Safari: A Memoir of a Worldwide Travel Pioneer

by Geoffrey Kent

“An edge-of-your-seat reading experience, kept especially engaging by [Kent's] warm personality, sense of humor, and keen behind-the-scenes-of-building-a-business stories.” —Parade In this breathtaking travel memoir and adventure guide, the legendary founder of the world’s premier luxury travel company, Abercrombie & Kent, takes readers on a whirlwind tour around the globe, sharing his best-kept secrets and the story of his success and his life.Geoffrey Kent had nothing but an East African shilling and an old Land Rover when he pioneered the luxury tent safari business in 1962 with his parents in Nairobi. Today Kent takes thousands of adventurers, hungry for extraordinary and life-changing experiences, to the planet’s wildest frontiers.In his gripping memoir, this “Indiana Jones—meets—James Bond” entrepreneur recounts his phenomenal journey. Kent’s life reads like a work of growing up barefoot in the African bush, riding his motorcycle across the continent, and ultimately becoming the most sought-after travel professional in the world. Safari is a breathtaking and exhilarating trip to some of the most exotic and stunning locations on earth.

Genres: Travel, Africa, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Biography Memoir

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2015

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started out beautifully, telling us about life growing up in the wilderness of Africa and the various dangers and adventures he lived through. After a while, his travel vignettes started to sound like a Who's Who of famous people he knows and how well connected he is to the upper class. The book became very tiresome as it evolved into a series of exploits that revolved around bragging about being chummy with these famous people and how he has the money to go galavanting around the world with them. A little more humility and significantly less braggadocio would have been appreciated.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out strong but as the book progresses the emphasis shifts from detailed stories about places to name-dropping various celebrities the author has travelled with. Various challenges are described and then resolved with large sums of money or a call to an influential friend, which is not especially interesting or satisfying. I would have appreciated a greater focus on relatable anecdotes from the author’s travels.

[Carro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written by a professional writer working from his diaries and conversations and story telling.
He and his parents were early pioneers of photo safaris rather than shooting safaris, and then he moved on to specialising in luxury guided travel. His pattern of business was to try out travel to an area himself, and then to work out how to provide the holiday to more people - but specialising in luxury holidays for rich and well known people. So the later chapters on growing the business did include some very well known names - and descriptions that give an idea of the person but leave them a lot of privacy.
I found it interesting regarding details of what could be seen in a country, and the logistics of providing the travel and the problems that can arise. It can be a bit dry in places, but was pretty good. In the end I settled on a 3 as it wasn't really immersive for me.

[Greg Maslak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first part of the book detailing his start in life and the travel industry better. I found it really fascinating. The later part of the book which describes a number of his adventures was also very interesting, but felt very chopped and piecemealed. Not sure how else you would have covered this much material otherwise. Just saying how I felt reading it. Overall, I liked it very much. Read it during a weekend relaxing in the mountains.

Also, not particularly important, but I'm pretty sure that the description of how the Dalai Lama is selected is way off the mark. Certainly not how the current Dalai Lama was selected.

[CathyMW · Rating 3 out of 5]

What I liked:
☆Gorgeous photography!
☆I enjoyed the first part of the book when he described his early upbringing in Africa and his time in the military. These gave some insight into his later life.
☆It was interesting to hear how A&K entered the various travel regions.

What I didn't like:
☆The latter part of the book seemed very impersonal--lots of detail on the business and not much on his reactions and relationships. For example, once he basically took over the business from his parents there is no mention of them except their deaths.
☆The name dropping got old.

[Helen Tait · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to agree with a couple of other reviews on this book. It all started very promisingly with an inspiring tale of a spirited boy following his passion for travel and adventure and I had very high expectations. However this rapidly turned into a tedious name-dropping exercise that quickly became unrelatable - I didn't particularly enjoy reading about the rich and famous connections/clients/best friends and how they hired Geoffrey to organise tours for them that involved helicopters and private jets to take them around the world or across a continent in 8 days - I could have picked up Hello magazine if that's what I wanted to read. Such a fantastic opportunity to tell some incredible travel tales was missed and instead this became a bragging list outlining his many wealthy and connected, rather uninteresting clients. One later chapter even mentioned his annoyance at a border official who had the audacity to touch his Louis Vuitton bag and put it on the dusty tarmac.....all a very far cry from the poor boy from Nairobi who we met at the start. Quite disappointing overall.

[Kris Morley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m surprised I gave the book four stars because it wasn’t particularly well-written. There were some typos, repetitive passages and sentences that required a second reading to clarify what was happening. The photos, for the most part, supported the story, but some were out of place- for example one chapter with a story from 1979 has a picture of the author and his second wife (who doesn’t enter the story for another 120 pages! ) at Prince William’s and Kate Middleton’s marriage in 2011. A Time warp that obviously bothers me.....

All that aside- the book is super interesting, the photos are spectacular, and I learned a lot about parts of the world I’ll never be able to see. I admire Kent’s sense of adventure and his comfort with taking a risk; they are key to the success of his travel company. It’s an easy read and a quick read. Read it to learn more about the world!

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't really call "Safari" a memoir since it is such a superficial overview of some parts of what must be a very interesting life. The stories told are interesting stories, but they are not told very well, maybe because it most probably wasn't Geoffrey, but "with Kristine Gasbarre" who wrote them. "Safari" also isn't the story of A&K, which must also be an interesting one. The book seems to be more of a pat on the back by the author for having created the business he did. Not that the pat wasn't well-deserved. It was, but I would guess that there is much more to be told both about the author and about A&K than what was shared here.

[Angelica Payne · Rating 1 out of 5]

A privileged white man's travel memoir/company review. I thought his account was poorly put together and could easily have been written during a high school break. The story about the border crossing when their car was searched for drugs showed how little respect he has for the lower classes and how highly he thinks of himself. The description of the women he meets in a hotel lobby (who later becomes his second wife) displays a very shallow personality and the fact that he assumes his status affords him to pick up women a lot younger than himself.
A lot of names dropping throughout the book and very little depth - very disappointing!

[Kristen Grennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this. I agree with some people that the beginning is better than the end, but I definitely did not struggle to make it through! I liked the little life lessons that weren't cliche or in your face--the lessons told themselves in the tales. Quite a life he's lived. I loved learning about so many new places, or seeing places I've traveled to through his lense. Easy, fun read. I'd recommend it!

[Anne Maesaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a memoir of the travel Pioneer Geoffrey Kent of the company Abercrombie and Kent. He is truly a pioneer in adventure travel. Starting from humble beginnings and building up a networking system that includes the Prince Charles, The Sultan of Oman etc.... It is a very interesting book about how someone builds his company from nothing to a multi-million dollar business. The book is part personal history, travelogue, and business model. A very interesting read about a remarkable man.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of tales about Kent and his luxury travel business. Most depict how the wealthy travel. I enjoyed some of the travel stories, but stories of his exploits among the wealthy (and powerful) as he entertained them and worked to get his company into their countries did not really appeal to me. Good photos.

[Hulananni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the beginning of the book: motorcycle trip from Nairobi to Cape Town. Teenager alone proving his independence.


How Ambercrombie Travels came to be. Family history of an amazing life and the many adventures and mishaps encountered around the world.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually I reserve ratings this low for books that are poorly written or uninteresting stories. This book however I rated low because it is nothing more than a pompous man who claims to have started with nothing to build this business empire. This book seems like one big ego stroking exercise

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

the beginning was enjoyable but by about half way thru I was bored and felt it was repetitive. I thought I would enjoy the travel tales, but they were not very interesting and focused more on his famous friends than the locations

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the photos and the early part of the book, especially because there was a ring of familiarity to it with my own history. But like other readers I found the shift from exploring and opening the world to a greater emphasis on fame and prestige less compelling.

[Joe Mican · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the only book that I've finished (it only took so long due to the childish reading level) and also given one star to. I've seldom encountered someone who so brazenly advertised that they had such little self awareness, on print or in person.

[Margaret Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about all the places that Geoffrey Kent has visited. It was also interesting to read about his challenges in each location, getting boats, places or tours. However, it felt like he was trying to impress the reader with all the people he knows.

[Kristin Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed traveling around the world through Mr.Kent’s adventures! Beautiful photos!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story of founders of Abercombie and Kent luxury travel from 1970s with stories including royal family and extreme adventures

[Prasenjit Mitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Some of it is quite inspirational. However some of it may be exaggerated including his being an environmental crusader, etc.

[Patti Ruff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about Geoffrey Kent and the development of his travel company. An interesting book with some good stories about his travels around the world.

[Nancy A Brandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Susan Fearney]

Started good, but as book progressed, it was like an advertisement for his company.

[Lance Gideon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kent's memoir begins with excitingly simple adventures, and exciting events that unfold as he is pursuing life, love, and career. These are the kind of adventures that any one of us might find ourselves pursuing while we are young, and life is far less complicated. About mid-way through the book, however, the story begins to focus less on the adventures that most of us can dream of participating in, and turns instead to the "adventure" of developing a world-class travel business. Stories of spoiled customers are now a common theme of the book - such as the ridiculous efforts that went into securing Cherry Coke for Warren Buffet on the Li River in China - and the adventurous side of me quickly looses interest. This is no longer a story that I can see myself in, and I begin to trudge my way through the last half of the book.

Although perfect for the man or woman who aspires to greatness in the world of business, Geoffrey Kent's memoir does not relate as well to the aspiring adventurer. Kent has been there, done that, when it comes to building a first-class travel business. He has traveled to the ends of the earth, and charted new territory with those that have financial means as he leads them into some of the wildest places on earth. This is an excellent account of Kent's experience with building a luxury travel empire; however, many will be disappointed when they learn that this book is more a memoir of business adventures than travel adventures. And if you are like me, you will quickly loose interest with the endless stories of extravagant travel packages designed for only the wealthiest of individuals.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!! Geoffrey Kent is a go-getter! As a young man, he rode his motorcycle from Kenya to Capetown, South Africa. He was determined to make it and show his father that he could, and he did. And when he got back to Kenya, he took the motorcycle apart, polished every piece, put it back together, changed the mileage, and sold it back to the owner of the motorcycle shop for 75% of its new value. Geoffrey showed his intelligence and creativity at an early age. His schooling was high level, as was his military career.

When his family's land was taken over by an independent Kenya, he and his mother and father started Abercrombie and Kent. A fearless traveler, Geoffrey was responsible for creating the very best and luxurious safari in Kenya. Geoffrey did not stop creating the best safaris in Kenya; He made deals in Egypt, in China, in Uganda, and other places in the world where the most prominent and richest tourists could partake in unusual and unforgettable travel experiences. (Geoffrey worked a deal with China so that he could create an unusual itinerary for Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and their family and friends).

I admire Geoffrey. He pursued his passion - his love of travel and adventure, and he made a fortune doing so. Geoffrey is an entrepreneur extraordinaire. I'm so glad he wrote this book to share his remarkable story.

[Sara Hlín · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ákvað að lesa þessa bók þar sem Geoffery Kent stofnaði ferðaskrifstofuna sem ég er að fara að fljúga heimsferð fyrir í maí. Hann kemur sjálfur með í ferðina og því ágætt að vera búin að kynna sér einstaklinginn. Greinilega mjög duglegur og atorkumikill maður sem frá unga aldri hefur haft mikinn áhuga á ævintýralegum ferðalögum. Í bókinn lýsir hann því fyrir okkur hvernig ferðaskrifstofan sem hann rekur er búin að koma tækla hvert landið á fætur öðru. Oft frekar mikil upptalning og þunn frásögn en passað upp á að nefna alla frægu vini hans og viðskiptavini, svo sem Charles prins. Hlakka til að (vonandi) kynnast manninum og ferðast með honum í maí.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, very interesting life this man has had. He was born and raised in Africa and after the normal teen rebellion his father suggests going to Sandhurst school in England and through having gone to this school and his love of polo he made many friends some of them very important people such as Prince Charles etc. The book also Chronicles his great success in the travel industry and the many places he personally traveled, if you like stories of travel this book is well worth reading.

[Susan Breslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explorer, raconteur, businessman, Geoffrey Kent has lived a life of adventure on every continent. As a young man he rode his motorcycle from Kenya to South Africa, and he hasn't stopped moving since. The book has a fair amount of name-dropping — Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton... Prince Charles... Jeffrey Katzenberg — but with friends like that, why not mention them? Each chapter focuses on a different destination and what Kent found and did there. Given his attitude and accomplishments, it's been a wonderful life. The book is likely to engage anyone interested in travel and business.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolutely beautifully published book, and an incredibly interesting life. I really enjoyed 98% of this book: the early life of Kent, how Abercrombie and Kent came about, all the travels around the world....... However, and it's a big however to me, I was completely appalled by Mr. Kent's rude (and quite false) descriptions of Tibet and Tibetans; he very much spouts the disgusting Chinese prejudicial view of a land and people that the Chinese illegally invaded and continue to occupy.