Laurence James

Laurence joined Nomad in 2011 and found it a refreshing change from the larger hotels where he began his management career. Born and raised in the village of Usa River near Arusha, Laurence was exposed to the African travel business from early on. His father was a professional hunter who often brought his friends from all over the world home; the young Laurence very much enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life and different nationalities and hearing their stories. As he grew older, he would help his parents entertain and found he had a knack for delighting people.

Laurence enjoys his job most because of the people he works with and gets to meet on a daily basis. The fun and friendly atmosphere in the camp, together with the diverse challenges he faces, makes his job interesting. The weather not playing ball gives him the biggest headache: big storms coming through camp keep him on his toes, and there can be wildly unpredictable conditions that affect the movement of the migration. These are the times he might dream of a conventional desk job, but not for long!

To Laurence, the key to making someone’s safari a success is in the detail, taking into account people’s varied interests, ages and nationalities to make the trip truly personal.