Meet The Ubuntu Team
Cuan McLaren
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Although born and raised a city boy in Johannesburg, the thrill and experience of being in the African bush has been an obsession of mine from a young age.
Travelling to game reserves on family holidays as a child are some of my fondest memories, and I spent hours pouring over Wilbur Smith, game ranger and wildlife books. From early on I knew I wanted to be involved in the African safari industry in some form. After a stint of travelling overseas and studying at university back in Joburg, I was fortunate enough to work as an overland safari guide covering Southern AfricaSpending 24 hours a day guiding and caring for tourists through various African countries, I learned a huge amount of what travellers are looking for from their African holiday, and also gained firsthand extensive experience of a large range of destinations and activities. |
After marrying an Australian, and moving to Sydney, I now love being able to share my passion and experiences with others, and hope to help you have one of the most unbelievable travel experiences of your life. I will be intimately involved in your travel arrangements, and am happy to chat with you to work out exactly what you are hoping for.
I look forward to hearing from you!
I look forward to hearing from you!
Diederik Vandenhoeke
Diederik was educated in Belgium, but has lived in East & Central Africa for most of his life. Though born in Belgium – his parents left the country for Algeria when he was four. He had the privilege of growing up in a family of 'modern nomads' and spent most of his life in Central, East & Southern Africa.
After university studies back in Belgium, he did work for a local NGO in Tanzania, ran his own tourism business on the Kenya Coast, guided tours in Southern Africa for a Belgium based Tour Operator... and later joined a reputable South African Tour Operator as a Specialist East Africa Safari Consultant - his first job between four walls.
Unable to resist the charms of his favorite part of Africa, he moved back to East Africa in 2009 where he settled in Uganda and continued helping travellers 'live' the most authentic and meaningful experiences of the Africa he came to know and respect. Diederik joined African Ubuntu Safaris in September 2013 and specialises in serving adventurous spirits from all corners of the globe in their discovery of the most wild and untouched parts of East Africa.
His favourite statement is:
‘I have a passion for this colourful continent. Its people, its different cultures and its wildlife. I have had the privilege to live in different parts of Africa for over 18 years and feel absolutely at home here. I respect all sorts of different norms and values which do not necessarily mean I would make them my own. But one thing I am sure of is that we can learn many things from each other.’
Diederik is an enormous asset to African Ubuntu, and will help create some incredible memories.
After university studies back in Belgium, he did work for a local NGO in Tanzania, ran his own tourism business on the Kenya Coast, guided tours in Southern Africa for a Belgium based Tour Operator... and later joined a reputable South African Tour Operator as a Specialist East Africa Safari Consultant - his first job between four walls.
Unable to resist the charms of his favorite part of Africa, he moved back to East Africa in 2009 where he settled in Uganda and continued helping travellers 'live' the most authentic and meaningful experiences of the Africa he came to know and respect. Diederik joined African Ubuntu Safaris in September 2013 and specialises in serving adventurous spirits from all corners of the globe in their discovery of the most wild and untouched parts of East Africa.
His favourite statement is:
‘I have a passion for this colourful continent. Its people, its different cultures and its wildlife. I have had the privilege to live in different parts of Africa for over 18 years and feel absolutely at home here. I respect all sorts of different norms and values which do not necessarily mean I would make them my own. But one thing I am sure of is that we can learn many things from each other.’
Diederik is an enormous asset to African Ubuntu, and will help create some incredible memories.
Courtnay Hedge
Little did I know what lay in store for me when a friend and I travelled to South Africa in 2006! Our tour from Johannesburg to Cape Town turned out the be the first of many African holidays, and the start of a love affair with both Africa and an African!
Since that first trip I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time travelling through South Africa as well as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda and Rwanda. The passion for African travel has easily been ignited in me, and I am hugely excited to be helping Cuan with his business in Australia.
I have fallen in love with the people of Africa, and through numerous visits have developed a yearning to explore more of the continent and spend more time on safari. Although there are many similarities, there are also so many enormous differences between Australia and Africa that you could spend a lifetime travelling there and yet have a new and overwhelming experience everytime.
Highlights of my holidays there include gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda, going to Soccer City to watch the Ghana vs Uruguay quarterfinal of the 2010 World Cup, having a leopard stalk around our car early in the morning in the Kruger Park, being surrounded by a herd of elephants while on a walking safari in the Okavango Delta, and almost stumbling directly into a pack of wild dogs on that same walk!
Being involved now in African Ubuntu Safaris I hope to be able to help you enjoy some adventures of your own!
Take it from me, your African holiday could be completely life changing!
Since that first trip I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time travelling through South Africa as well as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda and Rwanda. The passion for African travel has easily been ignited in me, and I am hugely excited to be helping Cuan with his business in Australia.
I have fallen in love with the people of Africa, and through numerous visits have developed a yearning to explore more of the continent and spend more time on safari. Although there are many similarities, there are also so many enormous differences between Australia and Africa that you could spend a lifetime travelling there and yet have a new and overwhelming experience everytime.
Highlights of my holidays there include gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda, going to Soccer City to watch the Ghana vs Uruguay quarterfinal of the 2010 World Cup, having a leopard stalk around our car early in the morning in the Kruger Park, being surrounded by a herd of elephants while on a walking safari in the Okavango Delta, and almost stumbling directly into a pack of wild dogs on that same walk!
Being involved now in African Ubuntu Safaris I hope to be able to help you enjoy some adventures of your own!
Take it from me, your African holiday could be completely life changing!
Gerald and Louise McLaren
Gerald and Louise, who take care of our Johannesburg office in assisting with accommodation information on the website and acting as a local contact for both operators and clients, instilled a love of the African bush in their children from an early age, with family holidays in South Africa's game reserves.
Whenever they find the time, they enjoy spending weekends in the Drakensberg Mountains, or Limpopo game reserves, or exploring elsewhere in South Africa, and are always on the lookout for new and exciting locations and accommodations to promote.
Having spent a lifetime driving throughout South Africa, especially along the Garden Route and around Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, there are not too many areas in South Africa they haven't visited, and they are immensely keen to promote their beautiful continent to Aussies.
During your travels in Africa, they will be on hand to help you within African timezones, and in this way African Ubuntu Safaris can provide 24 hour assistance to any of our guests.
Whenever they find the time, they enjoy spending weekends in the Drakensberg Mountains, or Limpopo game reserves, or exploring elsewhere in South Africa, and are always on the lookout for new and exciting locations and accommodations to promote.
Having spent a lifetime driving throughout South Africa, especially along the Garden Route and around Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, there are not too many areas in South Africa they haven't visited, and they are immensely keen to promote their beautiful continent to Aussies.
During your travels in Africa, they will be on hand to help you within African timezones, and in this way African Ubuntu Safaris can provide 24 hour assistance to any of our guests.
