Ever since Banana Republic first opened its doors in the late 70s, inspired by the safari jeep “crashing through” the plate glass display window surrounded by tropical plants, dry ice fog, and life sized replicas of exotic animals, I dreamed of someday journeying to the mysterious continent of Africa. I remember the store opening in Faneuil Hall in Boston, thinking how cool I’d be clad from head to toe in khaki, binoculars around my neck, facing a lion on the plains of the Serengeti!
Storefront of Banana Republic
Flash forward to the dusk of my 50th year on the planet, and the dream I had as a boy has finally been fulfilled, lion included, beyond any expectations I might have had. While Banana Republic’s cool safari wear no longer exists, I still carry the updated logo on the tag of my more stylishly cut urban t-shirt as I first gazed across the magical land of East Africa. The dazzling beauty of the landscape, the overwhelming scale of the views and the hypnotic allure of the animals all combined to truly create a trip of a lifetime experience.
Sunset over the Serengeti
John Davies of Bainbridge Island, who owns Africa Safari Experts, arranged our safari. About a year ago, we ventured out to his family home on the island to plan our expedition. Gazing out at Puget Sound, John presented us with lots of options, and eventually we settled on the following itinerary:
Day One: Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Highlands
Elephants grazing in Lake Manyara National Park
Day Two: Ngorongoro Crater
The Gang before descending down into the epic Ngorongoro Crater (behind us).
Day Three: Serengeti National Park / Lake Masek
Serengeti Plains stretched endlessly beneath us
PopPop relaxing after our sunrise and afternoon game drives
Day Four: Serengeti National Park / Lake Masek
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Flamingos eating breakfast on the shores of Lake Masek as the sun rises
Hanging with the herd in the midst of the Great Migration…
Day Five: Serengeti National Park / Lake Masek
Wescott, Otto and Yve’s tent platform at Lake Masek
Roughing it in our tent…. NOT!
Day Six: Leave Serengeti, Through Ngorongoro Conservation to Arusha
Surreal giraffes grazing as we headed back from our safari
Joined by Lisa’s parents Terry and Tucker, the nine of us climbed aboard 2 intrepid 9 passenger safari vehicles that became our home away from home for the week. Our expedition leaders Bonifice and David, personally requested by John for our safari, became the key ingredient in a flawless itinerary that brought us all of the wonder, education, experience and hospitality Tanzania has to offer.
With our guides Bonifice and David
Unknown to us when we booked our trip, all of lodges, safari vehicles and support team are part of a Tanzanian owned company called Kibo Guides and sister company Tanganyika Wilderness Camps. Owning over 30 lodges and tented camps throughout Tanzania, this company has the end-to-end safari business down. Founder and Director Willy Chambulo, who grew up in Arusha, started his career as a guide and worked his way up to building an empire that has almost complete vertical integration to power a self-sustaining, environmentally sensitive empire. We had the opportunity to meet Willy at Kitela Lodge one evening over wine and got a small taste for how the safari business works, and the challenges he faces running such a far flung enterprise. From the organic farms at several of his camps that provide fresh produce to all of the properties to his coffee plantation at Kitela providing excellent Tanzanian brew each morning, as well as his community building initiatives that include building a state of the art police station and a science lab for a local school, Willy is one of the most forward thinking entrepreneurs I have had the pleasure of meeting.
The organic farm and coffee plantation at Kitera Lodge was garden tour surprise!
Over the family’s next few posts, you can get a sense for our quixotic week in the bush. As I now sit on the verandah of our circa 1938 plantation estate on the slopes of Mount Meru outside of Arusha, I still can’t completely process all of the natural wonder we experienced over the course of our week. Sipping a glass of wine, surrounded by teak, tusks, African masks and the mirage of the Kilimanjaro massif, I can’t help thinking we truly did step into the timeless romanticism of an African safari and the essence of my childhood dreams.
Sunset at Lake Masek
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