We had a wonderful time. It was the perfect mix of visits to local villages, schools, and of course great wildlife viewing. The food was really excellent. We enjoyed the different flavors and the effort to please a Western palate without being unadventurous.

The Eastern Serengeti Nyumba was beautifully situated, and had a very nice common area that encouraged socializing among visitors.

Thanks for memories that will last a lifetime!

Sibyl Frankenburg & Family
Private Family Safari, December 2012

“We had such a wonderful, wonderful adventure in Africa. I was not disappointed about anything.  Thomson really delivers what it promises!  Our whole ten days were filled with sensual delights:  I viewed Africa through my senses – sight, sound, taste, smell (especially smell), and touch.  Africa is life-changing.  All of it was perfection and I will be grateful always, to have traveled under the ‘flag’ of Thomson.” – Jill C.

“We arrived at the school and were greeted by 20 Tanzanian children and their principal. He took us on a tour, where there are houses for teachers, and even, cows, goats, and chickens.  As we walked, the children followed and watched us in awe…I learned so much more about the world, people and it opened my eyes to many of the issues, such as poverty, hunger, and lack of education. I hope everyone gets a chance to visit Africa and have the same experience I did.” - Cecilia R., age 15

Our trip to Tanzania was absolutely fantastic.  The people, the landscape, the wildlife were amazing.  Everyone we met was so welcoming and friendly, our guide was so resourceful and really gave us so much information about the animals, Tanzania and the culture.

We were surprised to have seen a total of 85 lions (Alexia, our daughter, kept count; including a pride of 22 at one time). We had the opportunity to visit the Ganako School and hope that we can help the school build a much needed water tank to supply water for the dry season.  I also truly appreciate everyone’s flexibility for my special dietary requirements.  The staff everywhere was very accommodating and creative.

Paula S.
Private Family Safari, March 2013

View Paula’s Slideshow:

This trip BLEW me away. I didn’t expect to see so much wildlife. I didn’t expect to have so many amazing staff members helping us. Everyone was over the top amazing, professional and fun. We are sad to leave!

We will take another trip with Thomson Safaris. We had a fabulous safari! Thank you and your team so much.

Kristin H.
Thomson Family Safari, December 2012

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Click to enlarge photos from Kristin’s family safari

Seven-year old, Luke traveled with his family to Tanzania over the holidays. In addition to the excitement of celebrating his birthday and Christmas on safari, the highlights of his trip included:

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1. Meeting my pen pal, James
2. Hot air ballooning over the Serengeti
3. Soccer at the village school
4. Lots of football with Nyumba camp crew
5. Flying on single prop plane from Serengeti to Arusha
6. Playing Last Card and War
7. Making a zebra out of black ebony wood
8. The tents and sleeping with the animals
9. Mt. Kilimanjaro (Mt. Kili)
10. Christmas and My Birthday in Africa
11. Crazy Abel!

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Luke loved his guides and according to his blog – yes, he submitted a blog post – he learned a lot from them about the wildlife and Tanzanian culture.

Click to read Luke’s blog!

My kids will remember this trip forever. It will be difficult for our family to top this trip. The last stop at the Maasai village was very well done. MY HIGHEST COMPLIMENTS AND THANKS!

While the wildlife and scenery are breathtaking, the people of Tanzania are what make this country so special. This video (below) is our way to thank the people of Tanzania for their warmth and hospitality. Asante Sana!

Sandy W.
Private Family Thomson Safari & Zanzibar Extension, June 2012

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See photos from Sandy’s safari in his video “Tanzania the Beautiful” below.

]]> http://blog.thomsonsafaris.com/the-buzz/people-tanzania-family-safari-review-sandy/feed/ 0 http://blog.thomsonsafaris.com/the-buzz/highlights-tanzania-safari-family-review-lynn http://blog.thomsonsafaris.com/the-buzz/highlights-tanzania-safari-family-review-lynn#comments Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:06:51 +0000 Thomson Safaris http://blog.thomsonsafaris.com/?p=5041

My husband, son and I had an absolutely fabulous time. The trip truly exceeded our expectations. We saw so much wildlife, we enjoyed the food, the tents were beautiful and the cultural visits were very enlightening. Thanks again, we truly had the time of our lives.

Our WONDERFUL guides, Leonard, Ojukwu and Mbaruku did a great job!  They were all smart, funny and kind. They are the best guides ever!! Thomson Safaris is a wonderful company.

Lynn R.
Highlights of Tanzania Safari, July 2012

This was my third trip to East Africa and my first with Thomson. Their meticulous planning was realized in the perfect family excursion. Every aspect of the promised safari was delivered…and in a superior manner. I can recommend Thomson Safaris enthusiastically to potential clients of any age. Memories garnered on my family’s Tanzanian safari will always remain precious and priceless to the eight of us.

I just wish I were sufficiently wealthy to make our Tanzanian trip an annual affair. You are an outstanding company, and the bang for bucks you deliver are unbelievably high. I would love for others to have such a wonderful adventure.

Jo Anne B.
Short Family Safari, July 2011

I have lived in the Middle East and had an apartment in Hong Kong, traveled to 50 countries and for ten summers have taken our three kids to different continents. However, this vacation I can say unequivocally was the best vacation we ever had.

Robert Chama was a gem and the arrangements and logistics by Thomson were exceptional.

Having 36 straight meals with my three adult children, having their iPhones and Blackberries not operative and having them remain with us at the table for every meal or every picnic was more than anyone could imagine on a vacation. Most importantly, to have the family so focused on photography and nature was a unique and unforgettable adventure. Having taken 12,000 pictures helps us relive an unforgettable experience.

My only regret is why I waited so long. I cannot imagine or envision a better family trip.

Nick K.
Private Family Safari, December 2011

The Nyumbas were unbelievably comfortable and relaxing! I could live in one! Game walking through the camp added incredibly to the experience. The school we visited was really moving and informative. Awesome!

Great game drives, excellent guides, well-run operations! We loved being in the middle of it all and all of our needs were met!

Rick & Katie B.
Short Family Safari, February 2012

We all found the Maasai experience remarkable. We were so warmly welcomed, in particular, by the little children who came up to greet each of us. Two stand-out moments were the warrior dances and when my daughter, Lisa, showed the children their own images on her camera. It was truly a moving experience to be with people from such a different culture than ours.

Ralph W.
Private Family Safari, December 2012

I’ve been to over 55 countries and on all 7 continents – no one else does it better than Thomson! The fact that I brought my entire family along is the highest compliment I could give.

The trip was a huge success, far exceeding my entire family’s fondest expectations. I have no doubt we will return to Tanzania with Thomson Safaris.

Dick B.
Short Family Safari, February 2012

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This was Dick’s 4th trip with Thomson.
He trekked Kilimanjaro with us in 2003 and has been on 3 safaris with us since 1999.

We had a wonderful time in Tanzania – the safari far exceeded our expectations in every regard.

The boys adored our guide, Harrison Mremi. He had endless patience with us and an amazing ability to find large cats. Late one afternoon, he located a leopard in a tree that must have been close to a quarter mile away. At first sighting the cat was nothing more than a dot. But sure enough, when we drove closer, it was a happily sleeping leopard.

Steven M.
Signature Thomson Safari, December 2011

We took our kids on safari with Thomson a decade ago and we all still talk about it as one of our best, best family vacations.  Today my kids have moved on; they’re in college and grad school. But the memories are even more precious in retrospect.

If anyone on the fence about a family trip to Africa, I’d say: Don’t wait, go now. In the blink of an eye, the kids will be gone. You’ll never regret the money you spent, you will regret the lost opportunity when they’ve left home.

Marybeth Bond
Author, National Geographic Books
Blogger, GutsyTraveler.com

I have owned and driven Land Rovers in East Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer and Baja, California much of my life.  We owned Atlantic British Export here in the United States for years (the North American source for Land Rover and Range Rover parts) and had never seen a safari modification like Thomson’s with the higher rear seat sections, the taller windows and windshield. Wow!!  What a difference from a passenger’s point of view!!  Compared to any of the other safari machines out there, the visibility toward the horizon to the front and sides…from any of the back seats is unsurpassed.

Even my oldest daughter who was notorious for car sickness never had a problem on any of the rough roads.  We got a chance to ride in another (non-Thomson) safari vehicle on the way to the balloon ride in the Serengeti and were immediately reminded of how we had to bend over at the neck from the back seats in order to see around the driver’s head and out the wind shield.  The Thomson Rovers are by far the best maintained and set-up machines on the road…and the drivers are incredible too!   Nzuri kabissa!

Eric A.
Classic Thomson Safari, July 2008

Kilimanjaro Climb:
I can honestly say that I am very happy that we chose to do this project with Thomson. From the first phone call through all the details and logistics involved your team was a genuine pleasure to work with. My primary contacts, Michael and Katie were knowledgeable, and very professional, always prompt in returning calls and answering questions. They were truly excellent to work with. I know our project was a bit of a challenge, but it all ran exceptional smoothly with their help and guidance.

The guides were excellent, and the food was the best I have ever had under such difficult field conditions. We (amazingly) managed to put all 24 team members on the summit! Our research project was quite a success, and the Thomson staff was very accommodating throughout the project.

Safari:
In my opinion, having traveled quite a bit, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater are among the Wonders of the World. This is world class animal habitat and is more spectacular in many ways than the Galapagos. When I think of all the families that travel to places like Disney World year after year, it seems like such a waste. If they saved up for a year or two they could visit Tanzania and have a genuine, rock-your-world, experience of a lifetime. I can’t think of a more interesting, or more valuable and educational place to visit and take your kids.

This was an excellent experience for all involved. I would definitely recommend Thomson, and would use Thomson again for any project in Tanzania.

Many thanks!

Scott Hamilton, Expedition Leader & Research Study Coordinator
East Africa High Altitude Research Expedition

Thomson Safaris led this 24-member biomedical research team
to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. During the trek, the team conducted
high altitude physiology research.

Of all the memories of the animals we saw, the other families we met, and the wonderful agenda that Thomson put together for us, the one thing that made the trip really spectacular was that we saw Tanzania with native Tanzanians, not professional guides who learned about the country from travel guides or training sessions.

They told us about or showed us their homes, their schools, their politics and the natural beauty of their country in a way that made us understand and appreciate the people in Tanzania.

I have traveled to many countries of the world but I have never come away with a feeling of having seen the country through the eyes of the people who live there like I did on this trip. It was wonderful for me as an adult, and I am so thankful that my grandson, as well as the other children on the trip, was able to have such a special cultural experience. Trips like this can change our perspective of the world and open our minds and hearts to the many wonderful people from the different cultures of the world.

Thanks again for a great trip!
Ann M.
Tanzania Family Safari, July 2008

Wow, what can we say – we had the most fantastic safari trip imaginable! Words, pictures, and videos will never be able to describe the wonder that we experienced in Tanzania and the Serengeti.

The Thomson touch was just terrific – the Nyumbas, the guides, the camp staff, the food, the attention to detail, everything … just fantastic. At the camps,  out on the game drives, everywhere – we all agreed that in some subtle way we always felt that we were being treated “more special” (is there such a phrase?) than any of the other tour groups that we encountered. You’ve got a winning formula.

And we owe you a special thanks for the revisions to create our private safari. At each stop, we thought that we had experienced the best that there was to offer, yet each day somehow miraculously outdid the previous day and by a wide margin. We can’t wait to do it again but feel that it will be hard to top the experience of our first trip.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Eric B.
Private Thomson Safari,  March 2011

My family and I just returned from a family safari with Thomson.  Everything Thomson promised was fulfilled in every way. Willie, our lead guide, was excellent – he was professional and friendly at all times. There was never a time that we felt Willie didn’t have our best interest above all.

I can’t say enough good things about Frank, our mentor. His personality is terrific working with children (and adults). My kids looked forward to spending time with Frank. Not only did they have fun, he also educated them about the animals, the culture, and the people.

Going to the school was wonderful, one of the desires we had for taking the kids on this trip was for them to experience how other people lived and their everyday life. The school was a perfect way for the kids and us to experience a day in the life of a Tanzanian child. I hope my kids are changed just a bit by meeting the kids at the school.

I would recommend Thomson and most of all take another trip with Thomson!

Cary S.
Tanzania Family Safari, July 2010

When I met our guide at the airport, I knew we were in good hands.  Our family, especially all 3 children, had a wonderful relationship with John.

Jeffrey B.
Private Family Safari, October 2010

It was an absolutely incredible family vacation, and we have been recommending Thomson to many friends and acquaintances who are looking to travel to Africa.  We felt the Explorer’s Safari was absolutely perfect – allowing us to experience the wildlife, culture, and geography in the best possible ways.  Quite frankly, I cannot imagine doing it any other way.

I wanted a trip where I could hike and my mom wanted a trip where she could see animals, so Thomson’s Explorer Safari was the perfect fit.

Jane & Caroline S.
Explorer’s Safari, June 2010

You have done a fabulous job from the décor to the food.  The people you have hired are doing a great job and you are doing an admirable job helping the people where you are located.  Our grandchildren (ages 7-14) have had a wonderful experience and our guide, Charles, was exceptional. He was a perfect choice for a 3 generation family.

Anne & Ron H.
Private Safari, June 2010

Great chefs!  Kitchen visits showed us how wonderful food can be prepared with such basic equipment and supplies (the complete opposite to US kitchens).  Especially enjoyed great soups and creative vegetable preparation.

Emma O.
Private Safari, June 2010

Abu was wonderful with the kids.  He kept them engaged and happy so the adults could enjoy themselves.  The “mentor” concept is brilliant.  Having Abu for the kids made the trip great for everyone.

Kelly R.
Private Family Safari, July 2010

Whenever you investigate some kind of experience, be it a camp, a school, a company, a travel group etc., you always read their customer comments indicating how wonderful everything is. Because these are published by the entity hoping you will become a customer, you are always suspect when reading them. Why would any entity publish negative comments by a prior customer? In the case of Thomson, however, I will say that your customer’s comments regarding their satisfaction with their safari are either dead on or definitely understated. Whatever expectations we had about our safari were more than surpassed by our experience. In short, this is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, travel experiences our family has ever had.

Given that we have traveled throughout North America, Europe, Australia, parts of Asia etc. this is high praise indeed. To be fair, the country and people of Tanzania and the amazing wildlife had much to do with the “once in a lifetime” feel of the trip. It would be unfair, however, to diminish the impact traveling with Thomson contributed to the impact of the trip.

Romaney B.
Thomson Family Safari, December 2009