Episode 246 - Cynthia B. Mothelesi, Happy Soul Adventures
In this episode of Soul of Travel, Season 6: Women's Wisdom + Mindful Travel, presented by @journeywoman_original, Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Cynthia B. Mothelesi.
With over thirteen years in the tourism industry, Cynthia B. Mothelesi has turned her lifelong love for travel into a purpose-driven journey that connects people, places, and cultures. Based in beautiful Botswana, Cynthia has lived abroad in Malaysia and Melbourne, Australia, and has explored the world—often solo. Her travels sparked a dream: to create a safe, inclusive, and joyful space for solo female travelers and anyone seeking meaningful adventures.
That dream came to life in 2016 with the birth of Happy Soul Adventures (HSA)—and by 2017, Cynthia took the bold leap, leaving her job at the Botswana Tourism Organisation to follow her passion full-time. Today, HSA is more than just a travel company; it’s a community built on connection, safety, and soul. When you travel with HSA, your well-being and protection are always top priority—because fun only feels right when it’s safe.
In 2023, HSA proudly won the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Award for Best Meaningful Connections—a recognition that perfectly captures Cynthia’s mission: to show that Africa’s greatest treasures aren’t only its safaris, but its people, cultures, and stories.
Cynthia believes that to truly experience Africa, you must go beyond the game drives and take time to immerse yourself in local life—share a meal, listen to stories, and dance under the stars with your hosts. Through her storytelling, Cynthia brings these moments to life and uses tourism as a tool for community empowerment and cultural exchange.
Beyond travel, Cynthia also works as a tourism business consultant, leading training workshops in rural Botswana to help communities understand and thrive within the hospitality industry. Her long-term dream has been to establish a foundation (HSA Impact) that supports these initiatives sustainably—because empowering local hosts means building a stronger, more authentic tourism ecosystem for everyone.
At Happy Soul Adventures, Cynthia’s philosophy is simple:
‘Travel with heart. Connect with purpose. Leave with stories that matter.’
Cynthia is a graphic designer by profession, lecturing at a university before finding the travel and tourism industry through her work in marketing and public relations. Cynthia’s intention was clear from the start, exploring the ebb and flow of transitioning from a short-term rental host into a full-fledged tour operator.
Her original role as host was an ‘experiment’ that soon became something greater, as guests began to look to Cynthia for input on how to spend their time in Botswana. “Where do you guys hang out for food? Where do you go out for art? And the next thing we are cooking together,” Cynthia shares.
The light bulb of what could be possible for a more comprehensive tour company began to appear when Cynthia hosted a pair of friends from Greece and put together a ‘taste of Greece’ in Botswana – and a concert – inspired by the Greek culture.
“People coming to stay with me or bring them places, but also just connecting on a human level. And that’s what I really enjoy and love, and that’s what keeps me going even now, eight years later.”
It’s also one of the foundational approaches that she has kept top-of-mind as she launched Happy Soul Adventures.
A Look Inside a Happy Soul Adventures Tour
Cynthia shares in detail what her travelers appreciate most about how her experiences are designed: That authentic human connection and sense of belonging.
“For instance when we have a Bushman experience in one village in the Kalahari – What I do is I actually take you to the homes that they stay in and we cook and we cook, and all the activities that we do, it's actually in their homesteads.
So it's nothing that is… pre-setup, you know, it's not staged. And the feedback that I get from the clients or from our guests, it's more of what I love is that I feel like I was a part of that daily life, you know? And it's done in a very respectful way…they made me feel very welcomed, and I felt at ease.
And also … because this is a totally different environment from where you come from and what you're accustomed to, what I make sure is that you feel safe and you feel welcomed. You know? So the feedback is always that you've really made me feel welcomed.”
In a past episode, Christine spoke with Chantel Peltier about this gap in tourism that existed – and is slowly closing – between the top-rated and common areas or points of interest, without the connection to people. “They weren’t really seeing the full, richer picture of the country,” Christine shares. “You were really trying to move travelers away from the typical wildlife tourism … and really move them into this, more people and culture-focused travel.”
Cynthia shares that the response to this approach has been overwhelmingly positive, and as she grows Happy Soul Adventures, she continues to work within communities while ensuring safety – especially for solo female travelers – and reliability in her tours.
The result has elevated Cynthia’s efforts to shift the narrative about African countries, leaning into how the experience makes her guests feel and the lasting impact of their visit.
Continuing Development for Tourism and Travel Professionals
Cynthia ensures that she is consistently growing in how she applies new knowledge, strategies, and information to her business, sharing that knowledge with the guides and experience providers in her partnerships. “That’s where these tourism trainings come into place…where we show them how to welcome guests, how to take care of guests, and really how to be yourself and also just to teach them…be warm, be receptive, because that’s what our clients are looking for.” Applying this same principle to every experience from homestays she facilitates to personalized, custom wildlife tours, Cynthia is seeing the results both in the Happy Soul Adventures and in the lives of the hosts and providers – and their entire communities.
“It makes my life easier. I can go out there and sell all these experiences, knowing that I have a team that I can trust.”
Cynthia is also working directly with communities to establish the Bush Brunch, where strangers within the Botswana tourism industry and more, with the goal of celebrating Botswana’s rich cultural heritage and the art, music, food, and traditions that many tourism operators are eager to share.
“It’s making a much bigger impact…so that has been my source of inspiration. And also, now, when I develop this route and I see my guests seeing why I had to create this route, and being able to give back and seeing how happy people in those communities are, it’s really heartwarming and beautiful when seeing how clients are happy with what we have created.”
“That’s one thing that I love about travel that is so diverse. Whatever you are looking for, whatever your soul is looking for, you’ll find.”
Soul of Travel Episode 246 At a Glance
In This Episode, Christine and Cynthia discuss:
Transitioning from a short-term rental model to a full-service tour operator
People and culture-centered soulful travel that prioritizes connection and safety
Learning how to appreciate and showcase your own backyard
Slow, responsible travel with community-building initiatives
Breaking stereotypes and nurturing belonging and deeper mutual understanding through cultural exchange
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To discuss advertising or sponsoring an episode, reach out to Christine at souloftravelpodcast@gmail.com.
Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode
Visit Happy Soul Adventures to learn more about responsible tours in Botswana.
Connect with Cynthia on your favorite social media network! Instagram / Facebook / LinkedIn
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goal #5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Sustainable Development Goal #8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Sustainable Development Goal #9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Sustainable Development Goal #11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
Sustainable Development Goal #17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
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Soul of Travel honors the passion and dedication of people making a positive impact in the tourism industry. In each episode, you’ll hear the stories of women who are industry professionals, seasoned travelers, and community leaders. Our expert guests represent social impact organizations, adventure-based community organizations, travel photography and videography, and entrepreneurs who know that travel is an opportunity for personal awareness and a vehicle for global change.
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Soul of Travel Episode 246 Transcript
Key Words: women’s travel, transformational travel, sustainable travel, social entrepreneurship
Christine: Welcome to Soul of Travel podcast. I am your host, Christine, and today I am very happy to be joined by Cynthia Lacey and she is joining me in from Botswana, um, and she's very late into her day. So I'm very grateful for you staying up to join me for this conversation. Um, welcome to the show.
Cynthia: Thank you so much, Christine. I understand the time difference, so it's not a problem at all.
Christine: I, I'm always just so grateful that, um, these connections are able to happen anyway and grateful for the technology, even though we've had our own challenges with that today. It's still pretty, um. It's always magic to me that it allows for these kinds of conversations to take place and for this type of community building to happen.
And so, um, I, I am appreciative. Um, well, to kick off our conversation, Cynthia, I'm just going to have you take a few minutes to introduce yourself to our listeners so they can get to know you a little bit more.
Yeah.
Cynthia: Thank you once again for this opportunity. Um, my name is Cynthia Mothelesi. I am based in Botswana and I am in the tourism industry. I've been in tourism for 15 years now. Um, seven years of working for government, and then I quit, uh, in 2017 to start up my own company called Happy Soul Adventures, um, with my company, happy Soul Adventures.
It was mainly, um, inspired by the fact that, you know. Travel comes in so many faces, you know, there are people who come to Africa for safaris, but I also, you know, wanted to, uh, explore and see if there won't be any interest in people just coming to Africa for people based type of tourism, you know, instead of just coming for safari or coming for both.
So that's what I've been doing full-time for the past eight years, and it's been one beautiful journey.
Christine: Yeah, thank you. I can't wait to hear more about the work that you're doing. Um, and as you mentioned, kind of like many of our guests, your path didn't start in tourism, so I would love to hear just a little bit more. Or if you could expand on, you know, where you were before, how you decided to move into tourism, and then how that led you to where you are today.
Yeah,
Cynthia: so I actually studied multimedia. You know, I'm a, I'm a graphic designer by profession and before I joined tourism I was a lecturer at a university. And then I started getting more interest in, uh, in the tourism space. You know, I used to follow. Tourism, uh, news quite a lot. And then it happened that at Botswana Tourism, they were looking for somebody in, um, their marketing and PR division.
And then I tried my luck and I got the job, you know, and for me, uh, working for the tourism board really, uh, opened up my eyes and ears to quite a lot, you know. Um. I'll be honest with you, coming from being a Moderna and being from Africa, for us, because we grew up around the animals, it wasn't really that much exciting for me, you know, just to travel around and then go and see the animals.
But ever since I joined the organization, it really exposed me to, um, a lot of products within the tourism space and made me appreciate, you know, the wildlife that we have and also the fact that people are coming. Outside of the continent and just coming to see and experience the beauty that we have in, in, in, in our Safari.
So. that's where my, my love for tourism started. And then also I got to travel a lot through my job, you know, going overseas. And for me, I, people wanted, now when we, when I start talking to people, they wanted now to connect on a human level. You know, they didn't just want to meet Cynthia from tourism organization, but they also wanted to know who Cynthia is, you know, and then.
I started enjoying interacting with people, you know, through music, through art, through food, and I thought, no, after seven years, why don't I do something that is more geared towards connecting people together. Yeah.
Christine: I love two things that you said in there. Um, and I wanna start with the idea that when you were thinking about tourism in your own country, that initially. You know, you, you didn't see the same appeal that travelers coming to Botswana were seeing because it's your own backyard. And, um, I grew up in Montana here in the US which is another destination that people come from all over the world to see, to go to Glacier Park and Yellowstone Park.
And , you know, that was outside of my window. And so I always. I guess took it for granted. Like I didn't appreciate the beauty. I didn't have anything to compare it to. And then as I traveled and got into the industry and then eventually brought groups of travelers to Montana and saw it through their eyes, it gave me such a different appreciation.
So I think that's one of the things that. People don't talk a lot about in tourism in the industry is the appreciation it can give you for your own place and expand your own view of where you are and, and what, what's around you.
Cynthia: Absolutely. Absolutely. It really made me appreciate what we have as in the tourism space and also just, you know, when you are with strangers and they appreciate your country even more and they pick on the small things that we really take for granted. You know, people when they come to Bot Donna, they, they always say how clean our country is, how friendly we are, 'cause.
We're forever smiling forever, you know, warm, very receptive to people, but we, we don't see it ourselves, you know? So that really makes me love what it is that I do even more, you know? Yeah.
Christine: And then I also loved the, the comment about people wanting to know you, not just know, you know, not just for your value of your professional position, but then they really wanted to know you because I, again, think about my own travels and I would meet someone, um, who would be there from the government maybe showing me around the country.
And that would be great. But what I would really enjoy is once they would start letting some personal anecdotes slip and tell me about their kids or their grandmother or something like that, and then I start to connect to them and that makes the whole thing much more personal and meaningful.
Cynthia: Absolutely. Absolutely. And also for me, you know, just keeping in touch with what's happening globally. You know, it, it also really helps when it comes to having a sitting and having a conversation with, with, with. With, with my clients or with strangers, you know, because then we start really connecting on them.
Much human, uh, much deeper human level. We got to realize that, oh, by the way, we actually go through the same life struggles. You know? I thought I was the only one in my own corner there, you know? And that's really humbling, you know, if I may say it. Yeah.
Christine: Yeah. And then I know for you, you. As you got into the industry, you kind of started with an Airbnb and you would be hosting people, but then you would notice the same thing, like they wanted that connection with you. So you really moved from this entry point to really becoming more of a experienced designer and a community connector.
And you started, I guess, following those breadcrumbs, like seeing what people responded to, and then you started building that into. More things that you could offer.
Cynthia: absolutely. When I started my company, my biggest. Just was, you know, I, I started seeing, I got to know of the Airbnb, uh, model, you know, and it, it was quite a huge interest, you know, with me because I really love meeting new people and connecting with them. And then I said, how about maybe I lease out a room in my house and we connect and see how it goes.
You know, I would have solo travelers coming in, and for them it was, they were just looking for a breather, you know, just. School I've come across like people from South Africa or even overseas saying, you know, I wanted to. I could book in a hotel, but I wanted to meet new people. And I feel like the best way is to connect with the locals.
And it started off just as accommodation. And then from there it's more so where do you guys hang out for food? Where do you go out today? Where do you go out for art? And next thing we are cooking together. I remember there were two best friends who came from Greece, so they came to Botswana. And they stayed with me.
And now it was more of no wait, why don't we do a taste of Greece in Botswana? And we actually put together a, a, a concert, you know, that was more inspired by the Greek culture. So it was the food, the music. And I actually got to learn that there's actually a huge, uh, Greek community in Botswana. So for me, travel is not just about.
People coming to stay with me or bring them places, but also just connecting on a human level. And that's a re I really enjoy and love, and that's what keeps me going even now, you know, eight years later. Yeah.
Christine: Yeah. And the, um, the idea kind of going back to what you mentioned was, um, when you were working in the industry and then along lines with this, is that you were. Really did notice there was a gap in tourism that was focusing on people and culture. And, um, for my listeners, I talked about this a little bit with my past guest, um, Chantel Pater from Tampa Travel, who's also in Africa.
She's in South Africa. But that was something she noticed is that, you know, people kept coming for wildlife or these. Two or three main points of interest, but they weren't really seeing the full, richer picture of the country. And so that's, I think, the same thing. That was really your drive to, to create something on your own.
You were really trying to move travelers away from the typical wildlife tourism or high points of travel and really move them into this more people and focus, uh, culture focused travel. What's the response been as you have been guiding people in that direction?
Cynthia: Yeah. You know, uh, the response is so overwhelmingly great. Um, for instance, um, I'm a solo female traveler, and I know, you know, when I, when I travel solo, it's, it's always a challenge, you know, as a female and. I now started thinking, why don't I develop a travel path around Botswana and then at least include one country like Zimbabwe and see how it goes, and the response has been so great.
So what I do is I have. I created a safe space for solo female travelers. So I give you a route that you follow and you meet a local host in each place. And I tell you things that you can do there, you know, and we mix both safari and um, um, um, and culture. But mainly what we push for is for you to connect with the, with the local culture.
It has been overwhelmingly,
Christine: overwhelmingly,
Cynthia: uh, amazing. You know, where. Somebody would take. And also they have an option of taking the public transport, you know, so you start from one town to another. When you get there, um, you meet a local host who picks you up from the bus, and then you go and do the activities, and then you hop onto another bus going to another town.
I had one solo female traveler from Ireland who, uh, went through our guide and she said when she read it, it felt. So good to be true, but because of the experience that I have, you know, and having built good relationships with pe, with communities all over wan, the trip became so seamless, such that when we met, it's like, you know what Cynthia?
I thought it wouldn't be possible, but it was, it was so possible. And also the fact that. It was authentic. It, nothing was staged. I felt like I was meeting new old friends and making new ones, you know? Yeah. So people based, uh, tourism, I feel it is, for me personally, it's way more than, um, safari because you come back having connected with other people, you know?
Christine: Yeah, I agree.
So that I think leads me into the next thing that I really wanted to talk about is, um, what Happy soul, um, and Happy Soul Adventures means to you. We both have soul in the name of our businesses, and so I think that to me says we're trying to encourage people to think about and experience and feel similar things in the context of travel.
So I just am curious to you. What, what you're hoping your travelers walk away with or what you want them to experience that is that soulful connection to travel.
Cynthia: Yeah. , I, you know, another thing with, with Happy Soul Adventures, what I have done is that, you know, I wanted, um, the locals, people in in, in rural communities of Botswana. To be able to benefit directly from tourism, you know, so when you visit each village that I would recommend for you, you're going to meet a local host.
And what I love is that they also make, get to, you know, create, you know, make some kind of livelihood. And that's honestly what I wanted. You know, I want my travelers to be able to contribute, you know, where it's not only about just booking with us at Happy Soul, but also when you connect with these people, um, in all these places, you are able to connect with them on your own and, um, form your own relationships with them without me having to interfere.
Um, quite a lot. I've had one guest come from Abu Dhabi. And she stayed with us for a week.
Christine: and. I
Cynthia: Introduced her to a group of young people who, um, in, in, in, in the local community who were, they host their own. Um, she, she created a mentorship, an online mentorship program, and she's able to host them on a weekly basis, on a monthly basis.
And it's a relationship that they have. Even now, I think it's now three years later, they still have continued with that. So for me, it's more of. I want to facilitate, you know, to connect you with these communities, but then you are able to carry through on your own and really form genuine connections with them.
Yeah. And contribute where you can, you know, in terms of it. And, and also for me, um, um, assistance is not necessarily just money. You know, even mentorship really plays a good role and then sometimes that's what they need the most. Yeah.
Christine: Yeah.
And I know one of your missions is really, you know, speaking of these personal encounters and developing relationships, one of your missions is to really shift the narrative about Africa and um, about communities and really. Introducing travelers to people in all walks of life. Um, building these connections, breaking down stereotypes.
Um, can you share some examples maybe of where you think that has worked really well or of things that travelers maybe have shared with you after their experience traveling, um, with you in Botswana?
Cynthia: Yeah. From so far what they love is, um, the genuine connections that they have with, uh, the local communities, like I've mentioned. You know, like for instance when we have, um, a Bushman experience in, , one village in the Kalahari. So what I do is I actually take you to that. The homes that they stay in and we cook and we cook, and all the activities that we do, it's actually in their homesteads.
So it's nothing that is, it's, it's not pre-setup, you know, it's not staged. And the feedback that I get from, from the, from the clients or from our guests, it's more of what I love is that I feel like I was a part of that daily life, you know? And, and, and it, it's done in a very respectful way and. They made me feel very welcomed and, and I felt at ease.
And also, another thing that I always want to do is I always want to make you, because this is a totally different environment from where you come from and what you're accustomed to. And what I make sure is that you feel safe and you feel welcomed. You know? So the feedback is always that, you know, you've really made me feel welcomed and, you know, our, our experiences sometimes when we plan them, we'll say.
Christine: say.
Cynthia: Um, it'll be for a good maybe three hours and guests end up staying longer because of how the, the experiences make them feel. You know, they're like, you know, I really, I don't want to leave now. Can we stay a bit longer? You know? And also even with the communities, you know, like I said, we are taking you to experiences where we are going to people's houses and with the local people, it's more of.
Is my place decent enough for Christine? Would she like it? And I always tell them that. Just be you, you know? Because sometimes it's, Christine is just coming to, you know, connect with you on a human level, not look at what you have versus what she has. You know? And even with our hosts, at the end of the experience, they are more of, wow, these people made me feel, feel complete.
That I am okay the way I am. You know, I don't have to try and be somebody else for me to be able to accommodate them, you know? So those are the, uh, the, the feedback that we get, you know, all the time after, after all these, um, experiences.
Christine: Yeah, I, I love that because you were talking with me earlier about, you know, stereotypes and perceptions that people might carry with them about. Africa as travelers. Um, and that the, these kind of trips really help them to learn and develop their own viewpoints about what is true and what isn't true.
And it's always interesting for me to hear how it goes both ways. Like you were just saying, if someone is hosting a traveler in their home, they also have. Perceptions and stereotypes about that traveler and what is gonna be acceptable to them or what they might expect from them. And so this exchange, this human to human connection, um, sets kind of like burns, both of those stereotypes at the same time, I guess.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Cynthia: Yeah, that's very true. That's very true. And it's, it's a very heartwarming experience, even me as the facilitator, I. It's really, it really motivates me to keep, you know, doing what I do, you know, where I bring two different worlds together. But in the end, we we're all one, you know? Yeah.
Christine: Yeah. I think that for me, as I was getting to know you and research your business, that's the thing that I most loved is that I could tell. That was your through line is that you wanted people to feel that. At the end of the day is just that oneness, which I think is so important to me. And for me, that's the thing.
When I travel and I find that, and you just have that moment with someone. It's the most powerful and peaceful and transformative experience because I think. Not only does it say like we're all one, but it also makes you feel like you belong. And I think that's what a lot of us are looking for when we travel
Cynthia: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, that's very true. And also with what is going on in the world today, ev, I mean, ever since COVID-19, you know, the pandemic and mental health is, is quite a huge, you know, uh, um, challenge right now. And you know, peoples. Travel to unwind, you know? And then when you get to experience these kind of connections, they really put you at ease, you know?
Yeah. And also getting to realize that you're actually not alone in your corner there. You know, we're all going through something, you know, something challenging in life, but sometimes when you chat with a, with a complete stranger, it gives you that comfort because you don't feel judged, you know? Yeah.
Yeah.
Christine: And when you don't expect that connection, it's just even more powerful.
Cynthia: Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah.
Christine: Um, well there was a story that you shared on LinkedIn, and again, I've mentioned I do all this research and I just kind of take notes about things that speak to me. But you shared a story that really reminded me of a moment in my career. Probably 20 years ago I was in Uganda and, um, we went to meet with these women in a village that was very far removed from anywhere.
Like it took us several days and several hours of traveling to get to their village. And when we got there, had all these beautiful baskets that they had woven and they had like a whole house filled with them. And I, I remember. Then thinking like, who is seeing the this, who is this for? Where are they selling this?
Um, kind of all of these entrepreneurial questions. And then my tourism mind was thinking. How do we get tourists here? How do we, you know, impact, create an impact? And they were talking to us about micro loans and starting a business. And so there were all of these things happening and, um, you were mentioning, you know, an experience with a guest po um, purchasing our.
You know, directly from an artist in a community and realizing that there's this tremendous value for travel curators to think about their impact and create ways for communities to th to really thrive throughout every part of the tourism value chain. And so I wanted to talk with you about that, like how.
How can we be more intentional? What does that impact look like? What can we be thinking about that maybe we're not thinking about in terms of connecting those dots?
Cynthia: Yeah. So to be honest with you, Christine, um. Having started this company, happy Soul Adventures and making, you know, people and culture, the main product, it hasn't been easy. You know, it hasn't been easy because everybody's just selling safari, you know, to a point where, for me personally, I feel they're more driven by making profit more than making an impact because.
I'll be honest with you, if I, for, if I started, uh, selling Safari eight years ago by now, I'll be so far, but for me it was more of I want to create a product or an ex, uh, a, a company that not only benefits me, but also benefits the community that is around me. And, um. That's why I said, I deliberately said, I am no longer going to sell experiences that take you to the Ogo, which are main tourism places.
The Ogo. The Tobe, but now let me make a second. That includes people as well, you know, so the challenge has just been that, I've been a pioneer in this product and so, you know, it, it, it becomes very difficult when the marketing does not reach more of the people that could, you know, make that difference.
Typical example being those clients, they actually came this year in February and we started off with. Going by a road. And also another challenge is that, you know, going by a road like you just mentioned, you know, it's long, you know, and some of the roads are not so good. So clients would be more of, it's too much of a, a long, I would rather fly, but then when they know the why, you know, why we have to go this long, then, you know, they tend to be like, you know what, it was actually worth the drive, you know? So. Doing these roots, for me, it's more of making a much bigger impact rather than just focusing on growing happy soul alone. You know? So that has been my, my source of inspiration, you know? Yeah. And also now when I develop this, when I develop this roots and I see my guests seeing why the, why I had to create this route.
And being able to give back and seeing how happy these, um, you know, people in those communities are. It is really heartwarming and beautiful when clients are happy with, with what we have created. Yeah.
Christine: Yeah, and I think it's really important to think about. That, and I, I talk about this a lot on the podcast, but travelers have been taught to see and do as much as possible. And so that usually means getting places quickly, leaving quickly, seeing whatever they think are the most important things. But I think we're in the process
Cynthia: Hmm.
Christine: reeducating travelers that the.
The journey is the experience. It's not the place you end, but it's all the places between. And so it's, it takes a lot to kind of reshape and reframe what travelers think they should expect from travel. But then as like you were saying, as they see it and as they experience it, then they know. They know that true importance and, and they see how then the impact can happen all along the way because as you're driving for days and hours, you're gonna stop somewhere for a snack or a juice or, you know, whatever it might be.
And, and then every one of those moments becomes their experience and the magic of what they. What they'll take home with them, but they would never know to ask for that because it's too, um, it's, it's just, it evolves. It just happens as you're traveling.
Cynthia: Absolutely. I, I agree a hundred percent. I agree. And also what I love is, you know, I started off with just, I would recommend and say, um, you can spend one night in this place. Um, and then now once I give them, I give you more reasons, you know, or what else you can expect within that area. Now I'm starting to see our clients saying, no, I don't want, I don't think a day a night is long enough, Cynthia, at least let me do two nights.
Now I see that, you know what, now they're starting to get it, you know? So, and, and, and that's what I really want to see going forward. You know, where it is no longer just one night, it's two or three nights, and then you move to another place and fully immersing yourself in the place. Not just coming in to tick off the boxes.
Yeah.
Christine: Yeah, and then that impact is exponential as well, right? Because then you're paying for three nights of lodging with a local operator and. And, you know, three days worth of meals as you move through a destination and a, you know, a village.
Cynthia: Mm-hmm.
Christine: Like
all of that really starts to add up. So if you're talking about creating a positive impact, this slowing down gives that financial impact, but then it also helps with environmental impact and all of these things.
So I think, um. I love this 'cause it's such a beautiful example of why slow travel works and why community-based travel works, so I love it.
Cynthia: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. It's been one, one amazing journey. Even though sometimes it's, you know, the money's not, you're not making enough money and you're like, maybe I should quit. But it's the why that really keeps me going, you know, and, and you know, when I meet people like you who are also on the same path, it really.
Encourages me, motivates me to keep going because we need to have these conversations and we need to diversify our tourism and we need to do something more impactful. And instead of just, uh, looking at ourselves only, but looking at ourselves as a collective, you know, and then helping each other grow.
Christine: grow.
Cynthia: Yeah.
Christine: Yeah, and I, I think that's a huge shift as well because, you know, just like travelers have been taught to travel a certain way, as business owners, we've been taught to run businesses a certain way, and that is to earn the most money to, you know, that's what you're really striving to achieve. And. If we shift that to think about how can we grow our impact, how can we grow our collective success, then that shifts, you know, how we define success.
And then that will start to change that economic driver. And not that we don't want our businesses to be successful, but.
Like,
I think most of us could survive with at 80% instead of 120%. Um, especially, you know, larger businesses. I know many of us. Are working very hard for very little, but I do think, um, yeah, there's room, room to shift that story as well.
So, um, well, one of the other things that you, uh, shared with me is that, and you kind of mentioned this a little bit earlier, but I'd like to talk a little bit more about that is. Um, really how important education and entrepreneurship is in your work and the workshops that you offer for rural communities to educate them and show them how they can participate in the tourism industry.
So, I'd like to hear a little bit about the work you're doing and then maybe even what you envision doing. Like what would you love to be doing in this space?
Hmm.
Cynthia: Yeah. So for me, I, I see myself more as a marketer, you know, going out there
Christine: to
Cynthia: to sell the Botswana story or the Africa story, you know, and. But then it doesn't mean that I can be able to host every, let, imagine if I get 20 clients a week, you know, 20 guests a week who's saying, who are saying, I wanna come to Twana.
I wanna experience this. I can't be everywhere at the same time. And that's when I found the need to, you know, go out to these communities and train them. You know, because it's another thing to say, come and experience, uh, people based tourism by then, the people on the ground. Dunno how to host you, you know?
So now that's where these, uh, tourism trainings, um, come into place. You know, where we show them how to welcome guests, how to take care of guests, and really how to be yourself and, and, and also just to teach them, like I was saying earlier on, that. You are enough the way you, the way you are. You know, all you need to do is just make sure that you are on time.
Make sure that your place is clean and be, be yourself, be warm, be receptive, because that's what our clients are looking for. Just earlier on today, I was talking to one of our hosts in the Kalahari, and because I have a, a solo female traveler from the US who's saying. She wants to, she wants to experience a home, a home stay.
And I asked her, do you have, you know, a room that you can use to accommodate one of our clients? You know, but for her, she is. She's like, oh, um, I have this house that, um, has electricity, it has this, but for me it's more that's a house. It's not a home. I want our guests to be a part of you. So that's what I want you to create.
So that's how you know, I, I go out there and then really train them and say, I can actually stay with you in your house, you know, provided you follow these, um, rules and regulations that I know, you know, that's what our international guests are looking for. And, and with these tourism training workshops, we've seen quite a huge shift.
You know, uh, just last month I went to see one project that I helped. It's a group of young ladies in the, in the, in the OK vango. They have a jewelry shop that, uh, they, you know, they use, um, um, glass waste to create jewelry. And the biggest challenges that we had when I met them is that. It's a, it is a group of women, but now the shop is not opened on time and it's not really good in, uh, looking in, looking good, like really presentable.
And they're always more of, they're looking at each other. Who's gonna open, who's gonna, you know, close? I, I can't come today because of this, you know? And I started training them and saying, you need to treat this as a business. You know, this is not a hobby. And you need to be more professional in how you do your things.
And just last month when I went to see them. was such a beautiful experience where now everybody has that. Everybody's assigned, you know, a role. You know if, and if one of them is not able to come to work, if it's that schedule, they're not able to come to work on time or they have a commitment. One of them has to stand in.
So it's just been a beautiful, seamless, , growth for them. And now they even have a bank account. They're saving them money now. They want to diversify and, you know, have another product. And then the other one that I spoke to, he, when I, when I met him two years ago, he wanted to set up a cultural village.
And then when I spoke to him last week, he said he is already now started setting up the campsite. He is now registered in business. You know, so for me it's more of. I want to train them. Yes. But also I want to see them being able to run their establishment independently without me interfering, you know, too much into them.
Because then it makes my life easier. I can go out there and sell all these experiences, the knowing that I have a team that I can trust, you know? So for me, that's really, um, what I love about, um, the outcomes from, from these trainings. Mm-hmm.
Christine: Yeah.
And I'm sure that their family or peers or you know, other community members see their successes and then get curious about how they might also be involved, or it might inspire them to start their own business as well. So the, the ripple of that, I think is, I'm sure great to.
Cynthia: Absolutely. And, and also, you know, in, in rural communities we have a lot of social problems. You know, alcohol abuse, youth unemployment. So when we take a few and train them and they see them, you know, uh, growing, you know, being successful in their business, they're inspired to also start up.
Start something of their own or join the team. So that's what, that's the positive change that we've been seeing, you know, from these trainings.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you so much for sharing that. I, I've definitely witnessed things like that happen in communities where I've traveled around the world and that, I think that's one of the things that makes me feel proud of this industry is that it can be a catalyst,
Mm-hmm.
like for real social change. I, I think sometimes people think that that's just language, but when you see it happen, then. drives you to keep working as well as you were just saying, like, we, we need inspiration to keep doing the work we're doing and, and this is often what helps
Cynthia: That's very true. Couldn't agree more. Yeah.
Christine: Um, well one of the other things that I had seen you mentioned that I thought was interesting was. Um, the, it looks like community gatherings that were called the Bush brunch. And so I'm curious, I didn't ask you about this before, but I'm, I wonder what, what is that and how is that, um, serving the goals that you're working towards?
Cynthia: Yeah, so with the Bush branch, it was more so this one is more geared towards promoting AB and tourism, you know, and. You know, in, in, I see that in cities, everybody's just on their own. You know, there's no, you know, that sense of community being together, it's, it's not there, you know, and then when you look at, you know, mental problem issues, I thought, you know, why not come, uh, bring, uh, put together a branch in the bush and we bring strangers together.
The first one was very amazing in the sense that it was people who don't know, who didn't know each other, and. Now we started being friends and even the conversation started really being real. You know, we started connecting and saying, everybody's sharing, you know, their life struggles or you know, what they're going, what, what, what they're working towards.
And it was more of now at the end, um, it's friendships. Or it's saying, oh, I'm also doing a similar project as yours. Why don't we collaborate? Because I really also want to push the spirit of working together because I've seen it even with me that, you know, for me to be where I am right now, it's because of the community that I have cultivated around me and also being.
Somebody who wants to, who, who's, uh, open to learning, open to working with other people. And then we recently actually had another branch, which I, which I hadn't shared yet. And what I loved was that because, um, our tourism here is our main market is the international clients. And then, uh, the local market.
But the regional market really hasn't really been coming to Botswana that much, you know? And now with the second branch, we actually had first time visitors coming from South Africa and purely coming for this branch. And what I love now is that, like I was saying earlier on, that I love building, uh, models that make.
Everybody, everybody gets to benefit. It's not just about, you know, the Happy Soul branch. You know, now it's these people coming from South Africa, coming for the branch, but now they want accommodation. You know, now they want, after the, the branch, they want to go somewhere, you know, to local places and as support, uh, uh, small businesses.
And that's really what I love, uh, which is, has transpired from these, um, from this experience.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you so much for sharing that, and I think it just goes. To say, you know, where we started and kind of all along is this connection is so important and that, um, that's what will continue to bring people together. And so I, I hope people listening really intentionally bring that aspect into the experiences and travel that they're creating.
And just think about not only connection with. The place connection with the locals, but connection for the travelers with each other because like
Cynthia: Yeah.
Christine: people are just so starved for that right now, and I think that we can really
Cynthia: Mm mm
Christine: for one another.
another.
Cynthia: That's very true. And
Christine: for me,
Cynthia: also for me, it's um, I really wanted to show, um, people out there that you can actually travel alone.
Christine: alone.
Cynthia: And meet new strangers who also, who are going to make you feel safe, feel welcomed, and that's what we really do at, um, at Happy Soul Adventures. Just today, I went to pick up our next guest, a solo female traveler from Japan.
And there is a language barrier, but all she's looking for is just feeling welcomed and. Just being able to breathe because that's the conversation we've had so far. You know, after we met. And then tomorrow we are gonna do a city tour. After the city tour, the following day she's going to the Kalahari to do the Bushman culture.
And one thing I can say is that Botswana is one of the safest countries when it comes to, uh, travel for solo female travelers. And I would love to see more people coming end.
Christine: end.
Cynthia: Also, we really create experiences that speak to you. You know, you let us know what exactly you're looking for, and we can tailor make that experience for you.
And that's one thing that I love about travel that is so diverse. Whatever you are looking for, whatever your soul is looking for, you'll find Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Christine: uh, well, I, of course, I love that last thing that you said. Whatever your soul is looking for, you'll find, because I think also that's the beauty of travel. And slow intentional travel is that travel will give you what you need. Um, but I also just wanted to mention I was surprised about how many solo female travelers you have mentioned working with.
So I really appreciate that you shared, um, that it is a great destination for those travelers and, um, that you know, that you've really seen. A trend in solo female travelers to Africa and to Botswana. 'cause that's always great to hear.
Cynthia: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you so much.
Christine: Um, well, before we wrap up our conversation, I have just a few, um, rapid fire or Rapid fire ish. Questions to, to end our call. So we'll go through, we'll go through those. Um, the first one is, what are you reading right now?
Ooh,
Cynthia: I haven't read in a while, but, uh, for me, I watch a lot of, um, documentaries, you know, like, uh, personal interviews. Um. I remember the last interview that I watched was, um, Melinda Gates. She was intro, she was interviewing, uh, one film, uh, um, director called Ava, and she said something that I really love. She said, um, sometimes it's very important to listen and I'm a Christian by the way, so you know, I'm gonna share this.
She said it. Sometimes it's very important to be quiet and observant. Listen. Because God speaks to you through other people, you know? And that, for me was just like, that's when I, you know, I had my aha moment and said, wait, you know, sometimes I'm just talking, talking. But then sometimes when you just sit back and listen more, you realize that God directs you to certain spaces, you know, through other people.
And also just. Being present, you know, and then in there now, it really what's, what keeps me going and I get all these inspiration from watching. I watch a lot of interviews on YouTube, you know, that are more, um, it's more to do with entrepreneurs like me, um, who've gone through challenges or who, you know, who are way ahead of me.
And I want to learn how they got to be where they are, you know? And also what I love is that, um. We are not gonna be here forever, but let's make an impact where we can, because then our legacy, the longevity of our, our legacy is much more, you know, when you help the people around you and not just think about you know yourself.
Yeah.
Christine: Hmm.
Thank you. That's very beautiful. And, um, that awareness that, you know. God or spirit or wisdom or universe, however you interpret that, speaking through others. So I think I notice that too. All of a sudden you'll be like, wow, I've just read that same thing in like five books or every time I, you know, listen to a speaker wherever they keep saying the same thing over and over.
You finally realize, oh, that's for me that that's the message I'm supposed to be hearing.
Yeah.
Cynthia: That's true. Yeah.
Christine: Yeah. Um, okay.
The, the next question is, what is always in your suitcase or backpack when you travel?
Cynthia: Uh, what is always in my suitcase when I travel? Hmm. I always carry books that I love. You know, I, I, I have this book, um, the Shoe Dog by. The founder of Nike,
Christine: Oh, uh.
Cynthia: I always carried. Yeah. Yeah, because it actually speaks about how he started Nike, you know, uh, he started it from very humble beginnings and you know, how he started getting it out there, what kept him going, you know, having people around him.
So it's, it's just that thing that. When I have that, when I have those kind of books that I love, you know, they, they just, by looking at it keeps me, you know, keeps me going. And then what else do I carry? And I love, I love, uh, what, every time when I travel, I, my, I buy, I call it the arm candy. So I, I stack bracelets, you know.
On my wrist. For me, it really reignites my love for travel because all the bracelets that I have, they tell a story, you know, from each region that I've been in Botswana, or every country that I've been to, you know? Yeah. Mm.
Christine: I love that. Um, to sojourn, to me means to travel somewhere with respect as if you live there. Um, where is someplace that you would still love to sojourn?
Cynthia: One place that I would Actually, it's two. I would love to go to Peru. And meet those women who, they're always wearing these colorful, you know, that the traditional clothes are so colorful and beautiful and they're forever smiling and they're there up in the mountains. I just, I would just love to be around them.
And then one place I'd also love to go to is Cuba. You know, just for the music. I love, I love Cuban music and the food, you know. For me, uh, with travel, I think also what you've had, you know, me sharing, for me travel is really about the people, the music, art, and just connecting on a, on a human level. And actually one thing that I can share also, one country that really motivated me to start Happy Soul Adventures was Italy.
You know, I went there on holiday and the entire time I was there it was just the wine, the music, the food, and just being around, you know, immer myself in the culture and that's has really made me love travel even more, you know, and motivated me to do what I do. Yeah.
Christine: Yeah. Thank you.
Cynthia: So I'm always on the lookout for the best food, the best music, the art.
Yeah. Yeah.
Christine: Um, well the next question is what is something you eat that immediately connects you to a place that you've been?
Cynthia: Sorry.
Christine: What is something you eat that connects you to a place that you've been
Cynthia: something that I eat
Christine: Ooh, okay.
Cynthia: for me, it's music. Yeah, when I listen to certain music, it, it takes me back to beautiful moments, you know, like, um, where's my favorite place? I've been to by far, one country that I in, in, in, in Southern Africa that I feel it hasn't been tapped into is actually Zimbabwe, you know. So there's certain music that I, I, and I did a trip to Zimbabwe as a solo traveler, and I really enjoyed it.
So when I listened to, uh, jazz music, there's certain places that it takes me to in, in, in Zimbabwe? Yeah.
Christine: Yes.
Um, I just have two more questions. Uh, if you could, uh, share an adventure with one person, fictional or real, alive or past, who would it be?
be?
Cynthia: Sweet.
Christine: Ooh.
Cynthia: It would be, uh, Nina Simone.
Christine: Oh, that's a
Cynthia: I just, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Christine: I
Cynthia: really love Nina Simone. I loved how fierce she was. She's very fearless. She was very fearless and she was very confident, you know, and just, I would love to take her to some place and she would sing for eyes and share her wisdom. Yeah.
Yeah.
Christine: Um, the last one, uh, soul of Travel is a place for recognizing women in the industry. Who is one woman you admire and would like to recognize in this space?
Cynthia: I think for me right now. I haven't met anyone yet, but for me it's more, I love it when we talk beyond our businesses or this space itself. I, I love connecting where, I want to know what, how tourism has transformed you as a person, you know? So I'm, I'm, and I'm always open to learning every day. I, I'm a student every day, you know, and then connected with you like this now, it has really made me want to know, connect more with you.
You know, e especially when we are so much aligned, you know, you are about impact making a difference where you can, and that really speaks to me a lot. It's more to do with alignment than just. Idealizing somebody from outside. Are we aligned? Is our vision the same? You know, I would pick someone and then only to learn that we're not really following the same path or into, you know, the same vision.
But having connected with you today has really made me want to connect with you even more beyond this. You know, this interview. And see what else we can we can do together to make that difference that we so much here for,
Christine: Yeah. Thank you. And I appre I appreciate that reflection and um, also agree that I was just telling a friend before we talked here today that, you know, she's asking what's your ideal day and your ideal thing in work? And I said, it's just to me it's this connection I get to have with people all around the world.
And it's such a gift to hear people's stories and witness. The power of the work that they're doing and to get, to really get to know people because not everyone has that, and I, I get to open Zoom. All the time and have these beautiful connections with people I would've likely never met. And so, um, it means a lot.
That's a, I think it's a really important, important aspect for
Cynthia: Yeah.
Christine: of the work that I do. So thank you so much. Um, and thank you, Cynthia, for, for being here, for being on the podcast and for sharing your story. I hope that it really inspires my listeners.
Cynthia: Yeah. And thank you so much for this opportunity, Christine. I know we spoke quite a while ago and I always believe in God's timing and the timing was so perfect. Yeah, I really enjoyed it.
Christine: Thank you.
You can find me on Facebook at Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community, or follow me on Instagram either @lotussojourns or @souloftravelpodcast. Stay up to date by joining the Lotus Sojourns mailing list. I look forward to getting to know you and hopefully hearing your story.