It’s
Simply The Best
Way To Travel
Some people
collect travel destinations the way others collect Biedermeier
furniture
or presidents’ autographs.
What’s come
onto the market this year? Bhutan? Libya? Mongolia? Why not fly over
this
summer and add it to the collection?
Others travel
for an entirely different set of reasons. Reasons which have less to do
with collecting countries (who needs another trophy on the shelf?) than
with gathering experience.
If you’re a
member of the latter group, you know that, at its best, a journey down
the Sepik River or up Mount Kilimanjaro, across Provence or along the
Antarctic
Peninsula, can change you deeply in ways both tangible and intangible,
acknowledged and unavowed.
However, when
changing the way you look at the world is one of your travel objectives
— when authentic experience matters more to you than casual acquisition
— the travel company you choose has a tall order to fill.
That’s where
Abercrombie & Kent comes in
Since 1962,
A&K has been doing one thing exceptionally well. We specialize in
matching
unique people with unique places, and in providing the expertise and
(unobtrusive)
support that allows them to experience those places fully, at first
hand
and in their own personal style.
It’s simply
the best way to travel. And it requires a unique combination of local
knowledge
and global organization that only Abercrombie & Kent is equipped to
provide.
The travel
industry is filled with companies who own only their brochures and a
handful
of contracts with independent suppliers overseas. In contrast, A&K
has its own network of offices (48 and counting) across the globe,
staffed
full time by A&K professionals. We own and operate luxury camps and
lodges in remote destinations to ensure that our clients have access to
the best.
And we draw
on the knowledge, humor and creativity of an incredible team of staff
members
and local “friends of A&K,” to bring you face-to-face with an
Antarctic
iceberg the size of Chartres Cathedral, or make it possible for you to
walk around Chartres itself with an expert on its stained glass. To set
you down for a private picnic a deux in the middle of the African
savannah
or give you and the children your own tropical island for a day.
Experience
does count. Ours will make yours unforgettable.
The A&K
Difference
What
sets Abercrombie & Kent apart?
At Abercrombie
& Kent, we strive at every turn to redefine your
notion of what is possible on a vacation. Our approach combines
singular service — such as a private passage by road and lake through
the Andes, or a maximum group size of only 12 guests on each
Galápagos shore excursion — with insider-access opportunities
unlike any you have experienced before. A&K lets you discover Machu
Picchu through the eyes of its former resident archaeologist, and
introduces you to Mayan culture firsthand, through an exclusive meeting
with a Mayan family.
In these and
myriad other ways, Abercrombie & Kent consistently
goes above and beyond the call of duty — and no A&K journey is
complete without that extra, unexpected "and" that makes your
experience unique and unforgettable.
Choose from a
Luxury Small Group Journey, the finest group travel
experience in the world; a Connections journey, which combines
A&K’s renowned service with unbeatable value; A Marco Polo Club
Invitational Journey to an exotic locale; a private Signature Series
itinerary; or a custom independent journey created just for you. When
it comes to discovering the world, the possibilities are endless.
Making these
extraordinary journeys possible are the handpicked experts
in our 50 offices worldwide, on call around the clock. Chief among them
are our resident A&K Tour Directors and local guides. The Tour
Director leads each group departure, providing unmatched on-the-ground
expertise with A&K local guides contributing along the way.
With expertise in
not only luxury but culture, wildlife and history as
well, Abercrombie & Kent reveals your destination with an
authenticity beyond the reach of any other travel company.
History
Geoffrey Kent and his parents, Valerie and
Colonel John Kent,
founded Abercrombie & Kent in 1962. The company’s beginnings were
modest; Geoffrey Kent remembers their first safaris were conducted with
little more than "a Bedford truck and my mother’s sterling silver ice
bucket."
In 1967, Geoffrey Kent (by now Managing Director, following his
parents’ retirement) decided to expand A&K’s signature style of
travel. In 1969, he began opening additional companies in Africa; in
1971, he met Jorie Ford Butler of Oak Brook, Illinois. She became a
partner in the business and together they expanded A&K into a
worldwide group of companies, with offices in London, Downers Grove,
Illinois and Melbourne, Australia.
Today, A&K runs 50 full-time offices worldwide, staffed by more
than 2,300 people; it also operates its own safari camps and Nile
cruise ships, and maintains a fleet of customized safari vehicles. Its
reputation allows A&K travellers private, sometimes exclusive
access to museums, archaeological sites and cultural attractions around
the world. The company’s more recent innovations include Extreme
Adventures that bring travellers face to face with nature at its most
uncompromising, and Connections — group journeys that offer something
never before possible: a chance to discover the world in the company of
unmatched local experts, at an unbeatable value.
A&K’s staff continues to seek pioneering new ways of exploring the
globe — and among it is Geoffrey Kent, who still travels the world
interviewing guides, scouting locations and ensuring that the standards
he and his parents established nearly 50 years ago remain in place on
each and every A&K journey.
Geoffrey KentGeoffrey Kent Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Geoffrey Kent was born while his parents were on safari and grew up on
the family farm in Kenya. At 16, he became the first individual to
motorbike between Kenya and Cape Town. Since founding Abercrombie &
Kent with his parents, Geoffrey’s focus has been to enable travellers
to discover the world in a uniquely stylish manner. Geoffrey has served
as President of The Prince of Wales Foundation in the U.S. and chairman
of the World Travel & Tourism Council, and in April 2012 was named
to the British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame for his
outstanding contributions to the luxury travel industry.
Jorie Butler KentJorie Butler Kent, Vice Chairman
Jorie Butler Kent is a businesswoman, conservationist and professional
photographer. She is the daughter of Paul and Marjorie Stresenreuter
Butler, who founded Oak Brook, Illinois. She and Geoffrey Kent are
co-owners of the Abercrombie & Kent Group of Companies. Today,
Jorie leads A&K's conservation efforts as president of Abercrombie
& Kent Philanthropy (AKP). Between her travels, Jorie has found
time to be involved in numerous organizations, including the World
Travel and Tourism Ecological Research Center, The Royal Geographical
Society in London and The Explorer's Club in New York.
Awards
Our service and
reputation are tested every day against the dreams and
expectations of our guests. We listen to both our clients and to travel
agents, who rate us against other travel companies, and the message is
clear: Abercrombie & Kent sets the standard for luxury and service
in the travel industry, year after year.

|

|

|

|
Travel
Weekly
Best
Tour Operator - Africa
Best Tour Operator - Luxury
|
Luxury
Travel Advisor
Best
Luxury Tour Operator
Best Luxury Destination Management Company Worldwide
|
Recommend
Best
Africa Tour Operator
|
TravelAge
West
Best
Africa Tour Operator
|

|

|

|

|
Travel
+ Leisure
World's
Best Tour Operators
and Safari Outfitters
|
National
Geographic Adventure
Best
Adventure Travel
Companies on Earth
|
World
Travel Awards
Africa's
Leading Luxury Tour Operator
|
Porthole
Best
Worldwide Tour Operator
|
A&K
-
The First Name
in Luxury Travel
For more than
forty
years, Abercrombie
& Kent (A&K) has been internationally recognized as
the first name in luxury travel. Born in 1962 as a safari company in
Nairobi,
Kenya, A&K's unparalleled travel and tour operations now extend
across
the far and exotic reaches of the globe. A&K takes its travelers on
extraordinary journeys-in extraordinary style-to more than one hundred
countries on all seven continents. The company's tours and safaris span
the globe from Africa to the Middle East, India and Nepal; from the
Orient
to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific; and from Europe to
Central
and South America and Antarctica. Forty-five destination management
companies
ensure the "insider access" that only a local staff can provide.
A&K’s
impressive and enticingly
varied list of luxury and adventure holidays combine active days with
comfortable,
luxuriant nights. Small group escorted
journeys
allow guests to confidently travel to places they might otherwise
hesitate
to go on their own, with a choice of itineraries at varying levels of
luxury. Family
holidays are tailored to the interests, attention spans and
abilities of all ages, with comfortable hotels and comforting meals,
and,
most importantly, a friendly guide who understands children. Tailor
made private travel offers independent travellers meticulous
attention to detail, safety and customer service. These
lifestyle-oriented
programs are one reason why A&K was honored at the World Travel
Awards
as “World’s Leading Luxury Specialist Tour Operator.”
Geoffrey
Kent, who
along with Jorie
Butler Kent owns and operates A&K, was born-most fittingly-while
his
British parents were on safari in Zambia. Indeed, he spent much of his
childhood on the African continent. In 1962, Geofrey Kent, along with
his
parent's Colonel John and Valerie Kent, formed Abercrombie & Kent.
In the 1970s,
Geoffrey Kent, who
by then had long been the Managing Director of the company, entered
into
a partnership with Jorie Ford Butler of Oak Brook, Illinois, to run
A&K.
They continue to travel the world in search of adventures that will
surprise
and thrill their guests. Under their passionate and visionary
guidance-Geoffrey
Kent serves as Chairman and CEO, Jorie Butler Kent as Executive Vice
Chairman
- Abercrombie & Kent represents the uncompromising best at every
turn
in the road.
With a
philosophy
that is governed
in equal parts by the Kents' unswerving commitment to conservation and
their mission to provide "memories of a lifetime," A&K goes to
seemingly
limitless lengths to design tours that offer privileged
access and special insight.
Further distinguishing A&K is the fact that the company owns luxury
safari lodges in pristine wilderness areas, including Chief's Camp and
Chobe Chilwero in Botswana; exclusive rights to camps with some of
Africa's
finest game-viewing; a fleet of comfortable, well-maintained ground
transport
vehicles; and the Sun Boats on the Nile. A&K also creates unique
travel
experiences built around the luxury trains of Venice
Simplon-Orient-Express
and the Royal Scotsman; the Road to Mandalay river cruiser and 29 canal
and river cruisers in Europe; and the legendary Sea Cloud, the world's
most beautiful sailing ship.
Abercrombie
&
Kent's headquarters
are in Oak Brook, Illinois. Forty-seven offices worldwide, employing
more
than 1,700 travel professionals, offer unrivaled attention to detail,
safety
issues and service standards.
A deep-rooted
concern for the natural
world infuses each and every A&K trip: Geoffrey Kent and Jorie
Butler
Kent believe passionately in "high-yield, low-impact" tourism-adventure
that respects the natural environment and benefits indigenous peoples.
They are the founders of Friends of Conservation and the Abercrombie
&
Kent Global Foundation, established to address global environmental and
conservation concerns. Among its achievements have been significant
contributions
to the preservation of Kenya's famed Masai Mara Game Reserve, as well
as
to anti-poaching and environmental education projects on all seven
continents.
Abercrombie and Kent is a
NON-FEE/no discount buy

We
will not charge a fee for any/all tour planning for Abercrombie and
Kent.
Our services are absolutely free when servicing this quality program.
Additionally, no travel agent or web-based travel concern is allowed
to discount when representing Abercrombie and Kent and any of its
affiliated touring companies. Rest
assured, you will receive the quality that you expect and the unique
value of a well-designed tour program from the beginning and planning
stage to the culmination of this exceptional journey.
Experience
the Abercrombie and Kent Difference with Gardner Travel!
Simply
the Best!
|
|