Lavanya Sunkara grew up in a small town in South India and moved to New York City with her family as a teenager. She attended Fordham University and received a degree in philosophy and media communications. After graduating, she set out on a life-changing backpacking trip through the national parks of Kenya and Tanzania, returning with a desire to see as many animals in the wild as possible. This ultimately led to a career as a purpose-driven travel journalist who went on a dozen safaris and adventures in remote and pristine destinations on six continents. She shared her experiences and advocated for the protection of endangered species through impactful storytelling in top national publications.

Her most memorable animal experiences include caring for wallaby joeys in rural Australia, tracking mountain gorillas in Rwanda, swimming with whale sharks in Mexico, studying whales and dolphins in Costa Rica, and strolling alongside giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands. She also had the privilege of meeting Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya, which further deepened her desire to continue fighting for the survival of our planet’s most vulnerable beings. On Nat Hab’s Southern Africa Odyssey trip, she had the pleasure of seeing hundreds of elephants and the endangered painted dog at Hwange National Park.

As an Adventure Communications Content Team member, Lavanya continues to inform travelers about conservation issues in the destinations where Nat Hab leads trips. When she’s not dreaming about jetting off somewhere fabulous, she loves being home in the suburbs of Long Island, New York, with her husband and rescued pets. She enjoys road trips, hiking, gardening, cooking vegan food and volunteering at pet adoption events. Her other passions include advocating for DEI, implementing climate change solutions and uplifting marginalized voices.