Africa Changed the Way I Travel

Some places take a little time to win you over. Africa was not one of them.

From the moment I arrived, I felt something different. It was not only the wildlife or the size of the landscapes. It was the feeling of being somewhere much older and bigger than myself.

Africa has a way of slowing you down. You listen more carefully. You notice tracks in the sand, the direction of the wind and the sudden silence that tells you something may be nearby.

My first journeys there changed the way I thought about travel. Years later, they would also help shape Wild Earth Stays and lead us to create Wild & Co Safaris.

The Journey That Started It

In 2012, I was invited to visit Tswalu Kalahari in South Africa.

At the time, Tswalu still felt young, raw and wonderfully untamed. I remember the heat rising from the red earth and the enormous quiet of the Kalahari. It did not take long for me to realize that this was going to become one of my favorite places in the world.

That visit was also when I met my guide, Joffers McCormick.

Over three days, we tracked white rhinos on foot, found a rare pangolin, watched lions hunting oryx and crossed paths with a brown hyena. Every day brought something extraordinary, but it was never simply about checking animals off a list.

Joffers understood that good guiding is about helping someone read the landscape. He showed me how much more there was to see when you slowed down and paid attention.

I remember thinking, “This is not just another trip.”

Something had shifted.

Why the Right Safari Guide Matters

A safari can look impressive on paper and still miss the heart of the experience.

The camp matters. The landscape matters. Timing matters. But the guide is often the person who connects everything.

A great guide does more than find wildlife. They understand when to wait, when to move and when to let a moment unfold without interrupting it. They know the stories behind the tracks and how the animals, land, weather and local communities are connected.

That lesson stayed with me.

It eventually became one of the principles behind Wild & Co Safaris: a thoughtfully planned safari should never feel like a standard package. It should feel personal, unhurried and connected to the places you have traveled so far to experience.

Returning to Africa With My Daughter

Africa kept calling me back.

I returned to explore more regions, meet more guides and understand the differences between reserves, camps and styles of safari. Each journey added another layer to what I knew, but there was one trip that became particularly meaningful.

In 2018, I brought my daughter on her first safari.

We stayed at some remarkable places, including Singita Ebony Lodge, Ngala Safari Lodge and Gibb’s Farm. Watching her experience Africa for the first time reminded me how powerful a first safari can be.

Then something happened that neither of us could have planned.

We arrived at one of our camps and I heard a familiar voice. I turned to my daughter and said, “I know that guide.”

It was Joffers.

Seven years after our first Kalahari adventure, we had somehow found each other again in the African bush.

That reunion felt like one of those moments Africa seems to arrange when you are paying attention.

From Wild Earth Stays to Wild & Co Safaris

Wild Earth Stays was created to introduce travelers to remarkable places with a genuine connection to nature, community and conservation.

But we also knew that an African safari required something more.

Choosing a beautiful lodge is only one part of planning a safari. The real work is understanding how the entire journey fits together: the season, wildlife movements, private reserves, guide quality, travel distances, flight connections and the pace of each day.

After years of traveling through Africa, building relationships and learning directly from guides and camp teams, we created Wild & Co Safaris as the safari division of Wild Earth Stays.

Wild & Co Safaris brings together the places we trust, the people we know and the lessons we have learned in the field. It is where our experience with exceptional stays meets personal, advisor-led safari planning.

Our approach is simple: begin with the traveler, not a prewritten itinerary.

Some travelers want predators and dramatic wildlife encounters. Others want walking safaris, conservation experiences, photography, cultural connections or time beside the waterways of Botswana. Couples, families and returning safari travelers will each need something different.

The best African safari is not necessarily the one with the most camps or the busiest schedule. It is the one that feels right for the people taking it.

What Makes a Wild & Co Safari Different?

A Wild & Co Safari is a privately planned African journey created around your interests, pace and priorities.

We help travelers understand where to go, when to travel and how different regions can work together. We select camps and lodges for more than their appearance. We look closely at location, guiding, conservation, wildlife access, atmosphere and the experience beyond the room.

Most importantly, we make time to listen.

After more than four decades of designing travel and more than fourteen years of personal safari experience, I still believe the best journeys begin with a good conversation.

Where have you traveled before? What moved you? What are you hoping Africa will feel like? Is this your first safari, a family journey, a honeymoon or a return to a continent you already love?

Those answers tell us far more than a standard booking form ever could.

Africa Is Not a Once-in-a-Lifetime Place

People often call Africa a once-in-a-lifetime journey.

I understand the phrase, but I have never found it to be true.

Africa is the kind of place that gives you a reason to return. Your first safari may lead you to South Africa. The next might take you into Botswana’s Okavango Delta, across the plains of Kenya and Tanzania or into the remote landscapes of Zambia, Zimbabwe or Namibia.

Each region feels different. Each season tells a different story.

That is why we built Wild & Co Safaris. Not simply to send people on safari, but to help them begin a lasting relationship with Africa.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Wild & Co Safaris?

Wild & Co Safaris is the specialist African safari division developed by Wild Earth Stays. It creates personalized, advisor-led safaris using experienced guides, carefully selected camps and detailed destination knowledge.

Who founded Wild & Co Safaris?

Wild & Co Safaris was founded by James Papagno as part of Wild Earth Stays. James brings more than 44 years of travel-planning experience and over 14 years of personal safari travel across Africa.

Does Wild & Co Safaris offer private safaris?

Yes. Wild & Co Safaris specializes in personalized and privately designed African journeys for couples, families, honeymooners, small groups and returning safari travelers.

Which African destinations can Wild & Co Safaris plan?

Journeys may include South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Rwanda, Madagascar, the Seychelles and other carefully selected regions across Africa.

How does the safari-planning process begin?

It begins with a conversation about your interests, preferred pace, travel history, wildlife priorities and the kind of experience you want. From there, Wild & Co Safaris recommends the right destinations, season, camps and journey structure.

Begin Your African Story

If Africa has been calling you, we would love to hear what you have imagined.

Whether this is your first safari or the beginning of your next one, Wild & Co Safaris can help you create a journey that feels personal, properly paced and connected to the Africa we have come to know and love.

“Every journey to Africa has taught me something, but the most important lesson is simple: Africa does not give you a reason to visit once. It gives you a reason to keep coming back.”

James Papagno

Founder, Wild Earth Stays and Wild & Co Safaris