Where the Wild Things Are: Tanzania With Your Family

Quite a haul to get there, but worth it. Excellent lodging, great mix of safari and cultural experiences. The guides were 100% amazing and informative about the animals, culture, itinerary, etc. Always felt safe.

I want to express my appreciation to the four guides who led the trip. Salim was the leader, and he is enormously knowledgeable about the animals and also the birds, which I particularly appreciated. I did not sleep well on the next to last day and elected to skip the outing to the school, and he came and checked on me and had a fellow who seemed to be in charge, a man named Godfrey, come to my room at 8:50 and offer me breakfast, which I took advantage of and very much appreciated. The other guides were equally kind and helpful. The older one, Bemange (sp?) (it was suggested we could call him Baaboo) was a wonderful story teller; and Jay was very knowledgeable and helpful; and Ali, who was in training, was very considerate and speaks beautiful American-accented English. The accommodations were at times luxurious and always quite adequate, and the food was always good and at times quite delicious. Seeing the animals was a marvel and at times quite thrilling. I especially enjoyed the day in the Ngorogoro caldera, which is full of animals. Having said all of that, however, the long ride on very bumpy, very dusty roads to the northern part of the Serengeti was stressful and unpleasant, and I found myself thinking that even though we got to see the Great Migration of the wildebeests crossing the river, that I am not at all sure on balance the ride was worth it. I had had the pleasure of a Road Scholar trip to Kenya in 2007 with my wife, and I recall that we did some short flights to get from one reserve to another, and that was certainly more satisfactory than the very long ride. But I cannot praise the guides enough, and I certainly have no complaints about the accommodations or the food.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience taking my whole family to Tanzania. The grandchildren ranged in age from 14 to 23 and were old enough to appreciate it. They didn't even complain about getting up at 5 PM to see a procession of hippos!

It was a marvelous experience to me and my 9 years old grand son.

This program was simply incredible! I saw and learned so much with my family members and had an amazing time. Our guide, Isaiah Siima, was excellent and truly made the experience one-of-a-kind.

We had what could probably be described as a fantastic inter-generational experience in Tanzania with Lucas and the folks from Road Scholar's chosen guide company, Carnivore Tours. Our young, attention-seeking special needs daughter had love and responsiveness lavished upon her, the flexibility and responsibility taken for the group's expressed interests and needs by the leads were impressive and impeccable, and the experience itself was truly top-notch. Judging from the number of other tour companies on the roads, I imagine that most tourists get many similar wildlife experiences, but when we expressed interest in topics ranging from soccer to schools to beer, immediate changes were made to the itinerary to provide an enhanced experience tailored to our group. Slight issues with paintings not drying fast enough, room snafus with hotels, airlines delaying flights which might have derailed a lesser experience were expertly dealt with, masterfully accommodated, and well communicated. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this tour and this company to acquaintances.

It was quite an auspicious start when our family of 14, spanning 3 generations from 8-1/2 to 79 years, managed to arrive COVID-free and without any lost luggage (because no one checked any luggage)! Our group leader, Lucas Mhina, and his 2 other drivers/guides, Moses and J. Kim, were absolutely the best: informative, wonderful with children, patient, so knowledgeable about the flora and fauna, and excellent drivers over some rough terrain. The lodgings were very comfortable, friendly, and safe, and the food was very good, with accommodations made for those with dietary restrictions. The animals spotted on the safaris and the hippo viewings were better than any of us had imagined, and the pure wonderment and excitement felt by all and displayed unabashedly by the children will be a cherished memory. We visited a Maasai village and also the Museum and Olduvai Gorge where the Leakey’s and others made important paleoanthropological discoveries; we learned about the history and experienced some of the different foods and cultures of Tanzania, and had a chance to visit two primary schools, one private and the other public, with time to interact with the children and teachers, and to even visit the village and homes of some of the children. We added an extension to Zanzibar afterwards which was also lead by Lucas and a local guide. True to the cultural and educational focus of Road Scholar programs, we had, and continue to have, some interesting and reflective discussions from our experiences. This was truly a trip of a lifetime that was made even more special because we experienced it together as a family! Thank you to Road Scholar, Holbrook Travels, and Carnivores Safari for coordinating such a wonderful program!