Urth Expedition is an adventure travel company based in Texas.
We offer exciting expeditions to Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru and some of the 7 Summits of East Africa, tailor-made safaris to some of Tanzania's best wildlife parks, beach holidays to the spice islands of Zanzibar and Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda/Uganda. We are a relatively small company owned and operated by Gabriele Brown (USA) a passionate adventurer who has a passion for trekking, traveling and exploring the African landscape.
Our expeditions are led by local guides who are certified, trained and have years of experience in the routes and areas we trek. We work directly with the guides, ensuring they're provided with fair wages, sufficient food and resources, and aptly trained in order to ensure safety and quality of service.
Tanzania is a land of wonder! It is sandwiched between the scorching equator, the Great Rift Valley-considered to be the "cradle of mankind", and the absurdly blue Indian Ocean. It is home to Africa's highest peak: Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s deepest and largest lakes, and the Ngorongoro Crater—the biggest intact volcanic caldera on the planet! The Serengeti—one of the world's most famous national parks—hosts more wild animals than all the combined existing zoos in the world
Our Team
We’re a passionate and committed bunch. This is not a job or career, it’s a calling, a total commitment. We’re fastidious about quality, about detail and about integrity.
Gabriele Brown
Travel curator, Founder of Urth Expedition
Jambo! Hello in Swahili. My name is Gabriele Brown, and I will be your Safari designer. I am a seasoned traveler, adventurist, and thrill seeker passionate about exploring the outdoors and integrating with different cultures. My travel has deep roots in Africa, where we all share our ancestry.
After working in corporate America for over 35 years, I dedicated my life to traveling and helping others discover themselves in rustic adventures and new surroundings. After visiting Tanzania in 2012 and summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, I fell in love with the people, culture, and landscapes. I launched Urth Safari in 2014 so my friends and acquaintances could experience Africa’s magic in visiting Tanzania.
I have led groups to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro 15 times in partnership with Urth Expedition and other experienced local Kilimanjaro guides and have taken groups on safaris many times as well. I am usually your contact person and trip planner at Urth Expedition. I aim to ensure clients experience a memorable and successful Kilimanjaro climb or safari. I stay connected to Tanzania and other East African countries through the many Safaris I make myself - personal knowledge is what I rely on when planning your Safari. When not in Tanzania, you can find me in Austin, Texas!
Jonas nzuna
safari Guide
Jonas is very passionate about travel and adventure with people from all over the world. His outgoing nature and zest for life have led him to many beautiful adventures.
Dominik Kilpatrick
Marketing Manager
JILL WOLFINTON
TRAVEL DESIGNER
Jill helps in marketing and organizing wonderful adventure tours throughout East Africa. “ I love to plan people’s vacation, when I imagine where they will go, the routs they will take, the animals, plants and people that they will see, it’s like taking a vacation myself. With every new itinerary, I build up to my knowledge of this beautiful country which I am very excited to share with everyone” Jill says. Discover and “ Oasis” where you can find rest for your should and drink from the fountain of life! Let’s design a magical trip to a destination which makes your heart sing!
And lastly there’s YOu
We have a very passionate community that support us by buying our travel packages and reading and sharing our content across multiple media platforms. You are our eyes and ears, you tell us what’s going on out there and you help us spread the message. You totally inspire us. Thank you.
TESTIMONIALS
Dear Gabriele,
Thank you for the amazing time in Tanzania! We're now back home in the US and still thinking about our adventures in Africa. There are no words to describe how wonderful the trip was and the memories we will have for the rest of our lives.
You were the perfect host and guide--from the lodges to the picturesque drives through the countryside to all the animal sightings--everything you planned was absolutely incredible.
We're wishing you all the best and looking forward to speaking and seeing you again soon.
Christian and Whitney, California 2022
“Trip of a Lifetime!
From hiking to Kilimanjaro to the beach. One of the most memorable trips of my life. Gabriele and the Urth team were absolutely amazing. We discussed what I was thinking for our trip and Gabriel came up with the perfect t itinerary to meet all of the things we wanted. Every question we had was answered. I will be recommended Urth to anyone looking to go to East Africa! I’ll definitely be using them again for future travels!”
“When booking international trips it can become overwhelming quickly. There are lots of moving parts (flights, transportation, trip excursions ect). I truly can’t say enough about Gabi and her team. This trip was smooth and never had to worry about any changes...which happens in my experience (flight changes, hotel changes ect). When you can just show up and enjoy every experience (and we did experience everything Africa) makes the trip memorable. We never questioned when or where we needed to be. They also allotted times in our itinerary to ensure we could be flexible with some options on additional items and places we wished to see. I highly recommend! - THANK YOU”
“I recently went on an incredible trip to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and I can’t imagine having done it with any company other than Urth Expedition. They went above and beyond to make an already unique experience into one that I’ll never forget as long as I live. ”
“Just returned from climbing Kilimanjaro and going on safari with Urth Expedition. What awesome experiences! Urth was fantastic and took care of everything we needed. Our guides were so knowledgeable and the equipment was excellent. Our whole group summiteers successfully. ”
“Wonderful experience with amazing guides and porters — all five climbers made it up successfully, but could not have done it without our crew. Glad we did the 8-day Lemosho Route - the days of acclimation was key. The last day ascending was a killer but we did it! Also went on an incredible 5 day safari - Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, & Tarangire and 3 nites in Zanzibar for R&R. I recommend Urth Expedition highly.”
“Traveling to Tanzania was my first trip overseas, and it couldn’t have been more amazing! Shaffie and Gabi were great guides around Arusha, and it was very nice getting to know them and the area on the way to Karatu. They were so helpful in taking us to all the stops we needed and being able to answer all of our questions. At the end of our trip Edwin took us on safari, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! He knew exactly where to go to see the animals. When there was a large group of safari cars around some lions eating, he managed to get us the best seats. When we kept pestering him about elephants, Edwin went down the road and got us to a group of them that ended up just crossing the road in front of us and hanging out. We got to see a leopard and elephants cool off in some mud! (Not at the same place of course). He can also identify 300 types of birds! He’s a great guide and a great guy to be around. Anyway, the whole experience was amazing, but Urth Expeditions helped the whole group so much. Thanks, guys!”
“My group of 6 friends absolutely loved this safari. It was better than we could ever have imagined. The accommodations were good, and the guide was exceptional. You will not find a better safari. We saw almost every animal on the list of the 50 most important animals to spot in Tanzania. And if you are a bird lover, you will be thrilled with the many birds that our guide found for us.
Take this safari. You will be pleased!!!!”
From start to finish, our experience planning and preparing our trip with Gabriele, to our amazing personal safari guide Edwin, and all the staff and Maasai at the hotels, lodges and camps were exceptional. As a person with special dietary needs and mobility issues, I was taken care of with no fuss. I never had to ask for what I needed, it just appeared. All I had to do was sit back, relax and enjoy the experience! My husband and I always felt safe and totally spoiled! The place and the people of Africa are truly beautiful. Only a few days back in Canada and we are talking about a return trip with our grown children. Ahsante Tanzania and Zanzibar
— M. Hutchison, Toronto Canada 2020
I am so grateful to have crossed paths with this beautiful soul Gabriele Brown who created such an incredible adventure in Tanzania, Africa on our Yoga and Safari Retreat. Working with Gabriele is such a delite because she takes time to understand the type of experience you desire and then develops a first-class itinerary to meet your dreams. From the class A accommodations, delicious food, personal touches, knowledgeable and fun-loving guides, and surprise excursions, she delivers a safari experience beyond your greatest imagination. I highly recommend using her company Urth Expedition if you are looking to do a safari anywhere in East Africa or to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The experience will blow your mind! #yogaandsafari #yogawithmeditationmutha
— Kim Goyotte, Austin Texas 2024
Best experience of my life! 5/5 GAbi(owner) and Edwin (guide) were the reason this was the best vacation for our lives. It Started with the many questions I had about traveling to Africa; she answered all my questions and made me feel at ease. She also helped my kids out of a situation (missed flight in Nairobi) that was not of her making; but she fixed it. The hotels, were all safe,clean, hospitable and amazing. The logistics of this trip would have overwhelmed many travel agents but she has experienced them herself so is able to comprehend our needs and communicated with us in a way that we needed. Safari; where do I begin? Edwin is now family. Starting with the minute he picked up us JRO airport until he took us to Arusha airport eight days later. He was attentive and kind and as I said; now family. We were so impressed with his knowledge of the animals, the terrain and the indigenous people we encountered. He studied wildlife and tourism at the university and he was exactly what we wanted. He did not.
- Leslie Scibienski, San Antonio, Texas 2020