Nico is a Kenya and South Africa expert at Yellow Zebra. Her passion for the wild has led her to explore vast stretches of our planet, with a particular focus on Southern and Eastern Africa.
About Nico
Hailing from Italy, Nico embodies a passion for the wild that spans continents. With almost a decade of experience as a seasoned travel planner, she has crafted complex and unique tailor-made travel experiences across the world. Specializing in Africa, from her recent solo self-drive adventure in Namibia to unforgettable moments under the African sky, Nico’s journey reflects a lifelong dedication to uncovering the raw beauty of Southern and Eastern Africa, amidst extensive global travel experience.
Nico’s latest escapade was a solo self-drive adventure in Namibia. Roaming through the remote corners of this breathtaking country, she rates the drive along the D707 road, through the Tiras Mountains from Luderitz to the NamibRand Reserve, as a must-do for every adventurous soul.
Nico's most memorable experience
Every safari is unforgettable, but some moments resonate deeply, reminding us of our place in the wild.
One such occasion happened when walking through the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Doing a multi-day walk through the bush, camping under the canopy of stars along the way, between one bush camp and the next, is already a defining experience. But one night, when our group was sitting cozily around the fire after dinner, a loud commotion made us all sit up and we witnessed a lioness dart through camp, between the fire and the bathroom, chased by a group of hyenas. What was a bad hunting session for the lioness, became a life-long memory for us.
Nico's biography
Nico was born in Italy, beneath the Alps. Her upbringing instilled a love for nature’s extremes. Camping, trekking, and mountaineering became second nature, propelling her to explore the world’s wild corners.
Growing up mostly in Italy but having lived in Tunisia, France, Spain, the UK, and Germany meant that by the time Nico had finished her degree in International Relations in Milan she was ready to truly scratch the travel itch and go explore the world. Long travels in Patagonia and Canada truly introduced the vastness of the natural world, but it was during her fist safari in Botswana that she really understood how humbling a truly wild and alive landscape can be.
Living by this point in London for some years and having started working for a boutique tour operator specializing in complex sabbaticals around the world, Nico jumped at the opportunity of African travels and soon she had added Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, and Uganda to her list of travels. Her journey, including a safari guiding course in Botswana, reflects a lifelong dedication to uncovering the beauty of the natural world.
"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
Top Travel Specialists – Condé Nast Traveller UK – 2025
Europe's Leading Safari Tour Operator' at the World Travel Awards
"An amazingly seamless and stress-free experience from beginning to end of trip. From planning the itinerary to follow-up after the trip and everything in between it was professional and I never had to worry about a thing. Beautiful presentation of itinerary and I loved that I just had to say wh..."
Virginia Armstrong
"Planning a safari thousands a miles away with no past experience is a bit intimidating.
Eleanor in the UK was great listening to our goals and limitations as 70 year olds. She brought her personal experience
And that of others at Yellow Zebra to ease our concerns. Arranged our post Safari flight..."
Stephen Mullen
"Excellent service from Emma Dunn - friendly, helpful, constructive and informative."
Chris Wallis
"Yellow Zebra anticipated my needs and then exceeded my expectations. "
John Mostrando
"I recently booked a safari with Yellow Zebra and was extremely pleased with the support I received. Sebastian was superb and worked with me to tailor make just the right experience. He was so patient as I bounced around a lot of ideas with him of various options I was considering until he came up..."