From tracks to travel

When This Wild Earth reached out for a feature on our work, it felt like the perfect moment to pause and reflect on how Breathe Africa Travel came to be. 

The article – now published in their latest edition – dives into the unexpected journey that began while tracking lions.

For many people, tracking lions sounds glamorous, but anyone who has done it knows the truth: it’s early mornings, dusty boots, long hours of following alarm calls, and an unwavering respect for the animals you’re trying to understand. 

It’s less romance and more reality. It teaches patience, awareness, and humility. And, in many ways, it shaped the foundations of how Breathe Africa Travel operates today.

Being out there, reading the landscape, adapting to every shift of wind or track instills a way of thinking that we still carry into our travel planning: stay calm, anticipate change, move with intention, and honour the land you’re walking on. 

Those principles have guided us in building journeys that are not only seamless for guests but also rooted in responsibility and respect.

Writing this article allowed us to share that story honestly, without the glossy veneer. Because the heart of conservation travel isn’t in the “perfect sunset” moments; it’s in the behind-the-scenes work, the collaboration with communities, the small decisions made every day to protect the wild spaces we all depend on.

A huge thank you to This Wild Earth for highlighting important conservation issues and giving space to stories that matter. It’s a privilege to be part of a publication committed to amplifying the reality of conservation on the ground.

If you haven’t read the piece yet, click on the ‘This Wild Earth’ icon on our homepage – it’s a glimpse into where we started, what shaped us, and why we continue to do things the way we do.