Your Host and Guide

Your hosts and guides are led by Robb Edgecomb, founder of Executive Breakaway Tours. He grew up in Boksburg, a mining town about 30km south east of Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city. He left school going into sales. Photography was always Edgecomb's first love and his initial break in that field came when he gave a friend, who was on his way to Kenya, a portfolio of his photographs.

"Two months later I received a telegram and an airticket from the Ministry of Wildlife in Kenya," said Robb. "They offered me a two year contract as one of their official wildlife photographers." The contract was later extended and Edgecomb spent his time tacking and capturing Kenya's game on film. During this time he enrolled for and completed a distance-learning degree course in wildlife management from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

Elephant Capturing

After returning to South Africa he teamed up with world-renowned elephant expert, Dr Anthony Hall-Martin and became involved in the capture and relocation of Africa's largest animal. He headed up the capture and relocation team in Operation Phoenix where between 16 000 and 18 000 animals were moved from the Kruger National Park and other game reserves to Madikwe Game reserve. It was the largest game relocation project that has ever been undertaken. After opening a photographic studio he was approached by the newspapers and eventually did stints with both of South Africa's largest Sunday Papers.

In 1991 Edgecomb was declared South Africa's Press Photographer of the Year. (see some examples of Edgecomb's photographic work) "In 1994 with the arrival of democracy, I could see South Africa was ripe with opportunities," said Edgecomb. "I knew tourists would look at the country with new eyes. As a proud new South African I wanted to show others my little corner of paradise." Edgecomb's experience with and knowledge of Africa's wildlife, coupled with the fact that during ten years of journalism he discovered places many other tour operators do not even know about, and that he is one of the world's finest photographers means he is in a unique position to organise the ultimate personalised African adventure.