Family Safari to Tanzania

I traveled with my 22 year old daughter Melissa who attends Cambridge University in England, my 18 year old son Andrew who was a senior attending high school, and my husband William. We have traveled all over the world and always as a family. We have been on adventure trips to Botswana, Costa Rica, and Alaska. My husband and I have a fantastic relationship with both of our children as a result of our long family adventures. Traveling to exciting and remote destinations helps keep this bond alive. We all went on safari when Melissa was 15 and Andrew was 11. When I asked each of my family members where they wanted to go to this year it was a unanimous decision to go back to Africa. I chose Tanzania because I've always wanted to go to the Serengeti.

We saw amazing animal interactions on safari. Sitting in an open vehicle, observing a lion eat a zebra, is about as exciting as it can get. Our driver Toti, who spent six days with us in Grumeti was knowledgeable and very interesting—he was raised in a Masai village. He shared his experiences and cultural differences. We enjoyed his company so much we invited him New Year's Eve to dine with us.

Some of our most memorable experiences were the cultural ones, including visiting Mosquito Village and the local orphanage. You can watch the news or see a famous person touring these areas, but it is an eye opening experience to see the reality of their way of life in person. It really makes you appreciate what you have and not to take it for granted.

Our stay at Sabora, it was our favorite! The tents were out of a classic, 1920s safari film. Melissa particularly enjoyed horseback riding through the Serengetti and seeing the wildlife without the disruption of a car engine. We haven't decided what our next adventure trip will be yet—possibly to Chile and Easter Island.