As the year comes to an end, I look back with gratitude for all the experiences shared. While many people choose to reflect through their favorite images, it is the experiences themselves that have shaped me most, the quiet moments of anticipation, the uncertainty that comes with adventure, and the connections formed along the way. Those experiences live far beyond the frame, influencing not only the photographs that emerge, but the way I see the world and choose to share it. So, I have decided to share my top experiences of 2025 with you.
REPUBLIC OF CONGO –
There is hardly a week that goes by without my mind returning to the Congo. It felt like stepping back into the good old days, heading toward a place still shrouded in mystery, a place few had seen. That feeling of diving into the unknown, guided only by your own imagination, is a rare and precious thrill. In a world where most corners have already been photographed, tagged, mapped, and shared a million times, finding a truly untouched place, hidden far beyond the beaten tracks of mass tourism, is almost unheard of and all the more worth chasing. Treking through the pristine jungle was my top experience!
REPUBLIC OF CONGO –
Trekking through the thick, tangled heart of the primeval Congo rainforest was like stepping into another world, dense, humid, and alive with sound. Coming face-to-face with the Lowland gorillas – speechless! I am very much looking forward to the experience at Mahale in 2026!
HELICOPTER FROM THE HIMALAYS –
Flying by helicopter through the Himalayas was an experience defined by serenity and quiet awe. We had spent a tough 10 days navigating up the mountains, running from the season’s most significant storm, and then trekking in search of the snow leopard. Earlier, I had researched the possibility of taking helicopters out. When I brought it up, the girls said, “heck yes.” We flew from the top of the Himalayas to Delhi. This will probably remain in the top 20 life experiences.
ZANZIBAR-
It took me twenty years to return, yet Zanzibar and the Kenyan coast have always felt deeply exotic to me. Arriving on the island felt like a soft landing, with warm ocean air, the steady rhythm of the tides, and days shaped by light rather than schedules. We rented a house on the coast (Airbnb), walked long stretches of white sand, sailed across the warm, turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, and wandered the narrow streets of Stone Town. It is a place that restores you. Too often, we spend all our time focused on making images and forget to fully experience a place for its beauty alone.
HIDES –
The thrill of hide photography lies in the waiting. Gazing into the wilderness, filled with anticipation of the wildlife that may emerge. There are no crowds, no chasing, no fighting for position or repositioning. The privacy of the hide creates an exclusive experience, one where silence and stillness allow moments to unfold naturally. It’s an intimate way to photograph wildlife, trading movement for meaning and replacing pursuit with quiet discovery. In recent years, Kenya has become known for its state-of-the-art photographic hides. I love that hide photography can easily be added to any itinerary!
HELICOPTERS ACROSS KENYA –
It has become my latest addiction, a way of seeing and photographing Africa differently. There is a quiet thrill in lifting off and leaving the familiar behind, knowing that what unfolds below can only be seen from the air. As you soar high above the landscape, patterns emerge that remain hidden from the ground: winding rivers, shifting herds, camel trains, hidden villages, shadows of the wildlife, and the subtle textures of the land itself. It’s a perspective that feels both exhilarating and deeply humbling, transforming the way Africa reveals its story. I have added the opportunity of helicopter photography to many of my safaris.
EXCLUSIVE LUXURY MOBILE CAMP–
For the Legacy Safari, I set up an exclusive mobile luxury tented camp in a remote section of a conservancy. Mornings began with silence broken by calls from the wild, evenings ended around the fire under vast African skies, and days unfolded without the presence of other vehicles or camps. That isolation transformed the experience. Days were unhurried, evenings quiet, and the camaraderie within the group developed naturally through shared experiences in the field and time spent together in camp. When you remove the noise and the rush, connections form more easily, and the safari becomes not just about wildlife, but about belonging to a moment in time that feels rare and fleeting. It was like the good old days!
35 DAYS IN ETHIOPIA–
The Omo Valley is not just a destination for me; it is part of who I am. Over the past fifteen years, returning again and again, it has shaped my life in ways few places ever could. The depth of the relationships, the constant sense of discovery, the rawness of the experience, it never dulls. Each visit brings new adventures, deeper relationships, and moments that reshape the way I see the world. Even after spending thirty-five days there at the end of this year, immersed in its rhythm and intensity, I already long to return.
NORTHERN KENYA WITH THE MACKAY AFRICA TEAM –
I couldn’t imagine a better way to end the year than taking the Mackay Africa team to Northern Kenya. Bringing them into a world that continues to fascinate me, and allowing them to see and experience the rich cultures of the northern frontier, felt deeply meaningful. These are places that demand time, presence, and respect, and sharing that perspective helps shape the way they see their world. It also gives them knowledge and an understanding of the responsibilities that come with working in such extraordinary regions. It was a reminder, when designing safaris, that the strongest journeys are built on lived experience, shared knowledge, and a genuine connection to place and people.
“Never let the photograph dictate your experience; always let your intimate experience define the photograph.”
Experiences like these remind us that value is defined by depth, not by numbers. At the end of our journeys, it isn’t what we own that we carry with us, but the moments that take our breath away, the ones we never forget. Chase experiences, not photographs.