" Our time in Africa left such an indelible impression "

Ken and Nan with Julie and Clyde went on a Safari with pro-photographer Randy Hanna to Kenya in September 2021. Kenya is Randy’s second home and we had them going to elephant-rich Amboseli National Park and Masai Mara’s Mara North Conservancy.

After their Safari with Randy in Kenya, they wanted to add a some extra days so we added some time in Loisaba Conservancy, Kenya and then they hoped over to my Tanzania and explored World Heritage site Ngorongoro Crater, the wonderful chimp-filled Mahale Mountains in remote Western Tanzania, and finished on the beaches of Zanzibar Island.

It is safe to say that Ken and Nan had a fabulous time on their Kenya and Tanzania Safari.
- Mefi

From Ken and Nan:

““Recover” is defined as “the return to a normal state of health, mind or strength”. We are home and have recovered our normal life routine. But, our time in Africa left such an indelible impression on us both that we will never fully recover mentally. Every day I think about our trip. For this I am so thankful to you, Randy, Julie/Clyde and every person, place and event we experienced.

Where to start with safari stories? Each and every day was action packed with new experiences and adventure, especially for us first timers. Starting our trip with Randy (the Professor), Julie and Clyde…learning safari travel and chronicling it with a camera…was the perfect intro. We all got along fabulously, sharing many meals, chores, and laughs. Randy was the perfect host. All of our guides were personable, knowledgeable and professional. We enjoyed them all immensely and would not hesitate to recommend any of them.

Some of our favorite memories:

-Mid morning bush breakfasts after three hours of tracking and photographing animals.

-“Bush sundowners” (gin ‘n tonics) each evening at dusk after tracking and photographing animals.

-Our elephant encounter at Elephant Pepper camp. One night we woke to an elephant eating tree leaves 5 feet from our heads, We felt his movement thru the tent canvas.

-Getting close and personal with elephants as they marched across the Amboseli dirt flats toward water. [Tortillis Camp]

-Listening to Randy’s past experiences and recapping our own during the many wonderful meals.

-Learning about Masai life from our guides and the camp staff, and then experiencing it via visits to Masai compounds. [ Entamanu Ngorongoro]

-Take offs and landings on rural dirt airstrips in seven passenger bush planes.

-Viewing the changing African landscape from 10,000 feet.

-An afternoon swim in the warm, crystal clear water of Lake Tanganyika from the Dhow, one mile offshore.

-Listening to Bush Pigs outside our tent at night in Mahale [ Greystoke Mahale].

-Trekking thru the Mahale forest looking for chimps, drenching our clothes in sweat.

-Two hours of close interaction with chimps as they wandered thru our Mahale camp (a magical experience). Mahale was our favorite lodge by far. It was the boat ride , the lake shore location, the smaller size, the rustic remoteness, and Butati that elevated Mahale above the others. We felt more immersed in nature, with very little separating us from jungle life.

-Our connection with KaKae and Butati, with hopes of maintaining some sort of connection into the future.

I could go on but must end this for now. I hope my musings are helpful and adequately indicate how much we truly enjoyed our entire adventure.”

Asante sana Ken and Nan for trusting Randy and I on your Epic Safari through Kenya and Tanzania. Can’t wait to share more of Africa with you in the future.

Let’s chat about your Epic Safari to Kenya and Tanzania.

How does your Safari make a difference!

The ‘Why’?

I have been thinking a lot recently about my “why”. Why is Journey To Africa different? Why should you come on Safari with Journey To Africa?

The answer is in the places and the people. I will take you to places I love and you will be meeting and supporting people I cherish. As a Tanzanian, the impact of each Safari with Journey To Africa is my biggest passion. I want you to show the Africa I love, whilst making a difference.

I thought I would take you deeper into how a Safari with Journey To Africa actually benefits people and places I know and love. What sets us apart is the personal connection I have with the places and people you will see and meet on your Safari especially in Tanzania.

My friends - When I tell you I am going to send you on Safari with Safari guide Kakae, Michael, Chiedel, Baraka, Bingo, Nathan, etc., I know them. When I say you will meet Lodge manager Mo, Mosongo, Baraka, Alex, Julien, etc., I know them.

I know that by sending you to particular lodges and camps that I have stayed at many times, you will be directly and indirectly supporting the people I have touched - the waiters, cooks, cleaning staff, askaris (guards), rangers, and all their families. Having become friends with these wonderful people over the years, it makes me proud that my Safari business supports them directly.

Aside from directly supporting the people who work in the Safari industry, I use lodges and camps and Safari Partners who have a focus on both the conservation of Africa’s wild places and the development and empowerment of local communities. From providing education, changing life trajectories from being a poacher to now a farmer or mechanic, to medical assistance provided for the village, etc. I can talk in-depth about this if you lend me your ears. So important to me! The future of what we do have to be protected and I want to work with people who care.

I think that it is important to know that your Safari is an incredible experience for you, and it goes beyond what you see and do whilst you’re there. Your Safari will be impacting local communities, the wildlife, and the people I care about. And my biggest hope is that you will come back invested too.

Let’s get you on a Safari where you will come back being friends with my friends.
- Mefi

My buddies in Greystoke Mahale, one fabulous place to visit for chimp trekking on Mahale Moutains.

'I had to keep saying this is real!!!"

John and Gayle Mead reached out to me because our past guest Jill Kulbe had spoken highly of Journey To Africa. My Journey To Africa community - I tell ya; amazing! John and I went back and forth over email, a few phone calls until we landed on an Epic Safari. When I asked shall we confirm, John said, “Let’s go for it!! The plan looks fantastic!!”

From Zambia’s Victoria Falls to Serengeti and Selous, and more in-between in Tanzania, if you too can make this happen, this Safari is one for the memory books.

Their Epic Safari stories as per Gayle …

“ You asked how our first Safari was …. I had no idea what I really would feel once I saw the “wild” up personal from what we see on TV. Wow, it truly was amazing and I had to keep saying “this is real”!!!!

You asked what were some of our favorite things we saw …

At Victoria Falls, we LOVED Tongabezi. Our room right on the river, the hippos burping and beeping right there, the evenings that our personal valet would arrange for us (always a surprise); always a beautiful table with candlelight, always romantic; the sundowner cruises (loved the first night so much, we went all three nights). Saw so many animals on the cruise and then the island for sundowners and watching the beautiful Sunsets! John loved swimming in Devil’s Pool over Victoria Falls (I was not that brave) but we both did a Microlite Flight over Victoria Falls in the afternoon and loved that! One morning we went to the National Park close by and walked in with our guide and park ranger to see the White Rhino. That was fascinating.

October 9th … Livingstone to Lusaka and then finding out our next flight was canceled and then Nick (ground crew) came to share that you were making new arrangements for flights …. Mefi, you were amazing to get all those changes done for us and as it turned out better for us since we arrived at 12:30 rather than 3:00 the next morning. Rivertree Country Inn was a lovely place to rest before being picked up the next day.

Ali, our guide for the next 6 days, was WONDERFUL!!! He and John loved to share good jokes and fun stories as we spent time together :) We loved Tarangire … saw so many animals on our drive through the park to our camp. So enjoyed Kuro Tarangire camp. Our tent was so nice and really enjoyed the bucket showers :) It was fun to experience that “flavor” and then get better as the camps went on….and I do mean, just got better and better. Evenings were fun there with the cocktails around the fire outside before dinner. We enjoyed sitting with others for dinner. Met some very interesting people.

Our Night Game Drive in Tarangire was amazing seeing 4 plus 2 lions on a kill. We saw it right before and then backed up and the kill had happened but we saw them enjoying the meal. Four lions who made the kill were apparently from a pride that this was not their territory so they ate but the other two whose territory it was came running in to chase them off and we saw a “cat fight”. Wow!

Every morning (we always went out at 6:00 with breakfast out and loved a full game drive all morning. Saw amazing animals and birds all over and UP CLOSE. So enjoyed our drive to Ngorongoro Crater. We drove through Lake Manyara National Park and was amazed at the Tropical terrain there, beautiful, and so many animals on the side of the road and in the marsh area. Once again, WOW! Then, once we got around the rim of the crater and off-road heading to our camp, we were wondering where Ali could possibly be taking us :) Amazing camp! Loved the fireplaces in the evening before and during dinner. You are right about the winds at night …. earplugs did work great. They are going to build permanent structures in place of the tents which will help with the wind. Ali had us meet him at 5:45 the next morning and we were FIRST into the crater! Going down into the crater, this glorious male lion was sitting so proud looking all over … what a greeting :) Amazing day and loved our breakfast on this beautiful pond with hippo, eagles, beautiful birds. Later that day, we walked with a Maasai man and park ranger to his village. What a delight and the people were so interesting and delightful to meet. Not sure I could handle their diet, however!!!!!

We were sad the next morning saying “goodbye” to Ali at the airport. Got tickled at the little airport but that wasn’t the best of it once we kept getting into smaller and smaller airports along the way :) Yes, Ali made our first 6 days there wonderful!!!!

Arrived at Serengeti National Park; Jairo was our Guide and again what a delightful, wonderful man. Had a great time with him even though I called him a “crazy man” a couple of times when he would spot “something” and race there and sure enough, to our surprise, we were always amazed at the animal he had spotted. Cheetah on a boulder, lion, leopard with cubs. Our first full day, Jairo and other guides were seeing “build up” across the river of Wildebeest…a couple times looked like they were going to cross and then they would stop and run back. The rest of the guides were starting to tell their couples that it was time to go back to camp for lunch. Jairo knew we were just loving everything we could see and do so he said “you okay with a late lunch?” We said, of course!!! So, we headed back to another area on the river that he had heard there were more Wildebeest coming together. We sat and watched and it was looking good, then he said “we are going to move on down some more, I heard there are even more” … bingo!!!! He planted us right up front, and Mefi, we WATCHED in amazement as some 5,000 (yes, I said Jairo said it had to be at least 5,000) Wildebeest cross. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about how amazing it was!!!! WELL, when we got back to camp NOT CARING that we did not have lunch at all, the others were rather jealous … chuckle. Jairo said he was not very popular with the other guides that evening :) WE LOVED IT!!!! Jairo was there for us and we loved it.

Our camp, Lamai, was FABULOUS! What a setting, the food was fabulous, everything about it. Loved Katie. Her husband, Patrick, happened to be there too. Both of them work for Nomad. We were so impressed as we learned how Nomad promotes [Journey To Africa note - we love working with partners who help the community] from inside the camps so the people can work up to better jobs. Everyone was wonderful.

The Hot Air Balloon was great. The perfect park for seeing the animals. The rest of the Game Drives were all great seeing leopard with 2 cubs, 3 lions with 5 cubs …. learned that Wartbogs are called “the Serengeti Express” and Hippos are “Big Water Sausage” and Cheetahs call the Impala’s with the “M” on their butts “McDonald’s Cheetah Burgers”.

On our flight to Ruaha, we met a cute young couple and the young guy knew a friend of ours, had gone to school with our friend’s son!!! Small world.

Arrived Ruaha … ONCE AGAIN, our guide, Habibu, was amazing. Such a sweet man and SO FULL OF KNOWLEDGE. Ikuka, we must say, Mefi, was the BEST OF ALL!!! Location, room, everything about it was FABULOUS!!!! Thank you ! Love Jake and Lilly, the managers, so fun and helpful in all ways.

Habibu, took us all over … sat right next to a lion, leopard, mating lions (whew) and great sundowners with beautiful sunsets. One morning we did a 3 1/2 hour walking safari with a beautiful breakfast after the walk in a beautiful setting.

Flew to Selous (what??) where is the airport. Saw the runway, flew over in case any animals were on the runway, then land and see the sign on the tree “Coastal”. We loved it. Hussan, our guide, was a sweet young man and so fun. I told him he looked just like Tiger Woods :) The Manager, Melissa, was adorable. Hoping she will come visit us :) Love the camp [Journey To Africa note - Sand Rivers Selous], however, because of the rains, it was humid, hot and buggy. We learned that we could not take showers in the evening after dark because once the lights were on, all the bugs came in since it is totally open air. Solved that with showers in the afternoon.

We had a couple wonderful Game-Drives, but then John got sick one day so we rested most of that day which Hussan felt awful about and we told him he was doing a wonderful job and it could not be helped. We did get another Game-Drive in and a morning cruise to the Gorge which was great.

Our last Game Drive, we got to see Wild Dogs which was the only animal we had not seen. They had 3 cute pups playing around. We probably would say that by the time we got to Selous, we were so tired from playing so much, it may have been a bit long for us. However, we say that, and then say, we would not want to have missed it either for that park is so different from the others. Perhaps 3 days, rather than 4 in 3 of the camps, might have helped for making it a bit shorter….if we were recommending it to someone else (our age, perhaps). [Journey To Africa note - John and Gayle are healthy and fit in their 70s]

Sorry, that I went on and on, Mefi, but as you can see, we LOVED THE TRIP SO MUCH and THANK YOU for all your work putting it together. “

John and Gayle, sharing my love of Safaris was pure pleasure. Thank you for trusting me totally in planning your Safari - I enjoyed sharing my amazing corner of Earth. Asante for sharing your ‘journey’ while you were on the ground - made me feel part of your Safari. Our chat, especially after your Safari made my heart swell.

Your turn to experience the magic that is a Safari? Let’s chat.

Slow Travel on Safari.

If lucky, one of the feelings you will experience on Safari is the slow pace. A wonderful feeling, really!

There is a sense of routine that forms on Safari.  Since the staff will take care of everything for you, it allows the luxury of this relaxed, laid back feeling to sink in so you can really take in the incredible, natural surroundings. For example, you have your day planned by your guide and Safari lodge [thanks to all the planning you and I will do before you get to the ground], you are 'driven around' in your Safari vehicle, meals taken care off, activities arranged, etc. You can allow yourself to surrender in these wonderful places. You are detoxing from the hustle bustle of your day-to-day.

Dip in Lake Tanganyika, after a trek to see the chimps. Photo taken by Julien Polet, the manager of Greystoke Mahale at the time.

Three ways to enhance that for yourself.

Take time to enjoy the park.
To really get the feel of the park or a corner of the park, make sure to settle in. Unpack your bags and spend at least 2 nights in each of our lovely lodges so you can really sink in that vastness of the terrain you have the privilege to explore. Most of the parks and conservancies in East and Southern Africa are huge. Give yourself time to dig deep into the park and you too will start feeling like you are 'at home'.

Decompressing takes time; stay at least 8-9 days.
I may not be too far from the truth when I say our lives are on the run. Whether you are a family with young or adult kids, a couple, or even retired, we travel to escape. The first few days on Safari, you are still getting in the groove of how to relax ... or at least that is what most of us feel. Then we slowly start putting the phone away longer and are not craving for wi-fi. Your body is learning to relax. The game drives start become more enjoyable; you are decompressing. One of the reasons you are taking a Safari right?  

Friendships.
The longer you spend time with your guide, the lodge crew, the other travelers you will meet on Safari, your family and friends, the deeper the connections that will start to form. So much fun if you can open up and chat with your Safari mates.

One of my favorite things on Safari is to chat with the guide and lodge crew. Tanzania has over 100 tribes and each one has an amazing story to tell. My Lost in Translation blog post came from my time chatting with these knowledgable guides. I still keep in touch with many of them. They have taught me a lot.

Evening game drive in Ruaha. You can't help but appreciate the vastness, the silence, the unknown.

The #traveldeeper hashtag - that's what we want you to achieve. If you can afford to give yourself the time and depth of slow travel, do it! They will create amazing experiences creating lifelong friendships.

I look forward to being on Safari [or any trip] so I can slow down the pace of life.
Ready to enjoy some slow travel time on Safari? We can make it happen.

Wellness Safari.

I was recently interviewed by Travel Weekly about wellness travel trends for 2017.
Here is what I think wellness Safari means when I plan these Safaris for my clients. 

" When I think of wellness that my clients have been craving when on their Safari in Tanzania this year, I think of human connection wellness. We have definitely seen more request for cultural stops. And they are requesting not meeting them the touristy way or quick photo op, but rather to spend a few hours or days, interacting one-on-one, to get an insight into a different world. 

I think the shift is because we see more stories on social media, news and sometimes we make up our minds or we are given opinion that we accept without research but until we see, listen and experience the other side, we really can't judge until we see it for ourselves. Parents have told me they want to open their children's eyes, an investment in their future. 

We have had a few groups visit the Maasai tribe ladies with a local friend to see them make jewelry or making leather the natural way so they can support their families. Clients have come back saying these stops are eye-openers and the simplified questions 'why do they choose to live like that' answers are more complex because change takes a lot of time, investment and personal desire. 

I like to take kids [and adults of course] to see the one of the last hunter gather tribe, the Hadzabe tribe in remote Lake Eyasi region. These tribe members chose to keep their ancient ways of life in this modern world though wide cracks are forming in their lifestyle. One 16 year old client told me he wishes people would not force change on them as what we perceive as 'backward' is actually a happier earth based lifestyle and we could all learn from them. That is the type of response that is rewarding.

It's these mind changing / human connection wellness Safaris that I am excited to share more in the future. "

What do you think?
Wouldn't this be a life changing Safari. A peek into another culture and lifestyle. And combine that with amazing wildlife and maybe the traditional wellness - massage - and you have opened your eyes to a whole new world. 

Let's get you on Safari.

Everything we dreamed off and more.

When Vickie called me to say she and Neil wanted to go on a Journey To Africa Safari, I was super excited. See, Vickie and Neil are world travelers. They have been to every continent with famous large travel operators. I was up for the challenge to show them my Tanzania and provide them with the same quality service they had come to expect - and more - because we are into tiny personal details.

Safe to say, they had an amazing time and even after a few years, Vickie and Neil are still great supporters of Journey To Africa by constantly sending us referrals.

Asante Sana Vickie and Neil. 

"Amazing, incredible, life changing are just a few words I use to describe our  "Journey to Africa".

From the moment we arrived in Kilimanjaro, we were transported into one of our most magical vacations ever! (That's saying a lot! as we are veterans of world travel, seven continents with some of the top outfitters in the travel industry)

We picked Journey to Africa because Mefi could design a VIP tour package to fit our schedule, our personal Africa safari wish list:

• We wanted our own guide. 
• We wanted to experience five luxury camps at our leisure. We wanted to go on a minimum of three safaris per day. 
• We wanted to meet Maasai , Hadzabe, Datoga tribes and experience their cultures.
• We wanted a hot air ballon ride over the Serengeti.
• We wanted to see the "Big Five"

We received every single item on our personal wishlist, and much, much more!

Everyday was at our leisure, perfect for us, as we didn't want to share a vehicle or a "time line" set up by others. We saw lots of game on all our drives, we witnessed a couple hunts and kills - we were there during the migration.

While in Ngorongoro, two well known "five star" outfitters zoomed by us missing a beautiful leopard sleeping in a tree very close to the road. They were on a "scheduled tour" staying at the same lodge as us. Their guest informed us they have to stay on schedule so they couldn't stop for the leopard.

We stayed in the same world renowned lodges and camps as other outfitters but, we were offered something that they couldn't provide, a personalized experience.

We experienced everything we dreamed of and more!!!

-The Love's."

Life worth Exploring. ™
Make memories on your Journey To Africa Safari.

Take a Break from Game Driving ... go Walking.

A memorable experience to add to your game driving Safari / wildlife viewing adventure, is to do a walking Safari in the wild. The feeling of being out in the wildlife's own territory brings about many emotions.

You have your hair raising experiences from healthy fear to pure joy to what you are witnessing.

Sally and I were walking in Selous when we spotted a pair of lions about 20 ft. away, you read right - breath and stay calm, a herd of elephants, a lone hippo waddling outside the pond and so much more. In wild Ruaha, the tall grass always kept us on our toes. Healthy fear. There was a moment when we all experienced rainbows in the sky. A moment that I couldn't capture on camera but will always remember.

Why go on a walking Safari?
Introduction to details.

• Holding the plant and flowers and getting a lesson on its many uses by both humans and animals.
• The little bugs, we are talking ants and dung beetles, that have a huge impact to the large environment. Watch out for siafu.
• The animal and bird footprints that you get to identify and maybe follow.
• The carcasses that leave behind a story.
• Topography of the land! You get to walk on the ancient rocks or splash in the water dating hundreds of thousands years old.

There are two types of walking Safari in Tanzania awaiting you.

A few hours of walking.
There are lodges + tented camps where you can go out for a few hours in the morning or afternoon. You will have a ranger and the walking guide, who may also be your main guide depending on their weapon skills. When on your walks, depending on the weather and the lodge + tented camp, you may come back to the lodge for breakfast or get surprised and find breakfast in the middle of nowhere.

Our breakfast set-up after about 5 hours of walking thanks to Sand River Selous. 

It does feel good to stretch your legs after spending time in the Safari vehicle. And who know, there may be a few hair raising moments on your walk.

Two to three days.
Time to get away from the main areas. There are a few places where we can accommodate this adventure. I have done a walking Safari inside Serengeti and truly enjoyed my time with Richard, my fantastic guide. Our partners on the ground have a special walking area designated for this adventure. You will not see a vehicle.

Tarangire and Selous have the fly camping option within the national park. Then we have areas around the parks, in our private concession areas. Our Alamana Camp in Loliondo area offers this great opportunity of truly being private, in both game driving as well as walking.

You start out from your main lodge and head out with a small crew who will cater to all your needs. From your delicious meals and snacks, setting up your light wilderness tents with a cot, pillows and blankets, setting up shower tents close-by, bring your drink of choice while you are around the campfire, stoke your roaring fire ... you know, basics.

The advantage of doing this. It's Just You.  
Come on a walking Safari with us and immerse yourself with the wild in their own habitat.

April Showers, May Flowers

"I bless the rain's down in Africa" - Toto.

We do love it when it rains in our National Parks. The animals and birds depend on the rain to fill up the water sources layers deep. The grass, bushes and the trees flourish during the rains providing food for countless wildlife. From the lakes, the rivers and its many tributaries, to the swamps and water holes, life depends on the rains to swell these life-lines come the brutal dry season which is usually from July to September.

April and May are usually the rainy season in Tanzania and Kenya. This year we have had some good rains in the National Parks. From wild Ruaha to Masai Mara, the parks have had some good downpour. In fact, some areas in the parks are still experiencing rainfall. That is nature for you. Awesome yet unpredictable!

Here are 5 reasons to consider an April + May Safari :

• Low number of people on Safari.
• Great rates on many of our luxury Safari lodges and tented camps.
• Wildflowers galore.
• Dreamy sky for great photography.
• Wildlife is always there!

Hardly any people on Safari. The rains tend to scare people. But don't be. It usually rains for a few hours and then you have a clear day to enjoy. Be ready for an adventure.  Sometimes you have to wear a poncho on Safari or sliding around during your game drive -- all memory makers. 

Seeing only a few other vehicles in your own private park. Sure Tarangire and Ruaha will have long grass but if you are patient, the sightings are going to be that much rewarding.

Most of our preferred lodges offer great rates around this time. Take advantage and escape right after school closes [in the US which is usually end of May] for a Family Safari.

Green green grass with lots of wildflowers and blue grey skies. My photographer clients love this time as they say the background for their subjects tend to be dreamy. The harsh sun can be tamed and the whole day can be a photoshoot. And the subjects are always spectacular and sometimes freshly cleaned.

Come. Explore Tanzania in April and May.