April 30, 2013

Journal entries from a Family Safari

Jill C. and her family, including her granddaughters Cecilia (15) and Cate (12), traveled on safari in December 2012 . Here are some of the journal entries from their trip!

“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

“This morning, I saw a family of 10-15 Blue Vervet Monkeys looking at me. They were only about 5 feet away from me and were on the roof. They fled when they saw me, though! Tomorrow we are going to Ngorongoro where we will stay in a Nyumba, which is like a posh tent in the wilderness. We’ll see cheetahs, lions, and hyenas, according to our guide, Mustafa. Yikes!” - Cate R., age 12

“We went into the crater this morning with Mustafa and really saw our first comprehensive wildlife ecosystem. We saw female lions early on who ended up resting under our truck!!! We also saw lots of baboon families interacting near the road, as well as monkey families. Our first elephants, 3-4 of them, were spotted walking among the trees and brush on the hill.” - Tim R.

“I love it that we are all here with Mom. She’s so game to want to do this with us, and being our little group of 5 is really special. We will remember this time together always. I love watching the girls with her. The Swahili name for grandmother is “Bibi,” and Mom has become the “Bibi” of the camp for everyone, not just for our family. Mustafa explained that a “Bibi” belongs to everyone, not just the family. I love it, and she seems to delight in the specialness of her role.” - Lissy R.

Posted at 12:07 pm in Family Safaris,SafariBuzz,Staff,The Buzz,The Buzz: Safari,Wildlife | Permalink | Post a comment

April 16, 2013

Quite an adventure! Thomson is an impressive company.

Internet research led us to believe that Thomson Safaris was the best value for a safari. It was obvious throughout our safari that Thomson was dedicated to excellence and motivated to exceed our expectations in every way. Just the little detail of having a glass of juice available for us when we arrived at a new camp demonstrated that you all cared about making it the best possible trip. Quite an adventure! Thomson is an impressive company.

Not only is the safari great, but the good Thomson is doing for Tanzania is extraordinary. Thomson is just absolutely first rate in every aspect of the trip, from our three guides, food, camps, Gibbs Farm and most of all, the attention to detail for everything. We thought our “day room” at the end would be a small room where we could shower and get ready for the long ride home. Instead, it was a beautiful hotel and we all said “Does it ever end?”

The opportunity to visit a Maasai village, the Women’s cooperative and the Maasai children’s school significantly added to our trip. We loved every aspect of our Safari!

Jim & Marilyn S.
Signature Thomson Safari, February 2013

Click to enlarge photos from Jim & Marilyn’s safari

Posted at 1:00 am in Culture,SafariBuzz,Staff,The Buzz,The Buzz: Safari,Value | Permalink | Post a comment

March 27, 2013

We wanted a high quality tented safari and we got it!

Let me tell you it was a trip of a lifetime. We are in touch with our fellow “safarians,” sharing photos and stories. We even hope to be able to visit each other. So not only did we have a great trip, we made new friends. (And that’s priceless!) We wanted a high-end tenting experience and Thomson offered it. We were not disappointed. The rest of the hospitality world should take lessons from the Thomson Safaris’ staff. We wanted high quality and we got it!

I’m sure you have seen all kinds of photos, but I think these are a bit different. My husband took our “wild-life” camera, which takes pix in the dark, and is motion-activated. He strapped it on a camp chair at the front of our tent every night, just to see what was “hanging-around” after the lights went out. Enjoy!

Robin W.
Highlights of Tanzania Safari, January 2013

Click to enlarge photos from Robin’s safari

Posted at 11:30 am in Nyumba Camping,SafariBuzz,Staff,The Buzz,The Buzz: Safari,Wildlife | Permalink | Post a comment

March 15, 2013

Everything was amazing, professional and fun! Thomson Family Safari Review: Kristin

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

Click to enlarge photos from Kristin’s family safari

Posted at 7:35 pm in Family Safaris,SafariBuzz,Staff,The Buzz,The Buzz: Safari,Wildlife | Permalink | Post a comment

March 4, 2013

We saw so much wildlife and had a new adventure everyday! Karen’s Highlights of Tanzania Safari Review

The safari met all my expectations and then some! All of our guides were good; I’m still amazed that John could steer the Land Rover over awful terrain, keep an eye out for game, answer questions and swat tse tse flies all at the same time, without ever looking rattled!

The food was wonderful, the camp crews were accommodating. When it came time to walk back to the Nyumba after a little wine and conversation around the campfire, the camp staff was always available to walk us there. I never felt in danger, even when I woke up and heard lions.

I think the best part was having a new adventure each of our 10 days. We saw so much wildlife in our first few days that I figured the last few days would be just more of the same. Not so. It wasn’t until the last full day that we saw the wildebeest cross the Mara (at least the ones not eaten by crocodiles). I didn’t think I cared about the wildebeest/zebra migration, but I’m so glad I saw it. And, just when I was resigned to not seeing a cheetah, we spotted one close by. Not only did we see that cheetah, we saw it chase and take down a baby gazelle and proceed to eat it. Sounds grizzly (and it was sad to see the mother stand on the hill and watch the whole process), but you know it’s nature at work. And not 30 minutes later, we saw a mother cheetah and three cheetah cubs, up close and personal.

I have new respect for Land Rovers. I didn’t quite get the importance of Thomson’s promise of a window seat for each person until I saw other safari groups packed like sardines in open jeeps, while we switched sides, jumped up and down, shared spaces, etc.

Karen M.
Highlights of Tanzania Safari, October 2012

Posted at 5:36 pm in Guides,Land Rovers,SafariBuzz,Staff,The Buzz,The Buzz: Safari,Wildlife | Permalink | Post a comment

February 18, 2013

Bottom line: The Trip was Magnificent. Thomson Safaris Review: Bob D.

Bottom line: the trip was magnificent. It was worth every penny, and exceeded every expectation. I’ve been many, many places and I have never said that before. A lot of this is due, of course, to Tanzania and its animals, but Thomson Safaris is also a class act, and I would (and do) recommend you very highly. This was intended to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me, but I have already decided I will do at least one more. Just about everything was perfect.

At the camps, it was clear that you guys had thought of everything. The tents were well-appointed and comfortable and, well, luxurious considering that they were in the middle of the bush.

The food was creative, diverse, plentiful, and delicious. At one point, we asked for a tour of the kitchen to see where the magic happened, and could not believe what they were able to put out in a such a rustic setting. One night, they even managed to bake a beautiful birthday cake for Kumbi (our guide extraordinaire). All the guys in all of the camps were very friendly, accommodating, and sincere. Seriously, they could not possibly have been nicer, every last one of them.

Our head guide, Hashim, was smart, knowledgeable, and attentive and, as a bonus, very entertaining. While my main objective for the trip was to see the animals, conversations with Hashim also gave me a glimpse of life in Tanzania, and I have a newfound appreciation and respect for the country and its people. Kumbi was our other guide; all I can say is wow, this guy knows his stuff – animals, birds, bugs, plants, weather, terrain, history – you name it. A really nice guy with the vision of an eagle! A+++ for Kumbi. I hope I get him next time, too.

I will definitely be back in touch for the next trip – this time with more people in tow! I repeat, you are a class act.

Bob D.
Highlights of Tanzania Safari, November 2012

Click to enlarge photos from Bob’s safari