Nella's Tin Trunk Podcast
Riding horses across the landscape of Kenya in 2004 led me from an academic life in Italy, making my own olive oil and teaching Italian literature, to living on the edge of Kenya's Great Rift Valley, running my boutique safari business and flying myself around in an old Cessna 185. This podcast explores the multi-faceted life here in Africa. We will sift through the greatness of safaris, conservation efforts, community projects across the continent and meet an inspiring variety of people who are committed and passionate about what they do. Welcome to the adventure!
- Update frequency
- every 21 days
- Average duration
- 34 minutes
- Episodes
- 63
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Animal Etiquette on Safari - Nella on The Importance of Good Safari Guiding
What does it mean to be a good safari guide? What is okay and not okay to do around the animals in the bush? In this episode, I elaborate on safari guiding and how vital it is that safari visitors su…
African Wilderness in YOUR Hands! Nella with Brian Bode on Safari Guide Training.
It's true. If you plan to come on safari in Africa, who plans for you and chooses where you are going is paramount to the quality of guiding you will experience. And that is the difference between re…
Nella with Kyle Simpson on The Best Fishing in the Seychelles
It's all about Permit. Or GTs. Or Bone Fish, (but they are easy). Kyle Simpson is head guide at Alphonse, the idyllic tropical paradise in the Seychelles that attracts passionate fishers the world ov…
Nella on The Soulfulness of Safari
It's a topic dear to my heart. What is it about a safari that is so personally transformative? Why do people - even those who were 7 years old at the time - say, over and over, it's the best trip the…
Nella with John Barclay on Safari Legacy and Growing-Up in the Wilds of Botswana
John Barclay is a fountain of knowledge about the bush. His safari genealogy goes back generations. He is the grandson of the famous Jack Bousfield of Botswana, an explorer whose collection at Jack’s…
Nella with Elle Brighton on Mantas and Marine Conservation in the Seychelles
Did you know that no one has ever seen a Manta Ray give birth? Their babies are over a meter wide when they are born. Or that the Seychelles may be one of the only Manta nurseries on Earth? Elle Brig…
Nella with Wendy Panaino on Conservation in Africa's Largest Private Nature Reserve
Wendy Panaino is the head of conservation at Tswalu in South Africa’s Kalahari. If you listened to my podcast about the Deserts of Africa, you will remember the Kalahari. It is an exceptionally rich …
Nella on How To Test-Drive A Safari Camp
Over the 21 years I have been bringing guests to Africa with my business, Tin Trunk Safari, I have held to the principle that I do not send guests anywhere that I have not been personally. This has k…
Nella with Luke Van Der Merwe on Island Farming for Foodies
It's the end of February and in case the Winter cold lingers, I thought you would enjoy going to a tropical island - to talk about food. Luke Van Der Merwe is the head gardener on Alphonse Island in …
Nella on The Sands of Africa
The names conjure romantic images: The Sahara. The Namib. The Kalahari. Africa is home to three of the largest and most diverse deserts on our planet. Safaris that include the Namib and the Kalahari …
Nella with Kes Hillman-Smith - Part Two of Conservation in a Conflict Zone
Our conversation continues and after learning about Kes's arrival in Africa, her elephant research, frog heart muscle research and raising a family in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the border o…
Nella with Kes Hillman Smith on Conservation in a Conflict Zone
Kes Hillman Smith is an unsung hero in African conservation. She arrived in Africa in a Land Rover through the Sahara and stayed to become a dedicated conservationist. Her research and hands-on invol…
Nella on Fear on Safari - What is Scary and Should it be?
How Scared Should You Be about Africa? It depends to a large degree on into whose hands you are entrusted. Good guides. Travel planners who understand that Africa can be daunting and are willing – an…
Nella with Jack Coupland on Sharks, Turtles, Birds And All Things Conservation on Alponse Island
Jack Coupland walks the talk. He oversees the fascinating – and incredibly important – conservation projects on Alphonse Island in the remote Outer Island area of the Seychelles. In our chat, we talk…
Nella on The Best Beach Destination in Africa
Listen to hear why this is my favourite tropical paradise in Africa. Whether you are looking to lie on white sands until sundowner time with a good book or want to get out and do some world-class fis…
Nella with Tony Church - Tales of a Life and of a Land
Tony Church is a man whose life has spanned fascinating moments in Kenya's history. To some he is the father of horse safaris in Kenya, to others the man who helped organise the horses for Robert Red…
Nella on Mountain Gorillas - Everything You Need To Know
In this episode, I talk about the endangered Mountain Gorillas and take you on a virtual trek. I have done this 8 times now, in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It's often called …
Nella with Lorna Buchanan-Jardine on Her Experiences as a Safari Camp Manager
I am back chatting with my good friend, Lorna Buchanan-Jardine, and as with our previous conversation, we cover lots of topics. This one delves into Lorna's experience as a safari camp manager. We t…
Nella on The Great Migration!
In this episode I talk about one of Nature’s unmatched wildlife events: The Great Migration. Millions of wildebbeest, with zebra and gazelle, move around the Serengeti and Maasai Mara ecosystems fol…
Nella with Virginia Sinteyian on Being A Woman Ranger in Anti-Poaching
As I say in the introduction, there is something about this conversation with Virginia that leaves me feeling raw, open and hopeful. Virginia is as real a deal as they come and hearing her talk about…