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Mozambique Voyages provides travelers an unprecedented level of access and specialization for travel to Mozambique. The company is a new division of Uitkyk Holidays, a safari company specializing in the whole of Southern Africa. Having been in operation for twelve years, Uitkyk Holidays was increasingly specializing in providing full ground handling services specifically for Mozambique as a destination, and as a result of the volume of business in Mozambique was able to offer the best rates and most up to date product knowledge in this destination. The decision to create Mozambique Voyages as a separate company was an obvious move for 2010. Uitkyk Holidays will still continue to market, sell and package itineraries and tours in Southern Africa countries including South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.
"Mozambique is perhaps the most exciting destination on the African continent at the moment," explains Martijn Mellaart, owner of Mozambique Voyages. "While we’ve always had spectacular Indian Ocean beaches on offer, in the last few years we’ve seen many new, small, eco-friendly and intriguing properties open along the coast catering to an upscale, international market. We also have new safari destinations across the country, and are increasingly able to offer a complete Africa safari experience for travelers. My team spends a significant amount of time each year personally visiting all the properties in the country and seeing first hand the destinations Mozambique Voyages is selling. No other company can offer this level of first hand knowledge when it comes to Mozambique."
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Mozambique Voyages Staff
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Martijn Mellaart
Director / Owner
Martijn Mellaart's love of Africa began at an early age. Born in Holland, but raised in West Africa in Niger, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo, Martijn came to understand and love Africa working alongside his father, who led development work for the United Nations in these countries. After leaving the continent at the age of 18 to study marketing in Holland, Martijn was drawn to Mozambique where his father had moved. Visiting Mozambique in 1992, just after the war had ended, Martijn fell in love with the country and as they say "the rest is history!"
While the country had a long way to go after 23 years of civil war in terms of development, the warm heart of Mozambique was clear to Martijn and he become the country's original tourism pioneer, seeing the potential for this destination as a rising star in the world of African travel.
Martijn opened the doors of Uitkyk Holidays in April 1998, as an inbound tour operator for Southern Africa specializing in Mozambique and 4x4 self drives. Uitkyk was one of the first companies actively promoting Mozambique as a destination with various Dutch, French and British Operators. When not on sales trips in Europe, Martijn spent the bulk of his time traveling extensively through Mozambique, visiting all the lodges and hotels, building personal relationships with the management teams and a deep understanding of all the features and possibilities of the country.
Today, Martijn and his team at Mozambique Voyages bring you unparalleled knowledge of the destination, the best itineraries for your clients and a deep passion for Mozambique .
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Barbara Kuhn
General Manager
After spending a year in the Netherlands, Barbara returned to South Africa and started a Diploma course in Hotel Management. She spent the next several years in various four star small luxury lodges and Resorts in mainly front office, reservations and customer relations management positions. It was time for a career change and Barbara decided to take on the Travel Industry, working for a Southern African Tour Operator as Sales Manager before joining Uitkyk Holidays.
Barbara has traveled through South Africa, Mozambique and Botswana as well as the European countries of the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. She believes that selling a relatively young tourism destination such as Mozambique is a unique challenge that can only be done successfully with a dedicated and passionate team such as the team of Mozambique Voyages.
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Tanja Joubert
Senior Travel Consultant
Born in South Africa, Tanja Joubert soon fell in love with her neighbouring country, Mozambique. She went to University for Marketing Management as well as Tourism Management and landed Mozambique Voyages as her first job. She loves sharing the knowledge she has gained about travel with her clients and assisting others in planning tours to the beautiful country of Mozambique.
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Tessa Potgieter
Junior Travel Consultant
After finishing University with a degree in Tourism Management, Tessa got her start in the travel industry at a Private Game Lodge in South Africa. She then moved on to Mozambique Voyages in 2008. She visits Mozambique quiteoften to stay up to date with the new camps, lodges and hotels across the country. She enjoys arranging vacations for her clients to Mozambique because it is such an exquisite country with lovely and friendly people. I would like to share with the rest of the world the joy, history and culture of Mozambique.
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Neli Maduna
Junior Travel Consultant
Neli Maduna was introduced to the travel industry by chance in 2005 when she got a job as an assistant manager at Comfort Travel, a Chinese Tour Operator. After three great years she was offered a job as a junior consultant at Wilderness Safaris where she solidified bookings from start to finish. These jobs gave her the experience needed to blend into the qualified consultants at Mozambique Voyages.
Neli enjoys discovering new places as it increase her knowledge about other destinations as well as her own, nature conservation and other cultures and traditions. Many years in the industry has taught her that it’s not about traveling for most people but discovering and exploring while traveling that makes a trip so special. She makes it her duty to always have the best and satisfactory details and responses at all times.
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Portia Nkosi
Portia completed her studies at Tshwane University of Technology and worked as intern at a local Travel Agent before applying for the position of Junior Consultant at Mozambique Voyages / Uitkyk Holidays. She is working hard to broaden her horizons and gain more knowledge in the industry. She enjoys exploring new areas and working with people from around the world.
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Cheryl van Schalkwyk
Personal Assistant to Director & General Manager
Cheryl has always felt blessed that she had the best of two worlds – being the bush and the beach. Growing up in Nelspruit she spent all her holidays on the pristine beaches of Mozambique. When not in Mozambique on holiday she frequently visited the Kruger National Park where her love for the outdoors and photography was nurtured. After school Cheryl took three years off to travel extensively. She worked at a five star Country Club in Florida and used her free time to travel and do as much sightseeing as possible. She realized she had a passion for travel and has since joined the Mozambique Voyages / Uitkyk Holidays team where she is learning the ins and outs of the industry.
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Administration
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Elmarie Pauw
Administration Manager
Elmarie is an avid lover of self drive tours through Southern Africa and have travelled through South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique, Angola, Zambia and Malawi with her husband in their Land Rover Defender. Her other passion is Accounting and working at Mozambique Voyages / Uitkyk Holidays is a great way for her to combine two of her most favourite things in life. Elmarie is currently based in Durban from where she controls and manages all of Administration for Mozambique Voyages and Uitkyk Holidays
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Pat Cawood
Assistant to Administration Manager
Pat is one of the newest members to the team and assists Elmarie in the Administration Department, for which she has over 40 years of experience. Pat is also an avid self drive enthusiast and has spent some of her most memorable holidays travelling through Zimbabwe, staying in remote areas in several Game Reserves. She is a keen wildlife and bird photographer and enjoys camping, especially in the Mkuze Game Reserve in Kwa Zulu Natal.
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