Garth has been guiding clients all over the world for 23 years now and has been voted one of the top ten guides in Africa. We could not recommend him more highly for our clients who want to truly gain the maximum out of their journey. Garth gives us an insight into his life as a guide…..
How did you get into guiding?
I never wanted to do anything else. I was fortunate enough as a young boy to go to school inside a national park in the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), which had a huge influence on me.
Why do you feel guides are such a crucial aspect of a trip and in particular privately guided holidays?
My guests spend roughly 75% of their waking time with me. In addition to this, with me as their guide they get the maximum knowledge out of their trip as they don’t have multiple guides asking them the same questions or giving them the same information. A good private guide will know everything he or she needs to prior to the client’s departure i.e. your likes/dislikes etc. This enables me to adapt on the spot to ensure their trip is everything it should be, or make the necessary changes in an instant.
My favourite aspect of guiding….
Being able to show guests wonders they never new existed in remote destinations, be it in Africa expecting to see lions and leopards but being equally amazed by animals such as sable antelope or the medium sized cats such as serval. Or we could be on the Grey Glacier in Patagonia exploring ice caverns and then marvel at how many different colours of blue exist in a fairly small area. I also love quiet time or time for reflection with my guests, preferably around a fire at the end of the day, sharing our experiences through the photographs we have taken.
My hardest (or most challenging) day guiding was….
Trying to get guests to the Pantanal in Brazil from Buenos Aires and still fit in the Iguazu Falls (a last minute add to their ‘wish-list’). This was already going to be incredibly challenging because of the distances and number of stops involved but upon arrival at the airport we were told there was industrial action by airport staff. With some quick thinking and the use of our local contacts, as well as the freedom involved by private jet travel, we managed to change the itinerary in such a way that there was almost no impact to the guest and we still had the awesome experience of seeing two jaguars in three hours when we finally got there!
If I had a holiday tomorrow I would want to go back to…
This is such a hard one because I not only deal in destinations but also cultures, which are so varied – I am continuously updating my list. Despite a number of trips to Iceland, I have still not seen the Northern Lights. Despite a number of rips to Borneo, I am still on the search for the elusive Clouded Leopard. I was recently in Samarkand Uzbekistan and was blown away by the culture, architecture and history and would love to explore this region more.
The first thing I throw in a rucksack for a privately guided trip is….
My camera. As one of the only private guides that does all of my guest’s photographs for them I am responsible for their memories. Secondly, of course, my first aid kit.
Favourite book
Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond and The Scramble for Africa by Thomas Pakenham. I love them equally – our understanding of the past allows us to negotiate the future better.
My passions beyond guiding…..
Family time. Listening to my six year old son tell me about penguins or tigers or bull sharks over the breakfast table whilst my daughter tells me how to do my job!
Favourite lodge/hotel in the world…
Belmond Das Cataratas at the Iguazu Falls and Jacks Camp in the Kalahari, Botswana….but these are today’s favourites. I am off to another top camp of mine next week – Chief’s Camp in the Okavango Delta.