It’s been said that the heart of your African safari is… the heart of your African safari guide. Is he knowledgeable about wildlife and the land? Does he know just where to find that pride of lions or an elusive leopard seen prowling in the area?
But just as importantly, is he excited and passionate about his work? Does he delight in sharing his love for the wildlife with you, his guests? Is he just as invested in having a magnificent safari as you are?
That’s the measure of a truly great safari leader. At Africa Kenya Safaris, we are fortunate to enjoy the skills and talent of a great many such guides. And we’d like to share the stories of these remarkable people in this series. Today we’ll get to meet master guide Joseph Mbote.
Born Free
You remember the story about Elsa the lioness, set free by her caretaker, Joy Adamson. So did Joseph – the movie was his first exposure to Kenya’s incredible wildlife. Growing up in Mombasa, his family didn’t have the means to see the country’s national parks so Elsa became his inspiration for a life in the natural world.
This fascination only increased through his childhood so Joseph attended college, did field work, and apprenticed to become a guide. After passing his exams and then working as a junior guide, Joseph was finally able to pursue his lifelong passion.
Safari Mornings
Joseph says there’s no typical safari day but most mornings he’ll head out with his guests around 6 am, an excellent time to see the animals emerging into the new day. After a few hours on safari, he’ll bring his guests back to their lodge for breakfast.
However on longer safaris and when in the Masai Mara Reserve, Joseph gets box meals for everyone so they can stay out for a full day of game drives. As he says, “I love Masai Mara – I call it a lion documentary. There is so much to see here, so much wildlife.”
Your Customized Safari
Perhaps the only thing Joseph loves more than the wildlife is sharing the wildlife with his guests, especially on their first safari. He explains, “You can see their excitement. Not even with the cats. When they first see a zebra… it’s ‘Oh, that’s a zebra! Zebra, my god!’ And you don’t want to tell them there are 10,000 zebras still ahead.”
But Joseph wants to make every safari unique and special, accommodating his guests’ requests. Some guests just want quiet, no talking, no radio communications. Joseph will comply and without his network of other guides, just rely on experience and instincts to find the wildlife. He adds, “And when you find a pride, there is that sense of satisfaction. And the guests see you actually know what you’re doing.”
Joseph’s guests appreciate his efforts and his love of the safari life which he shares so generously. He says, “For many, it has been their dream of a lifetime to come and visit the Masai Mara, just to be on safari. So you can imagine the satisfaction and you might end up crying.”
Choose Your East Africa Safari Tour
Our Africa Safaris in Kenya, Tanzania & Zanzibar
Check out our many East Africa safari tours:
NAIROBI EXCURSIONS
Africa Kenya Safaris offers you full and half-day excursions & trips from Nairobi
KENYA SAFARI FROM NAIROBI
Explore our multi-day Kenya safari adventures ranging from 2 – 12 days from Nairobi.
NAIROBI TO DIANI BEACH SAFARIS
Enjoy a Kenya wildlife safari then finish up your holiday at Kenya’s Diani Beach.
DIANI BEACH KENYA SAFARIS
Explore our Kenya safaris from beach resorts of Diani – voted Africa’s leading beach destination
AMBOSELI KENYA SAFARIS
Explore Amboseli – famous for large herds of elephants and scenic views of Mount Kilimanjaro
KENYA FLIGHT SAFARIS
Book Kenya flight Safaris and explore Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu & Lewa Conservancy.
MASAI MARA KENYA SAFARIS
Masai Mara is home of the Great Wildebeest Migration, Big Five of Africa, Big cats, Masai culture etc.
KENYA BEACH TO NAIROBI SAFARIS
Book Exciting African safaris starting from/to the beautiful Diani beach resorts
KENYA-TANZANIA SAFARIS
Experience wildlife parks, beaches and mountains of Kenya & Tanzania.
KENYA SAFARI & DIANI BEACH
Experience the best of both worlds – a thrilling Kenya safari and a dream Diani beach vacation
KENYA SHORT GROUP SAFARIS
Join our exciting Kenya short Group safari Tours from Nairobi in 4×4 safari jeeps
TANZANIA SAFARI HOLIDAYS
Exciting 4×4 Tanzania safaris from Arusha town. Explore Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Manyara & Tarangire.
ZANZIBAR BEACH HOLIDAYS
Pre/post your African safari holiday in Kenya & Tanzania, ‘escape’ to Africa’s leading beach destination – Zanzibar!
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING TOURS
Best Africa mountain climbing adventure tour packages and safaris. Climb Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro
EAST AFRICA BEACH HOLIDAYS
Best family-friendly beach holidays on the sandy beaches of Mombasa, Diani, Malindi, Watamu, Lamu & Zanzibar
HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES
You came to Africa to live an experience – to see the Big 5, Big cats, wildebeest migration & so much more!
Customize your dream African safari
At Africa Kenya Safaris we are always flexible with your options, we will offer our thoughts on seasons, budgets, lifestyle, accommodations, first-hand experience of the parks, and all the possible activities to fill out your safari story. We’ll work with your impressions and dreams and add our ideas on which to build your adventure.
