Ask anyone on our team and they’ll tell you: Camille has a memory like an elephant. She’ll recall exactly which room has the best view at a lodge she visited three years ago, which camp has a private safari vehicle, and which pool deserves a sundowner over a sunset dinner. Born and bred in Zambia, she’s our obvious go-to for all things South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi – and an energetic mother of two who’s just as at home in heels at a Cape Town dinner as she is lacing up running shoes for marathon training.
Camille has taken readers along on plenty of her own African adventures over the years – from a Great Plains Conservation safari in Kenya, to a Wilderness Safaris trip through Botswana, a homecoming journey through Zambia and Malawi and most recently a deep dive into Namibia. This time, we turned the questions back on her for our Insider’s Africa series, to get her personal picks and honest opinions.
Camille on Travel in Africa
Q. The one experience you’d recommend to every first-time-to-Africa traveller?
A. A holiday in Africa isn’t complete without a safari – that part’s non-negotiable. But if I had to add one thing to every first-timer’s itinerary, it would be time in a hide. There’s something so rewarding about sitting still, staying quiet, and just letting the bush come to you, rather than always chasing the next sighting from a vehicle. You see a different side of the wildlife – and often get far closer than you would on a game drive.
Q. Your secret weapon. Something clients never ask for but always thank you for?
A. I love sharing my own experiences with clients – the honest, unfiltered version, not just what’s in the brochure. Whether it’s a property I genuinely loved, the one staff member at a lodge who made the whole stay, or even my favourite sushi restaurant for their stopover night in Cape Town, I think those personal touches are what clients remember. It’s the difference between booking a lodge and booking a lodge someone you trust has actually stayed in.
Q. The place that surprised you most that you didn’t expect to love, but you do?
A. Namibia. It’s one of the most beautiful and interesting countries I’ve ever travelled to – the scale of it catches you off guard. The landscapes shift completely from one region to the next, and there’s a stillness and vastness there that’s hard to put into words until you’ve stood in it yourself.
Q. Best meal you’ve had on a trip – on safari or in Cape Town?
A. The prawns at Ishara Mara, in the Masai Mara, were extraordinary – and I think they stood out even more because of where I was eating them. There’s something about incredible food appearing in the middle of the bush that makes it taste even better than it would at a five-star restaurant back home.
Q. If you could only take one trip this year, where and why?
A. I’ve been feeling nostalgic about Zambia lately and would love to go back. It’s been a number of years since I was last there properly, and given it’s where I was born, it always feels like more than just a work trip – it’s personal.
Q. Your wish list – one or two experiences you haven’t done yet but are dying to?
A. A hot air balloon ride over Namibia is high on my list – I can only imagine what those dunes look like from above at sunrise. And I’d love to experience a Singita property, honestly any one of them. I hear such incredible things from clients and colleagues, and it’s still a gap in my own Africa story.
More Personal Questions for Camille
Q. Running and travel – how do you combine the two? Best run(s) you’ve had in a destination?
A. Thankfully, running only requires packing a pair of shoes, so it can happen almost anywhere – down a safari airstrip at sunrise, or on a treadmill in a lodge gym if there are animals about that make a run on foot a bad idea! My favourite by far was running in Damaraland. It’s so beautiful and vast – there’s nothing quite like that kind of open space and silence while you run.
Q. Which safari lodge has the best gym?
A. Of all the lodges I’ve been to, Cheetah Plains has an incredible, very well-equipped gym – proper equipment, not an afterthought. But if we’re talking views while you train, Jao Camp wins. Working out looking out over that landscape is unbeatable, and honestly a little distracting in the best way.
Q. Born in Zambia. What does going back feel like, and what do you always make sure clients don’t miss?
A. The moment I step off the plane in Lusaka, the smell alone makes me feel like I’m home. Some of my strongest childhood memories are spending hours looking for leopards in the Ebony Groves of the South Luangwa, or getting close enough to elephants in the Lower Zambezi that you could almost count their eyelashes. If clients have the time, I always encourage combining both destinations – South Luangwa and the Lower Zambezi complement each other so well, and together they give you the full picture of what makes Zambia so special to me.
Plan Your Own Africa Story with Camille
From photographic hides in the bush to hot air balloons over the dunes, Camille’s recommendations come from a lifetime of living and traveling across Africa – and a career spent making sure her clients get the details right. If you’re ready to start planning your own trip, you can email Camille directly here.
Together, our consultants bring more than 100 years of experience in African travel, sharing their deep knowledge of the continent, first-hand experience, ideas and inspiration to create 5-star safari experiences that keep our clients coming back.
Email info@southerndestinations.com, and we’ll put you in touch directly.
