Our passion
Wildlife is our passion and Africa provides the grandest scale for it's fulfillment. Nothing inspires us more than seeing delighted clients on safari.
Our guiding principles;
1) Work with partners who practice environment conservation / Green tourism / Eco-tourism
2) Protect the environment
3) Provide financial benefit for wildlife conservation
4) Provide financial benefit / empowerment to the local communities
5) Move to zero plastic wherever possible
6) Leave no permanent footprint
Our team of enthusiastic wildlife fanatics;
Vikram Dayal
"Ever since I watched 'Born Free' at the age of 5 years, I was captivated by an image of Kenya. It was a dream that was realised in 1990 when I traveled with an Indian club cricket team and was selected to play as an overseas professional in the Kenyan cricket league for a few years. Our club chairman owned the largest fleet of safari vehicles at that time, and I felt privileged to be able to travel and see the country. Kenya opened the doors to Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia. I am who I am because of my connect with Africa for over 32 years. It has become a part of me and it has a place for me."
Based in Mumbai, Vikram is a former first class Indian cricketer who also played as a professional in Kenya. He has traveled to Africa a record number of times, and today IAS provides a seamless wildlife safari operation across eight African countries, apart from India. Vikram is hands-on and manages the supplier relationships and sales across East and Southern Africa. During any safari he reaches a plateau where he can remain all through the safari, recounting flora and fauna even in his sleep. He also gets a high on designing the perfectly customised itinerary in any budget - from camping to ultra luxury. Not content with just running a safari operation, Vikram has a Silver accreditation with the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association (KPSGA), which is affiliated to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). He has an MBA and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from St Xavier's College, Mumbai. He left a career in banking to go after his twin passions - sport management and wildlife.
Sutapa Dayal
Sutapa has a Masters degree in Economics from Mumbai University. She quit her career in real estate to team up with Vikram in business. She is Vikram's (much) better half and looks after finance, day to day operations and client management. She speaks five languages and can remember the names of clients, their special diets, as well as the names of their kids and pets (who did not travel with us). There is no information that escapes her.
Chetan Mulani
With a Degree in Commerce, Chetan chucked up a job as Director in a foreign bank, and changed careers to join Vikram in the business in 2012. He looks after sales. Being an excellent wildlife photographer, we know we have reached closure when clients begin talking wildlife photography with him. Chetan is ever reliable, and the happiest when he is with clients on safari.
Simon Mwanza
With a Diploma in Tour Guiding and Administration in college, and a vast experience of over 20 years in guiding across Kenya, Simon is not only a highly accomplished guide today but also a fine ambassador for Kenya. As dependable as the sun for so many reasons, Simon is a thorough professional. Apart from his beautiful wife Christine, his secret love is his safari vehicle of which he takes very special care. It is easier to get a Tsavo lion to eat grass than to get Simon to drink anything other than his favourite Stoney 'beer'.
The scale of a safari operation being what it is, we would not be able to deliver on our promises were it not for the combined effort of everybody in the chain - from the sales staff of suppliers, fellow tour operators, staff at airports, hotels, restaurants, parks, guides, local communities and the people in between. To them we owe our gratitude.