Lorraine Doyle

Lorraine was born and raised in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. As a teenager, visits to Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park, Lake Kariba and Great Zimbabwe fostered her passion for the natural world. She spent weekends abseiling and exploring the granite outcrops of the Matobo National Park just 40 minutes from her home. Her most potent memory from these formative years is whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River, where she found the sheer power and splendor of the river captivating.

Even when she headed to England to earn her honors degree in nursing in Bristol, and during her career as an intensive care sister, Lorraine continued to discover the great outdoors. She let no opportunity for adventure pass, from cycling the length of Great Britain (from Land’s End to John O' Groats) and hiking in the New Territories of Hong Kong with its stunning mountain scenery and ancient walled villages, to swimming in the tea-tree red waters of Lake Boomanjin on Fraser Island off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

After a decade in the UK, however, the pull of her native Africa grew too strong and Lorraine returned, taking up residence in South Africa. There, she decided it was time to turn her passion for nature and the outdoors into more than just a pastime, and she enrolled in a course to become certified as a Big 5 vehicle-based and walking guide. Lorraine went on to guide at Madikwe Game Reserve and then formed her own training company—Africa Nature Training—in 2002. She has been passionate about sharing the wonders of nature with adults and children alike ever since. Since 2017, she has had her own column—The Wild Guide—in a South Africa travel magazine. Lorraine's most recent travels have taken her to seven national parks in the USA; the Okavango Delta, Central Kalahari, Tuli Block and Chobe National Park in Botswana; South Africa's Sabi Sand, Golden Gate National Park, Wild Coast and Isimangaliso World Heritage Site; and back to Zimbabwe and the place that enthralled her decades before—the real start of her adventures in nature—the mighty Zambezi River. In her spare time, Lorraine loves to star-gaze, read, run, cycle and play with her dogs.

Praise from Nat Hab travelers:

J. Magnusen
"Lorraine was outstanding. She was a very cheerful, smiling person with a great fund of bush knowledge that she expertly communicated. She was always in control and was fun to be around."

D. Vanasek
"Lorraine was so knowledgeable and great fun to be with. She made this an awesome trip!"

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