Wilderness Guides Back in Training

 

 

There was much anticipation, when our Zambezi and Botswana guides met at Savuti, in the prolific Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, for a Wilderness Guides Workshop during March. After two years of lockdown, the camp buzzed with excitement when everyone was reunited, back together and raring to go.

 

 

 

 

The week-long workshop, led by trainers Peter Gava, Cilas Mafoko, and Onamile Lekgopho, focused on specific topics, as well as encouraged guides to share their stories and challenges from the field. The most important part was to have fun, revive our purpose, and walk out inspired for the season ahead. A guide who is passionate about his work translates into an unforgettable guest experience.

 

 

 

 

The course encouraged guides to use the skills demonstrated, combined with their theoretical knowledge and practical experience, to create engaging experiences in the wild. Workshop content included best guiding practices and procedures, bush walks, birding, and the USPs of our exclusive wilderness areas and camps.

 

Guides were reminded about how to tell the Wilderness story around a camp fire, and how to create an experience which goes beyond expectations, highlighting the importance of presentation and listening. Wilderness guest feedback (both positive and negative) was opened up for discussion, to see what previous guests had to say about their Wilderness experiences.

 

 

 

 

Other topics delved into included Social Anthropology and Culture, The Bantu Migration, Southern African Archaeology and History, the History and Geology of the Okavango Delta, the History of Hydrological Cycles of East, South-Central and Southern Africa, Ornithology and Bird Identification. The guides really did cover all the bases in their seven day workshop.

 

 

 

 

Peter rated the course a huge success. “The guides’ engagement was overwhelming, information was shared and absorbed. The guides had so much fun attending the workshop, and the aim now is for them to have fun with their guests and show them the Wilderness Way!”