Marketing Manager

Katie Oxley-Brown

Marketing Manager

katie@realholidays.co.uk

Growing up in Africa, mainly in Botswana, I was the ultimate bush child having adventures that I can only dream of giving my own children. In my teens we lived in Mumbai, India and then onto Karachi, Pakistan before returning to the UK. Having experienced those fascinating places and diverse cultures at such formative years instilled a huge desire to keep exploring. I’m passionate about immersive travel whether that’s a remote walking safari or simply discovering the best tapas overlooking the Med.

I’ve been working in bespoke travel for nearly 20 years and instinctively know what might appeal to Real Holiday’s clients, sharing my appreciation of our diverse planet and its distinct cultures.

Katie's Favourite Places

Zambia

Zambia tops my list for several reasons: the variety of the landscapes between the different national parks, the extraordinary wildlife and the sense of space and freedom the country affords. Thrown into the mix are places to stay that range from small authentic bush camps which feel completely off-grid and immersed in the wilderness (my favourite) to highly polished lodges that blur the lines between wellness retreat, safari lodge and design statement.

While the leopards frequently steal the show in the South Luangwa, a visit to the Lower Zambezi offers a totally different perspective with the interaction between the land and the mighty river being the backdrop to wildlife activities. River fishing for tiger fish, with a cold beer close to hand, the sun setting in a plethora of colours with elephants traversing the river is an experience that is hard to rival anywhere in the world and I will never forget.

Upstream, the Victoria Falls is more than just a spectacular natural feature, being one of the world’s largest waterfalls; this is the convergence of central southern Africa, where countries and cultures meet. I first visited the Falls aged eight and the ‘Smoke that Thunders’ is honestly a must-see for any trip into Zambia, Zimbabwe or Botswana.
Namibia

Before Visiting Namibia it is hard to fathom the scale and the breathtaking beauty of this captivating country. I loved the remoteness, the wildness and the never ending colours - favourite areas include the magnificent Sossusvlei dunes and Deadvlei, flying over the wild and epic Skeleton Coast, tracking desert elephants in Damaraland and my absolute highlight Serra Cafema - in a location so remote and vast.

My favourite way to see the country is from the air so you can grasp the magnitude – it is only from above that you see the fog rolling off the Atlantic – the eerie shipwrecks, the expanse of deserts and all the absolute contrasts.
Italy

Few things appeal more to me than a long lazy lunch in the dappled shade in a Tuscan village square. Revered for its history, surrounded by beautiful landscapes and with the famously generous cuisine, holidaying in Tuscany or Umbria is always time well spent.

My honeymoon was spent soaking up culture in Florence, dining in little unknown gems to exploring ancient charter markets which line the cobbled streets of hilltop villages.

Travel Experiences That Shaped Me

Some of my most memorable experiences have happened on African soil and I feel a deep affinity with this vast continent. A horseback safari in Botswana’s Okavango Delta stands out because of the opportunity it gave me to connect with nature. We galloped alongside giraffes, came face to face with a bull elephant and glided on our horses in the watery channels of the Delta. A meeting with the San bushmen in Makgadikgadi pans in Botswana made a lasting impression learning about tracking and their lifestyle. Sweeping over to the Himalayas, another standout travel memory was hiking the Annapurna range in Nepal to the base camp – a very humbling and challenging experience.