From Vietnam to Kruger - Bryan Stone Brings Four Languages to Family Safari Business

HOEDSPRUIT, SOUTH AFRICA, 13 November 2026, After six and a half years living and teaching English in Vietnam, Bryan Stone has returned to his family's safari business in Hoedspruit, bringing an unusual combination of international experience, language skills and a newly acquired field guiding qualification. His return has enabled Stones Safaris to expand its guided wildlife experiences to include full guiding in French, Spanish, isiZulu and Vietnamese across Kruger National Park and the surrounding Lowveld.

For Bryan, the move represents the meeting of two long-standing interests: languages and the African bush. Having grown up in a family of experienced safari guides, he has spent much of his adult life studying languages, teaching and experiencing different cultures. Now, those experiences have become part of his work introducing visitors to South Africa's wildlife and natural landscapes.

A Language Journey That Started Long Before Safari Guiding

Bryan's interest in languages has taken him from university classrooms in KwaZulu-Natal to neighbourhood cafés in Spain and bustling cities in Vietnam.

His connection with isiZulu began at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg, where he was inspired by the late Adrian Koopman, whose fluent introduction to the isiZulu department convinced Bryan to pursue the language as a major. He has been an active isiZulu teacher since 2011 and is known as Zamani, ukuzama meaning to try as he put in great effort to learn the language.

French followed a different path. Bryan taught himself through language immersion, extensive study and an appreciation for French cinema, particularly the films of Astérix and Obélix and actor Christian Clavier. He later attended a Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) language conference in France, further developing his approach to learning and teaching languages.

His Spanish studies were influenced partly by music. While playing the cajón with the Linda Vargas Flamenco Company in Durban, alongside guitarist Demi Fernandez, Bryan developed an interest in Spanish language and culture. He subsequently studied Spanish at university and travelled to Barcelona and Madrid.

Vietnamese became part of everyday life during his six and a half years living and teaching English in Hanoi and Da Nang. Immersion in Vietnamese culture, from conversations with local residents to discovering regional food and activities, provided the foundation for his language skills.

That experience now offers Vietnamese-speaking visitors to South Africa an opportunity to explore the African bush with a guide who has personally experienced their language and culture.

Returning to the Family Business in Hoedspruit

Although Bryan's international experiences took him far from the Lowveld, safari guiding has remained closely connected to his family life.

His parents, Michael and Lynne Stone, are both experienced trails guides who established a family-run safari business centred on sharing their knowledge of the natural environment with visitors.

After returning to Stones Safaris, the family-business, in November 2025, Bryan completed an online EcoTraining course in preparation for his FGASA NQF2 examination and successfully passed his practical assessment drive to become a CATHSSETA-qualified field guide.

He further developed his guiding skills through an apprenticeship alongside his parents, accompanying them on wildlife drives and bush walks. During these excursions, he also helped international guests understand the experience by interpreting information into their preferred languages.

Today, Bryan independently conducts guided activities throughout the region, including walking safaris, morning and afternoon game drives in Pridelands, full-day Kruger National Park excursions and Panorama Route tours.

His role combines formal field guiding qualifications with a familiarity with different languages and cultural backgrounds, allowing him to communicate directly with visitors rather than relying on a separate translation service.

Bringing International Languages Into the African Bush

Bryan's return has created a new opportunity for Stones Safaris to offer fully guided experiences in four additional languages.

The service extends across the company's safari tours and activities in Hoedspruit, including sunrise and sunset game drives, guided bush walks, full-day Kruger National Park safaris, Panorama Route excursions and overnight bush experiences.

The distinction is that guests are not simply accompanied by someone translating an English-speaking guide. Bryan conducts the excursion in the selected language, explaining wildlife behaviour, identifying tracks, discussing ecosystems and answering questions directly.

For a French-speaking family visiting Kruger National Park, this might mean children can ask questions about elephants or lions without waiting for a parent to translate. For Vietnamese travellers, it provides an opportunity to discuss South African wildlife with someone familiar with their home country. For isiZulu-speaking South Africans, it creates the option of exploring local natural heritage through a familiar indigenous language.

Bryan's language background also contributes to the cultural conversations that often develop during longer activities. A full-day safari or scenic excursion offers opportunities to discuss not only the destination but also the different places, traditions and experiences that visitors bring with them.

A Family Safari Business With an International Connection

Stones Safaris operates from Hoedspruit, a gateway to Kruger National Park, neighbouring private nature reserves and the scenic attractions of the Panorama Route.

Its range of experiences includes wildlife drives, guided walking safaris, traditional bush braais and overnight excursions. With Bryan now conducting tours independently, the family business can accommodate additional language preferences across these existing activities.

The development is also relevant to travel agents, destination management companies and accommodation providers arranging activities for international visitors. Rather than organising a separate interpreter, they can enquire about a guided excursion conducted in French, Spanish, isiZulu or Vietnamese.

Multilingual guiding is available by prior arrangement, subject to availability, with an additional fee. These charges are separate from the standard safari activity price.

For Bryan, the expansion brings together years of language learning, international travel and the field guiding knowledge developed within his family.

Travellers and tourism operators interested in arranging a multilingual safari can contact Stones Safaris to discuss language preferences, available excursions and booking arrangements.

About Stones Safaris

Stones Safaris is a family-run safari and tour operator based in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, specialising in personalised wildlife and nature experiences throughout Kruger National Park, the Greater Kruger region and the surrounding Lowveld. The company offers guided game drives, walking safaris, overnight bush experiences, bush braais, Panorama Route excursions and customised itineraries for domestic and international travellers. Led by the Stone family, Stones Safaris focuses on knowledgeable local guiding, environmental education and sharing the natural heritage of South Africa with visitors.

Released in collaboration with WildBeest Media.