Adventure Collection

A conversation with David and Carolyn Tett, president and vice president of Bushtracks Expeditions.

DG: How and when did Bushtracks get started?  

DT/CT: In 1989 when David lived in London, fresh from Zimbabwe, he and his brother Nicholas would be asked by friends where to go in Zimbabwe, which game reserves to explore, and which guides to go with. Nick and David knew many of the naturalist guides as friends, and they would discuss these requests after work, inspired by a beer or two. The business grew naturally from there, and in 1991 Carolyn and David were married in California, and set up the business in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

How has the company evolved through the years?  

Very slowly. We have never had a growth strategy, but have evolved organically by simply focusing on providing a great safari experience, which in turn has generated strong word of mouth and repeat travellers (60 percent of our guests are repeat travellers or a referral from a past guest). In 1992, David’s barber also suggested we talk to Peter Voll, then director of Stanford Travel/Study. This led us to operating our first educational air safari for an educational affinity group in 1993, which included faculty leader Dr. Peter Duignan of the Hoover Institution. Since then we have operated educational private air expeditions for National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, the World Wildlife Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, and Cal BearTreks, to name a few. Today we customize private journeys for our own guests and operate many group programs for educational institutions, and the company continues to grow in an organic fashion.  

How have the destinations you visit evolved through the years?  

In 1989 our first destinations were Victoria Falls, Mana Pools, Matusadonna, Chizarira, Gonarezhou, and Hwange National Parks in Zimbabwe, and North and South Luangwa National Parks in Zambia. We soon learned most of our travellers wanted their safari to include more diversity and cover more than one country. We added Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa to our portfolio, and found the only way to link the best destinations within three neighbouring countries in a reasonable amount of time was to charter an aircraft and fly the guests directly to each place by private air. This style of travel proved very successful with our travellers, so we gradually branched out into East Africa, West Africa, and North Africa, and now work in over 38 African countries. In 2000 we examined India and South America, and found our private air style had great application in these regions as well, where like Africa we could cut out long, bumpy drives and link the cultural and natural highlights in a single journey.      

What are the hallmarks of Bushtracks journeys?   

The hallmark of a Bushtracks journey is getting guests into authentic and wild places using our signature private air service. From the start we recognized that private air travel in places like Africa, India, and South America would save time and wear and tear, and allow more time for the traveller to explore and learn. In general our guests have very full and busy lives, and they want to maximize their time on the ground and their travel experiences.  

How would you describe the typical Bushtracks traveller?   

A typical Bushtracks traveller is very curious about their world. They are eager to learn and always looking for a unique experience. They want to experience the authentic, and meet genuine and interesting people. They also prefer avoiding the crowds and getting behind the scenes. An educational component is important to their safari and they always want the best, most knowledgeable guides. Comfort is also an important consideration, where adventuring by day is followed by pampering at night, but they will tolerate rustic conditions for a good location, and to experience the remote and authentic.   

What are the prime challenges facing Bushtracks today?  

A prime challenge is increasing accommodation and fuel costs in the face of a devaluing dollar. Another challenge is booking rooms and getting space at these relatively small safari lodges, camps, and intimate hotels, due to high international demand.  

How are you addressing these challenges?  

To address increasing prices, our trip planners spend a lot of time in the early stages of itinerary design, looking at many alternatives, and making sure they have the most efficient itinerary and cost effective air route possible. They also look incessantly for creative ways to lower the trip price without compromising the quality of the guests’ experience. To combat lack of availability at key safari camps, lodges, and intimate hotels, Bushtracks also encourages travellers to think ahead -- up to 1 year or more -- and to try to book early when availabilities are still wide open. This also allows our trip planners to select the best properties in the best possible order, which in turn helps keep pricing more efficient.  

How do you see Bushtracks evolving in the future, and how do you see the larger travel industry evolving? 

Since planning our first air safari in Africa in 1990, we have seen significant growth in lodging infrastructure and numbers of visitors. This growth pattern has repeated itself in India, where the tourism landscape has changed radically in the last 7 years. We anticipate this growth will continue into the future at a similar pace, which will put ever increasing pressure on many sites around the world. Bushtracks’ evolution will be tied to this growing demand, and we believe our trip planning services will become increasingly valuable as travellers recognize that their travel experiences can be greatly enhanced through careful planning. The investment in the use of private air, and in the set up with trip planners who know what they are doing, will result in more authentic experiences off the beaten path. It will also enhance experiences at heavily visited places. For example, if we have travellers visiting Machu Picchu, we suggest they stay at the Sanctuary Hotel and get up before dawn to witness the ruins at sunrise, thus avoiding the busloads who arrive mid-morning.  

Could you describe a couple of trips that you’re especially excited about? 

This year we have a private air safari that explores the rainforests and coastal dunes of Gabon, West Africa. The trip starts in Loango National Park where the rain forest meets the Atlantic Coast and hippos and elephants have been spotted in the surf. We then fly into Lope National Park and track troops of mandrills – large primates with brightly colored faces closely related to baboons. The last bush flight takes us to remote Ivindo National Park, where we hike to a research camp deep in the rainforest. Over two days we explore a local baai -- a natural clearing in the rainforest where lowland gorillas, forest elephant, sitatunga and duiker antelope, red river hogs, and African gray parrots congregate to extract minerals from the soil. 

Another exciting one-of-a-kind air expedition explores the remote villages and wildlife highlights of South America in June, 2009. Starting in Lima, Peru, we board a privately chartered airliner and fly directly to the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile and the luxurious Explora lodge. Next stop is the peaceful Andean culture of Northern Argentina and the spectacular valley of Quebrada de Humahuaca. We explore this World Heritage Site on hikes, bikes, and driven excursions from an intimate, monastic style hotel with wrought iron details, brightly colored woven rugs, and carved wood. Then we fly to the famous Pantanal in Brazil and the world’s best place to view wild jaguars, followed by a stay at a hacienda in the Urubamba Valley of Peru. The journey concludes with walking tours through Machu Picchu and Cusco, and a stylish dinner on the luxurious Hiram Bingham train.   

They both sound good! With so many rich possibilities to explore, what’s the greatest pleasure of your work for you?   

Getting a call from an elated guest! Receiving a note explaining how the trip was the experience of a lifetime. Hearing from grandparents off one of our Family Adventures describe their kids’ faces as they spotted their first wild lion.    

Is there one moment or anecdote that captures the rewards of your work?  

One of our 2006 Southern Africa Family Adventures landed at their first stop - Mala Mala game reserve, near Kruger National Park in South Africa. One of the educational activities, led by our Bushtracks Ranger (a qualified school teacher), is a kids-only tracking exercise where they have to help our jeeps and trackers find a herd of buffalo by following their spoor. Once they find the herd, a bush breakfast follows where the kids cook their own food (supervised) over a fire. On this occasion, three teen-age girls were hanging back in a huddle discussing something intensely, so David asked them what was up. It turns out their breakfasts usually came in a box -- they had never actually cooked breakfast before, let alone over an open fire, and they were strategizing their approach. They then took on the task giggling with delight as they were guided through their first bush breakfast. That moment sums up the reward – opening travellers’ eyes to new experiences, large or small 

For more information on Bushtracks and its itineraries, visit Bushtracks.com.