What will this day be like [on Safari], I wonder?

I just love this photo of my daughter walking to the Safari vehicle. The song from the musical, The Sound of Music pops up, ‘What will this day be like, I wonder?’. The excitement of what lies ahead.

It was the first morning on Safari and the anticipation of what will I see? What wildlife will I enjoy on Safari? The glorious landscapes in the wide-open space. The sunrises and sunsets. The birds, the insects, the flowers, the trees, the stars - oh yes, so lovely to notice. The sharing of information with the Safari guides - the knowledge he/she will impart about the animal kingdom, the people of the country, the tribes, and so much more.

I know this is what she was feeling when she was skipping to Jacob, our wonderful Safari guide with Rekero Camp in Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.

This day is coming for you.
Let’s chat Safari.

Planning Your African Safari

A guest recently asked me how do I come up with the Safari itineraries. Are the places I have suggested places I would go to? What would be something different if I was going?

Here is what I am doing when I am planning and mapping your Safari - I am physically taking your Safari in my head - from arrival to departure; just like the Safari somewhere in Africa you will take.

A little background:
Majority of the Safaris I suggest are to parks, reserves, conservancies, etc. I have been and Safari lodges I have stayed at or visited on my travels. Personal, first-hand knowledge. Some are sister-lodges to the places I know so I can be sure of the quality and attention to details. There are a few times I will plan Safaris to places I have not been but my guests have either traveled with me before [my Journey To Africa family is strong] and trust me to plan again.

So when I am planning your Safari to, for example, my home country of Tanzania, I am visualizing my own arrival into Kilimanjaro International Airport to departure from say Dar-Es-Salaam Nyerere Airport after some beach time in Zanzibar Island or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. If you are going to South Africa or Botswana’s Okavango Delta, how it was for me when arriving into Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, South Africa so I can choose the right routing.

I will put myself in your shoes with the information you have given me - length of Safari, must-see things to do, Safari lodge style and budget, age of the Safari goers, interests, etc.

I will ask myself many questions. Is the length right? How can I make this a slow Safari so you are immersed in the experience? Would I want to do that drive? Should I fly them? Will walking with Maasai be fun for a Family Safari? Would I want to stay longer here because the season is just right? Can I ask you to add more time as I think it will make the Safari more seamless? Is this place their style? What Safari guide will I request for this Safari?

Sometimes, you will come with Safari lodges that are recommended or favored by a magazine or a Safari itinerary suggested. I will decide what I like and when I need you to trust me and my judgment especially when we are not comparing apples to apples.

In the end, I plan a Safari I would like to take, with your interest in mind!
The Safari itinerary has to be a Safari we both get excited thinking about. I want to send you off on a Safari with complete confidence you will be bitten by the amazing Safari bug - very harmless and no cure found. The intent is you will want to take another Journey To Africa Safari and also tell everyone you know about your experience.

"You will never kick the ancient dust of Africa off your boots." - unknown author

Now, pick my Safari information filled brain and let’s get you on Safari somewhere in magical Africa.

"Enjoyed every bit of it"

Joe Maggio and I talked about his Family Safari for a long time. He was so involved in the Safari planning details to make sure his Family Safari in Tanzania was a memorable one. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Joe because in envisioning his Safari to all the lovely Tanzanian National Parks, it took me right back to my many Safaris.

And so happy to say, Joe and I are back at it with planning his Safari Two for 2022. This time to Zambia and Victoria Falls and the glorious Mahale Mountains and exquisite Greystoke Mahale with an ending in Zanzibar Island for rest.

Some of the highlights from my phone conversation with Joe when we were going over their Safari were:

• The Camp Manager in Serengeti [Ubuntu Camp] made authentic Swahili food for them when they asked for Tanzanian cuisine.

• He loved all the lodges picked for them. He thought he got, “super value for the money”.

• He said, “it still surprises me how close we got to the wildlife! I was not zooming at all.”

• At Oliver’s Camp in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, when walking to the room, the guard says “stop, the backup, turn around and walk away”. Two lions were mating about 30 ft from the room. They drove them to the room at night. He said he heard them mate until 6:00 am that following morning. They will never forget the sounds.

• The bush plane rides were an adventure especially when there was a bit of wind.

Thank you for much Joe for letting us show you our favorite corner of the world - Tanzania.
And thank you, Melissa, for sharing your pictures from your Family Safari. To many more Safaris together.

Let’s chat and get you and your family on Safari somewhere in amazing Africa.

Your Safari is only as good as your Guide

On your Journey To Africa Safari, you will have an amazing guide!

I feel confident saying this because thanks to our guides, many of Journey To Africa guests are repeats or referrals - our guides make Safari’s memorable. With a great guide, you are sure to see the animal-life you are excited to see, have fun on the game drives, learn about the country, feel safe, and more. Your Safari guide becomes your friend.

Our guides go through rigorous training in wildlife, birdlife, plantlife, etc. but also human psychology. How to read you to make sure you have a great time. Which brings me to the next tip.

Be open with them.
What do you want to see if nature allows, want to spend a long time on a sighting, how do you like your coffee or tea, do flowers interest you, what birds are on your lifer list [if not a birder, do give birds a chance please ;)], need extra blankets to keep you warm or a pillow for your back, into photography - tell them so they are aware of positioning the vehicle correctly, etc.

The more you tell them about you, the better your experience will be. Trust me - your guide wants to give you the best Safari experience. If you are having fun and enjoying yourself, then it’s a Safari well done.

Your Safari awaits with one of our amazing Safari guides.

Safari Stories from our Family Safari.

I wanted to share some of the many Safari Stories from my kids Summer Safari 2019. We continue to recollect, ‘remember that’, and keep the stories alive from our memorable time together.

“ My four favorite things were seeing all the Masiys [Maasais] dance because it was really nice. And I really liked seeing Scarface because he was cool to achaly [actually] see him. All the people at the camps were very nice because they are surprized that a kid is here - they really enjoy kids. And my last thing I liked was leopards. We found 2 leopards - they are bautiful [beautiful] creturse [creatures].
- Farhana, 8-yeard-old at the time of her Safari. Written out as she wrote in her Safari journal.

“ The funniest things I saw on Safari … seeing cheetahs getting surprised by a vulture. Cheetahs, really? And seeing lion cubs walking away from their mom and the mom was yowling for them to come back. They were so naughty, the mom had to go run after them.”
- Shiraz, 10-years-old at the time of his Safari.

Family Safaris are amazing!
If you have any questions - will they be bored, how to create the right Safari itinerary, and more - Let’s chat.
I will share my personal experiences for your Safari.

MalaMala Game Reserve in South Africa

My guests/friends recently booked a Safari to Victoria Falls, Cape Town, and Mozambique beach when I suggested using MalaMala Game Reserve for their 3 nights of Safari Time. I am a Safari snob and want you to spend as much time as possible on Safari but if you have a short amount of time to enjoy the amazing animal-life, then MalaMala Game Reserve is personally recommended when on Safari in South Africa!

Why?
The density of wildlife is superb. You have a high chance of seeing the Big Five [elephants, buffalo, rhino, lion, and leopard] when at MalaMala. Leopards can be spotted on most game drives. Not lyin’, I have seen the most beautiful male lions here with huge lion prides - lovely to see healthy young cubs galore.

Elephant herds with cute as a button babies enjoying the shade from the woodland and the lifeline of MalaMala Game Reserve, the Sand River. White rhinos - such a sight - and also found, Nyala; an antelope found only in Southern Africa - such a beauty.

Larger than most of the neighboring area’s reserves.
The reserve has a no-fenced border with Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand Game Reserve hence the easy flow of wildlife between the areas and worth repeating, the advantage of the lifeline Sand River running through year-round. Only guests from MalaMala can game drive in the reserve which has an exclusive feel.

When the rangers [the guides], who wear an earpiece to communicate within themselves, spot something interesting, only 2-3 cars can view at the same time so as not to disturb the animal(s).

The Lodge:
Whether you are in the larger Main Camp, the smaller Sable Camp, or the exclusive Rattray’s, lodging is top-notch at MalaMala. Each room has AC [a relief during the hot month November to March], lovely connected bathrooms, and all the amenities to make your stay more than comfortable. Food is out in the open deck or in the dining area and you will have an array of choices as well as a wide selection of drinks [house drinks, beers, soft drinks are included] to go with your meals.

Combine MalaMala with raw Botswana and you are in for an amazing Southern African Safari.
We know where you to take you. Let’s chat Safari.

"I can't say enough good things about Mahale."

Journey To Africa guest Rebecca Rawalt sharing her chimp trekking experience from Greystoke Mahale, an amazing Safari lodge run by our friends Nomad Tanzania. I can totally relate as this is also one of my favorite adventures in Tanzania.

“I can’t say enough good things about Mahale.  This place is perfect.  The setting is amazing, the staff were incredible, the food was my favorite of the trip.  I can not believe how hard the staff worked to make sure we had a good time.  The first day, the trackers were out all day and even though there were no chimps, Jillian [camp manager at that time] took us snorkeling in the lake and then the guide took us on a guided walk where we saw a bunch of monkeys.  The guides here were incredible. They were so much fun to be around and clearly knew so much about the area.  The second day the chimps were found and I think the staff was as excited as we were.  They worked so hard to make sure everyone had a good viewing experience.  The main groups were really far up the mountain.  One of the guides went out and worked with the trackers and they found a family of 3!  The chimps initially didn’t cooperate, only staying with us 10 minutes before going off into the swamp.  The trackers stayed with them while they kept us comfortable.  When we started talking about being hungry one of the staff heard us and ran back and made us all sandwiches.  We were all amazed when sandwiches appeared!  The chimps came back out - it was a really great experience.  The trackers came back covered in mud on every available surface and with their clothes torn to shreds.  It was amazing how hard they worked to give us a good experience.  “

Thank you Rebecca for echoing our feelings.
Don’t wait! This place is pure magic and you will never get the experience out of your mind.

Let’s chat chimps and Greystoke Mahale.

You never know who'll join you for your meal.

Always be ready to share as you never know who will join you for your meals on your Safari.

Our guests have had a range of non-human visitors. Who will it be for you? The hornbill sharing your breakfast muffin [from Oliver’s Camp in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania], the vervet monkey pouring himself a coffee [from Tongabezi in Victoria Falls, Zambia], … you tell us after your Safari somewhere in amazing Africa.

“Observe the wilderness; there is no greater teacher. Observe yourself in the wilderness; there’s no better way to notice your own smallness, incompleteness, incompetence, divinity. We’re a part of this world, not apart from it, of course.” 
-Alexandra Fuller .

Let’s get the ball rolling for your Safari.