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 traveler 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 organizations. 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 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
8 years in a row, since 2015
"This will be my second trip to Africa with Yellow Zebra. Their attention to detail is phenomenal. Never have to worry about anything just relax and enjoy the trip!!"
Lucy Castellano
"We contacted a couple of travel agents to discuss our first safari package. Matt Court at Yellow Zebra Safaris gave us good advice and following discussions promptly put together an initial package. He then listened to our questions and requirements to finalise a package that suited our budget an..."
Richard N
"I used Yellow Zebra Safaris several years ago when I planned a trip to Botswana and they were amazing! I have just started working with them to put together a trip for next year to Uganda and, once again, they are wonderful to work with! They are responsive, give me lots of options and answer a..."
Lisa Jenks
"Yellow Zebra Safaris provided a first class service. When our party were trying to work our way through all the options that surround planning a safari, YZ were on hand to provide honest reviews and assessments of the different choices. They then diligently put the package together and provided d..."
Stuart Carter
"Couldn't be happier with their coordination so far. We leave for Africa in a couple of weeks. So excited!"