About Alasdair Babber Shah
Having grown up in Uganda, Alasdair Babber Shah has a keen interest in wildlife conservation and has been going on safaris in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda since he was very young: he was just nine weeks old when he went on his first safari with his family. During his final year at Pembroke House School in Kenya, Alasdair climbed Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain. He also represented this school playing field hockey.
Following his studies at Pembroke House School, Alasdair attended Culford School in Suffolk from 2015 to 2020, achieving a high school diploma (which is equivalent to A-levels). This independent day and boarding school is set in 480 metres of parkland with an 18th century mansion at its heart.
Career & Professional Development
Since 2021, Alasdair has worked as a reservations assistant at The Far Horizons safari company, where he is responsible for booking services for confirmed safaris and performing one- and three-month checks.
Alasdair Shah is currently pursuing a career in the yachting and maritime industry and has experience working as a deckhand on the Boomshaka Lagos in Portugal in 2023. In this role, he was responsible for assisting with the preparation of the vessel including loading supplies and setting up DJ booths, managing the onboard bar, selling and promoting party cruise tickets, and dealing with client relations. Alasdair’s ability to stay focused under pressure and work quickly, along with his strong interpersonal skills, stood him in good stead during his time in this role.
As well as the RYA Day Skipper licence, Alasdair has achieved several other maritime certifications and licences, including AEC 1, Competent Crew and RYA Powerboat 2. The latter gives participants skills relating to launching and recovery, man overboard scenarios, leaving and coming alongside, anchoring, and boat handling at both low and high speed. His key skills and abilities include security awareness, personal survival techniques, elementary first aid, fire prevention and firefighting, basic mechanical engineering, VHF radio handling, hospitality management, teamwork and direct sales.
Hobbies & Interests
Alasdair enjoys a diverse range of hobbies and interests, including photography, drumming and scuba diving. He holds the PADI Open Water Diver certificate, which has given him the skills needed to be a confident and skilled diver. He knows how to assemble and use scuba gear, manage buoyancy, handle common problems and respectfully approach marine life. Alasdair cites his favourite band as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and his favourite musician as Chad Smith, the band’s drummer. His favourite book is Playing the Enemy by John Carlin.
