Peter Allison

Presents tales from a safari guide about his encounters with big cats, elephants, hippos, and other unpredictable animals.

True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide

Whatever You Do, Don't Run

A world renowned safari guide and author offers incredible true tales from his forays into Botswana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Namibia, relating such encounters as having to spend the night in a thorn tree with marauding hyenas below, finding a leopard in his tent with him in it, and more. Original.

A Safari Guide's Encounters with Ravenous Lions, Stampeding Elephants, and Lovesick Rhinos

Don't Look Behind You!

A hilarious, highly original collection of essays based on the Botswana truism: “only food runs!” In the tradition of Bill Bryson, a new writer brings us the lively adventures and biting wit of an African safari guide. Peter Allison gives us the guide’s-eye view of living in the bush, confronting the world’s fiercest terrain of wild animals and, most challenging of all, managing herds of gaping tourists. Passionate for the animals of the Kalahari, Allison works as a top safari guide in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. As he serves the whims of his wealthy clients, he often has to stop the impulse to run as far away from them as he can, as these tourists are sometimes more dangerous than a pride of lions. No one could make up these outrageous-but-true tales: the young woman who rejected the recommended safari-friendly khaki to wear a more “fashionable” hot pink ensemble; the lost tourist who happened to be drunk, half-naked, and a member of the British royal family; establishing a real friendship with the continent’s most vicious animal; the Japanese tourist who requested a repeat performance of Allison’s being charged by a lion so he could videotape it; and spending a crazy night in the wild after blowing a tire on a tour bus, revealing that Allison has as much good-natured scorn for himself. The author’s humor is exceeded only by his love and respect for the animals, and his goal is to limit any negative exposure to humans by planning trips that are minimally invasive—unfortunately it doesn’t always work out that way! Peter Allison is originally from Sydney, Australia. His safaris have been featured in National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, and on television programs such as Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures. He travels frequently to speaking appearances, and splits most of his time between Botswana, Sydney, and San Francisco.

A new and expanded edition of Peter Allison’s hilarious, highly original collection of essays based on the Botswana truism: “Only food runs!” With biting wit and tales of outrageous adventure, Peter Allison gives us a safari guide’s first-hand account of working in the African bush. Allison regales us with stories about confronting the world’s fiercest terrain of wild animals and most, terrifying of all, managing herds of gaping tourists run amok. His humor is exceeded only by his love and respect for the animals of the Kalahari. As a top safari guide, he knows he serves the whims of his wealthy clients, yet he often has to stop the impulse to run as far away from them as he can. When this isn’t possible, his goal is to limit any negative exposure to humans by planning trips that are minimally invasive—unfortunately it doesn’t always work out that way. With much good-natured scorn for himself, no one but Peter Allison could make up these outrageous-but-true tales!

The warm, funny and utterly engaging true story of a young Aussie safari guide who has spent the last twelve years leading tours in the African bush.

My adventures as a Botswana safari guide

Whatever You do Don't Run

A hilarious, highly original collection of essays based on the Botswana truism: “only food runs!” With a new introduction and new material from the author In the tradition of Bill Bryson, a new writer brings us the lively adventures and biting wit of an African safari guide. Peter Allison gives us the guide’s-eye view of living in the bush, confronting the world’s fiercest terrain of wild animals and, most challenging of all, managing herds of gaping tourists. Passionate for the animals of the Kalahari, Allison works as a top safari guide in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. As he serves the whims of his wealthy clients, he often has to stop the impulse to run as far away from them as he can, as these tourists are sometimes more dangerous than a pride of lions. No one could make up these outrageous-but-true tales: the young woman who rejected the recommended safari-friendly khaki to wear a more “fashionable” hot pink ensemble; the lost tourist who happened to be drunk, half-naked, and a member of the British royal family; establishing a real friendship with the continent’s most vicious animal; the Japanese tourist who requested a repeat performance of Allison’s being charged by a lion so he could videotape it; and spending a crazy night in the wild after blowing a tire on a tour bus, revealing that Allison has as much good-natured scorn for himself. The author’s humor is exceeded only by his love and respect for the animals, and his goal is to limit any negative exposure to humans by planning trips that are minimally invasive—unfortunately it doesn’t always work out that way! New story: People often ask safari guides about the experience that frightened them the most. In this story Peter Allison tells of the time he became aware of unseen danger, and knew that somewhere within meters of him was a hunting lioness. Peter Allison is originally from Sydney, Australia. His safaris have been featured in National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, and on television programs such as Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures. He travels frequently to speaking appearances, and splits most of his time between Botswana, Sydney, and San Francisco.

Another serving of campfire stories - hair-raising and hilarious tales of Africa, animals and close escapes - from Australia's intrepid safari guide Peter Allison, bestselling author of Whatever You Do, Don't Run.

Tales from an African Safari Guide

Don't Look Behind You, But...

A warm, funny and utterly engaging collection of tall and true tales from a young Aussie safari guide who has spent the last twelve years leading tours in the African bush.

My Adventures as a Botswana Safari Guide

My Adventures as a Safari Guide

Don't Run, Whatever You Do

The Okavango Delta, Botswana: a lush wetland in the middle of the Kalahari desert. Aged 19, Peter Allison thought he would visit for a short holiday before going home to get a 'proper job'. But Peter fell in love with southern Africa and its wildlife and before long had risen to become a top safari guide. In Don't Run, Whatever You Do, you'll hear outrageous-but-true tales from the most exciting safaris. You'll find out when an elephant is really going to charge, what different monkey calls mean and what do in a face off with lions. Sometimes the tourists are even wilder than the animals, from the half-naked missing member of the British royal family to the Japanese amateur photographer who ignores all the rules to get the perfect shot. Don't Run, Whatever You Do is a glimpse of what the life of an expert safari guide is really like.

DON'T RUN, Whatever You Do

Don't Look Behind You, But ...: Tales from an African safari guide

Join Peter Allison for a riveting, rollicking, behind-the-scenes dose of everyone's dream experience—going on safari—and coming through amazed but, thankfully, without a scratch. In Don't Look Behind You, Allison recounts adventures few would live to tell.

Join a top safari guide for hair-raising and hilarious tales of South Africa, animals and close escapes. It shouldn't be fun to be charged by an animal that could easily crush you, but top safari guide Peter Allison gets an odd thrill every time an elephant charges his beaten-up Jeep or a peckish crocodile looks at him sideways. By now you'd think the bestselling author of DON'T RUN, Whatever You Do would know how to keep out of trouble. But from avoiding territorial hippos and hungry lions to dodging landmines and getting lost on the unforgiving savannah, Peter has had his fair share of close calls. Drawing on his experiences in South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia, Don't Look Behind You! is another book of funny, true safari stories, perfect for telling around a campfire.

True Tales of a Safari Guide

"Plans are usually only good for one thing - laughing at in hindsight. So, armed with rudimentary Spanish, dangerous levels of curiosity and a record of poor judgement, I set off to tackle whatever South America could throw at me." On his nineteenth birthday, Peter Allison flipped a coin. One side would take him to Africa and the other to South America. He recounted his time spent as a safari guide in Africa to much acclaim in Don't Run, Whatever You do and Don't Look Behind You. Sixteen years later he makes his way to Chile, ready to seek out the continent's best, weirdest and wildest adventures - and to chase the elusive jaguar. From learning to walk a puma (or rather be bitten and dragged along by it) in Bolivia, to finding love in Patagonia and hunting naked with the remote Huaorani people in Ecuador, How to Walk a Puma is Peter's fascinating and often hilarious account of misadventures in South America. Ever the gifted storyteller and cultural observer, Allison makes many observations about life in humid climes, the nature of nomadism, and exactly what it is like to be nearly blasted off a mountain by the famous Patagonia wind. His self-deprecating humour is as delightful as his crazy stunts, and his love for animals - even when they bite - is infectious.

Peter Allison

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