswana expedition leader.