Vivienne was 'n geskenk uit die hemel vir my. Sy het my gehelp om dinge te bereik wat ek nooit sonder haar en haar kundige hulp sou kon doen nie. Sy het 'n wonderwerk verrig toe dit by my kom om Egipte toe te gaan om die piramides te sien. Dit was die laaste ding op my wenslys en op 86-jarige ouderdom het ek gedink dit was onmoontlik. Nie so nie. Vivi het dit moontlik gemaak en op die wonderlikste manier. Sy het elke detail tot perfeksie georganiseer en beplan. Haar geselskap en opbouende gees het dit 'n reis van 'n leeftyd gemaak. Ek was al regoor die wêreld en in al sewe kontinente en het saam met baie mense gereis, maar as ek die keuse kon hê om dit weer te doen, is Vivi die een saam met wie ek dit sou wou doen. Sy laat nooit toe dat enigiets haar keer nie. As iets verkeerd geloop het, het ek nooit daarvan geweet nie. Sy het dit met grasie en kennis hanteer. Ek het drie reise saam met haar onderneem en daar was nooit een oomblik dat ek bekommerd of besorg gevoel het nie. Net om haar te ken, het my lewe verryk.
Vivienne is 'n spesialis in haar veld met dekades se ondervinding in lugvaart wat wissel van die vind van die beste geskikte vliegtuig vir "vlieënde safari's", die lei van ekspedisies en die bestuur van logistiek. Om op 'n artistieke wyse na elke detail van die toergroep se behoeftes te kyk, kom vanself, terwyl dit haar positiewe energie deel om elke ekspedisie en elke avontuur af te rond as 'n "once in a lifetime experience"! Bravo Vivienne, jy lei deur voorbeeld!
January 30, 2026 Vivienne Gunning Cape Town, South Africa gunningvivienne@gmail.com Dear Sir or Madam, It is a pleasure to recommend Vivienne Gunning, whose outstanding performance and long-standing contribution to Bushtracks Expeditions have consistently exceeded expectations and earned the trust of our most discerning travelers. Over a period of 25 years, Vivienne has demonstrated exceptional versatility, developing management capabilities across a wide range of complex operational, aviation, expedition, and project-based roles within our organization. She initially supported Bushtracks with highly complex ACMI, long-haul, multi-stop airliner charters across Africa, including routes from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa, Cape Town to Casablanca, and a circumnavigation of North Africa and the Sahara aboard a private VIP Boeing 737. Her responsibilities included end-to-end flight planning, securing overflight and landing permits, contracting airport ground handlers, coordinating onboard catering and cabin crew, managing fueling logistics, and maintaining high passenger service standards throughout. Building on her success in aviation charter management, Vivienne progressed to become our most experienced Expedition Leader, completing more journeys, serving more guests, and operating across more destinations than any other leader in our organization. In parallel, she developed strong project management expertise, most notably leading the establishment of a 50-bed Moroccan Caidal tented camp in the Sahara Desert in Niger. This included designing, setting up, and managing a highly successful remote field kitchen capable of delivering high-quality meals to private jet guests in an extremely challenging environment. Vivienne later managed another demanding remote assignment: our contract with Doli (Elephant) Lodge in the Central African Republic. This project required her to plan and source fittings and soft furnishings in South Africa and the CAR, oversee transport into a remote rainforest location, creatively refurbish the lodge and its landscaping within a strict budget, train and uniform staff, and train the chef and kitchen team while implementing a structured weekly menu system. In subsequent years, Vivienne led numerous Southern Africa Private Air Safaris for National Geographic Expeditions, contributing significantly to a highly successful 17-year partnership that concluded in 2024. Most recently, she personally escorted a mature Bushtracks guest with restricted mobility through Egypt, demonstrating exceptional care, sensitivity, and attention to detail—qualities that continue to distinguish Vivienne in the delivery of bespoke, high-touch travel experiences. In summary, I recommend Vivienne Gunning without reservation for a suitable role within the tourism, expedition, or luxury travel industry. She is a deeply committed professional who combines operational rigor with empathy, leadership, and consistent accountability. Sincerely, David Tett Founder & CEO Bushtracks Expeditions
