Discover the Future of Conscious Luxury Travel with Nicolette Van Exel and Fair Trade Safaris
In an inspiring collaboration that redefines luxury travel, global impact leader Nicolette Van Exel has partnered with Fair Trade Safaris to offer an exclusive safari experience designed specifically for women seeking purpose-driven adventures that make a meaningful difference.
This unique journey combines personal transformation with positive community impact, offering travelers an opportunity to experience Africa's magnificent landscapes while contributing to conservation efforts and local communities. The partnership emerged naturally after Nicolette's own transformative experiences with Fair Trade Safaris in Tanzania, Botswana, and Southern Africa.
What makes this partnership exceptional:
A leader with purpose: Nicolette's background spans human rights advocacy, corporate responsibility, and environmental sustainability across multiple continents. Through her boutique agency NVE Impact, she now channels her passion for connecting people with nature while empowering local communities.
Travel with impact: Fair Trade Safaris reinvests 100% of profits into conservation and community development projects, including the KopeLion Project, Al Muntazir School, Uthando, The Kindness Campaign, and SOS Children's Villages.
A curated experience: Limited to just six participants, this intimate safari includes luxury accommodations, expert local guides, meaningful community engagement, personalized coaching sessions with Nicolette, and direct involvement in conservation initiatives.
This exclusive opportunity represents more than just a safari—it's an invitation to join a movement for intentional, respectful travel that transforms both the traveler and the communities they visit. With a strong focus on safety and support for women travelers, this journey promises to create lasting memories while contributing to a sustainable future for Africa's people and wildlife.
Want to read more? Here’s the full article:
Journey Beyond: Empowering Women to Live and Work with Purpose and Joy
Exclusive Safari Experience
Travel isn’t just about reaching new destinations—it’s a profound opportunity to find deeper connections, grow personally, and create a lasting impact.
With this in mind, Fair Trade Safaris is thrilled to introduce an exclusive safari experience led by Nicolette Van Exel, a global impact leader, designed for adventurous women who seek purpose in their travels and wish to make a meaningful difference.
Meet Nicolette Van Exel (known to most as Nico): Passion Meets Purpose
Nicolette’s journey spans multiple continents—from Europe and South Africa to North East Asia and the U.S.—and her experiences in these diverse regions have shaped her purpose.
“Living in Northeast Asia as a child, I saw communities where people struggled daily for basics, all while living on land rich in beauty and culture,” Nicolette shares. “Seeing such profound inequality and environmental hardship inspired me to seek ways of creating change.”
Beginning her career as a human rights advocate for indigenous communities in West Africa, she later worked with global brands to reduce their social and environmental impact in complex supply chains. After establishing and leading corporate responsibility departments worldwide, Nicolette now channels her passion for travel and meaningful experiences into her boutique agency, NVE Impact. With a lifelong dedication to responsible travel, she believes in connecting people to nature with care and respect, empowering local communities along the way.
“Bringing people into the heart of nature awakens a deeper connection to life’s essence and purpose. When daily distractions fade, we’re able to feel what truly matters and envision how to live with purpose and joy. It’s the space I seek when life or work feels stagnant—a transformative experience I want to share with others. Whether sailing across open waters or guiding someone on safari, where surrender to the wild brings profound clarity, these moments in nature have the power to inspire and renew us in the most meaningful ways.”
Now partnering with Fair Trade Safaris, Nicolette brings her expertise and vision to inspire purposeful, compassionate travel that uplifts people and the planet.
Learn more about NVE Impact and Nicolette’s work here.
Fair Trade Safaris: Travel with Impact at Its Heart
Fair Trade Safaris is a luxury travel company rooted in respect for nature, cultural appreciation, and community support. Our mission is to offer exceptional travel experiences that celebrate Africa’s beauty while making a meaningful difference in the lives of its people and wildlife.
What sets us apart is our commitment to reinvest 100% of profits into conservation and community development. Every safari directly supports preserving Africa’s biodiversity and empowering the communities you visit, creating a lasting positive impact.
Through partnerships with inspiring organizations, your travels make a tangible difference:
KopeLion Project: Fair Trade Safaris has directly contributed to this initiative in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which focuses on mitigating human-lion conflicts by collaborating with local Maasai communities to protect lion populations. Through this partnership, Fair Trade Safaris supports efforts to monitor lion movements, promote coexistence strategies, and implement conservation education programs, aiding in the preservation of these iconic predators.
Al Muntazir School (Tanzania): Enhancing education through scholarships and infrastructure for young learners to thrive.
Uthando (South Africa): Funding initiatives in education, healthcare, and youth development to strengthen communities.
The Kindness Campaign: Promoting kindness and joy through community-focused projects.
SOS Children’s Villages: Providing family care, education, and security to children in need worldwide.
Each journey goes beyond traditional tourism, connecting you deeply with the people and places you visit while supporting conservation and sustainable growth. At Fair Trade Safaris, we believe travel should leave both travelers and the world better than we found it. Learn more about our impact and approach to conservation here.
A Partnership Forged by Shared Values
The collaboration between Nicolette and Fair Trade Safaris is rooted in a shared vision: to empower travelers while making a positive impact on the communities they visit.
After joining a number of Fair Trade Safaris trips with her husband and family—to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Botswana, and Southern Africa—Nicolette experienced firsthand the company’s dedication to conservation and community engagement. These journeys sparked the idea to merge their worlds and partner on a trip that blends luxury travel with personal transformation and meaningful impact.
“Nicolette’s dedication to supporting communities and empowering women aligns perfectly with our values. Her deep commitment to social impact adds an important layer to our mission of responsible travel.” – Fair Trade Safaris
For Nicolette, Fair Trade Safaris’ longstanding commitment to ethical tourism and conservation made the partnership a natural choice.
“I’ve always believed that travel should be transformative—not only for the traveler but for the places and people they encounter. Fair Trade Safaris’ dedication to community support, eco-friendly practices, and authentic cultural engagement resonated deeply with my own values.” – Nicolette
A Safari Experience Curated for Purpose and Connection
Together, Nicolette and Fair Trade Safaris have curated a one-of-a-kind safari experience, designed specifically for a small, intimate group of like-minded women. This journey goes beyond traditional safari offerings, combining luxury, adventure, and personal growth with a commitment to uplifting the places and people they visit. Each aspect of this safari has been carefully crafted to provide transformative encounters with Africa’s landscapes, wildlife, and communities—ensuring that every participant not only explores Africa but also connects deeply with its people and culture.
“Being with nature has always recharged my spirit,” Nicolette shares. “There’s something profoundly humbling about standing before an elephant in the wild, knowing how much bigger nature is than us. It’s a reminder that we’re all part of something greater.”
This exclusive journey is designed to foster deep connections, with a focus on immersive, one-on-one community interactions, personal coaching sessions, and meaningful engagement with local leaders. By keeping the group small, this experience allows each participant to engage fully, creating not only memories but a renewed sense of purpose and connection.
Luxury Meets Learning: Travel in style and comfort while exploring Africa’s landscapes with expert local guides who will ensure you see the best wildlife, cultural interactions, and hidden treasures each location offers.
Community Engagement: Nicolette emphasizes the power of simple, genuine connections, saying, “You truly connect with a community over a shared meal, where barriers fall away, and we become part of each other’s stories.” This journey supports Fair Trade Safaris’ ongoing projects, creating a direct positive impact on the communities visited. Fair Trade Safaris adds, “We’re committed to supporting local economies by hiring local guides, choosing eco-conscious lodges, and fostering community partnerships at every level of our operations.”
Personalized Coaching: Each traveler will receive a one-on-one coaching session with Nicolette, focused on personal growth. “If I can help someone connect with their purpose and see them transformed by it, that’s where I find joy,” Nicolette shares. Designed to inspire reflection on life’s challenges and opportunities, these sessions offer travelers the chance to explore their inner journeys as profoundly as the landscapes around them. Through compassionate guidance, Nicolette helps each participant uncover new perspectives and pathways, fostering a renewed sense of purpose and connection to themselves and the world.
Conservation in Action: Fair Trade Safaris is deeply committed to eco-friendly practices and impactful conservation projects. “For us, this means protecting both the land and the people of Africa,” explains Fair Trade Safaris. Travelers will experience firsthand how eco-conscious accommodations, conservation efforts, and community partnerships come together to create a positive impact across Africa.
Nicolette’s approach complements Fair Trade Safaris’ mission, viewing these efforts not only as a responsibility to the environment but as a pathway to inner balance and purpose. Through this journey, travelers have the opportunity to reconnect with nature and themselves, creating a lasting impact on the earth and their own lives.
Join a Movement, Not Just a Safari
This initiative goes beyond luxury travel—it’s about leading a new wave of intentional, respectful travel.
“True travel is about listening to others without imposing, learning from those who live within their means, and appreciating simpler ways of life,” Nicolette shares. “It’s the joy of seeing the world as it is, with gratitude and respect.”
By joining us, you’re not only embarking on a journey but joining a movement to support impactful travel and meaningful connections.
“We’re committed to creating experiences that educate and inspire travelers to make positive changes in their own lives and communities,” says Fair Trade Safaris. “Together, we believe this journey will showcase the powerful impact that respectful travel can have on people and the planet.”
Travel with Confidence
At Fair Trade Safaris, we understand that traveling, particularly as a solo female traveler, comes with unique considerations. We are dedicated to ensuring that each traveler feels secure, supported, and at ease from the planning stages through every moment of the journey. Nicolette shares her approach to leading a group, saying,
“Before leading others, I ground myself in a place, so I can be fully present for them.”
This commitment to presence and care is woven into every part of the experience. Our thoughtfully designed itineraries, carefully vetted accommodations, and dedicated local guides are all chosen to provide a seamless, comfortable, and enriching journey. With Fair Trade Safaris, travelers can feel confident that every detail has been planned to prioritize safety, comfort, and peace of mind—allowing them to fully immerse themselves in Africa’s beauty and culture.
Reserve Your Spot Today
This exclusive journey, with only six spots available, is expected to fill quickly. Experience Africa with Fair Trade Safaris and Nicolette Van Exel, where every step of your adventure supports lasting impact for people and nature.
Sign Up Now to join us on this life-changing journey and begin creating your legacy today.
