TravelManagers - Dionne Smith

TravelManagers - Dionne Smith Enjoy the convenience and security of having your own Personal TravelManager who understands your unique travel requirements. Personally Designed Travel.

Enjoy the convenience and security of having your own Personal TravelManager who understands your unique travel requirements whether you are travelling for business or pleasure. When planning your next travel itinerary, please contact me for expert advice and a free quote. There is no need to wait in queues or spend hours searching online. As your own dedicated Personal TravelManager I am availabl

e when you want and where you want – in the office, at home, a local coffee shop, on the phone or via email. With over 20 years’ experience as a travel consultant, I am passionate about travelling and providing my clients with the most personalised, professional and in depth service possible. My knowledge of travel destinations and holiday options is extensive and having visited over 40 countries, I can provide advice on low budget adventure through to 5 star luxury travel. TravelManagers Australia is a fully accredited Travel Agent and a member of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA). This offers you security and peace of mind that your money is safe and reputable providers are used. Personally Yours

ACN: 113 085 626 Member: IATA, AFTA, ICCA

🇰🇪🇰🇪On the way to the iconic Maasai Mara, our lunch stop is at Tepesua, the community organisation in the Loita Plains a...
08/06/2026

🇰🇪🇰🇪On the way to the iconic Maasai Mara, our lunch stop is at Tepesua, the community organisation in the Loita Plains about 30km from the national park. It is a safe haven for Maasai women fleeing FGM (female ge***al mutilation) and forced marriage.

Their eco-camp is used exclusively by Intrepid with cultural experiences generating employment and a market for handmade crafts. They have much more also. Check it out https://www.intrepidtravel.com/adventures/tepesua-community/

Not much further we get to experience the African massage again in full force. 😁 The heavy rains of the year made a huge mess of the roads!

Thank goodness we had many rewards with a number of lions and cheetah sightings. Plus hippos and crocodiles in the famous Mara River where the migration crossings occur. Lovely views across to the Serengeti. 😍

💙🧡💛💚






🇰🇪🇰🇪A relaxing train back to Nairobi to be taken by our favourite local Michael for a visit to my long time most favouri...
07/06/2026

🇰🇪🇰🇪A relaxing train back to Nairobi to be taken by our favourite local Michael for a visit to my long time most favourite location.... the Giraffe Centre. 🦒🦒🦒🦒🦒

Set up many years ago to help save the endangered Rothschild's giraffe, the centre educates the public and importantly, school children.

Can never stop smiling when I'm at this centre. 🥰With a breeding program they have successfully reintegrated many of this rare variety back to the wild.

Evening at Carnivore topping off the day. Another awesome afternoon.🤩

💙🧡💛💚






🇰🇪🇰🇪From Amboseli, a game drive short cut on our way back to the train because, why not!? Less security but undercover ...
07/06/2026

🇰🇪🇰🇪From Amboseli, a game drive short cut on our way back to the train because, why not!? Less security but undercover agents checking passports. Annoying, maybe naive me asked them for ID. oops 🤗 At least they were friendly and had a chat and a chuckle!!

From Voi station, to Taita Hills located near Tsavo West National Park and specifically, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary a private conservation area. The Taita Hills area is part of the Eastern Arc Mountains biodiversity hotspot with very rare endemic plants and birds - African violets originate from there! Our stay at the unique Salt Lick Lodge built on stilts promises interesting wildlife viewing. 🤩

Many environment projects in this region and we participated in habitat rehabilitation with reafforestation by planting an indigenous tree. Mine is a favourite of giraffes. 🥰 With the gps coordinates of my specific tree I will be sent updates!

A new to us and unusual black serval spotted along with many others while game driving.

Unfortunately too cloudy for a night skyviewing activity in this low light region but the definite highlight here was our night game drive and discovering 3 lions relaxing in the early evening.

💙🧡💛💚





🇰🇪I have been so excited to start our safari in regions I have yet to explore. Amboseli known for elephants with classi...
05/06/2026

🇰🇪I have been so excited to start our safari in regions I have yet to explore. Amboseli known for elephants with classic views of Kilimanjaro promised to be a highlight.

I chose to use the train east to hopefully avoid a lot of the heavy vehicles travelling in from Kenya's ports loaded for Kenya and the land locked neighbours. Not to mention the bashing these roads get as a result!

Luckily we had our Intrepid leader Patrick to get us calmly through the multiple security scans and sniffer dogs before getting to the terminal and then more again. Security is ultra serious. The journey was really smooth, modern, comfortable and quite sedate. An announcement indicated that at least one other carriage lived up to the lively Kenyan energy vibe you might expect. 😁

On arrival in Emali, our driver/ safari guide Jacob was ready to wisk us off to explore in an almost new vehicle!

On the way to Amboseli, a visit with lunch at the Patinaai Osim project which assists Maasai women to create their own livelihoods. A project sponsored by Intrepid Foundation and a great fun stop. At the hub there were local Maasai women learning tailoring and others learning new ideas to expand their beading prowess with new colours and styles to keep up with changing markets. Such a welcoming and friendly group with heaps of laughs and fun. Our dancing and singing needs improvement. 🤣

Amboseli, what more can I say..... Elephants, elephants, elephants. After decent rain, very lush and lovely. Kilimanjaro poked above the clouds! Oh, other animals too, lions and hippos sunbaking.😁

💙🧡💛💚







🇰🇪Our second day for Nairobi exploration started with a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum of Out of Africa fame. The hou...
05/06/2026

🇰🇪Our second day for Nairobi exploration started with a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum of Out of Africa fame. The house has been conserved to showcase her history in Kenya and involvement in supporting local schooling and medical needs. As well as her ill fated love.

Then on to spend a few hours learning to prepare and cook some Kenyan dishes with Nimoh. A matatu ride with music blaring to the local market to buy the vegetable ingredients and then the butchers for goat meat. Freshly diced as we waited. Generously welcomed into her home to cook the food that would be especially eaten at a wedding feast but are also staples. Nimoh explained how different tribal regions vary the food and was very strict with our novice prep! Thanks to Nimoh, everything turned out perfectly and was so delicious. Awesome way to spend the day.

💙🧡💛💚






🇰🇪Whoops, have been having such a great time in Kenya, I haven't updated you all on my travels!! 🤩😇Well, travel is alwa...
04/06/2026

🇰🇪Whoops, have been having such a great time in Kenya, I haven't updated you all on my travels!! 🤩😇

Well, travel is always so much more fun for me when I am able to interact with the people of the places I visit. My priority for this trip was to have a mix of activities that enhances the experience and our first full day with Urban Adventures on a Nairobi Experience walk with the wonderful Michael started us off perfectly. Exploring the streets of Nairobi from the administrative areas to the real Nairobi packed with real life!! Over 7 km but not rushed and paced for us. Lovely Helen and Al were ever patient with Dad's slow walking.

Michael is so passionate about his city and explained so much for us. His local knowledge and contacts ensured we were absolutely safe everywhere and he changed directions when news of a protest came to ensure we were not caught up in the crowds. Topped off with a shared meal at Kilimanjaro restaurant. There you let them know your budget or preferences and they serve a range of tastes to suit on a large platter in the middle of the table.

Absolutely must stay a day or two in Nairobi and do this tour!!! Combine with a Giraffe Centre visit and Michael will have you on a local Matatu. Bus is not quite enough to describe these often crazy local transport vehicles!

Do it!

Highlights: Nairobi City Market, Kenyatta International Convention Centre and a full city view, August 7th Memorial Park and the Peace Memorial Museum, weaving through the traffic and much more. 😍

💙🧡💛💚






Another visit to Kenya has been long overdue . 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪 So a week ago with some lovely clients and my Dad, I jetted off to...
30/05/2026

Another visit to Kenya has been long overdue . 🇰🇪🇰🇪🇰🇪

So a week ago with some lovely clients and my Dad, I jetted off to magical Kenya 🌟😊.
We have enjoyed some wonderful experiences.

The first day started via Nairobi National Park 🌳. Within an hour of landing, we were on a small game drive in the only national park inside a national capital. Giraffes, Rhinos, Impala, zebra and many bird varieties 🦒🦏🦓.
Followed by a must do visit to the daily orphans feed and mud bath at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust with the orphaned elephants, a zebra and rhino 🐘. Lunch and Kobe Tough Beads finished off our day. 😃

💙🧡💛💚






Last full day in Namibia (11 December)This morning Martin takes us into the AfriCat Carnivore Care Centre where they hav...
12/12/2024

Last full day in Namibia (11 December)

This morning Martin takes us into the AfriCat Carnivore Care Centre where they have 5 cheetahs who were brought in as orphaned cubs due to human/wildlife conflict. The release back into the wild as juveniles ended up not working as well as hoped due to the number of other predators in the Nature Reserve among other issues and after a few years, the adults were brought back into the care centre to live out their lives. It has given the AfriCat Foundation educational and research opportunities. We were able to be so close to the now approx 14 year old siblings.

We also visited the veterinary care and information centre to learn about the Foundation's multi pronged approach to conservation of predators and endangered species within the reserve and education and help to avoid human/wildlife conflict with farming techniques etc.

A final inspection of the other sections of the Okonjima Nature Reserve's accommodation has us up to date on the options for each client's needs.

Our last full day is quite melancholy with possibly our quietest dinner conversations so far. Looking forward to going home but wistful to not be sharing Africa everyday with our little group and our absolutely amazing guide.

Thank you Bench Africa and Ultimate Safaris Namibia

Best trip ever!

💙🧡💛💚









Day Twelve (10 December)Today we have another fairly short drive to our last location of Okonjima, home of the AfriCat F...
12/12/2024

Day Twelve (10 December)

Today we have another fairly short drive to our last location of Okonjima, home of the AfriCat Foundation.

However on our way, Johann has arranged a special visit with a local Himba village to learn a little about their life and traditions. This village moved down from their original village in the north west due to drought with their cattle hoping to have better conditions for a while. We learnt how they clean themselves with smoke from fragrant barks. To protect their skin, the women slather themselves with ochre. The hair is braided and also has the ochre applied. Each item they wear has a particular meaning showing where they are in their life journey.

On to Okonjima Nature Reserve, with a hot arrival! We can see they have had rain with new growth on trees and sprouting if grasses. This reserve was once a beef cattle farm and is still surrounded by commercial farmlands. Set beneath small mountain outcrops, it is perfect leopard habitat and instead of trying to take over from the leopards, they have embraced saving leopards and cheetahs. Out of 35 leopards, they have collared 18 to be able to easily track and monitor them for research. This also means we are part of citizen science when we go out with the fabulous head guide Martin to track our designated leopards.

He first tracks a young male who we find trying to grab a guinea fowl just before a welcome shower. Pulling down the side awnings scares him into a bush but he is still there when it finishes and we watch him decide on his alternative for the day.

Our next leopard, an older female who is trying to expand her territory for herself and her daughter is difficult to find as she is walking through small bushy areas. When we do find her, she is sitting, watching a small steenbok antelope for dinner preparation. For about 20 minutes she slowly and patiently creeps up to grab her prey. Not to be and we follow her some more where she looks to be ready to attack a Kori bustard and their nest for eggs.

We leave her to it as it is getting close to sundown and Martin has a perfect spot for us.

💙🧡💛💚









Day Eleven (9 December)This morning we are up early to be at Etosha National Park for opening at sunrise for our guided ...
11/12/2024

Day Eleven (9 December)

This morning we are up early to be at Etosha National Park for opening at sunrise for our guided game drive in Etosha South.

Yet another location and different terrain. We drive between the many waterholes as generally the best way to observe the animals when it is dry. But yet again, we are delivered with a myriad of wildlife.

The Etosha pan is approx 120km East to West, 80km North to south and is 40% of the national park. It looks like it goes forever.

Wildebeest, Springbok, Ostriches, honey badger, giraffe, elephants, the list goes on. Watching a lioness with her really young (possibly 2 months old) cubs conveniently resting under a tree close to the road. Another great day in Namibia.

A late lunch in a picnic area of the government run game lodge near the park entry and we return to Ongava with clouds brewing for "good weather". We were all hopeful for the rain as yesterday's clouds only gave a light shower. It eventually hit with strong wind but a decent shower.

💙💛🧡💚









Address

Lismore, NSW
2480

Telephone

+61428020968

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when TravelManagers - Dionne Smith posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category