Sebastian is a cross-country specialist with a substantial body of expertise ranging from East to Southern Africa. His passion and knowledge stem in large part from his years living and working as a guide in the bush.
A snapshot
Inspired by a love of wildlife, Sebastian spent his early twenties guiding throughout Southern Africa, growing ever more enamoured with the sub-continent. Following years of working as a tour operator based back in London, Sebastian joins the YZ herd ready for his next adventure.
Expert destinations
Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Victoria Falls, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Recent travel experience
Sebastian was lucky enough to experience a magnificent two week trip back to his old stomping grounds in Zimbabwe for the first time in close to a decade. After making himself at home again in Victoria Falls, he headed over to Hwange and Mana Pools National Parks for some walking-focused, off-the-beaten-track safaris. Highlights included numerous leopard and African wild dog sightings, outstanding standards of guiding, mesmerising bush walks alongside big tusker elephants, and the pristine tranquillity of sundowners along the Zambezi River.
Sebastian's most memorable experience
“As with everybody else on the team, it’s pretty tough to narrow it down. I’m a sucker for the smell of the earth immediately after the first rains, or the excitement in hearing the first returning cuckoos of the season, but perhaps one of the most elating moments was when an elephant gave birth in the camp in which I was working. Understandably, we all awoke to a bit of a mess the next morning. I was tasked with tracking her on foot to get some photos of the newborn; and to my surprise, they had managed to wander a fair distance. The dense green season foliage didn’t help my chances, but that evening I finally managed to catch a glimpse of the protective mother and her precious youngster – umbilical cord and all!”
Sebastian's biography
A traveller from the get-go, Sebastian was born into a family of documentarians and travel writers, in London. After finishing school and finding mixed success as a session musician, he was given the opportunity to volunteer at one of Malawi’s most revered safari camps. Having been obsessed with flora and fauna since before he could remember, he decided this was not a chance to be passed up.
The ensuing few years saw Sebastian training up as a guide on the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls and working primarily for Wilderness Safaris in Malawi. Based mainly at Mvuu Camp & Lodge in Liwonde National Park, he was fortunate enough to later be posted in the largely overlooked but undeniably spectacular Nyika National Park. His new home served as a springboard from which to explore much of the wider region, leading to stints as a trails guide in the remote north of South Africa’s Kruger National Park, as well as a roving guide taking him over the Malawian border into Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.
Eventually searching for something more familiar and well-trodden, Sebastian returned to London in 2016 to begin using his broad knowledge of safaris as a tour operator, both independently and for larger organisations. During this time, he was able to explore East Africa in much more depth whilst keeping his familiarity of Southern Africa strong with frequent visits – for educational trips and private guiding tours alike.
With an aptitude for spreading his infectious love of the bush, Sebastian joins us at Yellow Zebra to help people in pursuit of their own African escapades.
Client reviews
"My fiance and I worked with Sebastian Sattin to plan our first Safari trip to Africa. From the moment we were introduced, Sebastian was responsive, knowledgeable, approachable and perceptive. He asked all of the right questions to help curate our dream trip. He kept an open mind and had a very customer centric approach - at no point was he there to impose his own agenda. Once Sebastian took stock of what we were looking for, he came back with quite literally a PhD on our trip options. He outlined three options, and then gave extensive reasoning as to the pros and cons of each... We recommend working with Sebastian and Yellow Zebra whole heartedly and appreciate all of the work that was done. THANK YOU"
"My experience planning my trip was Sebastian was excellent. He was patient with all my questions and provided perspective to help me decide."
"We were so grateful for the help we got from Yellow Zebra in planning our safari trip. Having never been to Africa before all the information and literature received from Yellow Zebra and Sebastian's suggestions and personal knowledge of the area was such a great help and so valuable to us. Sebastian was always so helpful and responsive to all our queries. This all resulted in an absolutely brilliant Safari Holiday!"
"I was so pleased with Sebastian's help in planning our trip. Sebastian was so patient and responsive with all my queries and I really valued the feedback I got, the guidance and the different options and suggestions he put forward for us to choose from, with differing price options and itineraries."
"Yellow Zebra are genuine specialists; they know the African bush like the back of their hand."
Brian Jackman, safari expert for The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Condé Nast, and the BBC
'Europe's Leading Safari Tour Operator' at the World Travel Awards
9 years in a row, since 2015
"Excellent service from Katherine. Felt like we have booked exactly what we are looking for in view of budget / location and her first hand experience "
monica elizabeth
"Very easy to communicate and plan our vacation. Super knowledgeable advisor - Weis - who was able to put together a fabulous holiday very quickly -and wonderful back office making the process very easy."
Anne Pearce
"My wife and I had the opportunity to spend a full month in Tanzania in September/October 2023. Yellow Zebra staff were extremely helpful in assisting me to select the several different lodges and camps for an extensive experience throughout that wonderful country. I cannot imagine trying to mak..."
George & Susan
"I contacted two safari companies regarding a safari to Kenya to take place in Jan 25. One of these I had used several times before (Let's call this particular company, company B). YZ Safaris replied by return and arranged for a phone call to further consult on exact requirements. These were discu..."
Phil Lewis
"Our daughter and son in law used Yellow Zebra to plan their honeymoon and couldn't have been more pleased from the initial laying out of the trip through the entire experience. For us, working with Catherine to put the trip together was wonderful and she addressed our questions in a very timely..."