Exodus, AWF Partner On Curated Safaris
Exodus Travels is partnering with the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) to offer a portfolio of carefully curated luxury adventures that will take travellers behind the scenes of regular safaris and offer them an opportunity to learn from wildlife experts about gorilla conservation in Uganda, conserving elephants and their habitat in Zimbabwe, and protecting a fragile population of wolves in the historic highlands of Ethiopia.
Since 1961, AWF has been helping local communities to recognize the benefits of conserving wildlife, rather than viewing it as a threat to their livelihoods. The organization is revered globally for its work to ensure conservation strategies work for wildlife and people.
Not only will travellers on these safaris witness Africa’s extraordinary creatures firsthand, but they’ll also experience VIP access into AWF projects across the continent and meet with the incredible people and personalities making a difference along the way.
Robin Brooks, marketing director for Exodus Travels, said: “During these times, supporting like-minded organizations such as the African Wildlife Foundation is more important than ever before.”
Brooks continued: “We are honoured to join forces with such an incredible group of people and their efforts through this partnership; and as with all Exodus adventures across the globe are dedicated to ensuring tourism dollars are used responsibly to support regenerative and sustainable initiatives and organizations that benefit destinations and the communities within.”
Each itinerary will be led by one of AWF’s knowledgeable conservationists, Carter Smith and Craig Sholley.
With decades of experience, their passion for wildlife conservation, and the people of Africa makes for a truly once in a lifetime adventure with them at the helm.
To highlight their exceptional careers, Carter worked with Sir Iain Douglas-Hamilton at Save the Elephants, spent years rehabilitating birds of prey in the bush, and owned her own safari company; while Craig studied mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey at Rwanda’s celebrated Karisoke Research Centre, was a scientific advisor for the award-winning IMAX film, Mountain Gorilla and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of AWF.
Safaris will begin departing as of September 2021 with bookable trips that run in both 2021 and 2022.
Exodus is committed to responsible, regenerative and sustainable small-group tours to ensure that every adventure they run is a beneficial experience for everyone involved, most importantly the local community. As part of this partnership, Exodus will donate a portion of each sale back to AWF for one if its local projects.
And to bring the joy of an AWF Safari to as many people as possible, Exodus and AWF will be hosting a free virtual safari from Uganda on Thursday, March 25 at 1pm EST.
Those interested can watch on the Exodus Travels Facebook Page and join the safari remotely, from anywhere in the world.
AWF’s Carter Smith observed: “When I started designing safaris in Africa nearly two decades ago, I never imagined I would be creating safaris for an online audience.”
And Smith continued: “Our virtual safaris have exceeded my expectations during the pandemic, in terms of lifting spirits, creating a platform to reminisce and allowing us to dream of a time we will travel again. It is rewarding to bring the beauty of these countries to people who cannot travel, as well as connect individuals with AWF conservationists.”
Go to www.exodustravels.com/ca/awf-collection for more on the new collection of safaris.
