&Beyond's Ranger Training Schools

&BEYOND’S RANGER TRAINING SCHOOLS ENSURE  

GUIDING EXCELLENCE

&Beyond is renowned for having extremely professional and knowledgeable guides, rangers, naturalists and trackers at more than 35 safari camps and lodges in Africa and India. This is due to a careful selection process, coupled with intensive training at &Beyond’s in-house ranger training schools and a mentoring programme at the lodges themselves.

“In order for our guests to have the best possible safari experience, it is essential that we ensure their ranger not only has an extensive knowledge of the environment, but is able to present this knowledge in an interesting and engaging manner while making our guests feel instantly at home,” says Graham Vercueil, &Beyond Group Ranger Training.

All &Beyond rangers have to complete the company’s in-house training course, run at three ranger training schools based at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, &Beyond Klein’s Camp in Tanzania and Kanha National Park in India. The training courses are not commercially offered and are dedicated solely to finding, training and employing the right calibre of candidates for &Beyond. The company follows a policy of employing locally, which means that rangers are frequently drawn from the communities surrounding the game reserves where they will eventually be employed.

Trainees are not expected to have any prior qualifications other than a driver’s licence and first aid training, as well as a fluent command of English. “Guiding is really about people and how you make them feel. For us, personality, attitude, communication and social skills, as well as a good fit with our company culture, are more important than qualifications or experience. Once we have identified these, we can teach our own standards, skills and techniques around guiding,” says Vercueil.   

A stringent interview process is dedicated to identifying candidates with the right aptitude. This is followed by an intensive 7-week course that covers all aspects of big game guiding, including vehicle and rifle training, as well as hospitality and game drive techniques. The first week focuses on team building, while the latter part of the course is dedicated to the interpretive guiding experience.

The initial course is followed by eight to twelve weeks of operational training at a lodge under the mentorship of the head ranger. “We can ask a candidate to leave at any point during either stage of their training,” explains Vercueil. “For us it is all about cementing our guiding techniques and ethics, ensuring that rangers maintain our very high standards of guiding and provide the very best experience for our guests.”

Even once a ranger’s training is completed, &Beyond’s regional trainers continue to work with guides in the field, ensuring that learning continues. Regional field operations moderators spend time with the rangers in camp, motivating them to maintain standards, bringing in new ideas, refreshing old ones and inspiring the rangers to keep developing themselves. 

&Beyond owns and operates more than 35 extraordinary lodges and camps in Africa and India’s wilderness highspots. The company is also one of Africa’s leading inbound tour operators, designing luxury safaris and personalized travel itineraries in 16 African countries, and India. Established in 1991, &Beyond delights guests in order to make a difference; its commitment to sustainable responsible travel and community empowerment is world renowned.