ANTHONY BASHEER | 2018 | HIKING SAFARI

“I would never have expected to travel to Tanzania, but Dianna mentioned she was going to run some tours which had a Safari in it. I said yes, had no idea what to expect and did no research and just went. I have never approached a holiday like that before. Well, I’m out the other side of my decision and it is difficult to put into words what you experience in Tanzania.

The light is soft, the people are kind, the accommodation we stayed in was just beautiful. Being on safari and up close to the animals is something that has to be experienced. I love zebra, elephants and lions the most. Seeing a male lion and his cub up close in the early morning is one of the crazy moments in life when you look at the others around you and say nothing but you are all thinking is this really happening. And those beautiful big, graceful elephants, how can you not love them. What an adventure being on Safari. It’s being a detective and adventurer, together with the sport, challenge and exhilaration of wildlife photography and establishing lovely bonds with fellow travellers.

Thank you to Dianna and Isa for putting together an extraordinarily considered program. So well balanced and something of interest to look forward to each day. I was most impressed with the choice and variety of accommodation. For me there was one stand out, staying at Sopa Lodge which sits at the top of a mountain above Ngorongoro Crater. It is the Safari Lodge that you dream about. It was pure 1970s décor and being an architectural photographer, I could barely contain my excitement. I had died and went to James Bond heaven (well that’s if Bond did go on Safari).

The day we went for a local village walk, popped into the local school and had lunch with Isa’s family was a very special day. This was one just one day which demonstrated how well Dianna and Isa successfully scripted the whole experience. Like you would do with a movie script, the ebb and flow of experience and energy was thought through every day. We were eased into the experience staying at the sublime Ngare Sero with the anticipation that it would ramp up considerably once on Safari. This was on mainland Tanzania. Toward the end of the trip there was the excitement of visiting Zanzibar and it being like another holiday in itself. Stone Town Zanzibar is fascinating. The finale is a few days on the beach in a resort doing nothing!!! The clear sky at night, the tidal patterns during the day. Reading a book and playing with the kids in the ocean.

Thanks guys, and would I have gone to Africa if Dianna didn’t suggest it? Probably not at the moment. But it happened and it was just what Dr Livingstone ordered. A good man to free the slaves in Zanzibar. Maybe that’s what Dianna and Isa offer. Free you from your life for just two weeks. We also have the opportunity to join Dianna and Isa in their generosity in helping out Isa’s local community and give back to the country that offers you so much.”

Anthony Basheer | NSW, Australia | 2018 Tour