"Quite a Memory."

George, Joey, and Henry and I started planning their Tanzanian Safari in March 2017 for their November 2017. Three photographers on Safari in Tanzania - I was ready to see some great pictures of wildlife and landscape and I was right. George, Asante sana for sharing your Safari Story with us and your amazing photos. 

" We had a spectacular time! In pretty much all respects, it was everything I imagined it would be.

Festo and Nathan were great but Nathan gets a special mention as he had us for the 9 days and 800+ kilometers; he was not only a wonderfully knowledge guide but an excellent (and patient :-)) travel companion. Life in the Land Cruiser was great, even with the free African Massage (as Nathan described traveling down some of the roads).

Camps and lodges were very comfortable and we were very well fed and taken care of in the camps. Ngorongoro Farm House was a nice oasis after a long day drive down from Kati Kati ... walking up the hill and seeing the sunset over the lawns, someone handing me a cool cloth and lemon water, I thought "Ok, I think I could hang here for a while". 

The game drives and wildlife viewing were superb and the weather ideal; we'd certainly recommend that time of year to go, rains, not a factor at all and in fact welcome to keep the dust down. Temperature nice and summer-like, crowds not a factor at all (well almost never, there was that leopard site ... :-)). It would be nice to go back and see the same areas right after the long rains though ... the stark contrast I imagine.

We missed out on the rhino at Ngorongoro and only saw the wildebeest hover but not cross at the edge of the Mara but otherwise, we saw all the big and small mammals and lots of birds (about 100 names on our list). Our cameras got a good workout and we're still curating the 5k+ images each of us have. Tough to capture the full impact of zebra and wildebeest out to the horizon in the Central Serengeti ... that is quite a memory.

For me the trip was one big highlight but a few things come to mind ...

• When we were in the crater, we watched this big old bull elephant saunter across the crater floor towards the marsh where Nathan had us positioned. The old boy stopped maybe 12 ft away and just stood there, dust bathing and looking at us for about 15 minutes and then just continued on his way.
• Being a city boy, I don't see the Milky Way very often due to light pollution so I hoped to get a night sky shot at some point on the trip. At Kichuguu, what was just as memorable was the honor guard of camp staff we had around us, simultaneously ensuring we didn't get eaten and just as keen to look at the results.
• On arrival at Kati Kati, Nathan had a somewhat extended dialogue with one of the Camp #2 staff after which, he chuckled and told us that we were in the right place but, since a family of elephants had gone through the kitchen tent the previous night, we were being moved to Camp #4. All was well and we got to see and hear a loud debate within an elephant here the next morning ... camp staff figured it was likely the same herd that had visited camp #2

Thank you for putting this all together for us and hope to do it again someday. "

Makes me happy when my Safari goers get to fulfill their Tanzanian Safari dream.
What is your Safari dream? We can help make it a reality.

Lioness Fighting.

Drama with the Lioness.
Katavi National Park.
We were having high tea - as one does on Safari - when Jairo, our Chada Katavi guide rushes to say we should get going because the camp manager Hamza has spotted a few lioness in a tense mood. We hopped in our Safari vehicle thinking we were going to see a hunt - topis were close by and on edge - instead, what we saw was Nat Geo worthy. A fight between a single lioness, who we believe was trying to hide her cubs and walked away from the den and two lionesses from the Chada pride who were trying to protect their territory.

What we witnessed was dramatic! I was nervous because I was not prepared to see a fatality. The single lioness showed all the signs of submission - she was yawning, licking, lying really low - nothing helped. It all transpired in less than a minute and a half. Enjoy the sequence. 

And done. The Chada pride's territory was marked with lots of rubbing the bushes and a pee here and there. They two Chada lionesses walked away after a few minutes into the bushes - we had sundowners with them. 

One of the Chada lionesses may have bitten the mama lioness hard - see some red around her teeth - but I think everyone left intact. 

You never know what you will see on Safari.
These are my Safari Stories from my Epic Tanzanian Safari to Katavi National Park, Mahale Mountains, and Ruaha National Park. 

Can't Thank You Enough.

When I first talked to Ravi, he said he wanted to take his Phase One Camera to Tanzania. Now I know a thing or two about how awesome Phase One cameras are because of uber photographer and my dear friend Andy Biggs. 

Keeping his photography passion in mind, the Safari had to be private all the way so that he would have one guide and one vehicle the whole time. Ravi was also keen on seeing the wildebeest migration; I suggested we make a pit stop in Central Serengeti at Kiota Camp before he carry-on to North Serengeti and Serengeti Safari Camp. Northern Serengeti was a must for their August Safari because that is when the migration is in that area. 

Ravi captures Tanzania beautifully. I think he will be back.

" Absolutely the finest vacation we have taken in our lives! Mefi was outstanding with her service to make our trip most enjoyable and memorable. She was responsive to us during the planning stages leading up to our trip and was always available to answer any questions we had. Given this was our very first safari trip, we didn't know what to expect when we set out to think about all this and Mefi made it very simple and practical."

"The lodges she picked for us were excellent! The service in these camps were simply outstanding. The folks in each of the places were caring and helpful.

The guide we had for our 11-day trip Rowland was an experienced guide with a ton of patience. He was equally passionate about the trip each day and helped us experience the ultimate safari.

Highly recommend Journey to Africa and Mefi! Thanks Mefi!"
- Ravi and Jayanthi R.

It was such a pleasure working with Ravi and Jayanthi on their Safari. Jayanthi was going along with her husband but I do believe she enjoyed it just as much. Woot! And Ravi, amazing photos. Asante for sharing them. 
You ready for your ultimate Safari? Ask for details. 

'Can't wait to plan round two."

When Talia emailed us via our form Start your Journey, she mentioned she heard about us "Through a friend, who had posted recent pictures and tagged Journey to Africa".  I asked which friend? Aarthi and Prabath B. I love the #JourneyToAfricaSafariCommunity we have created. Referrals and repeats are our jam - I am grateful.

Talia and Vernon were heading to South Africa and wanted to add Tanzania as well. We spent a lot of time planning their first-anniversary Safari. We found the right dates of May/June so we could still enjoy all the luxury lodges but take advantage of some of the low season rates May offers. Mission accomplished. They stayed on the rim in beautiful Entamanu Ngorongoro and lovely Serengeti Safari Camp.  

Talia and Vernon shared their amazing Safari Stories and photographs with me over coffee in Houston.  Here are some - had a hard time narrowing them down - for you to enjoy.

A cerval cat - not a very common sighting on Safari. 

An older baby hyena still feeding from it's mother. Another not so common sighting.

A baby elephant with other elephants in mourning.
They said they were driving when they heard elephants trumpeting. They thought it was a gathering but on getting closer, they realized there was a dead elephant on the ground and the other elephants were actually mourning. Sad sight to see. 

Still one of my favorite birds and so glad they got to see this on Safari.

Some amazing big cat photographs.
For the curious, before they went on Safari, we talked about photography. They wanted to buy a camera and lens so I suggested they buy a Canon T6i as it is a good camera to have but borrow my favorite lens, the Canon 70-300 mm L.  They got some amazing shots. 

Part of the migration crew. They never take a bad picture. 

And this ... the majestic African sunset with one of the most beautiful animal. 

"Going on safari exceeded all expectations we had. From the camps to the amazing staff, our fantastic guides, the food, the wonderful people we met, and of course, being able to see all the stunning animals in their natural habit was simply amazing. We had always wanted this “once in a lifetime experience”, but we already can’t wait to start planning round two!

We can’t thank you enough, Mefi!"

Cheers Talia and Vernon.
You can call yourselves pro-photographers. 

Swahili.

When you landing in Tanzania or Kenya, the first thing you will hear is Jambo!
Jambo means hello in Swahili.  Don’t worry, the customs official, your Safari guide and most people you will pass on your Safari will speak English, but saying Jambo to them will let them know you are happy to be in Tanzania or Kenya.

Want to know a few more words so you can really flex your Swahili.

– Habari gani? – How are you?
– Asante – Thank you.
- Asante sana - Thank you very much.
- Tafadhali - Please.
– Karibu – Welcome.
- Sawa - okay.
– Lala Salama – Sleep well.
– Habari za asubuhi? – Good morning.
– Chai – Tea.
– Kahawa – Coffee.
- Ndiyo - Yes.
- Hapana - No.

To really impresss a local.
– Shagala Bagala – ‘this is messed up’ in a fun sense.
– Poa – I am chilling.
- Twende - Let's go.

Want to know any specific word? Email or call me and we can chat in Swahili. Now let's get you on Safari so you can practice your Swahili. 

Father's Day.

Dear Father, 
We know Mother's Day seems to have more buzz, but you are loved just as much. 

Here's why we think you should be given a gift of an amazing Safari. 

• Making memories on your Safari. 
  Our father's always come back and say, the experience of being in stunning nature, seeing a range of wildlife in some of the world's most amazing settings, spending time with the people you love equals Safari stories to last a lifetime. We make sure we create this experience for each of our fathers using our personal knowledge.
   
• Deeper connection. 
  One of the best things you can give the father in your family is the gift of quality time. The hours relaxing during your drives in search of the wildlife, the calm evenings by the campfire under the African skies to the lovely ambiance created by your lodges and tented camps - you will be given the gift of slowing down and more time to have a deeper connection with yourself, your family and friends. We are happy to create this magic for you on your Journey To Africa Safari.  
   
• Shoot with a camera. 
  For the father who likes to tinker with his camera or is a pro photographer, being on Safari is pure bliss. From the range of wildlife and birds to the stunning landscapes and warm people, there is never a dull day on Safari. 

From my client Carlos Mata who took his son Jeff on a Safari.
" Probably my best memory with Jeff was breakfast in the Serengeti. We rarely ate in camp, but had them pack a breakfast which we ate in the bush. Our guide would set up our breakfast table overlooking a wide expanse of grazing wildebeests and zebra, and we would sit there sipping that rich Tanzania coffee at sunrise. We would wonder if a big lion would come out of nowhere and spook the heard. "

Go ahead. Let's put together a great Safari itinerary and surprise the beloved father in your life.

Keep Calm and Swat Away.

This is Richard, my guide on my exhilarating Walking Safari in our private area in Serengeti. He has company – Tsetse flies. I had their company as well - I was right behind him.

When on Safari, there are areas in the parks and conservation areas where you just can not avoid these pesky flies.  Don't worry, they are not going to bother you all the time; they come only in certain areas. 

A few things to help yourself.

Wear light-colored clothing.
These buggers are attracted to dark colors. If you can avoid dark blue and black clothing on Safari. You will notice clothes with this color hanging from trees in various areas, put there by the park officials, in hopes that these flies will be hanging out on those clothes instead of on you. 

Try loose clothing.
Create a barrier between the fly and your skin. This is the best protection. And will keep you cool when hot. Win-Win.

Bug Spray.
This brand of spray has worked on me. At least kept a lot of them at bay, even when wearing black. Yup, I do wear that color on Safari as it is hard to get away from black clothing. 

Anti-itch cream.
Relief for when those pesky flies do get in your vehicle. Put some anti-itch cream right away; it will help with the itch. And try to avoid scratching the sweet itch. 

The silver lining here is that these flies keep the cows and humans away from the wildlife zones. They don’t seem to bother wildlife which means more areas for the wildlife to roam and the slow down of human encroachment. We are talking about tribes like the Maasai who live on the periphery of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation with their cows or the farmers with plantations close to Tarangire or Ruaha. Stay back, we need to give wildlife their space.

Keep Calm and Swat Away.  Don't let them stop you from going on a Safari. 

Feel Good Moment on Safari.

I'd would like to share with you a warm fuzzy stop on your wildlife Safari experience in Northern Tanzania, a place that is near and dear to me. I know it will be yours as well. 

Rift Valley Children's Home.

When you and your young world explorers want to head out on a life changing Family Safari in Africa to see the amazing wildlife but also want to leave a mark of compassion not only for wildlife but also citizens of the world; then let me introduce you to a children's home we support. 

Natalie came prepared with undergarments for the girls and boys. They were so thankful. 

A bit of background.
When Baba Peter worked in the Safari industry with Mama India, he once told her he would like to help the many orphaned, neglected, abused children of Karatu region by providing them a safe home but would love her help in finding funding. Mama India had just moved from New York after a Mt. Kilimanjaro climb [which she did not want to do but on arrival, ended up falling in love with Tanzania], and told him sure. Well, years later, she and Peter have adopted around 100 kids from around Karatu region. 

Now why is this place different?
Each child has a home. A home where there is a Mama. A mama to cuddle at night for when you have nightmares, a mama to cook your special food because it's your birthday, a mama to make sure you do your work, a mama who keeps you in check. Each home has around 10-15 kids so you actually feel like you are living in a home. There is a kitchen, a living space, a patio, some space in your room; just like home.

Our client enjoying a game of soccer with the kids. Fun times for everyone. 

It's not only a safe space. It's where the child will thrive. 
The kids go to good school close by thanks to funding provided by you, me and the donors, have medical help onsite via a registered nurse, maybe their parents are being helped so they can get on their feet with micro-financing, have a lovely soccer field because well, soccer or football as we say, is huge, basketball court because there are lots of US volunteers and it's just a fun game and much more. Mama India and Baba Peter together with a team of volunteers truly care for the kids. 

We can set up an afternoon for you to spend time here.
Play with the kids, see the mamas in action, learn more about the organization ++.  
And, I have many clients including Sydney, my young explorer who said she'll come back here and volunteer when 21. Now, that is a Safari moment for the books.