Journeys by Design Review 2026: Is It Worth It, What It Costs, and Who Runs It

Journeys by Design, the Brighton safari specialist Will Jones founded in 1999, scores 65/100 on our six-criterion operator review: full marks for first-hand African expertise, destination breadth and service, and nothing for pricing. Its expertise is on the record, from a founder raised in six African countries to its own guides, bases in Nanyuki and Maun and a camp in the Maasai Mara, and it sells 24 African countries, including Chad and South Sudan. What holds the score back is what a buyer can check before calling: no published prices, three independent reviews, the newest from 2019, and booking terms that give a company number belonging to a different company.

Verified 24 September 2026 · Journeys by Design's own pages and both sets of booking terms · Companies House records 03773781, 06144899 and 05224319 · ATTA directory · Travelstride and SafariBookings · TechInformed, L'Officiel, QuickBooks, Cambridge Judge Business School and ProPublica

Journeys by Design at a glance: the company record

Journeys by Design is Journeys by Design Limited, company 03773781, incorporated on 19 May 1999 and controlled by its founder Will Jones, with its head office in Brighton and bases in Kenya and Botswana. Every row below links to its source and was checked on the date shown.

Is Journeys by Design worth it?

Journeys by Design scores 65/100: it takes full marks on expertise, reach and service, and on the evidence a buyer can check in advance it is one of the thinnest records we hold. It is the only operator reviewed on these criteria to take full marks for service: a reply within one business day, 24-hour contact with its UK and US offices while you travel, and a dedicated exploration specialist for your entire journey. Its founder built and now operates Kiserian Cottage and Bush Camp in the Maasai Mara. It publishes no prices at all, and says it designs between 50 and 100 private safaris a year.

Where Journeys by Design stands on Uncompromised Travel

At 65/100, Journeys by Design sits 11th of the 13 safari operators reviewed on these six criteria, one point above Ker & Downey Africa and ten below Scott Dunn, Natural Habitat Adventures and Roar Africa. It also appears on four of our indexes, each scored on its own criteria: eleventh on the safari planner index at 64, eleventh on the payment terms index at 30, sixth on the UK and US operator comparison at 44, and 25 on the safari price comparison, where it publishes nothing without an enquiry. The payment terms index records no conventional terms page; this record found two, for UK and EU residents and for everyone else, last changed in September 2024 and June 2025.

How much does a Journeys by Design safari cost?

Journeys by Design publishes no prices: its trip, tier and destination pages show no per-person price, from-price or nightly rate, and its sample 16-day Chad and Central African Republic journey, Edge Case, ends with an invitation to get in touch. The published numbers are about volume and giving: Classic journeys are limited to 70 a year, RARE trips to no more than 30 a year, and every RARE itinerary includes a USD 5,000 environmental pledge. The deposit is 30% for Classic safaris and 35% for RARE. Our safari price comparison and Kenya safari cost guide show what comparable trips cost from operators that publish rates.

What do Journeys by Design reviews say?

Independent reviews of Journeys by Design are close to absent: Travelstride shows 5/5 from three reviews, the newest from October 2019, its SafariBookings listing has none, and no Trustpilot, Feefo or Tripadvisor listing was found. The three Travelstride reviews praise the organisation, one calling a trip "organised perfectly from hotels to transfers". Its own testimonials page carries 23 named quotes, among them Ralph Lauren ("Journeys by Design opened our eyes to a world of experiences we never could have imagined") and Katy Perry; testimonials a company hosts itself do not count towards the score. Our safari operator review index explains why.

Journeys by Design's awards and press, dated where they can be

Journeys by Design lists a long record of recognition on its own pages, from a Financial Times top-ten "super-agent" place in 2005 to eight years as a Condé Nast Traveller Top Travel Specialist, but none of the awards could be confirmed on an awarding body's site for this record. Condé Nast and Travel + Leisure blocked the check. Its own pages also give two years for Will Jones's Royal Geographical Society fellowship: 2017 in the company history and 2019 in his biography. Recent press includes Financial Times features by David Pilling on Lake Turkana and Sophy Roberts on South Africa's Wild Coast, and Condé Nast Traveller's Gabon story by Sarah Marshall, reprinted on its site.

Where Journeys by Design travels, and its journey styles

Journeys by Design sells 24 African countries and islands, one of the widest frontier lists we have recorded, from Benin and Togo to Chad, South Sudan, Eritrea and the Central African Republic, and nothing outside Africa. Its destinations page heads the list with 26 and shows 24. The company history records it as the first operator African Parks invited into South Sudan, in 2023. Journeys are grouped as private family adventure, milestone celebration, off-map exploration, specialist wildlife, cultural immersion and conservation encounters, and its guides lead walking and photographic safaris.

Who owns Journeys by Design?

Journeys by Design is controlled by its founder, Will Jones, who Companies House records as holding more than 75% of the shares and votes of Journeys by Design Limited, company 03773781. Jones, raised in six African countries, spent four years in Ethiopia and guided at Galdessa in Tsavo East and Borana in Laikipia before starting the company in 1999, by his own account. Paul Herbertson, formerly of Fauna and Flora International, has been managing director since 2021 and is chief executive of Wild Philanthropy, the US charity Jones founded in 2016, according to Cambridge Judge Business School; its filings show revenue of USD 514,415 in the year to December 2025. On the register, the name has moved: in March 2023 the company swapped names with company 06144899, which had carried the Journeys by Design name since 2007 and was dissolved that August.

Journeys by Design's booking terms and financial protection

Journeys by Design takes a 30% deposit on Classic safaris and 35% on RARE trips, with the balance due 16 weeks before departure; cancelling more than 112 days out costs the deposit, and cancelling later costs everything. It publishes two sets of terms. The terms for UK and EU residents, last changed in September 2024, give ATOL 9680 for flight-inclusive trips; the terms for everyone else, last changed in June 2025, name no financial protection and make travel insurance a condition of booking. Both give company number 5224319, which on Companies House belongs to Think Galapagos Limited. Our guide to safari deposits and payment terms compares these with the market.

What the public record does not show

Nine things a buyer might look for could not be found or did not match on 24 September 2026. Each is listed so it can be answered; if Journeys by Design publishes or corrects any of them, this record will change with a dated note.

• The right company number in the booking terms: both sets give 5224319, which belongs to Think Galapagos Limited; Journeys by Design Limited is 03773781.
• A current name on the ATOL page, which still names Black and Green Trading Ltd; the CAA register could not be read to confirm the current licence holder.
• Any financial protection for travellers outside the UK and EU.
• Any published price, from-price or nightly rate.
• An active independent review profile: the newest independent review found is from October 2019.
• Independent confirmation of the Condé Nast Traveller, Travel + Leisure and Financial Times recognitions listed on its pages.
• One year for Will Jones's Royal Geographical Society fellowship (2017 or 2019) and for Wild Philanthropy's launch (2015 or 2016).
• A match between the destinations header (26) and the destinations listed (24).
• Office hours; the site gives a response time but no clock hours.

Journeys by Design vs Expert Africa, Yellow Zebra Safaris and Scott Dunn

Against three UK safari specialists we have reviewed, Journeys by Design matches or beats all of them on expertise, breadth and service, and falls behind on the two things a buyer can check without calling: prices and reviews. Our Scott Dunn, Audley and Yellow Zebra comparison covers three of the larger UK desks in more depth.

How to price a comparable safari

The fair test of any quote from Journeys by Design is a like-for-like quote for the same camps, nights and season from a second specialist and a comparison platform. Ask each for the same lodges by name, the same room category and the same inclusions, then compare the per-person total with international flights excluded.

Get a second specialist quote from Go2Africa →

Compare safari operators' prices on BookAllSafaris →

Browse priced safaris on Safari.com →

What changed

Six dated changes shape Journeys by Design today, from its managing director's appointment to its first team gathering in Africa.

2021. Paul Herbertson became managing director, having led Wild Philanthropy since 2019.

6 May 2022. The registered office moved to 8-9 Ship Street, Brighton.

1 March 2023. Company 03773781 took back the Journeys by Design name after 16 years as Black and Green Trading Limited.

2023. It became the first operator African Parks invited into South Sudan, by its own account, and hired a marketing lead, Jenna Gradidge.

2026. The team held its first annual gathering in Africa, in Botswana, and introduced a "Wildlife Economy" impact model.

24 September 2026. This record opened with a score of 65/100.