Making Africa Come Alive
A selection of my safari and travel writing, created to inspire travelers to experience the wildlife, landscapes, cultures, and extraordinary journeys of East and Southern Africa and to capture the sense of discovery that makes each journey unforgettable.
Southern Tanzania Circuit
An 11-day journey through southern Tanzania, moving from Dar es Salaam into Ruaha and Nyerere national parks. The itinerary pairs remote wildlife encounters with walking safaris, night drives, stargazing and boating.
Read the story → All AsiliaKenya Circuit
A nine-day safari from Nairobi through Ol Pejeta, the Masai Mara and Naboisho Conservancy. It highlights rhino conservation, Great Migration viewing and a mix of game drives, walking safaris and cultural experiences.
Read the story → All AsiliaFamily Safari with Younger Children
A family-focused look at making an African safari easier and more flexible for younger travelers, including private safari vehicles and seasonal child-stay offers designed around family comfort and shared adventure.
Read the story → BlogBest Family Safari Camps and Lodges in Tanzania and Kenya
A practical guide to choosing family-friendly safari camps, with advice on flexible schedules, private vehicles, experienced guides, activities for children and how to plan a trip that works for different ages.
Read the story → BlogAll Asilia Kenya & Tanzania Honeymoon Special Offer
A romantic safari guide built around intimate camps, dramatic landscapes and private experiences in Kenya and Tanzania, from sunrise game drives and evenings under the stars to tailor-made honeymoon itineraries.
Read the story → BlogThe Difference Between a Masai Mara and a Serengeti Safari
A side-by-side guide to two of Africa’s best-known safari destinations, comparing migration timing, wildlife, landscapes and activities to help travelers decide when and where to go—or why to combine both.
Read the story → BlogCalving Season: The Great Migration’s Best Kept Secret
A look at the lesser-known calving chapter of the Great Migration, when the southern Serengeti becomes a nursery for hundreds of thousands of wildebeest calves—and a magnet for predators.
Read the story → Blog8 Most Beautiful National Parks in Kenya
A tour of Kenya’s standout safari landscapes, from wildlife-rich reserves and migration country to rugged wilderness and scenic parks, with ideas for combining destinations into a varied itinerary.
Read the story → BlogAll Asilia for a First-Time Safari
A reassuring guide for travelers planning their first East African safari, explaining how a multi-camp itinerary can simplify logistics while opening the door to the Masai Mara, Serengeti, Great Migration and other signature experiences.
Read the story → BlogAll Asilia for Family Travel
A guide to turning a long-dreamed-of family safari into a manageable trip, with advice on family-friendly camps, private vehicles, travel logistics and ways to combine Kenya and Tanzania while controlling costs.
Read the story → FeatureRhythms of the Serengeti
A first-person reflection on the Serengeti across two celebrated seasons, moving from the drama of the Great Migration to the renewal of the Green Season and the intimate experiences that make each visit distinct.
Read the story →My Story
Born and raised in South Africa and now living in California, Ken Hermer brings a deeply personal connection to Africa and an international perspective shaped by more than four decades in luxury travel, safari design, sales, marketing, client relations, and conservation-based tourism.
Throughout his career, Ken has traveled extensively across East and Southern Africa, developing an intimate understanding of the landscapes, wildlife, cultures, people, and extraordinary experiences that make the continent so captivating. His particular gift is translating that knowledge into words that make readers feel as if they are there.
Ken doesn’t merely describe Africa; he strives to transport readers there. His greatest strength is his imagination and his ability to connect emotionally with a place. A leopard emerging silently from golden grass at dusk. The haunting call of a fish eagle across a river. The stillness of the savannah moments before sunrise. These fleeting encounters become vivid stories that awaken the senses and stir the imagination.
Over his career, Ken has created website copy, travel features, newsletters, marketing materials, itineraries, destination stories, and personalized communications for some of Africa’s most respected luxury safari and hospitality companies, including Singita, &Beyond, Asilia Africa, Ker & Downey, Wilderness Safaris, and Sabi Sabi.
His writing blends firsthand experience, extensive destination knowledge, curiosity, passion, and a strong sense of place. Whether crafting a few evocative paragraphs or a longer feature, Ken understands that compelling storytelling should do more than inform. It should create an emotional connection and ultimately inspire readers to experience Africa for themselves.
Today, Ken continues to channel his lifelong passion for Africa into creative storytelling that transforms knowledge, experience, and unforgettable moments into words people remember and into journeys they long to take.
Have a Story, Destination, or Project in Mind?
I write about safari, travel, wildlife, and the people and places that make a journey memorable. If you would like to discuss an assignment, editorial project, or collaboration, please get in touch.