Unsung heroes – women in Namibian tourism

As a leader in conservation travel pioneering new approaches to travel in Namibia, Ultimate Safaris is committed to providing world-class experiences for discerning travelers in some of the most spectacular natural locations on earth. A journey with Ultimate is an adventure that promises not only to capture the imagination, but also one that leaves guests awe-struck by the wild and pristine nature of the destination. This is all facilitated by dealing with a highly motivated and enthusiastic team that is both guest-facing and behind the scenes.

Often the unsung heroes in this tribe are the women leaders who aren’t at the airport meeting your guests or sitting across from you at a trade show, but who are instead passionately working behind the scenes to make these magical travel moments happen.  While all of Ultimate’s signature guides are male, they usually swoop in to host safaris that were created by dynamic female team who prepare many of these safaris with the sort of sensitivity, intuition, obsessive attention to detail and compassion that our guests have come to expect. Ultimate Safaris’ safaris are carefully planned by a powerhouse female management team which you might never be aware of, including arranging safaris such as a women-specific yoga and foodie immersive desert retreat experiences at Camp Sossus.

While it’s always difficult to single out individuals within the Ultimate Safaris team, Ultimate Safaris is proud to highlight some of the ‘Wonder Women’ who bring unique skills, individuality, innovation and care to our safari operations.

Our compassionate but pragmatic HR manager Eli Parkhouse is also a hospitality whizz and jumped in during the past two years to host Ultimate’s most important guests while elevating the hospitality at Onduli Ridge to the premium experience we expect (yet always making sure that payroll is on time).

Colleen Beach is Ultimate’s TOP sales consultant, but also fusses about the little things when it comes to interior design and has managed to create romance out of nothing but merely a basket and a chair – you have no idea how many times we had to move the couch around at Onduli to get it just right. Colleen makes sure that every moment is artfully crafted for guests.

Our procurement manager Rhona Mouton-Strauss is also one of the Namibia’s top chef trainers and has elevated our cuisine to world class standards preparing feasts in even the most remote places. Thanks to her, BBQ welcome events at Galton House have become a feast of note that leaves everyone sated.

One of our longest service female leaders is Francis Vivian Vries who probably has the most diverse of all roles since the inception of Ultimate Safaris in 2008, and beyond her many multi-faceted responsibilities, it is her enthusiasm for Ryan Gosling and happy cheer that motivated many of us through the grimmest of Covid-19 days.

Last but not least, possibly the only woman many of you may have encountered in person over the years, Birgit Mohrmann, the colourful marketing and sales manager who loves webinars and sharing her knowledge about Namibia, and whose best skill is her very fast typing abilities. (Agree to disagree on that last bit, Birgit. – Tad & Gretchen)