Some people collect travel destinations the way others collect Biedermeier furniture or presidents’ autographs.

What’s come onto the market this year? Bhutan? Libya? Mongolia? Why not fly over this summer and add it to the collection?

Others travel for an entirely different set of reasons. Reasons which have less to do with collecting countries (who needs another trophy on the shelf?) than with gathering experience.

If you’re a member of the latter group, you know that, at its best, a journey down the Sepik River or up Mount Kilimanjaro, across Provence or along the Antarctic Peninsula, can change you deeply in ways both tangible and intangible, acknowledged and unavowed.

However, when changing the way you look at the world is one of your travel objectives — when authentic experience matters more to you than casual acquisition — the travel company you choose has a tall order to fill.
 

That’s where Abercrombie & Kent comes in.

Since 1962, A&K has been doing one thing exceptionally well. We specialize in matching unique people with unique places, and in providing the expertise and (unobtrusive) support that allows them to experience those places fully, at first hand and in their own personal style.

It’s simply the best way to travel. And it requires a unique combination of local knowledge and global organization that only Abercrombie & Kent is equipped to provide.

The travel industry is filled with companies who own only their brochures and a handful of contracts with independent suppliers overseas. In contrast, A&K has its own network of offices (48 and counting) across the globe, staffed full time by A&K professionals. We own and operate luxury camps and lodges in remote destinations to ensure that our clients have access to the best.

And we draw on the knowledge, humor and creativity of an incredible team of staff members and local “friends of A&K,” to bring you face-to-face with an Antarctic iceberg the size of Chartres Cathedral, or make it possible for you to walk around Chartres itself with an expert on its stained glass. To set you down for a private picnic a deux in the middle of the African savannah or give you and the children your own tropical island for a day.

Experience does count. Ours will make yours unforgettable.
 

A&K’s impressive and enticingly varied list of luxury and adventure holidays combine active days with comfortable, luxuriant nights. Small group escorted journeys allow guests to confidently travel to places they might otherwise hesitate to go on their own, with a choice of itineraries at varying levels of luxury. Family holidays are tailored to the interests, attention spans and abilities of all ages, with comfortable hotels and comforting meals, and, most importantly, a friendly guide who understands children. Tailor made private travel offers independent travellers meticulous attention to detail, safety and customer service. These lifestyle-oriented programs are one reason why A&K was honored at the World Travel Awards as “World’s Leading Luxury Specialist Tour Operator.”

Geoffrey Kent, who along with Jorie Butler Kent owns and operates A&K, was born-most fittingly-while his British parents were on safari in Zambia. Indeed, he spent much of his childhood on the African continent. In 1962, Geofrey Kent, along with his parent's Colonel John and Valerie Kent, formed Abercrombie & Kent.

In the 1970s, Geoffrey Kent, who by then had long been the Managing Director of the company, entered into a partnership with Jorie Ford Butler of Oak Brook, Illinois, to run A&K. They continue to travel the world in search of adventures that will surprise and thrill their guests. Under their passionate and visionary guidance-Geoffrey Kent serves as Chairman and CEO, Jorie Butler Kent as Executive Vice Chairman - Abercrombie & Kent represents the uncompromising best at every turn in the road.

With a philosophy that is governed in equal parts by the Kents' unswerving commitment to conservation and their mission to provide "memories of a lifetime," A&K goes to seemingly limitless lengths to design tours that offer privileged access and special insight. Further distinguishing A&K is the fact that the company owns luxury safari lodges in pristine wilderness areas, including Chief's Camp and Chobe Chilwero in Botswana; exclusive rights to camps with some of Africa's finest game-viewing; a fleet of comfortable, well-maintained ground transport vehicles; and the Sun Boats on the Nile. A&K also creates unique travel experiences built around the luxury trains of Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and the Royal Scotsman; the Road to Mandalay river cruiser and 29 canal and river cruisers in Europe; and the legendary Sea Cloud, the world's most beautiful sailing ship.

Abercrombie & Kent's headquarters are in Oak Brook, Illinois. Forty-seven offices worldwide, employing more than 1,700 travel professionals, offer unrivaled attention to detail, safety issues and service standards.

A deep-rooted concern for the natural world infuses each and every A&K trip: Geoffrey Kent and Jorie Butler Kent believe passionately in "high-yield, low-impact" tourism-adventure that respects the natural environment and benefits indigenous peoples. They are the founders of Friends of Conservation and the Abercrombie & Kent Global Foundation, established to address global environmental and conservation concerns. Among its achievements have been significant contributions to the preservation of Kenya's famed Masai Mara Game Reserve, as well as to anti-poaching and environmental education projects on all seven continents.

Recommend Magazine
“Best Africa/Middle East Tour Operator” - December 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000
Men’s Journal
“10 Great Companies to Work For” - November 2004 
Forbes
“Best of the Web” - April 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001
Elite Traveler
“Wonders of the World: Machu Picchu”, Juan Lazo, Best Guide - January 2004
World Travel Awards
 “World’s Leading Luxury Specialist Tour Operator” - 2003
 “World’s Leading Villa Operator” - 2003
Travel + Leisure Magazine
 “Best Tour Operator and Safari Outfitter” - 2004 (#12), 2003 (#5), 2002 (#2), 2001 (#1), 2000 (#2), 1999 (#1), 1998 (#1), 1997 (#1), 1996 (#1)
 “Top Guides in Africa” – Joseph Ndunguru, Gavin Ford - 2001
Conde Nast Traveler
“Readers’ Choice Awards: Top 15 African Safari Camps”
   Olonana and Chief’s Camp - 2004
   Chief’s Camp - 2003
   Chobe Chilwero -2002
“The World’s Best Places to Stay,” Gold List
   Chief’s Camp - January 2004
   Chobe Chilwero - 2003
“The Greatest Travel Pros on Earth”
“A&K has access to places and people that other operators in China don’t – including some of the top English speaking guides. Hatherly is a cultural encyclopedia, Chen a whiz with logistics.” - 2003
"Reader’s Choice: Top 20 Small-Ship Cruise Lines" - 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997
Gavin Ford, “15 Best Safari Guides” - 2002
Ecotourism Award – Special Mention - 1996
Conde Nast Traveller (UK)
"World's Best Tour Operator” - 2004 (#3), 2003 (#5), 2001 (#2), 2000 (#1), 1999 (#1)
Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report
“Favorite Hideway Resorts of the Past 25 Years”, Chief’s Camp - 2004
“Favorite Worldwide Travel Adventures”, Olonana, Chief’s Camp - 2004
“Previewing Heaven: 15 Worldwide Hotels with Drop-Dead Views”, Chief’s Camp - 2003
“Top 20 Hideaway Gems,” World’s Best Hotels, Resorts & Hideaways, Chief’s Camp - 2002
Travel Agent Magazine
“Leaders in Luxury,” Geoffrey Kent - 2002
World Travel & Tourism Council
Green Award for Corporate Social Leadership in Travel & Tourism - 2002
Town & Country
Gavin Ford, “Top Guides in Africa” - 2001
Queen’s Award for Enterprise
(A&K Europe) - 2001, 2000
Chevron Conservation Award
Jorie Butler Kent - 1999
ASTA/Smithsonian
Environmental Award - 1992