Whether stalking the big five on safari, braving the precipice of Victoria Falls, or sipping wine at a beautiful estate, all of our touring in Africa was curated by the men (and they were all men) who guided us. To be a tourist guide or a safari guide is a great responsibility, taking care of ignorant rubes who would soon find themselves in real danger if left on their own. All of our guides had formal training and certification. The safari guides have to be knowledgeable about the flora and fauna found in the wilderness, and also have driver and firearm training.

For the city guides, knowledge of the neighborhoods, customs and tourist attractions is essential, but also knowing areas and situations to avoid.

Our first guide in the bush at Camp Moremi was Rodgers, a rough edged man who was expert at tracking animals and finding things others might not see.

One of the most thrilling adventures with Rodgers was racing through the bush to find a leopard. They are seldom seen in the Okavango Delta, so when word came over the radio of a sighting, Rodgers turned into a NASCAR driver racing to the site. The Land Cruisers are open sided, and sit high. The paths we drove are sandy, rutted and serpentine. The Cruiser fishtailed through the bush, branches scraping the sides and slapping us as we drove. At one point we were nearly bounced from our seats, and Rodgers yelled “You should buckle your seatbelts!” We survived the drive and got a great view of a large leopard in a tree.

When we moved on to Camp Xugana, Joe took over as our guide. Joe had the heart of a poet, gentle and cautious. He appreciated the beauty of the Delta and loved to share sunsets, birds and flowers with us. But he also found us lions basking on a beach, hippos gaping their jaws in warning and crocodiles sunning under a tree.

Joe would find a quiet spot on the water for our sunset gin and tonic, and one evening shared a poem he had written with us.

At Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe our guide was Hastings. He was well versed in the history of the Falls and the story of David Livingstone. As we walked from viewpoint to viewpoint along the trail he pointed out the perfect spot for a great picture and told us story of the Falls before Livingstone arrived.

The guides were also interesting and unsparing when they spoke of their own country and their government. The guides in Botswana are reverential when speaking of Seretse Khama, the first president of the country after liberation. He insisted on honesty in his government and set the country on a path of peace and prosperity unrivaled in all of Africa. The guides in Zimbabwe and Zambia spoke of corruption and poor management.

One of the most interesting guides was Chippa, who gave us our tour of Langa township. He had grown up in Langa, and still lived there with his family. In what could have been a very dangerous place, his local knowledge and standing in the community opened doors to us.

Our guide throughout our stay in Cape Town was Kyle. He was a man on the move, racing from place to place and muttering at slower cars in his way “really, dude?” He was constantly on his phone checking information and lining up new clients, but he never neglected us. His knowledge of the country was vast, and he shared freely.

As we got to know him, Kyle opened up and shared more personal details about his life and his childhood. He grew up poor, and has been hustling and entrepreneurial his whole life. He looks at government officials and their corruption with disgust. He looked forward to the rare day off to have a ‘braai’ with his family – a traditional cookout usually with boerwors sausages cooked over a wood or charcoal fire.

By the end of our stay Kyle was a friend, and saying goodbye at the airport was a bittersweet but fitting end to our trip.

Our guides really made our trip so special, and many of the great memories we have of Africa are because of them. A huge thanks to all.