An Unlikely Safari Guide

I really enjoyed every story! Ella mixes the perfect amount of factual information with self-effacing humor and colorful descriptions of the various scenarios. Being a suburban who considers a hike in the outskirts to be a nature experience, I now have a deeper appreciation for the fragility of the truly wild places. I'm glad there are people like Ella out there fighting for them.

I liked the excited, humorous and respectful tone of this young author. She was clearly seeking to find herself, as young people do, but through her naturalist inclinations, passion for Africa and desire to share knowledge and impart the joy she feels as a safari guide. Anyone with an interest in the animals and flora of Africa, the Kalahari or just in adventure, will enjoy this account of Ella’s experiences as a safari guide. While not great literature, it is fun to read and better written than many in this genre.

Ella has a way of drawing you in to her world. I will be going on safari next month and found this book to be incredibly compelling....made me look things up in my safari books. I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who wants a full experience...not just the big five

I am an avid wildlife/safari enthousiast and enjoy safari stories. Just like Ella I appreciate all the small critters and stories about them not only stories about the big, hairy and scaries! The book started off well, but became very repetitive with all Ella's quirks, while initially funny and cute became a bit tiresome and repetitive towards the end. It was a nice light read and I did enjoy the book for the most part. I would recommend it too anyone who enjoys safari's in Southern Africa and can appreciate the little stories about life as a safari guide and their day to day experiences.

I enjoyed this book. The "awesome" writing style can get a bit tedious at times, but the stories are great, and the book is amusing.

Ella, thank you for sharing your experiences with us. i loved the short story format and with your vivid descriptions, I could smell the bush. Looking forward to your next book.

This is a rather difficult book to review. The author herself is a very unusual person with quite a sense of humour, you will either like her or hate her! Needless to say I liked her and enjoyed the book. Lots of interesting facts about animals and places in Southern Africa. You really get an insight into the strange and weird people that guides have to deal with too. She obviously loves the Kalahari and has made me wish to get there soon! Worth reading!

This book will bring a smile to your face and often a laugh escape you lips. Ella's book doesn't only give a very interesting story of what it's like being a guide but you will learn about Cheetah's, grass, and pretty much everything else that really matters. This is a book everyone who has some affinity to African wildlife should read because you will come away enriched. This book really is Kudutastic!

This book reads like talking with a friend, you can "hear" the author laugh, feel her frustrations… A fun must read for any safari lovers

Mit sehr viel Charme und Witz geschrieben, amüsant und doch mit sehr vielen interessanten Informationen und Beobachtungen aus dem afrikanischen Busch gepackt, nicht nur über die Big Five sondern auch über die vielen kleinen Dinge und Tiere, die für die meisten Touristen leider nicht immer interessant erscheinen. Ella, eine gebürtige Kanadierin, arbeitet als safari guide in Südafrika und Namibia und erzählt mit viel Humor über ihren Alltag und Erlebnisse mit ihren Gästen. Empfehlenswert für jeden, der Afrika liebt und vermisst!

An Unlikely safari Guide was an unexpected pleasure to read and a real page turner. Ella Craine delivers a magical and most times comical view from the eyes of a safari guide in South Africa. This is not a stuffy travel brochure, but a lively ride on a private tour of not only 'The Big Five' of must see animals in the wilds of Africa, but also a glimpse at the not so popular 'Little Five.' While on this safari as we bounce around in the wilds of Africa, our host shows us the true African bush through the at times child like delight of the story teller. If you have never been on a real safari, and I have by the way, then you will want to book a trip as soon as you see the awesome photos at the end, in this great tale of adventure and surprise.

I absolutely loved this book: read it in 2 days! Ella's love of African wildlife and landscape is absolutely infectious and this book is a pleasure to read. She has such a quirky, playful way of viewing the world, I found myself chuckling out loud more than once. In many ways, it reminded me of "My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell (a real favourite when I was a child) - Ella's infectious enthusiasm for pretty much any part of the natural world around her, whether it be lions mating, or tiny caterpillars walking in convoy, and everything in between, is reminiscent of Durrell's: done with a keen eyesight, child-like wonder, a total respect for the natural world, but at the same time, a wicked sense of humour and appreciation of the absurd. And as Durrell's family worked their way into his writing, so to do Ella's safari guests, themselves quite a quirky bunch! Ella is a self-confessed junkie for the smaller heroes of the Africa bush, animals many of us have never heard of. But this is no dry scientific tome (although there is science in it) - far from it. Fascinating characters, both animal and human, burst from the page, and I found I was lapping up facts (and reaching for the iPad to look up more) about the most unexpected creatures. There's also a background story running through the book of Ella's life and growth, from (self-confessed) geeky child to her present position. You do get a subtle sense of her own growth and maturity as a person through the process as well, but it's all done with such a light touch, and Ella's witty and self-deprecating anecdotes of her "geeky" younger self clearly belie what I strongly suspect are a sharp intelligence and indomitable spirit! "An Unlikely Safari Guide" is one of those all-too-rare jewels: an easy, accessible read, but one which is well-written and satisfying. Highly, highly recommended, and I can't wait for her next book. And I'm itching to book a safari with her!

Quirky stories from someone that loves the Kalahari. Fun presentation of wildlife facts, mixed with guiding adventures and and a view into life as a ranger.