Travel and Wildlife Photographer Kim Paffen

About Kim Paffen

Africa Expert, Wildlife Photographer, FGASA-qualified safari guide and content creator for Africa's Wild Spaces

About Kim Paffen

Africa Expert, Wildlife Photographer, FGASA-qualified safari guide and content creator for Africa's Wild Spaces

Safari Expert to Africa’s Wild Soul

I once worked as a policy advisor, but Africa stole my heart and changed my path. I traded boardrooms for baobabs and never looked back. Over a decade, I’ve chased golden light across the Serengeti, tracked animals on foot in South Africa, qualified as a guide in the Masai Mara, and captured Africa's soul through my lens - earning nods like NatGeo Photographer of the Year and Africa Geographic finalist.

Published in National Geographic Magazine, Travel Africa, Walking Safaris of Africa Book, 10 Years Remembering Wildlife Book & Global galleries
13 African countries explored (38 worldwide) | Hosted Safaris in 6 African countries
FGASA & CATHSSETA Qualified Safari Guide

At Safari Compass, I work with Tessa (my fellow safari specialist & content creator) and trusted local experts to craft journeys that blend expertise and raw adventure with heart and purpose, because Africa deserves more than a checklist and ticking off the Big Five; it deserves storytellers, protectors, and lifelong learners.

Let us be your compass. We bridge the gap between adventure and soul to show travelers how Africa can change you, if you let it! From bespoke safaris and wildlife courses to photography masterclasses and our safari blog full of tips, we’re here to help you fall in love with Africa just as we did. You can only protect what you love...

Safari Expert to Africa’s Wild Soul

Published in National Geographic Magazine, Travel Africa, Walking Safaris of Africa Book, 10 Years of Remembering Wildlife Book & Global galleries
13 African countries explored (38 worldwide) | Hosted Safaris in 6 African countries
FGASA & CATHSSETA Qualified Safari Guide

Let us be your compass. We bridge the gap between adventure and soul to show travelers how Africa can change you, if you let it! From bespoke safaris and wildlife courses to photography masterclasses and our safari blog full of tips, we’re here to help you fall in love with Africa. Just as we did. You can only protect what you love...

Safari Compass Mission Statement

Safari Compass ignites and guides transformative journeys that honor Africa’s wilderness, empower its communities, and awaken the explorer in everyone by sharing our love for Africa, its nature, wildlife and warm-hearted people.
We bridge adventure with purpose, crafting safaris where every footprint supports conservation, every story deepens understanding, and every moment reconnects you to the wild’s timeless rhythm. Through ethical guiding, soulful photography, and unwavering respect for nature’s balance, we don’t just show you Africa. We invite you to protect its legacy.

Lake Mburo Uganda Walking Safari with Giraffes

Core Mission

Guided by our five-point Safari Compass Framework, we exist to:

Protect: Safeguard Africa’s wilderness through ethical travel and conservation partnerships.
Inspire: Reveal the continent’s untold stories through photography, blogs, and immersive experiences.
Empower: Equip travelers and communities with tools to thrive sustainably.
Transform: Turn journeys into catalysts for personal growth and global stewardship.
Connect: Build bridges between cultures, species, and the wild within us all.

Kleinschalige Oeganda Rondreis met Nederlandse Reisbegeleiding

Matriarch of the Wild

Spending time in the African Bush infuses Kim with new energy and increases her sense of being connected to a larger world!

Just as elephants leave footprints that shape the land, Kim aims to leave journeys that shape hearts

Kim navigates Africa’s wilderness with the grace and wisdom of a matriarch elephant—guiding, protecting, and nurturing every journey she curates. A former policy advisor turned award-winning wildlife photographer and qualified safari guide, Kim traded boardrooms for the untamed rhythms of the savanna, where her work now mirrors the elephant’s profound connection to land and legacy. Like these gentle giants, she leads with intuition, fostering bonds between travelers, communities, and wildlife while safeguarding fragile ecosystems. Her lens captures stories as enduring as an elephant’s memory, and her safaris, crafted alongside trusted partners and local experts, leave footprints as purposeful as a herd’s migration—light on the earth, deep in impact. For Kim Paffen, the wild is not just a place to explore, but a legacy to honor, one frame and one footprint at a time.

Kim: Facts & Figures

Africa Travel Expert with 15+ years of travel experience in 13 African Countries
FGASA & CATHSSETA qualified Safari Guide, trained in the Greater Masai Mara
Ethical (Wildlife) Photographer published in National Geographic, Travel Africa, Inflight Magazines, Walking Safaris of Africa book, 10 Years of Remembering Wildlife Book and global galleries/websites
Winner NatGeo Photographer of the Year 2019 & Finalist AfricaGeo Photographer of the Year 2020, Finalist 10 Years Remembering Wildlife Photo Competition
Listed Top 40 most famous wildlife photographers worldwide
Studied Geography Teaching & Organization Sciences, and earned 2 Bachelor’s degrees in Business & Public Administration
Used to work as a Policy Advisor in the Dutch local government
Jumped off the 111m high Victoria Falls Bridge & jumped out of a plane twice in Cape Town & Zanzibar
Hearing the birds sing in the morning makes her happy, and she gets excited every time the sky turns in pretty colors.
Passionate about reconnecting people with nature, whether through her images, safari blog, or ethical safari tours
Languages: English, Dutch, German, a few words Swahili

In the Media

Kim Paffen in the Media and Publications

Partner with Kim Paffen from Our Planet in my Lens, award-winning Travel and Wildlife Photographer

On L1 TV

Award-winning Chameleon photo part of National Geographic Exhibition 'Colors of the world'

NatGeo Photo Exhibition

National Geographic Award-Ceremony with Kim Paffen Travel- and Wildlife Photographer

Museon Photo Exhibition

Kim Paffen was Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year Finalist 2020

Africa Geo Finalist

On L1 TV