Hildrene & Brian Gibson
Brian was born in South Africa in 1969 and raised on a game farm in the Waterberg mountains, so his introduction to the bush and wildlife was at a very early age. After school he spent two years on the Zambezi River where his passion for sport fishing was recognized. He returned to South Africa and in 1989 he started his career as a game ranch manager. He then did a course in nature conservation which peaked his interest in the role that hunting played in conservation. He went on to qualify as a professional hunter which is where he began dealing with international clients. In 1995, he moved to Botswana to explore the photographic safari industry and found he loved the country, the bush and the people and decided to settle there. He qualified as a professional guide in the same year and has been pursuing his career in the African bush, sharing it with many international visitors. Nature and the outdoors appeal to Brian as a whole, with his favorite outdoor activities being sport fishing and birding.

Tina Chase
Tina Chase is one of those lucky individuals who has been "on safari" for all of her life.

She was born in Arusha, Tanzania just the other day. She is the oldest child of John and Tina Bekker, who brought her and her two brothers to live in Botswana when she was still a teenager. Tina and her new and old families have made their homes in the bush in more places than most of us have had hot breakfasts. Her knowledge of Botswana is phenomenal and there are not many places inside her borders that she has not seen. Tina has many years experience in setting up super comfortable camps, and her natural flair and attention to detail ensures that your stay will be luxurious and memorable.

You are in for a treat once you join her while she is in her most favourite persona. This is when she has a pair of binoculars in one hand, and a Toyota Landcruiser in the other. She has a special love of Africa's impressive array of birds and trees, and is a Professional Guide with a huge wealth of knowledge and experience.

John Chase
John Chase has lived in Botswana all of his life. He was born the only son of Jack and Doreen Chase, themselves colorful and well-known Botswana characters of yesteryear.

John was born in Francistown in 1951, then a bush town, and has never really left the bush for any length of time since then. He is one of a handful of men alive, of whom it can be said, that is completely at one with the Botswana bush. He is constantly in tune with his environment, and the knowledge and experience he will pass on to you, is the result of an intense and prolonged osmotic process, rather than the book-learned and exam-passed Africana that some other Professional Guides & Hunters will have to offer you.

His encyclopedic knowledge of birds and trees, animals and insects, firearms and guns is well known. John's knowledge of his country is probably unsurpassed in Botswana today. He is held in great esteem by his colleagues. In his lifetime John has traveled practically every path and road, sniffed every wind, and has drunk a beer in every liquor rest in the land at one time or another. He speaks Setswana better than the Batswana, and his popularity with his rural brothers and sisters is a joy to witness and share. He is regarded with a great love and trust by the people living wherever he has traveled, and that you will find, is in most places in that beautiful country.

Grant Reed
Grant Reed was born in Magaliesburg, South Africa in 1974. On completion of his degree in Nature Conservation he worked in Kruger National Park in South Africa. In 1996 Grant moved to Botswana as a professional guide and has resided in Maun since. Grant completed a post-graduate degree in Conservation in 2000. At present Grant is commencing with an advanced degree in Ornithology. He is holds the highest guiding qualification issued by the Field Guide Association of Southern Africa and is also a qualified senior ranger for the Wild Life and Environmental Society of Southern Africa (WESSA) as well as the National Botanical Institute (NBI) of South Africa. Apart from guiding specialist safaris, Grant is a Director of Okavango Guiding School in Maun and is involved in training of local guides. Grant also travels to the USA on an annual basis to give slide shows and lecture on various themes including Desert Ecology, Birds of Botswana and Reptiles of Botswana. Grant Reed is also an award winning wild-life photographer and has co-authored a book on the Okavango Delta.

Brent Reed
Brent Reed was born in the rural community of Muldersdrift, South Africa in July 1972. Whilst growing up he explored the Magaliesberg mountains near his parents home and developed a deep love of the bush and all things wild. Through his father and grandfather he was introduced to the fascinating world of snakes and other reptiles. Along with birding this has been his passion ever since childhood. After finishing school Brent followed a career in Information Technology, a path which took him overseas for three years working in London, Paris and Edinburgh. Finally the call of the bush was too strong and he returned to Africa in 1997 to pursue his lifelong passion.

After arriving in Botswana he obtained his professional guides license and has been guiding since 1997. He has also worked in Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi during his guiding career. Brent holds the a FGASA (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) Level 3 qualification - the highest qualification in the industry.

Brent is also an instructor and director of Okavango Guiding School which provides training for aspiring guides, mostly from rural Botswana communities.

Lisa Reed
Lisa Reed was born in 1974 in Zimbabwe and spent her school years in South Africa. She has lived in Botswana since January 1996. Lisa has managed safari camps on her own, and been involved with the building and decorating of numerous camps throughout Botswana. She now lives in Maun and freelances as a specialist Family / group safari guide. Lisa is very involved in the Maun community and when she is not on safari she works at the local craft center, where they make hand made paper from Elephant dung and hand thrown pottery. She is also a founding member of MAWS (Maun Animal Welfare society).

Lisa specializes in children and family safaris. Lisa has a natural affinity with children and families and enjoys passing on her years of bush love, experience and knowledge to the next generation. Lisa tailor makes every safari to suit the ages and interests of the children and adults and her safaris are unique in that they are family orientated and adventurous. Lisa's enthusiasm is a quality that is highly valued by children and groups. Lisa works hard to ensure that the parents relax and the children are educated, have fun and enjoy their African adventure!

In her spare time Lisa rides horses, she owns two of her own and enjoys art particularly - painting, photography, making greeting cards with natural material as well as drawing, writing poetry, and sketching.

Chris Smal
His passion for nature was instilled in him as a small boy. His parents took him to Kruger National Park for a week long holiday every year and as a child he was free to roam the Magaliesberg where baboons, honey badgers, hyraxes, snakes and numerous birds abound. In 1988, he visited Botswana for the first time on a Boy Scout camping trip and he decided that he wanted to live there someday.

After completing a degree in urban planning, he worked in that profession for four years and then decided that he missed life in the bush. He completed a guiding course with a leading South African tour operator and started guiding camping tours all over Southern- and East Africa. After two years, he began managing a safari camp in Northern Botswana, where he led a total of 33 - three day walking safaris in an area teeming with elephant, lion, buffalo, wild dog, leopard, large numbers of plains game and a startling variety of birds. He concluded his stay in Botswana at Abu camp where he had the privilege of riding, training and walking with the trained elephants while guiding there and managing the camp.

He joins the Explore team as a primary guide for 2006. He cannot wait to return to nature, where he can share his extensive experience and knowledge with eager guests.

Grant Murray Craig
Grant was born in Stilfontein, in the Western Transvaal, South Africa and from a very young age Grant has had instilled in him a love for the fauna and flora of Africa. He has worked in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Namibia and South Africa, and took part in a year long expedition on an island in the Sub-Antarctic. He has co-led two expeditions to South America on walking and canoeing trails though the Amazon Jungle and along the ancient Inca Trails. Grant further participated in number of projects raising funds for various wildlife projects in and around South Africa and Namibia.

Grant came to make Botswana his home in 1990, were upon he qualified as a Professional Guide with the Botswana Department of National Parks, Advanced Nature Guide with the South African authorities, Specialist Birding Guide with Birdlife South Africa, registered with the Field Guides Association on South Africa, was accepted as a Member of the Game Rangers Association of Africa and is currently the Treasurer of the Game Rangers Association of Botswana.

Grant is exceptionally good with children in the bush, having raised his daughter "on safari", he seems to have endless patience with children and can captivate even the most reluctant of participants and have them begging for more.

In Grants spare time, he can be found pursuing that elusive prize winning photo, bird watching or just laid back reading some wildlife book as he is always eager to expand his knowledge and share it with others.

Karin Frehse
Karin was born in Tanzania and she grew up in the Western Cape of South Africa. After working for Scandinavian Airlines as a booking clerk and ground hostess, she moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina where she spent 5 years exploring South America and working various jobs. She then returned to Africa where she began her career as a guide and lecturer.

She received her diploma as an International Travel Consultant and became an accredited guide. Her love for southern Africa and its people, flora and fauna drove her to specialize in eco-tourism. She has led tours to Zambia and Botswana and has accompanied many tours to Namibia as the specialist lecturer. She has studied viticulture and oenology at the Cape Wine Academy and also received her certificate as an Intercultural Teacher. Karin speaks English, Afrikaans, German and Spanish and she is enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and love for Africa with those who are lucky enough to be in her presence.

Mike Main
Mike Main was born in the UK in 1942. He is married with two grown sons. Mike has lived in Ghana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and, for the last 18 years, in Botswana of which country he is now a citizen. Formerly a corporate executive, he specializes in outdoor, experiential management training for senior staff of international corporations. He has written numerous articles and several books on southern Africa including titles on the Kalahari Desert, Botswana and the Zambezi. His wide knowledge of the region has prompted his occasional use as a general guide by a number of American and British groups. These include: UCLA, American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, Harvard Museum of Natural History, Financial Times, and YPO. He was also asked to accompany President Clinton on his recent visit to Botswana.

Mohamed Zahidi
Mohamed Zahidi was born and grew up in the Dades Valley in Ouarzazate, Morocco. A native speaker of Tamazight (a Berber language of the south of Morocco), he also speaks Arabic, English and French fluently. He studied English literature at the Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakesh. Upon graduating in 1990, Mohamed taught English at high school for seven years. During this period he developed an interest in tourism, and became the representative and lecturer for an American travel company. In 1997, he left teaching to become a nationally licensed guide, working full time for one of the largest and most reputable tour operators in Morocco. Since 1999, he has developed the series of Diversity Excursions that offer insights into the culture, ecology and history of Morocco. He is especially fond of taking clients to explore the south of Morocco, which keeps him close to his wife and two children in Marrakech, and his parents in Kelaa des Mgouna, a town known for its production of Damask roses.

Hery Andrianiantefana
Educated in Madagascar and traveled throughout the world, Hery has worked with many leading tour operators in the U.S. in his guiding career of 9 years. He is a contributor to the Bradt Guide to Madagascar and has worked extensively with Nick Garbutt, guide & author of the definitive guide - Mammals of Madagascar.

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