Jennie and Mike, along with their teenaged sons Luke and Ben, recently visited Tanzania for a safari and beach adventure with Africa Adventure Consultants (AAC). They chose Africa as one of a series of destinations they wanted to visit before their eldest son’s high school graduation.
“We wanted a pretty big trip for the last summer before senior year and Africa was one of our ideas. Friends of ours had been on safari as a family (with AAC) and after hearing about their experience, we knew Africa was the right choice!”
They loved their family safari experience, including the chance to experience lots of firsts – a new culture, new animals, new food and new sights.
“We felt like the trip gave us a chance to unplug and reconnect. We had what felt like a personal and intimate adventure and saw SO many things! We saw everything (and more) that we hoped for, we played cards together as a family every night, and we learned so much about the animals and the incredible Tanzanian culture.”
One big highlight for the family was a private meal AAC arranged for them on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.
“We made our way to the picnic site and saw a serval cat right on the side of the drive! When we arrived, we were treated to a private spot, with a decorated table, full bar and amazing barbecue - all just for us! The staff had gone out of the way to make it a special treat, and the food was incredible (my kids had 3 servings!).”
The family enjoyed abundant wildlife sightings in three different wildlife areas – Tarangire National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park – including the Big 5, a multitude of giraffe and zebra, a cheetah, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, a serval cat, flamingos, dik diks, black colobus monkey, baboons, Thomson’s gazelles, wildebeest and many more!
“In Tarangire, after going for a leopard sighting…we continued on and came upon a herd of elephant right off the road by a baobab tree. There was such a tiny baby with them, and the baby was nursing from the momma - about 10 feet from our vehicle. It was the most beautiful thing to see. Elephants really are unbelievable to see up close at any age, but seeing the little one nursing was pretty special.”
Another highlight for Jennie, Mike, Luke and Ben was visiting a Maasai Boma near the Ngorongoro Crater.
“They danced for us (and got Ben and Jennie dancing with them!) and showed us how they start a fire. We also got to tour one of the huts to see how they live in small quarters with no electricity or running water. The highlight was going to the kindergarten and having the kids show off their songs, alphabets and numbers for us. This was such a humbling experience for our kids, and in fact, Ben's favorite thing we did. Experiencing such a unique culture first-hand was unreal.”
They were impressed by the quality of the guiding on their safari, noting that Hussein, their driver/guide was perfect for their family of four and was aware when the boys were getting tired and made plans accordingly. They were all impressed by his knowledge and felt comfortable with him.
“We spent 9 days together in the vehicle, and he taught us so very much. He was almost like an animal whisperer - he would study their posture and know if an animal was feeling tense or anxious. He could almost predict if an animal might shift or move…He taught us about the Tanzanian people, and shared about his family and the way they lived. We would pepper him with questions and each one he answered with ease. He was truly a treasure.....we felt safe, at ease, and in the very best hands with him!”
Jennie has always planned the family’s travel, but for Africa, she decided to work with the experts at AAC. Her advice to other travelers?
“Don't plan it yourself! I LOVE to travel plan and actually have planned every trip we've taken on my own (Alaska, Iceland, UK, a train trip in Italy, Switzerland and Germany, etc.), but this one felt out of my league. I'm SO glad we left it to the experts. The entire experience felt personal, intimate, and customized. Compared with other travelers in camps, we seemed to be the best looked after - we had experiences that others didn't. And not only the bigger touches, like a VIP and expedited experience when we landed, but also the smaller touches like an insulated water bottle for the vehicle that we could take home.”
If you are ready for a customized safari adventure for your family, contact one of our Journey Specialists to start planning your journey and subscribe to our newsletter below for more safari stories and travel inspiration.
Photos courtesy AAC travelers Jennie and Luke B.