[ESCAPESEEKER and the Advance Research Team comprised of Jim Jones, Peg Whisler Jones, Carol Borghi, and Phil West of Royal African Safaris join the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve guides for an exceptional day of wildlife tracking!]

SOUTHERN AFRICA — Who would ever venture to guess that this once-upon-a-time Philippine born, American raised little girl from a small seaside town in Southern California, would be leading an amazingly bright professional Advance Research Team throughout the southern region of Africa to uncover its best kept wondrous secrets for her own popular PBS SoCal Travel Series, ESCAPESEEKER, Season 2012.

Yes, seasoned journalist, Mel Gee Henderson is the ESCAPESEEKER, a nickname she derived while working for Asia’s premiere high-end global luxury magazine, ESCAPE. Mel’s fascinating cover stories became the impetus which led her to create the inspiring PBS travel series that bears her nickname, ESCAPESEEKER!  She’ll be the first to tell you, her insatiable wanderlust knows no bounds, as she travels, often to the most remote corners of the earth with her talented, indefatigable film team seeking out the greatest destinations in the world, one LUXURY ESCAPE at a time.

To say Mel’s passion for travel is highly contagious is an understatement.  Wherever she goes, whomever she meets in every walk of life, it doesn’t take long before Mel has entire groups intoxicated with her inspiring travel stories, combined with images and footage of the most dramatically jaw-dropping beautiful places on earth!

 [ESCAPESEEKER with photographer, Ozzie Jack Clarke getting a birds eye view of Cape Town from the world famous Table Top Mountain.  Thank you Jim Jones for capturing this breathtaking moment!]

As Mel explains, “My assignment as writer and journalist host is to deliver 27 minutes of pure joy every week—and you know what—you can’t fake ‘pure joy’—so thankfully, our program succeeds because overwhelming JOY is exactly what my team and I feel time and time again, as we are given this incredible opportunity to capture the very best ‘pinch me moments’ our world has to offer!”  Mel adds, “We keep it honest, we keep it real.  I want my travel-loving, loyal audience to know that anything I can do, they can do.  It is not always easy to reach the destinations we select to feature on ESCAPESEEKER—but I’ll guarantee that they will always be unforgettable and sometimes even life-changing.”

Since January 8, 2012, Mel and her Advance Research Team aka ART have been criss-crossing the magnificent, diverse expanse of the southern region of Africa and today Mel reports from the remote Okavango Delta of Botswana. This area is known as the “predator capital of Africa” and is also home to large herds of elephant and buffalo, making it one of the most ideal places to experience the epic African wildlife for which this continent is world-renowned.

In Mel’s own words…

“Reflecting upon our African odyssey, our team is continually blown away by the pristine, natural beauty and abundant wildlife we have found throughout our African journey.  Equally important, we are so moved by the sincere warmth and welcoming hospitality extended by the natives we meet.  Their eyes just sparkle as they proudly educate us about their beautifully diverse country, wildlife treasures and unique culture.  It’s crucially important that if you really want to get to know a place, you have to see it, experience it, through the eyes of the locals.  You have to peel away the layers, and be in the moment…their moment…their world.  I promise you, it will transform you from a mere tourist to a bonafide explorer!  And, as an additional reward, I guarantee you’ll make life-long friends wherever you go as your enriching travel experiences result in greater understanding and genuine appreciation of your fellow-beings.”

One of our most heart-warming discoveries as we visited one exquisite escape destination after another, is to learn that every single one of these hotels or game reserves has established a charitable foundation so that they may assist with the long-term sustainability of the communities and region in which they are located. These properties and  their respective staffs all engage in supporting or establishing local schools, in empowering their youth with the tools they need to be employable so that they may provide a brighter future for their families.

SEIZE THE MOMENT

So what are you waiting for…it’s time to take the leap…there’s no better time than the present to dust off that passport and fearlessly follow in this fearless ESCAPESEEKER’s footsteps.  As Mel concludes, “there’s nothing stopping even Grandma’s like me from experiencing our majestic world—you just have to take that first step—if you prepare properly, everything else will fall into place, and I’ll be more than happy to personally give you any guidance you may need to get your adventure started on the right footing.  I can’t wait to share our African experiences with my own children and grandchildren. As I’ve discovered time and time again, the JOY of TRAVEL is multiplied when it is shared with the people you love!”

In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned for another exciting new ESCAPESEEKER Fall Season 2012, when Mel and her film crew joyfully present, two in-depth, inspiring hours featuring EPIC AFRICA: WILD AND WONDROUS! It’s guaranteed to give you goose bumps.

ESCAPESEEKER extends a most special THANK YOU to ROYAL AFRICAN SAFARIS for providing invaluable support and generously lending their seasoned Africa expertise and guidance as we continue to collaborate on bringing this very extensive filming project to full fruition. We could not have done it without you!

Phil West captures an unforgettable ESCAPESEEKER Phinda sunrise

Here’s to BLISSFUL, NEVER-ENDING ESCAPES…and to use Mel’s famous quote, “And, Remember…Be the kindest person you know!”