DAVID GITHU GATHIMBA

David Githu Gathimba, fondly known as GG , was born and raised in Kenya's central highlands, spending most of his formative years in the rural countryside.   Later he moved with his parents to the Great Rift Valley lakes region where he completed his British style ‘A' Level education with flying colors.

His great passion for wildlife and environment during his schooling years eventually turned into a career in tourism.   From then on GG worked with several conservation bodies – Youth for Conservation, Nature Kenya, Museums of Kenya, Arocha Kenya, East Africa Wildlife Society among others, while also pursuing his other passions of photography and art.   This led to interest in birding and natural history of East Africa and onto full time occupation guiding safaris at a professional level.

GG's qualifications include 3 years of formal training at Utalii College, one of East Africa's best tourism establishments for a career in the hospitality industry.   He has attended an Ecotourism training course with Ian Johnson of South Africa, done his Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association Bronze-Level, Silver-Level and now the highest Gold-Level certifications.   GG is in the select small number of Kenyan Professional Safari Guides that have qualified for the Kenyan Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA) Gold -Level Medal.   He has worked for 3 companies which are among the most respected travel firms in East Africa - Abercrombie & Kent as a safari guide between 1996 and 2000, Destination Kenya 2001 – 2004 as a Safari Director and finally Vintage Africa as a Tour Director from 2005 to 2010.

Throughout his 15 years of safari work, GG has traveled widely throughout North, East and Southern Africa doing over 300 safaris as a tour director, private guide and lecturer. GG has also worked on location as a guide in the film ‘To Walk with the Lions' featuring Richard Harris as George Adamson and has participated in many bird counts during World Bird Watch Days.

GG is outgoing, friendly, enthusiastic, entertaining and above all interested in every aspect of the guest's safari ensuring that guests have a lifetime and memorable safari.

GG has now started GG Guiding which is purely aimed at furthering guiding skills amongst upcoming guides as well as overseeing his community support programs as he continues with his professional guiding practice.

He is an alternate director of Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association, an internationally recognized organization that rates professional safari guides along the lines of guiding and ethics in East Africa and is an active member Nature Kenya an organization that connects nature and people, a member of the East African Wildlife Society a strong conservation body, and Eco-tourism Society of Kenya that is involved in community and sustainable tourism.

GG is multi-lingual, fluent in English and Spanish as well as his native languages and fortunate to call Africa home and likes to share this part of the World with others.

David Githu Gathimba

Mobile: +254 (0)733 713974 / +254 (0)715 694149

Email: ggdavid_2000@yahoo.co.uk or gg@ggguiding.com