Brooks Kamanakao
"I was really born in the bush" states Brooks. This rings true considering he grew up in the small village of Motopi, on the banks of the then flowing Boteti River and one of the main channels of the Okavango Delta. Belonging to the Bayei tribe (people who introduced mokoros to the Okavango Delta), Brooks had a fascination with Botswana's wild areas from a young age. Determined to succeed, he began his career in tourism as a casual worker, soon being granted a position as a barman/waiter.
As his interest was in the bush, he soon managed to move into the position of tracker which he pursued for a year before passing the Wilderness Safaris guides course in 2000. Since then, Brooks has improved his bush knowledge and fine tuned hosting skills working at premier camps like Kings Pool and Mombo as senior guide. In early 2006, he joined the Explorations team to enhance his knowledge of other areas of the country, as well as spending more days with each group of guests.
A combination of superlative bush knowledge, friendly hosting and a wide interest in astronomy, birding and the diverse cultures of Botswana, has meant that Brooks has quickly become popular as both an Explorations guide and an often requested private Explorations guide.