Marina Lawson-Smith
With a love for Africa and a varied background with roles in the luxury travel industry, Marina joined the Yellow Zebra team in 2026 as an Operations Executive.
Since working in the luxury travel industry, Marina has enjoyed visits to several countries including two thrilling trips to South Africa. Her sporting background in equestrianism means that her love for animals has always been present and has translated into her love for conservation in Africa.
Marina’s Recent Travel Experience
Marina’s most recent trip was to Eastern Canada, where she got to experience the wonderful vibrant cities as well as the spectacle of Niagara Falls. From the cities she then explored more of the incredible landscapes, camping out in national parks and getting up close to the wolves and their cub at a local sanctuary.
Marina’s Most Memorable Experience
“No one forgets their first safari experience, and my most memorable experience is no exception to that. In the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, we were on our second game drive of the day when we came across a small herd of bull elephants. The largest elephant had some of his trunk missing from what the guide presumed was an accident with a poacher’s snare. They were very happily grazing, when the large bull walked right up in front of me to eat a nearby bush, no more than 5 meters away. It was at that point he stopped and looked at us for what felt like a very long couple of minutes. Nobody moved, but there was just a sense of aura around him and a moment of locking eyes with such a magnificent creature.”
Marina’s Bio
Marina grew up wanting to do nothing more than compete in equestrian events. She took part in the Junior European Eventing Championships and many national competitions. After realizing that it would be sensible to combine this passion with a Business degree course at Nottingham Trent University, she started her own business producing and selling horses. While this was always what she thought she wanted to do, travel was the one thing that was missing. Following the hit of the pandemic, she took the opportunity to travel more as soon as countries started to open up again, and she later joined a luxury travel company in 2022. This led to some incredible trips and a newfound love for Africa. Her aim is to tick off as many countries in Africa as possible, and compared to many of the team at Yellow Zebra she recognizes that she has a long way to go.
African Countries Visited
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South Africa
Big Five safaris, lively cities, and dramatic coastlines. South Africa delivers exciting contrasts and variety.
Marina’s Top Lodges
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Shinde Camp
From $500 – $1,240 ppShinde Camp is an authentically classic wilderness camp in a private northern Okavango Delta concession, owned and run by Ker & Downey Botswana. This company is notable for its standards of excellence and for providing superb safaris while conserving the…
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Offbeat Riding Safaris
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsOffbeat Riding Safaris offers fantastic horse-riding safaris for adventurous travellers! Both set-date departure and bespoke trips are available, and you can explore the Mara region, Laikipia, or Amboseli National Park. Offbeat Riding Safaris are…
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Wilderness Toka Leya
From $1,140 – $1,140 ppWilderness Toka Leya provides the perfect, classy oasis away from the bigger hotels, just upstream from Victoria Falls, in a prime, secluded spot on the banks of the River Zambezi. Being located in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park also means you can enjoy game…
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Namiri Plains
From $1,400 – $2,250 ppIn Swahili, ‘Namiri’ means big cat – and before the camp was built, the area was closed to tourists for 20 years to allow the cheetah population to restore itself. These grasslands are still a safe haven for big cats, including lion, and with the other camps…
