If I tried to pinpoint my favorite thing about Africa, I think I’d have to say it’s the smell. I know, it’s an unusual answer, but the sense of smell is connected to all the other senses, and if you are aware of it, it will shape an entire experience. Twenty-five years ago the airplane door opened on the tarmac in Nairobi and I was hit with a wall of musty, organic, smokey, warm air. That moment has never left me and that scent lingers even to this day. Every time I land in Africa, I wait for the plane door to open and be welcomed by that familiar odor. Nairobi’s international airport is now surrounded by city sprawl, but that sweet, decomposing smell is still there. Out in the bush, scent can guide you to a kill, direct you to a patch of wild sage, or to a grove of fruit-bearing trees where monkeys feed. The scent of rain or dry, dusty earth can tell you what season it is. The smell of an elephant will tell you if they are in distress or relaxed.

In more than two decades of traveling through 12 African countries and much of Latin America (have you ever smelled sunrise at Tikal?), I’ve learned to let my senses guide me and my awareness reign. In doing this, I’ve fine-tuned my experiences and observed more - I always try to apply this experiential knowledge to my travelers’ journeys. I incorporate ways for their senses to come alive: culinary adventures, wine tastings, art viewings, morning walks through dew-laden savannah grass, searching for lions at sunset, kissing a giraffe. Travel is about experiences, how you interpret them and how they shape you. Now, beyond Africa and Latin America, I also focus on small-group, chef-led food & wine tours in Italy. That earthy smell also rises from the vineyards themselves and hangs in the air in subterranean, tufa wine cellars.

I started exploring the world outside of North America at 19 years old, first setting foot in Kenya. With warm African air flowing through my lungs, I didn’t look back. Forty-five countries later, and so many return trips to Africa and Latin America that I’ve stopped counting, I’m continuing the tradition with my teenage son (he loves the smell - and taste - of a mango tree in season). At Amani, I look forward to guiding you through the journey of travel and finding the right experiences for your senses.