What will I be talking and writing about?
Thank you so much for popping by to see what I am up to. I appreciate your time, I know it is in high demand, and you could be dedicating that anywhere else right now. I do hope that I can make your visit worthwhile.
I would like to think that you are here because you share some of my passion and interest for the people and nature that inter-connect with a region of Africa, where I grew up and still have my main base. We call this area Zambesia, a pre-colonial term referring broadly to the drainage basin of the great Zambezi river. Zambesia represents one of those spaces on our planet where people and nature are still deeply intertwined in what I describe as a rich vibration, an incredibly beautiful dance.
It is an area that is fragile and threatened. Its current dance may not last and its vibration may diminish, but like a few other rare parts of the globe (take the Amazon for example) it is an incredible spectacle that’s still alive. There is no specific term for areas like this, but some refer to them as distinct biomes or eco-regions. In my opinion, which is usually ‘holding a glass half full’, these rare spaces may soon become recognised as the richest (I’m talking the human version of rich i.e. money) parts of Earth in the years and decades to come. Forget industry, housing estates, mines and farms as we know them – replace that all by people and nature together – connected in a rich dance – there’s where the hope for us all may just lie. ‘Nature Based Solutions‘ is starting to become a buzz term for Africa, although until recently this has centred largely around climate alone, whereas more recently biodiversity is starting to attract similar attention. Funding and education around this will only increase.
The Features and the Vehicles
My YouTube channel ‘Life on the Edge of a World Wonder’ speaks a lot to what I have outlined above and focuses a lot on the human stories. Victoria Falls is at the epicentre of the Zambesia region and the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA). It is no coincidence that I helped co-found a conservation organisation, ZCA, that bears the name Zambesia, a wonderful pre-colonial and neutral term that my brother Robin had been wanting to help bring back to the fore as a regional descriptive for some time before we started ZCA. Suzanne and I started Vayeni (meaning ‘visitors’) because of our passion and experience for creating carefully designed, responsible luxury safaris in Africa. Our motto ‘Creating Escapes for the Soul’ rings true in every journey we are given the privilege to help create. When our daughters Charlotte and Annabelle arrived on the scene we immediately started exposing them to nature and so The Safari Family label has stuck when people refer to our little unit. The Victoria Falls TV online channel is I hope poised for growth, as the demand for positive content around this magical area continues to increase. Apart from my obvious affinity with Zambesia I am deeply grateful that I am able to travel a lot. I get to visit areas like Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australasia pretty often. I am constantly seeking out reasons and excuses to weave and grow my central narrative around my travels, so if you have any ideas about how I can do that I would love to hear them.
Get In Touch
I am always looking for ways to grow and improve what we have started. I welcome ideas, input and constructive criticism. If anything I speak and write about resonates with you and you want to reach out, collaborate or just say hi then please do so by scrolling to the contact interface at the bottom of this page. I can also be found on most social media platforms at my handle @lukebrownzim – I look forward to engaging with you!
