Labradors, pastries and spreadsheets: intern life at Aardvark Safaris
Each summer, Aardvark Safaris welcomes an intern to the team, offering valuable insight into the workings of the travel industry from tailoring safaris to operations and marketing. This year, we were delighted to have Louisa (CC for short) join us in the office. Below, she shares her reflections on life as an Aardvark Safaris intern.
Why Aardvark Safaris
Ever since my first trip to Africa and experiencing a handful of the incredible destinations that are recommended by Aardvark Safaris, I knew I would love the chance to gain experience with the company and explore Africa further, even if from an office in Scotland! My passion for animals, travel, and people has boded well with the work life here, and I have enjoyed it every day. But what has felt like a very quick six weeks at Aardvark Safaris is now sadly coming to an end.
First impressions
Before arriving at the office on my first morning here, the nerves were high, and I didn’t know what to expect. I had never done an internship or worked in an office at all. But as soon as I arrived, the friendly face of Alice’s labrador greeting me put me at ease and I instantly felt welcomed and supported by everyone there. The office has a wonderful atmosphere – friendly, busy and jolly. I have loved having a selection of dogs to cuddle, and I will miss the very exciting array of pastries, cakes, and other goodies that are brought in most days.
CC and Rafiki
Learning new skills
On my first day, Alice ran me through the type of things I would be working on here, which all seemed like a bit of a foreign language at first to me. But over the weeks, the work has come to me more naturally, and I really feel I have gained valuable skills and can confidently work through tasks that I am given by everybody in the office. I have learnt a huge amount while being here, thanks to everyone here who has guided and supported me so much. I have developed a range of valuable new skills and I am excited to use my new knowledge in the future. From creating itineraries and lookbooks to building Excel spreadsheets, doing research, and so much more, my time here has been kept varied and exciting. It has been so interesting to see how a travel business works, and I think it is a career that I would love to explore in the future.
One of my projects which I have loved during my time at Aardvark Safaris has been conducting research and helping to prepare the exciting launch of their new destination São Tomé and Príncipe, a tropical, off-the-beaten-track set of islands off the west coast of Africa. Before starting here, I had never even heard of the country, so it has been really interesting to spend so much time learning about it. It looks like an incredible escape, and I hope to see some Aardvark Safaris’ clients heading there for their holidays soon.
CC enjoyed learning about the far-flung destination of São Tomé and Príncipe
Looking ahead
As I wrap up my internship at Aardvark Safaris, I feel very grateful for the opportunity to have been part of the team here. I have learnt such a huge amount in the short space of time, and I’m excited to use this for whatever comes next. I would like to thank everyone in the Scotland office for being so great, and to the Hampshire team as well, who I enjoyed meeting over calls. I am excited to see where the experience I have gained here takes me in the future.
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