She was concerned. She wanted to know what to expect:

Where would there be hot water? What would happen if we broke down? What if there was a war? What could I guarantee her?

After many reassurances about how my trips work, Anna was still worrying, so I said:

"Anna, to be honest, I can only GUARANTEE you two things:
1) something will go wrong
2) weʼll get out of the problem."

Anna didnʼt come on the trip.

This was probably a good thing.

The wrong person on the wrong trip with the wrong company is not fun... and these trips are supposed to be fun.

Is From Here 2 Timbuktu right for you?

The fact that you are reading this page of all the trillion and one other travel pages you could be looking at, suggests that you are 99% likely to be my kind of traveller. I donʼt want ordinary people, because ordinary people want an ordinary trip.

I mean - who chooses to go to a continent full of poor people dying of hunger, where you are likely to die of some tropical disease, where there is conflict and corruption in every crevice, and where you may be put in a pot and cooked for dinner?

"Nobody" I was told by the industry when I put my trips to travel companies. the idea of From Here 2 Timbuktu.

I decided that was my market: ALL THE NOBODIES OUT THERE!

My clients range from 20 year old gap students, a 90 year old retired doctor, second world war vets and accountants! They are intelligent, responsible, interested and interesting and engaged people.

There is one key to you enjoying your trip in Africa - to trust and open yourself to the African experience.

You have to trust me to deliver what I promise you and you have to trust that you are with people who want and are doing their best for you. If there is anything we can do to make your trip more comfortable we will do it.

But sometimes things can go wrong. The vehicle can have a puncture and we need to wait for help, African "time" comes into play. But ask yourself, am I fed, watered and comfortable? If so I am happy because the rest will take care of itself, if not I want to know.

The something will go wrong bit of the guarantee I give you is because Africa operates on a very human level - insurance and guarantees and certainties donʼt really exist here.

In islamic Africa any statement referring to the future is coupled with "Inshʼallah" "God be willing". The future cannot be prescribed as it can in the west.

A journey may arrive at the destination this afternoon, but perhaps there has been rain and our path is more difficult, or someone is stuck and we need to help them. So we are delayed. Night falls so we stay near a village. That night there is a wedding and we all join in the celebrations. God willed that we arrived the next day, and our compensation is an experience that money canʼt buy and that may well be one of your best memories of the trip.

To best assure a positive outcome to the future Africa has a very solid insurance policy - its community. This is the “weʼll get out of the problem“ part of the equation.

It is the community that gets you out of any problem and protects you from harm because you are to be highly respected: you are a guest.

To deal with the community you need flexibility, patience, respect and an open mind.

Africa is a very different place. Sometimes comparing it with your world lets the beauty of this extraordinary continent slip through your fingers. If you reserve judgement and look for the African logic it can inspire. After all, they have been doing things their way for a lot longer than we have been doing things our way.

It is a very safe place. Contrary to the myth and the image we receive, there is almost zero crime.

On my trips you need to be able to cope with some of the following:

• camping
• a long drop toilet
• an unconventional shower

• long journeys where you will arrive hot and tired and dusty
• you may not make your destination one day, but you will always be safe and have back up
• if you are able you may be asked to push a vehicle, or help dig it out of sand on occasion

• if you are on an overland journey the accommodation available may at times be basic

• other people

• me being an idiot!

If you have any questions or worries about your suitability for a trip, let's talk:

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