Wild at Heart
OUR STORY
As the founder of the |nto the Wild concept, and as a self-proclaimed wild-at-heart, ROB JANISCH has over two decades of experience of living, working & playing in Africa and other wild places across the globe. For him, into the wild is more of a mantra than a brand...
"I feel that an opportunity exists to share some of the insights, learnings, wild critters, inspiring people & incredible places I have encountered over the many years spent in the wilds."
Referring to himself as something of a storyteller or interpreter, the narrative that Rob unveils is one inspired by a reconnection to nature, in order to learn more from her. If the world's wild places are the music, Rob's role is one of DJ, and his guests often the ecstatic dancers, energised & regenerated by nature's beat, through her nurturing notes.
Taking the analogy further, the true alchemy in such travel experiences would thus take place in the subtle yet powerful spaces between those notes. Alchemizing life-changing adventures has become something of a passion for Rob.
As far as careers go, being able to spend endless days messing about in the wilds is about as idyllic as it gets. What happens, though, when a sense of purpose, passion & a deep-seated consciousness enter into this idyllic career?
"I found myself facing a serious shift in realisation... one that echoed similar shifts taking place around our planet of late, and one in which idealism & ignorance are gently being displaced by a sense of real urgency & significance."
Rob believes that through this process, an intrinsic human knowing emerges fuelled by ancestral lineages of experience & wisdom in the wilds, birthed right here in Africa itself. Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) are able to begin to know again, to reconnect with their inner wise (wo)man. We are able to start to see again with new eyes, to listen, to feel, to appreciate with awe & wonder again the beauty & inherent interconnectedness of our own human nature within our greater ecosystem.
"Over the past few years I have certainly felt the need to - as Albert Einstein so wisely reminded us - look deep into nature in order to understand everything better."
And so, Rob's own version of a classic hero's journey has been something of an internal safari over recent years that has brought him back to his core passion & intrinsic gift: reconnecting people with their outer & inner wilds. This is reflected in the manner in which he plans, guides & hosts each individually crafted wild travel experience & wilderness-based transformative adventure across the globe.
"I trust some of how my personal story inspires the creation of your life-changing journeys, and that some of that process is made more apparent through the pages of this site, as well as spending time with me on safari. I look forward to sharing & learning more with you in the wilds sometime soon..."
It's become something of a cliche, but travel experiences really are sometimes more about the who, then the what or where these days... especially in a world still struggling to come to terms with travel & nature re-connection post-Covid. We would like to think that who you are able to connect with and trust to help you with all aspects of planning your wild adventure, as well as being able to host & guide you on the trip personally, is foremost in people's minds when they look to travelling to far-flung places across the globe currently.
And so many people ask what the differentiator is with an |nto the Wild safari experience?
Without bias or conceit, we would have to say it is the guide who hosts you for the duration of your trip. More than simply a glorified hand-holder, we'd like to think that traveling with a private guide enhances your safari across a number of areas... from assisting you curate the perfect itinerary before you travel, to working closely with you to ensure you bring (& get the most out of) the optimal mix of gear & photographic equipment; from providing a personal insight into the natural worlds in which we spend time with you, to contributing towards a sense of continuity as you travel from wild place to wild place. But mostly, we feel that we get to know each & every one we travel with quite intimately and as such, we grow to have a deeper understanding of your needs & likes, which allows us to constantly adapt & improve your experience to achieve a truly life-changing wilderness travel adventure.
If Rob is not available to host your trip into the wild, he will ensure one of his trusted associate guides joins the safari. He has a handful of old friends who he trusts to make your experience truly memorable & life-changing.
Rob often guides with his old pal, Neil Dampier - the two of them having explored much of the wild world together over their long-standing friendship.