Shantanu Chand — Founder, Oloi Shorua
Shantanu Chand founded Oloi Shorua in Dubai in 2017. His connection with Africa began in 1997. In the years between, he has returned consistently across regions and seasons, building long-standing relationships with lodge owners, guiding teams and conservation operators across East and Southern Africa. He designs every journey personally.
A Life Shaped by Travel
Travel formed early. As a child, Shantanu travelled extensively with his father, who believed the only real way to understand the world was to see it firsthand. Consequently, he moved across cities, cultures and landscapes from a young age — across more than forty countries over time, through environments that differed as much in character as in geography.
Africa, however, remained central throughout. It shaped not only where he travelled but how he came to understand place — as something experienced through return rather than through single visits. At times, travel meant considerable comfort. At others, it meant moving simply and without structure. This contrast, in turn, shaped an approach that values both refinement and grounding in equal measure.
Africa Since 1997
Over the years, Shantanu has spent extended time across Kenya, Tanzania and Southern Africa, returning repeatedly rather than passing through. As a result, he understands not just destinations but how they evolve — season to season, year to year. The Masai Mara he first visited in 1997 is not the same as the Mara of 2010 or the Mara of today. That continuity of knowledge is what makes the difference between selling a destination and actually understanding it.
These years have also built relationships that extend beyond access. He works directly with lodge owners, guides and conservation teams — the people who shape the experience on the ground rather than those who market it from a distance.
From Go Beyond Travels to Oloi Shorua
Between 2009 and 2017, Shantanu led Go Beyond Travels, where he developed operational depth across East and Southern Africa. During this period, he established long-standing partnerships with camps, lodges and private conservancies — relationships that continue to underpin his work today.
In 2017, he founded Oloi Shorua as a natural progression. The company operates with greater precision, discretion and long-term focus. This was not a reinvention but a refinement — the same knowledge and the same relationships, channelled through a more considered framework.
Industry Engagement
Over the years, Shantanu has participated as a hosted buyer at leading international travel forums. These engagements provide direct access to Africa’s leading safari operators, conservation estates and lodge owners, and reflect ongoing participation within the global luxury travel community.
- International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) — Cannes
- ILTM Asia Pacific
- ILTM Africa
- World Travel Market Africa
- Indaba
- We Are Africa
- Arabian Travel Market (ATM) — Dubai
Written Work
Shantanu’s time across Africa has also taken form through a series of written works. These books reflect journeys, landscapes and experiences gathered over decades — capturing moments as they unfold rather than presenting structured narratives. Together, they form a continuous body of work shaped by movement across East and Southern Africa.
The Name
A Maasai chief in the Masai Mara gave Shantanu the name Oloi Shorua. Over years of returning to the Mara, he developed a close connection with the region and the people within it. As a result, he received a Maasai name — one that carries significance in Ma’a and Maasai culture and reflects the idea of taking from the universe and giving back to the people.
This principle continues to shape how he works. He draws on years of experience across Africa and translates that understanding into journeys for the people who travel with Oloi Shorua.
How He Works
Every journey begins with a direct conversation. Shantanu does not rely on fixed itineraries. Instead, he shapes each safari around the traveller, the landscape and the season — allowing movement, pace and lodge selection to work together naturally rather than against each other.
Shantanu continues to travel across Africa regularly, maintaining relationships and refining the portfolio of lodges and private estates that Oloi Shorua represents. This ongoing presence ensures that every recommendation remains current, relevant and aligned with how the regions continue to evolve.
If you are planning a journey to Africa and prefer a direct, considered approach, we would be pleased to begin with a conversation.
About Oloi Shorua — The House — Philosophy — Books
Kenya Wildlife Service — kws.go.ke
Tanzania National Parks — tanzaniaparks.go.tz