Rafiki on Tour
We are Rafiki on Tour, full-time Dutch travelers exploring the outdoors overland-style. We travel with a Land Rover Defender 110, pushing boundaries, going places others can’t. We have a passion for the outdoors and love to share our stories with you. The full story; the highs and the lows. We hope to inspire and share our experiences to help you. We visit the most amazing places, but also have to deal with car breakdowns and our never empty laundry bag.
Currently we are traveling on the continent of Africa! Stay up-to-date every single day by following us on Instagram!
Happy overlanding!
Tobias, Manon & Nimba
Tobias van Krieken
Hi there! I am Tobias van Krieken, an outdoor and nature enthusiast with a passion for nature conservation, photography and traveling. I am an Applied Biology graduate with a specialization in Ecology (HAS University of Applied Sciences). But in the past few years I’ve worked in the IT and Marketing branch for a while.
For me this was a great situation because it gave me the money and time to go out and explore the outdoors in my time off. In 2017 I even had the possibility to quit my job for 9 months and travel around Europe.
This hiatus fueled the passion for travel and made me dream bigger and bend boundaries. It made me realize that exploration is necessary and that I want to venture out further than ever before. This break from the normal life also pathed the way for the Rafiki on Tour platform to grow. Something I’m very grateful for.
You can find more info about me on my personal website (Dutch) www.tobiasvankrieken.com.
Manon Verijdt
Hi fellow enthusiasts! What a pleasure to introduce myself here on this page. My name is Manon Verijdt, a fellow Applied Biologist from the Netherlands! The past 3 years, I’ve embarked on quite a journey as an entrepreneur. I’ve covered different fields, from architecture to journalism.
During these ventures, one thing kept coming up: I felt greatest when traveling and when in nature. Not by surprise by the way. I’ve always loved being in nature and immerging myself in new environments and cultures. Only problem? I never really took action on my biggest dream: travel full-time.
In May this year, my life took a spin: a broken relationship and feeling lost in my businesses. It was time to follow up with this dream of mine. As if life knew, Tobias and I met through a common friend of ours, Sven. You might have actually seen him here on this page before, as he was Tobias’ previous fellow world traveler.
What happened then is history. We found out we both studied the same, did the same sports and we were ready to embark on a journey into the unknown – the continent of Africa. I’m more than ready to put my journalistic passion and cameras’ viewfinder to work!
Curious about all the things I’ve done (and still do) as an entrepreneur? Take a peek at www.manonverijdt.com and www.ubuntumagazine.com
Nimba
Hi, my name is Nimba! I’m Rafiki’s newest friend and I come from Nigeria. It’s been a while since Tobias and Manon were there, but when they were stranded at a compound in the east of the country, they first met me. I had my tail tucked between my legs, as I didn’t trust anyone, but somehow all those dog biscuits and the hands stroking my head, felt incredibly good. And so I started trusting Tobias and Manon, as well as the other people around, who also came by car.
A long story short, it only took a couple of days before we all felt comfortable enough to give me a bath and to free me from those itchy little fleas and ticks. I didn’t like the water on my thin fur very much, but oh my, the end result was amazing! I wondered if it would be possible to stay with them, so I spent all my time trying to figure that out. I hung around at their working table, I tried to play catch with the other two (very big) dogs that were around and I think we were actually bonding.
Now that I’m on this website, it must be clear that I found a place inside Rafiki to stay (and Tobias and Manon asked me to join them). So here I am, mascot and family-dog of the Rafiki’s! Feel free to give me a cuddle when we meet!
Our core values
Rafiki on Tour is about off-the-beaten-track adventure. Pushing boundaries and exploring the remote corners of the earth. We are about hands-on true overland adventure. As Applied Biologists we love to immerse ourselves into the wild. We have the utmost respect for nature and take care of it whenever we can. Tread lightly and leave it better than you found it.
We love to live in the outdoors. But we do love the human connection as well, sharing stories and experiences. Also, a smile will go a long way! It’s the international symbol for peace, happiness and acknowledgment. Treat the people around you with humility and give them a helping hand when necessary and your travels will become unforgettable.
Overlanding experience
Starting out as a young boy with a newly bought Land Rover, it didn’t take long for Tobias to catch the Overlanding-bug. After adventuring for weeks at a time, his first two major expeditions brought him to both the Northernmost point and the Southernmost point of Europe, as well as through undiscovered areas in the East. Now, on his third major expedition, the continent of Africa is being discovered as we speak.
Countries
Kilometers
Major expeditions
