Jo Hudson

About Jo

Jo’s passion for Africa began when she was young and embarked on multiple adventures with her parents, who used to live in South Africa. Her love for Africa only grew stronger as she completed her MSc in Conservation and spent years working on different projects in Zambia, Botswana, and Madagascar. Her field experience gives her a unique perspective and landed her a job at a luxury tour operator. Jo brings a wealth of personal and professional expertise to YZ from a lifetime of travelling to Africa.

Jo's Expert destinations

Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Jo's recent travel experience

Jo frequently travels to South Africa to spend time with her family in Cape Town. She always tries to make the most of these trips by exploring as much of the region as possible. She recently returned to Kruger National Park, where she first fell in love with safari at age 8. One of the highlights was a morning spent tracking a leopard and her newborn cubs through the thick bush and dry rivers of the Sabi Sands. The reward of finding the playful cubs after hours of searching and watching them gamble about is what makes safari so bewitching for Jo.

Jo's most memorable experience

This is such a hard one, as there are so many to choose from! One of the most awe-inspiring moments I've ever had was during a stay at Vumbura Plains in the Okavango Delta during the off-season a few years ago. I shared a truly magical experience with my mum, who had longed to visit the Delta for about 40 years! As we embarked on our afternoon game drive, we came across a pride of lions and decided to stay put, waiting patiently for them to make a move as it looked like they were going to hunt. The other guests eventually gave up and left, but we were determined to see what would happen next. Our persistence paid off when we witnessed the lions stalking a group of lechwe in the nearby lagoon as the sun set.

The stunning colours of the sunset, with the sky painted in hues of orange and pink, reflected double in the water, created a breathtaking backdrop to the scene. As we watched the thrilling hunt unfold, we felt like we were the only people in the world, with Africa putting on a show just for us. It was an experience I will always cherish, made even more special by getting to witness it with my mum.

Jo's biography

Hailing from East Anglia, Jo was captivated by her parents’ tales of life in Africa, a continent they had explored when living there. Jo was lucky to have a family who loved adventure, as her childhood was filled with trips to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. Her deep-rooted love for wildlife and conservation led her to volunteer on projects in Fiji and Madagascar while pursuing a BSc in Environmental Science and an MSc in Conservation Science at Imperial College London. Over the next six years, she embarked on several projects across the continent, always seizing the chance to get out into Africa’s wild heart.

While researching predator relationships in Zambia’s South Luangwa, Jo often slept out in the bush while lions prowled beside her tent. She also learned how to change a tyre quickly, a helpful skill when getting a flat next to a leopard kill! She loved tracking wild dogs in the park’s remote areas, away from anyone else. Just don’t fall off the bakkie while conducting a predator call-in.

Jo fell in love with Botswana while working at EcoExist in the Okavango Delta’s Panhandle. Most days were spent traversing the wilds of the Panhandle, while weekends were spent lazily floating down the Okavango’s channels and watching the hippos snort in surprise as she drifted by. Jo also explored other parts of this captivating country, sleeping out on the salt pans of the Makgadikgadi and soaring over Botswana’s northern wilderness while undertaking the annual aerial elephant census. She even hitchhiked to Chobe National Park before stopping off at Victoria Falls and hopping down to Cape Town via an extended stay in Namibia.

Jo spent four years overseeing conservation projects in Madagascar. It was a challenging role in a country that uniquely blends the bizarre and beautiful. From conducting training sessions for local conservationists, organising large inter-organisational workshops in Zanzibar, and even getting her hands dirty on sea cucumber farms in the remote southwest, there was never a dull day.

Jo had so much fun planning her honeymoon that she decided to dive into luxury travel and has never looked back. She returns to her second home on educational and personal trips whenever possible, including South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Kenya, and Mauritius. Jo is also passionate about sustainable travel and helped create the responsible travel policy in her previous job – she strongly believes in the power of tourism to help conserve Africa’s wild places.

Jo is excited for her next adventure with Yellow Zebra. Sharing her love of Safari Africa and planning extraordinary trips for her clients really makes her tick.