Standing 4’ tall with the head of an eagle and the body of a crane, the secretary bird is truly unique. It gets its name the dark feathers on its head, which resemble quill pen feathers that might be tucked behind its ear...if birds had ears! Although they have the ability to fly, secretary birds are most frequently spotted hunting for food in the grasses of the savannah where they use their long legs to stomp on and stun larger prey, like mice and snakes.
Randy Hanna, pro photographer & Thomson trip leader - for more info: www.thomsonsafaris.com/sa_pho09.shtml

Chris and his group drove through The Great Migration in the southern plains of the Serengeti last March. He describes seeing such large herds of wildebeest and zebra at close range as a breathtaking experience.
Chris Donovan, Short Thomson Safari, March 2012

My Rafikis!! This is one of my favorite photos from my trek. It is me with Godlove, our head guide amazing man; my personal porter, Ali, who I will be forever thankful for – I never would have made it to the summit without him; the young man who carried my tent everyday; Godlisten and Joaquim, our assistant guides. I have the most respect for all of these men. It is unbelievable what they do around the clock everyday.
Deb Hammer, Kilimanjaro Western Approach Route & Safari

The trip was life changing in many ways. The power and beauty of the animals is something one doesn't get from zoos. I especially loved stopping and watching to see what would happen... 20 minutes, 30 minutes... I dream of it many nights. Robert, Casmir, Abu, and Kumbi were all impressively good spotters, knowledgable about the animals and the birds, friendly, and good at handling questions, different interests. Each day was different and amazing in its own way.
Betty Allen, Private Thomson Safari, January 2012

In the past, trekkers claim Kili’s old summit sign couldn’t withstand the weather and winds – it was often found battered, broken or leaning over. While the new (green) sign is an obvious structural improvement, it doesn’t convey the same nostalgic feel that the original sign embodied. So when we found a plank from the old sign, a sense of excitement spread through our group and everyone immediately gathered around for a picture! It was really special.
Duane Schafer, Kilimanjaro Western Approach Route & Safari

We were in the northern Serengeti when this was taken. An amazing day where we saw lions, cape buffalo, giraffes, hyenas, elephants and spectacular birds. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we spotted this leopard. We had seen others sleeping in the trees but watching this one as it was hunting was amazing. We stayed and watched quietly as it made its way through the grass and faded into the colors and scenery of the land. Amazing.
Pam Art, Private Thomson Safari, January 2012

Our photography group had lots of fun one night creatively lighting these baobab trees in our Tarangire camp. The night sky in Tanzania was by far the darkest and clearest I have ever seen, with the Milky Way practically jumping out at you most nights.
Tom Schwabel, Africa Through the Lens Safari. To see more of Tom's award-winning photography, visit his Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65316636@N00

Our extraordinary guide Abu, found this cheetah family of five, we watched them in a hunt from start to finish. They started here on the termite mound to spot prey. The mom allowed the four young to chase a reed buck, pounce, catch and eat. It was the most exciting experience of the entire safari.
Karen Celella, Private Thomson Safari

Leboi is a traditional Maasai healer at Gibb’s Farm, a working farm and living museum where I had an internship. During my time there, we became close friends and learned a great deal from each other. He told me stories about hunting lions and the plants he gives to cattle when they are sick. One day, I taught him the A chord. He played the same chord for over an hour, singing in Maa and dancing until he had to sit and rest.
Ian Heyse

We were in the Ngorongoro Crater and came upon two lionesses stalking three Cape Buffalo. When the lionesses attacked the younger buffalo, it foolishly challenged her for a brief moment before deciding "flight" would be more prudent than "fight." Fortunately, the precocious youngster escaped with only a nasty scratch on his haunch.
Trevor Stevens, Signature Thomson Safari, January 2011

On the last day of our 3-day hike, we left Acacia Camp and descended to the floor Great Rift Valley. In the shadow of Ol Doinyo Lengai, we were joined by two young Maasai who traveled with us for a mile or so before deciding we were too slow and moving on ahead. I could not resist this photo opportunity and briefly stepped aside to snap this picture shortly after they joined us. We encountered quite a few Maasai traveling between their villages during our hike.
Russ Evans, Private Thomson Safari, February 2009

25 years ago, Larry Krakauer snapped this photo of Thomson head guide, Mohammed Mbaruku. Mohammed is a shining example of Thomsons' staff longevity; he is still leading safaris for us today! We are thrilled to welcome Larry and his family back for their second safari with us in June.
Larry Krakauer, Thomson Safari in 1987

This lone bull elephant stood watching us as we were watching him in the Ngorongoro Crater. Every so often he would move a little closer, until our guide decided he was close enough, and we moved on.
Dawn Benko, Explorer's Safari / © Dawn J. Benko / www.dawnbenko.com

Some guys just have to show how macho they are. We were fortunate to catch this fight between two male ostriches in Ngorongoro Crater who were vying for the affection of a female. The fight and subsequent chase went on for several minutes before a victor emerged. In the end, the female was unimpressed and simply turned her back and walked away.
Nick Masington, Signature Thomson Safari, September 2011

Our arrival into Acacia Camp was unforgettable! Everything seemed to happen all at once: a clap of thunder set off a rain shower just as the Maasai began to chant from a distance. The chants became louder and louder as they made their way towards us to welcome us to the camp.
Thomson Staffer - Michael Moitoso, Explorer's Safari, October 2011

These two adolescent male giraffes were fighting with one another in Serengeti National Park, near Robanda. Sometimes when they hit each other with their necks, the resounding thump was so loud it almost seemed like you could feel it.
Anna Liem, Private Thomson Safari, July 2011

The visit to a Maasai village was another highlight of our safari. The Maasai children were so happy and smiling, as you can see in this photo. They loved seeing the pictures of themselves in our cameras after we took their photos.
Alan Rubin, Signature Thomson Safari, September 2011

This cub was using a zebra its pride had recently killed to practice the choke hold that lions often use. It was rather funny, in a grisly sort of way, to watch the cub; he (or she) was not only wrestling around with the zebra's head, but would occasionally flip entirely over the zebra's neck.
Anna Liem, Private Thomson Safari, July 2011

This picture of our camp staff captures the spirit of the camp on our last day, it was the perfect send off to an amazing trip. Tanzania is in our hearts forever.
BJ Caffrey, Signature Thomson Safari, August 2011

Dining al fresco alongside Kilimanjaro's famous glaciers at 18,000’, Krishna and his family enjoy lunch at Crater Camp on the Western Approach Route.
Krishna Yalamanchili, Kilimanjaro Western Approach Route

Giraffes are probably my favorite overall subject to photograph. First they are an animal unique to the African continent, so when you see a picture with a Giraffe in it, you know where its from, especially when you see them running over the open plain as in the image above.
Aravind Krishnaswamy, Africa Through the Lens (www.akimagery.com)

Every traveler's nightmare is to end up in a hotel room with a bad view. At Bilila, it was an amazing dream come true - we got to experience the local elephant herd's daily march to their watering hole right from our patio. It was an incredible treat to get to see these magnificent creatures from a safe distance, yet outside of the safari vehicle.
Dan Hess, Luxury Lodge Safari, July 2011

Of my 900 pictures, it’s hard to choose a favorite but this one “symbolizes” our trip to me. It was taken at our first night at our Nyumba in Tarangire. We were getting to know each other, talking about a day full of elephant, lion, warthog sightings while waiting to be called for dinner. This was the sunset we were “greeted with". It exemplifies the beauty, balance and majesty of Tanzania.
Suzanne Lamberg, Signature Thomson Safari, August 2011

Joe masterfully photographed this bee eater in the Serengeti during a photo safari with Andy Biggs. These small birds specialize in catching large, stinging insects in flight. Once caught, they use their narrow beak to remove the insect's stinger and squeeze out the venom.
Joe V. Smith, Africa Through the Lens

The highlight of the day was a cheetah hunting an impala. She made her way directly past our Rover and then jumped up on a large termite hill. After stretching and grooming, she gazed right into my eyes. Eventually she tired of her exhibitionism and disappeared into the long grasses near us. Those of us in the Rover just looked at each other speechless at what we had just witnessed!
Darrell Pardy, Signature Thomson Safari, February 2011

Congratulations to newlyweds, Lauren and Scott, who celebrated their honeymoon with a successful trek up Mount Kilimanjaro! They are pictured here overlooking Mawenzi Tarn Camp at 15,000'.
Lauren & Scott, Kilimanjaro Grand Traverse Route, June 2011

The two lions, resigned to defeat (outrun by a herd of zebras), joined each other under a tree. They comforted one another with a nudge of the nose and a lick. They then laid down to rest their bulky frames. The lions were hungry, but dinner would have to wait. Such is life in the Serengeti. - Joe Peyronnin
Photo taken by 15 year old, Zoe Peyronnin on a Family Safari, June 2011

Blue monkey in the Ngorongoro Highlands
Len Kurzweil, Boston Museum of Science Safari

Chris was very lucky to catch the great wildebeest migration crossing the Mara River last October.
Chris K., Private Thomson Safari, October 2010

Wesley Bernard, Highlights of Tanzania Safari, September 2010
www.wesleybernardphoto.com

We took this photo in the southern part of Serengeti National Park near a waterhole. This male lion was with his pride of 5 females basking in the sun after a big meal. We caught one of the females nestling up to this big guy - what a shot!
Bob & Nancy K., Highlights of Tanzania Safari, February 2011

Sharon, from our Arusha, Tanzania office & Claudia from our US office! Every spring, Rick & Judi treat a few staff members of our Arusha, Tanzania office to an all-expense paid trip to the United States. Sharon, our Arusha Transport Manager, was one of the visiting staff members this year. Sharon enjoyed her stay in Boston (pictured above) and especially enjoyed her visit to New York City.

Zebras near the Moru Kopjes, Serengeti National Park
Ken Pauley, Boston Museum of Science

Chameleon in the trees of Tanzania's Ngorongoro Highlands
Ken Pauley, Boston Museum of Science