Our Team

As with all companies, it is the people who are the most important part of Tribes. We are lucky to have a truly excellent team of dedicated travel professionals.

JOIN TRIBES: We are currently looking for an experienced Africa travel consultant to join our busy, friendly, professional team.  If you have good first-hand knowledge of Africa, and have preferably worked as a travel consultant before, please send an email with letter and CV to Amanda Marks.

1. 

   Dee Armiger

   Dee is your archetypal wandering Kiwi, who possesses a draw full of passports not to mention untold experience of the mysterious African continent. Whether she would recommend the nutty qualities of lightly fried grasshoppers is debateable. What she is sure of is the positive impression the people of Uganda left her with –“the people were so warm and helpful despite all that has happened in their past.” Dee spent many years working in Africa including years as a tour leader and managing a lodge in Kenya. Still on her to do list is experiencing the hustle and bustle, sights and smells of the bazaars of Marrakech and she recently achieved a life's dream of swimming with Whale Sharks!

   Specialist in: Africa
   Recent travels include: Cape Town, Botswana, Mozambique.

2. 

   Paul Cook

   Being a former architect, Paul takes an avid interest in the buildings of the Middle East, South America and Asia, particularly the minarets. Consequently his overland journey along the ‘silk road’ through Asia proved to be particularly memorable, especially when he was literally thrown out of China by two burly border guards. He believes in the motto of never being afraid to try new things, even yak butter.

   Specialist in: Ecuador, Peru, India, Nepal, Jordan, Morocco
   Recent travels include: Galapagos Islands, India’s Golden Triangle, Sri Lanka.

3. 

   Julie Croucher

   During her many years of travelling and working in Africa Julie has experienced much of what this magical continent can offer. With past jobs including tour leading, ground handling and lodge management she has seen the industry from every angle! She enjoys visiting out of the way places where you can absorb what the land and the people can offer you. She believes that you should always immerse yourself into the culture and environment of where you are - expect the unexpected and enjoy it! 

   Africa Sales Manager
   Recent travels include: Selous, Ruaha & Indian Ocean islands, Kenya - Rift Valley and Coast & Zambia.

4. 

   Amanda Marks

   Amanda Marks, Managing Director and self confessed Africa- lover is passionate about experiencing new cultures. She highlights a dugout canoe trip in Zaire is one of her most memorable trips, camping with villagers on the riverbank. She believes that trying new things is the key to exciting travel. She says that allowing yourself to go outside of your normal comfort zone is invaluable, “That is when travel becomes an eye-opening and thrilling experience.” Still on her wish-list of travel experiences is Ethiopia and the baies of Gabon, but never without her homoeopathic first aid kit which she sees as an invaluable travel accessory.  

   Managing Director
   Recent travels include: Kenya'’s Laikipia region

5. 

   Guy Marks

   Guy first caught the travel bug (amongst other things) when he drove from the UK to Cape Town in the early 80’s. His early career saw him involved in agriculture and culminated with a stint in the city as a commodity broker before he threw in the towel and made travel his life.
   What followed was a an extraordinary few years as a tour leader in India, the Middle East and South America before settling down to become a travel writer and photographer. This new career further expanded his knowledge and view of the world as he researched for books and travel articles in magazines and the broadsheet newspapers. He wrote for the likes of Geographical Magazine and was a regular in the Financial Times travel pages.
   Since founding Tribes with Amanda he has continued to travel and made good use of his business knowledge and travel experience.
   Guy has always had a keen interest in the developing world, from its food production to its economy, its natural wonders and rich cultural heritage, its people and their plight. Guy is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and is still an associate member of The British Guild of Travel Writers.

   Director
   Recent travels include: The Masai Mara in Kenya, India's wildlife destinations

6. 

   John Melton

   John has travelled extensively throughout the Amazon and South America having spent seven years living and working in Peru. During this time he had the dubious pleasure of being charged by herds of vicuña and eating some very tasty live lava beetles. He can however suggest slightly more mainstream highlights as well, including trips to the Galapagos and Amazonia. He considers learning a little of the language is one of the best ways of getting more out of your trip to South America. “It’s amazing how local people open up if you make the effort to communicate.”  

   Sales and Development Manager. Also specialist in: South America
   Recent travels include: Brazil’s Pantanal and coast south of Salvador, Galapagos Islands

7. 

   Dan Watson

   Dan is Tribes resident surf dude and has travelled extensively through Latin America searching for the perfect wave. His first visit to the area made a lasting impression, “I was blown away by the incredible natural and cultural diversity. The people are friendly and the wildlife is amazing.”

   In spite of having ended up surfing within a few metres of sharks he still has a passion for exploring the less developed coasts of the world. He would suggest that one of the best ways of getting the most from your trip is to take as many photos as possible.

   Specialist in: Ecuador, Peru, Morocco
   Recent travels include: Galapagos Islands, Peru

8. 

   Polly Nightingale

   As Tribes admin Guru, Polly is the 'flight control deck' in the office - with her desk of executive toys and colourful spreadsheets, she keeps us all organised and helps everyone ... basically Polly runs the world!  A keen traveller herself, she has been to some far flung parts of the globe and has many years experience in the travel business, mainly in sales support. In her spare time she enjoys walking and being entertained by her two mad cats, walnut and blue tack!

   Recent travels include: Walking in the Canary Isles

9. 

   Max Griffiths

   Max is a graduate with four years experience in managing international projects, during which most of his time was spent in Northern Tanzania where he is still trustree of a charity which has set up an adult learning centre for the Masai and has spent much of his time teaching computer skills to the local tribes people of the area.  Max has also studied the Maasai culture in detail, writing two pieces of research about contemporary challenges facing their traditional culture.  He is a keen walker and has organised expeditions round Europe, done the UK 3 peaks challenge and conquered Kilimanjaro!  He has also traveled through many other countries in Africa and is enthusiastic about the continent and all it has to offer.