Tag Archives: safari

WHY I TRADED IN A HIGH-FLYING CAREER IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY TO PURSUE MY ACTING DREAMS, AND HOW I DID IT

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By Peter Meyer, author of The Boy from the Wild

Most of us dream about quitting the 9-5 (or is that the 8-7) rat race, but few ever do.  The author Peter Meyer is proof that following a dream can be more than just a daydream. He hung up his suit and left a highly-paid job in the hospitality industry to embark on a career as an actor – and was soon rubbing shoulders with Brad Pitt.

I grew up in the hospitality industry, quite literally. I was born and raised on a game reserve in South Africa that my father created. It had a safari park, a five-star hotel and a conference centre. It was once known as Safari World and its pioneering fusion of Disney-style theme park and nature reserve  made it akin to a real-world Jurassic Park

When I was older, I graduated from Les Roches Hospitality University in Switzerland and went on to work all around the world in places including the UK, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.  I worked in different director roles in sales, marketing and business development for groups like Hilton, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, JA Resorts & Hotels and then YTL Hotels.  At one point I was even one of Hilton’s youngest directors at 26 years old.  I had it all going for me – the experience, the qualifications, the connections, the lifestyle and so much more…. but then it all changed.

In 2014, I dropped everything to spend time with my father after hearing he had a very rare form of terminal cancer.  My father was my life and an incredibly special person, so I was going to be by his side.  After I lost him I lost a part of myself and realised that you are vulnerable – and that life is governed by time that we take for granted.  I tried to get back into hotels and got a huge position in Kuala Lumpur but was ultimately in a very bad mental state and lost my zest and desire for the industry.  I was missing my dad plain and simple.

By chance a short while later a family friend suggested that I try acting and modelling for fun, and at least until I’d planned my next move.  So, a short while later, I signed onto a website that was a portal for jobs in that industry.  Within the space of a few days I was contacted by a production company, which asked me to do a TV commercial for Ford.

I did the shoot and was told I was a “natural” and was advised to do more! Two weeks later I got a call from a director making an independent British film and I got a tiny part as a news anchor with some lines.  It was then that I realised how much I loved acting and it woke me up out of semi-depressed state for my father.  I decided to see where it went.

Suddenly I was getting acting and modelling roles and even got my first lead in a short film within three months of starting.  My biggest came when I got a call to audition for Allied with Brad Pitt and got the smallest part to sing.  Sadly, the role was cut but I was still an extra and got picked to be near Brad Pitt and enjoyed getting to know him. I then got chosen to work as an extra next to Liam Neeson this time on The Commuter.  He partly inspired my book “The Boy from the Wild”.  In less than 18 months all this had happened.  I was also doing a lot of plus size modelling and was Tesco’s first plus size male model wearing Jacamo.  But I have also modelled internationally with groups such as El Corte Ingles wearing Hugo Boss, GANT, Ralph Lauren and more.  Who knows what’s next?

I’ve gone from surviving animal attacks and snake bites on a safari park to surviving the concrete jungles of Hollywood.  How, people ask?  Well, get headshots, get a showreel, get an agent, brand yourself to get your followers and have passion.  If you are determined and do what you love then you will achieve.  Sometimes you have to risk it to get the biscuit. A dream is yours and yours to fail, so don’t let it.

The Boy from the Wild by Peter Meyer is out now, priced £9.99 in paperback and £3.99 as an eBook. It is available for sale on Amazon UK. Visit  www.petermeyer.com

World’s Top Wildlife Spectacle in Sri Lanka.

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EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP WILDLIFE SPECTACLES IN SRI LANKA WITH CHAAYA HOTELS & RESORTS

‘The Gathering’ elephant phenomenon in Minneriya National Park

With close to five thousand wild Asian elephants in Sri Lanka, ‘The Gathering’ offers an incredible opportunity to witness the 6th greatest wildlife spectacular in the world, as recognised in 2011 by the internationally acclaimed travel guide, Lonely Planet.

Taking place in the north central province of Sri Lanka during the dry season, the mega wildlife phenomenon ‘The Gathering’ begins to unfold late July as scattered herds from various forests begin to assemble around the great Minneriya National Park reservoir as the drought takes full effect. During the height of the drought in August and September, every evening the breath-taking setting of the Minneriya plains, receding water line and fresh grass sprouting, draws an awe-inspiring sight with up to 300 elephants gathering to drink water and graze the grasses growing on the tank bed.

Staying at Chaaya Village Habarana offers guests the opportunity to easily visit Minneriya to witness ’The Gathering’. Located just 15 minutes from the hotel, guests are accompanied by Chaaya’s in-house team of expert naturalists – the ‘Nature Trails’ team – who will share their specialist knowledge whilst experiencing the phenomenon first-hand.

Located in the heart of Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle in the Anuradhapura district, Chaaya Village Habarana is situated across 27 acres of lush forestland bordering the Habarana Tank and a vast and tranquil lake. With 108 rooms set among thousands of towering trees the property is a must for nature-lovers. Guests will enjoy cosy Sri Lankan village-style cottages with impressive views of the natural world. Its first class facilities include an Ayurvedic spa, open-air restaurant, bar and coffee shop and a choice of once in a lifetime excursions.

Responsible tourism and conservation is at the heart of the John Keells owned Chaaya Hotels & Resorts group. Its ‘Nature Trails’ programme drives critical education and conservation projects for Sri Lanka to educate both its visitors and its local people to understand and respect its precious wildlife and to develop and teach new skills and careers around its conservation, whilst also supporting livelihoods and bettering opportunities for local families.

Each Chaaya Hotels property has an in-house naturalist to educate both visitors and local people whilst also protecting and nurturing its environment. The Nature Trails naturalists were honoured to be chosen as to support an Austin Stevens Animal Planet production on ‘The Gathering’ which was aired worldwide.


Kuoni is offering seven nights at Chaaya Village Habarana in August or September with prices starting from £1055 per person based on two sharing and subject to availability. Prices include accommodation on a half-board basis in a standard room, return economy Sri Lankan Airlines flights from London Heathrow and return airport transfers.

For more information on Chaaya Village Habarana and Chaaya Hotels & Resorts visit www.chaayahotels.com