Nikki Thaver
Southern Africa has so many unique, diverse and wonderful experiences to offer visitors and I love finding out what people's travel dreams are and making these a reality... the best part is hearing about the trip afterwards and seeing the pictures. Southern Africa 360 is my husband and my baby, we started in 2009 and have been steadily growing since then. While we enjoy planing trips for first time visitors to the region our real joy comes from selling the lesser known and explored areas, particularly to repeat visitors looking for something unique and different.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Bespoke, luxury, immersive, experiential and adventure holidays in the Southern Africa region with a focus on tailor-made experiences and responsible travel.
All provinces in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mauritius and the Seychelles. "
How did you get involved in travel?
"I was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in Botswana, went to boarding school in what was originally Bophuthatswana and later became South Africa, I moved to Cape Town to study when I finished school and this is where i have stayed! My parents also lived in Zambia when i was a student so I spent most holidays up there. Growing up with both parents as teachers meant having loads of time to travel and that is probably how my passion started, we spent most holidays travelling, overseas a fair bit, but mostly within Southern Africa. I studied Tourism Management and have a Masters degree in this, spent 14 years lecturing in the field until my husband and I started up Southern Africa 360 and it was time to join the business full time a few years back! "
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"I'm a firm believer that experiences that take you a little bit out of you comfort zone are the ones that are most memorable. Some of my most memorable experiences are white water rafting on the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls, hot air ballooning over the Magaliesberg, a horse ride on a secluded beach where we got to swim in the ocean with our horses. Visiting the Okavango Delta was a bucket list check as was travelling on the Rovos Rail. I also recently did a homestay in a remote village in the Limpopo Province which was certainly humbling and unforgettable.
My top overseas experiences have been Sri Lanka, London and New York. "
