CREATING MEMORIES
It’s More Than Just a Job at Rothschild Safaris
Each day at Rothschild Safaris we are filled with inspiration.
Every one of us possesses a thirst for travel, a passion for the wild places of the world and a heartfelt desire to share them with others.
Our clients infuse us with such ebullient and infectious enthusiasm that it makes our job a joy, whether booking flights, planning the paperwork or handcrafting a unique and irreplicable itinerary specifically refined to their personal wishes.
As Rothschild Safaris Travel Designer, Pam Langhoff, recently reflected, “My clients, undoubtedly some of the kindest people I have had the privilege of working with, expressed their gratitude and their love for travel with Rothschild Safaris, and why they will never go to Africa with anyone else. This moment continues to inspire me to deliver the best experience for all my clients, time and time again.”
It is this kind of feedback that can’t be expressed in words and reaches far beyond the more conventional aspects of job satisfaction.
It is a story of receiving what we give. Two and a half decades of business have given us such an intrinsic foundation of knowledge, not only of our destinations, venues, providers and guides, but also of our clients’ wishes and how best to manifest them.
“We care about our clients and we have an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team of employees,” says operations coordinator and one of the newest members of our team, Aimee Olson. “We all go the extra mile to really get to know them and provide an exceptional travel experience for them.”
Inside Sales team member, Graeme Parker concurs: “Being part of a multi-talented team that is passionate about excellence, working together and creating memorable moments of a lifetime for our travellers is reward in itself.”
For our India Travel Designer, Viji Krishna, her lifelong passion has aligne exquisitely with the Rothshild concept:
“My worldview was shaped on my family trips around the world. I learned early to be open to whatever the world can offer and to look beyond my comfort zone. I have spent my life doing just that—pushing boundaries, trying new things, and appreciating the uniqueness in each culture yet identifying what unites people universally as well.
“I fell in love with the philosophy of Rothschild Safaris, for precisely the same reason; it resonates with everything that I hold true in myself; being authentic, mindful, kind and daring.”
It might be as simple as booking an international flight, but we know that every aspect of what we do – from the luxury accommodation reservations to the minutiae that few other companies would even contemplate – builds towards creating the experience of a lifetime, one that only Rothschild Safaris could provide, and one that will remain a lifelong memory for our guests.
“The fact that I can call [Rothschild Safaris] a family should speak volumes,” Pam alludes. The intimacy of our boutique team, despite their dispersal across four continents, ensures that each guest is never just a number and all are known by name by each and every staff member.
“It means we’re much more personable with not only each other but our clients as well. We do not just mass-market trips, we get to know each individual personally, developing wonderful relationships over many years,” reflects Rothschild Safaris Product Manager and fountain of wisdom, Kimberley Bezuidenhout. Born and raised in Lilongwe, Malawi, Kim’s knowledge of Africa is pervasive, but her extensive experience has broadened that proficiency across all of our global destinations.
“Every person has so much knowledge about safaris and is so supportive of one another,” adds Rachel Chariton, our globally-travelled Client Manager hailing from Denver, Colorado.
This union of minds and talents makes our work a pleasure, even at its most challenging moments. The kindred support for one another is unwavering and, as Operations Manager, Meggan Woody so eloquently explains, “I love that the work is fun yet challenging, keeping me on my toes. You always know you have support no matter what, and people who will ensure your own personal success. It truly does feel like a family.”
Client satisfaction is, of course, our raison d’être and our ultimate quest. “I get great pleasure in designing trips for Rothschild Safaris clients”, Travel Designer and one of our longest-standing and well-travelled staff members, Ruthie Detwiler succinctly explains. Yet without a greater sense of purpose, any job is still just a job.
Angela Pretorius agrees that client empathy is one of the greatest rewards of working a world-leading safari outfitter. As our South African Operations Manager, it is Angie’s job to be the first point of contact for clients on their arrival. Her intimate and expansive knowledge of not just South Africa, but the entire continent, places her in the unique position of being in the same time zone as clients on African safaris and able to assist with any issue, concern or question that may arise. From changing COVID protocols to a spontaneous desire to take a helicopter flight across the Serengeti, Angie is on hand every single day of our clients’ luxury safari itinerary.
“From the moment our clients arrive in Africa to the time they depart, I am living the experience with each and every one of them. Now, I would say thats a pretty neat position to be in! You know that feeling when you start planning a trip of a lifetime? Well, imagine experiencing that every day!” Though a person of few words, her compassion for clients and resounding enthusiasm for their experiences and happiness speaks volumes.
There is a deeper consideration to our offerings than the satisfaction of our clients alone. Though safety, luxury and satisfaction are paramount, no itinerary is created that compromises our vehement dedication to conservation, sustainability and ethics.
The animals, the environments, the people and their cultures are never taken for granted, and with each experience we take, we give back in return. We have tirelessly appraised and scrutinised every venue, villa, location and experience to ensure not only that we are doing no harm, but that we are actively bettering these destinations and their inhabitants, human and animal. And in this lies a reward that no monthly bonus or promotion could parallel.
“We constantly strive to be better and do better,” Pam shares. “I love that we are a company whose heart is in the right place – we do what we do for the right reasons, continually making conservation-focused decisions.”
Supporting those who care for our guests and who actively seek to protect, sustain and conserve creates additional gratification, but also an aspect of exclusivity for our clients. It is such a joy to know that the staff and venues that have supported us and welcomed our clients for decades are still thriving through several challenging years because of our loyalty to them, and that our clients benefit from this kindred alliance.
“Despite all the doom and gloom and seemingly never-ending postponements of the past two years, a 2021 highlight for me has been the number of people who are still choosing to travel”, Kim says of these COVID times. “Their experiences have been incredible and truly once in a lifetime, as not for decades have people had the Great Migration completely to themselves or been the only ones in camp in the middle of nowhere. Private vehicles, private meals, private flights – this is the reward for choosing to support the African tourism industry over the past two years.”
So many go to work each day for the sole purpose of making money. Perhaps they like their colleagues, maybe the job is enjoyable, but ultimately they are there to pay the bills.
We at Rothschild Safaris feel utterly blessed to find such joy in our work that it rarely even feels like work. With a unified and compassionate staff, appreciative and inspiring clients and the ability to create small changes towards a brighter future, you can hardly call it work at all…
We are looking forward to creating many more memories of a lifetime in 2022.
Header image: Safaris Unlimited
