Our Mission

Timbuktu was founded in 2014 with a clear mission: to make far-flung corners of the world more accessible by empowering you, our travellers, to explore and build trips, regardless of experience or budget - and save some pennies along the way.

For years, trips to remote places have been notoriously exclusive and complicated to plan and book. But really, the only people losing out are the travellers themselves. We’re on a mission to change this.

Using over 30 years of combined travel experience, we’ve created a content-rich site that showcases our hand-picked crop of amazing journeys and empowers you to chop, change and refine them - or simply build one from scratch - all under the specialist guidance of our experts.

It’s fun and easy, and saves you money. You explore and create; we guide and fulfill your dreams.

Positive impact

We can't deny the thrill and fulfillment it gives us to empower adventurous travellers with the tools to make their long-imagined trips to Africa a reality. But, along the way we have forged bonds with the people who preserve, protect and make their lives in these remarkable places. It has been our dream to find a collection of change makers to partner with, helping guests to leave a positive impact when they visit. We are very excited play our part in the furthering of three important initiatives: conservation in education, women empowerment and tech education across Africa. Read more

We are the No. 1 Tour Operator in the world 2024!

As voted for in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards

Meet the team

Annie

Travel Specialist

Born in Burundi and raised in Kenya while attending an American school, Annie loves to connect with people from different backgrounds. She first fell in love with travel at a young age through her father who has visited countless parts of the world. Early on, her goal was to travel every continent before 30. Sure enough, that was a highly ambitious goal, but one she still wants to complete. Annie has travelled to over 10 countries with East Africa being her favourite. As an Africa expert, she has extensive knowledge of over 13 countries in Africa and has created dream trips for over 6000 guests. Annie loves anything to do with the outdoors, whether it’s climbing off-the-beaten-path mountains, zip-lining, swimming in beautiful oceans and lakes, and enjoying majestic sunsets in the Masai Mara.

Carola

Travel Specialist

With a background in Fine Arts and Travel Journalism, this Chilean living in Northern Patagonia has been working in the travel industry for more than 15 years. Carola started out as a guide for Explora in the Torres del Paine National Park and, since then, has been leading and planning trips across Latin America. Carola would spend every moment exploring every trail in a lost valley and loves discovering new destinations and cultures. She has travelled between ancient ruins, Ecuadorian beaches and the waters of Easter Island - though Patagonia will always be her favourite! With special expertise in luxury and nature tourism, Carola stands out for her ability to create unique, life-changing itineraries.

Catherine

Travel Specialist

Born and raised in Cape Town, Catherine has been lucky enough to spend most of her life travelling across Africa. Through her travels she has experienced some of the most unique areas and properties the continent has to offer, developing a weakness for sunsets and al fresco showers. With a five year stint in London and another 4 years in Lisbon, she has travelled to many far-flung corners of the world in addition to her home continent. Catherine has spent the last 17 years dedicated to designing stylish, authentic and meaningful trips for her travellers, introducing them to the countries she loves. When she’s not busy arranging adventures of a lifetime, Catherine can be found in the Mother City enjoying the many beaches, mountains and vineyards it has to offer.

Daniel

Operations Consultant

Having grown up in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania, you could say safaris are in Daniel's blood. Whilst working with his father's company, which helped adventurous travellers capture the photos of a lifetime on safari, Daniel developed a passion for Africa and its wild spaces. After studying in Paris, Daniel has put roots down at Timbuktu's head office in Cape Town where he works behind the scenes to make booking trips for our guests seamless and stress-free.

Eve

Head of Operations

Eve escaped a career in London’s corporate world of marketing eight years ago to follow her dream of becoming a safari guide. The dream began in South Africa’s Kruger National Park and since then, she’s spent her days guiding and managing safari camps across Africa in some of the continent’s most remote areas. She’s now come full circle and is back in South Africa, this time in Cape Town at Timbuktu HQ, using her vast knowledge and experience to manage our operations. And whilst she may have swapped the nightly roar of lions for the sparkling of city lights, Eve reckons there’s plenty in Cape Town to keep her occupied so hopefully she’ll be with us for a good while yet!

Gareth

Marketing and Finance

A born and bred Capetonian, Gareth has an encyclopaedic knowledge of not only his home city, but South Africa’s wildest and most wonderful places. When he’s not camping, hiking or walking in the great outdoors, you’ll find him behind his computer avidly planning his next adventure (using the Timbuktu website, of course). In 2016, Gareth joined the team to assist with digital marketing, before being swiftly roped in to help with the finance side of things too.

Godfrey

Finance

Born and bred in Zimbabwe, Godfrey swapped the vast plains of his home country for a dose of Cape Town magic in 2018. In 2020, he entered the wild world of travel and joined the content team at Timbuktu – but only after acquiring a professional barista certificate and studying web development part time. When he’s not brewing coffee (and recommending the best new places for us to check out for our pre-work cup), you’ll find him engrossed in a biographical documentary or gaming.

Holly

Writer

Homegrown on the sunny south coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, Holly would rather spend all her time outdoors than anywhere else (even though rainy days are some of her favourites). With a hankering for travel, a Journalism degree in hand, and a passion for creative writing, digital media and communications, she joined the team at Timbuktu to work on all things content and research. It’s a dream to explore more of the beautiful places she writes about across Africa and to perhaps visit the lush hills of Scotland - she’s a redhead so it’s in the blood! Holly would also like everyone to know that dassies are her absolute favourite animals - except for maybe dogs…

Ian

Co-founder & CTO

Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, Ian learnt to computer program whilst at nursery school. With 14 years experience in tech, Ian is devoted to simplifying the process of finding your perfect safari. If he’s not behind the screen he will probably be found up Table Mountain on his bike.

Jenna

Travel Specialist

From studying in Budapest to fly camping in Botswana, attending DePaul University in Chicago to exploring the latest luxury lodges in Tanzania, it’s fair to say that travel is definitely Jenna’s happy place. High on the list, however, is creating once in a lifetime trips and experiences for others, and with 8 years in the travel industry, she knows exactly what’s what when it comes to safari planning. Based in Southern New Hampshire, close to family and with an enormous kitchen to satisfy her love of cooking, give her a call and start planning your dream trip – she’ll be virtually pouring you a glass of wine and talking all things Africa in no time!

Jessica

Travel Specialist

Based in the lush mountains of Vermont, Jessica has travelled to almost every corner of the world - a whopping 54 countries in total! After getting a Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language, Jessica set off to explore some of Asia's most incredible destinations, from Thailand to Malaysia, skiing down the slopes in Japan to cruising along the Mekong River. With a wealth of first-hand experience, Jessica has spent the last decade planning trips to change the lives of her guests - just as her own adventures did. Jessica plans to never stop travelling and will now be joined by her little girl whose favourite food just happens to be sushi and pho!

Joanna

Travel Specialist

On her first trip to Africa, Joanna spent several weeks hiking across Northern Tanzania, with no running water or electricity in sight. Thankfully, it didn’t put her off and instead, she retrained as an Africa Travel Specialist and started planning her next visit. That was just over a decade ago, and since then, she’s organised riding safaris in Kenya, swum in the Devil’s Pool at the top of Victoria Falls, and tracked lion across the Serengeti. In 2015, Joanna’s twin daughters were born, and she now lives in Maine in the US, helping Timbuktu clients create their own dream trips (mostly with running water and electricity you’ll be pleased to hear!)

Johnny

Co-founder & CEO

Johnny grew up in the English countryside, studied in Cape Town and has an obsession with tea. Previously founding a traditional travel agency and personally designing trips for over 500 guests across Africa, he drives the vision of Timbuktu. Johnny loves Bob Dylan and spreadsheets and is happiest on the road in Africa.

Jonty

Head of Sales

A born and bred South African, Jonty was raised in Port Elizabeth and is now a converted Cape Townian. Since arriving at Timbuktu in March 2018, he’s made the office green with envy with his travel list and shocked us all with his refusal of a good cup of Earl Grey. Despite visiting over forty countries globally (and all in his sprightly 21 years!), he’s still going strong and next on the list is a sailing trip around Sumatra. When we can make him sit still, Jonty is our marvellous Head of Sales and loves nothing more than sharing his love of Africa (and travel tales) with our Timbuktu travellers.

Kevin

Travel Specialist

Kevin's love of Africa began on a visit to Tanzania when he was 13 and it's lasted a lifetime. From gorilla and chimpanzee trekking and walking beside rhinos to swimming with sharks and bungee jumping in the mist of Victoria Falls, he has an endless bucket list of wildlife and nature experiences. Kevin was once nicknamed Mganga (summoner) by Maasai guides because animals seemed so drawn to him. Now, Kevin uses his personal knowledge to plan trips for travellers, eager to show them the wonders of Africa.

Kristin

Travel Specialist

Kristin’s first taste of Africa was working in the US Embassy in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, swiftly followed by swimming with whale sharks in Dijbouti and a Kenya safari. Add to that a travel list of over 10 countries in East and Southern Africa and Kristin definitely knows what she’s doing when it comes to the great continent. After leaving Ethiopia, she joined the world of travel and since 2013 and has been designing trips of a lifetime for clients all over the world. She’s now based in South Florida, and in between hiking and tracking down the best tacos in America, helps our lovely US clients design their dream trips.

Laura

Product & Content Manager

With childhood holidays to Lake Kariba and lots of time spent in Zimbabwe’s beautiful farms and national parks under her belt, absolutely no one was surprised when Laura announced she was going to be a safari guide in South Africa! After spending time in both Tanzania and Zambia honing her skills, she chose a small nature reserve on the banks of the Olifants River to settle down in. Now, when not tracking elephants on foot or cycling through the Cape Winelands, she works in our content team.

Meg

Travel Specialist

It's safe to say, the travel bug bit Meg at an early age - and it bit her good. She's explored the remotest destinations, hiking the trails of Bhutan, backpacking through South America and falling in love with Africa in the Mahale Mountains (just to name a few). Needless to say, Meg has encyclopedic knowledge of travelling the globe and she's spent the last 15 years plotting epic trips. Whether it's Africa, Asia or the Americas, Meg has a passion for adventures that go hand-in-hand with conservation projects and communities. From her home in San Diego, Meg is ready to work a little magic and make your dream holiday come to life.

Millie

Operations Consultant

Raised in the English countryside, Millie spent a childhood travelling to (nearly) every corner of the world including what feels like her second home, Zambia, sparking a passion for discovering new cultures, landscapes and food. Her adventures continued after finishing her studies from backpacking around Costa Rica and Guatemala, to working at a safari camp on the banks of the Lower Zambezi. Next up, Millie has her sights set on Sri Lanka. After interning with Timbuktu, Millie fell in love with Cape Town and is now back using her wealth of knowledge as part of our Sales Support team.

Nadine

Operations Consultant

Born in Namibia, Nadine has lived in southern Africa all her life, and now calls Cape Town home. Nadine's career took her from property to IT, before settling into the world of travel where she's been for the last 18 years, and has now brought her expertise to Timbuktu. Nadine would swap the city and suburbs for wide open spaces without a second thought, some of her favourites being the Scottish Highlands and the Seychelles. No matter where she goes, Nadine is a true blue South African - she makes a mean milk tart to prove it.

Nathan

Operations Consultant

A true Capetonian, Nathan spends every minute he can on a surfboard or planning his next trip to follow the waves (and find the best veggie food out there). After wrapping up a Marine Biology degree, Nathan set off for Asia, where he surfed his way through South Sumatra, saw rare Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River and boated across Halong Bay. Nathan can now be found in Timbuktu's Cape Town office where he helps the sales team make your dream trips possible.

Nina

Content Marketing Manager

Nina grew up in the Boland in a small town called Worcester, had a brief stint in the Winelands, and now lives in Cape Town where she’s very happy eating her way through the city’s top restaurants. After completing her degree in English Literature, she joined the wonderful world of content marketing, which suits her love of a good story, pop culture, and advertising very well. Born insatiably curious, she has equal love for a gripping novel, a true crime documentary, or scrolling on TikTok to pick up on the latest trends. She joins Timbuktu HQ as our Content Marketing Manager and hopes to inspire future travellers with beautiful content and add new stops to their travel bucket lists.

Reece

Content Researcher

Having lived in Cape Town for most of his life, Reece is an avid outdoorsman with a love for hiking, beach walks and snorkelling in the Cape’s kelp forests. Reece has big plans to travel the world and, if he has his way, the first stop will be the tropical islands of French Polynesia. After graduating with a degree in Film, Media and English Studies, Reece is now a member of the content team where he brings dedication and a good energy to Timbuktu HQ.

Sarah

Operations Manager

With Cape Town as her home town and a country count of 25 (and rising), Sarah was a perfect fit for Timbuktu. Having made some of her favourite memories on multi-day treks from South Africa to the Himalayas, Sarah is no stranger to adventure and she has some serious stories to tell - including a solo stand-off with a yak. Next, Sarah has her sights set on hiking Mount Fuji, but until then she'll be hanging out with her golden retriever, Mika, and helping our team make your dream trips possible.

Shannon

Operations Consultant

Having grown up in Zimbabwe, and later South Africa, experiencing the joys of the wilderness and the importance of conservation on family adventures to Zambia, Shan began a life-long love affair with travel. From backpacking her way through the Philippines and Bali, to exploring the Fjords of Norway, to multi-day hikes through the beautiful Drakensberg Mountains, Shan has racked up a total of 25 countries so far — her heart is set on Morocco next. After filling up her passport (for now), Shan made her way to Cape Town to join Timbuktu HQ, where she now helps our guests dream trips become a reality.

Tessa

Travel Specialist

After studying for a degree in drama, psychology and classical civilisation, a spell in interior design and many years living in South Africa, Tessa finally realised that her true love has always been travel – and we’re delighted to have her on board on Timbuktu, helping our guests design unique and exciting trips across the continent. It’s probably fair to say that Tessa has done a fair few fabulous trips herself, from swimming with dolphins in Mozambique and climbing the Great Wall of China, to hiking the Pulpit Rock in Norway and trekking with gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda. She’s now based in the UK and although sky diving in Cape Town has been replaced with weekends away in Europe, she’s delighted to be exploring a new part of the world yet still share her passion for Africa with those lucky enough to chat to her.

Thando

Content Researcher

Thando sees the world through a lens, capturing memorable moments spent in beautiful places. A love of sports allowed her to travel the length and breadth of South Africa. Although happily for us, Thando has found Cape Town to be very conducive to her hobbies, and it was an enthusiasm for tech and travel that brought her to Timbuktu. Now, she combines her many passions as one of our Content & Research assistants.

What our guests are saying

4.9 / 5

Based on 948 reviews

Guest

Mar 2025 • 11 nights in Kenya and Rwanda

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Jenna has been so attentive while planning our dream trip to East Africa. Jenna's attention to the details has... Read more

Gwyneth

Mar 2025 • 7 nights in Zimbabwe

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We have used Timbuktu and Joanna in particular many times. Great ideas and service. She resolves any issues... Read more

Jena

Mar 2025 • 5 nights in Kenya

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It was perfect! Jenna and Nadine were super responsive and everything was so simple and easy. They had great recs... Read more

MARK

Mar 2025 • 13 nights in Uganda

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Just booked our 2nd trip through Timbuktu. Dealt with Tessa on both occasions and could not recommend her enough.... Read more

Paolo

Mar 2025 • 10 nights in Kenya and Uganda

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I’ve planned several trips with Timbuktu—Southeast Asia, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, and Uganda—and each experience has... Read more

Guest

Mar 2025 • 10 nights in Rwanda and Tanzania

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Joanna Rigby-Jones and Nadine Levers have been excellent sources of suggestions, bookings, and ideas to help our... Read more

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