What It’s Really Like on a Family Safari in Tanzania
Before their Tanzania safari, Macy and Evan wondered how their active boys would handle long days in a vehicle, whether their picky eater would find meals he enjoyed, and what life at camp would really be like. They were the same questions many parents have when planning their first family safari.
Looking back through their photos and memories, the answer is clear: it was the little moments — from morning hot chocolate delivered to their tent to a tearful goodbye at the end of the journey — that made the biggest impression.
And as Macy discovered, many of those early concerns disappeared almost immediately.
Our Biggest Surprise? The Kids Never Got Bored.
Our boys absolutely loved getting hot chocolate delivered to their tent every morning and it helped motivate them to get up early to keep to the schedule!
The night-drive was a very memorable part of the trip!
My youngest son’s favorite thing of the whole trip was the hot-air balloon ride.
I wasn’t sure how well the kids would do with sitting in a car most of the day since they are pretty active at home, but the vehicles were great and allowed so much variety they were never bored! They could look out the top, they could sit up front with the guides and help them look etc. It was wonderful!
Even Our Picky Eater Couldn’t Wait for Mealtime.
My youngest son, Ollie, is a somewhat picky eater so Freddy and Grayson were making sure he had pineapple to eat at every meal which was really nice. Then by the end he was even getting tired of pineapple so the chefs started cutting it up in cool flowers/shapes. They let Ollie go back to the kitchen to see how his pineapple was cut up — I couldn’t believe how out of the way everyone went to make sure the kids were happy and well fed!!
A picture with the chef in the camp kitchens. It was very cool to learn how all our delicious meals were being made, and it made our picky eaters willing to try more! I can confirm I brought a ton of emergency snacks for my kids and came home with most of them!
And honestly, while the food was delicious, I think the only reason my kids were willing to try it was because everyone went out of their way to make them feel like kings. They would cut food into cool shapes, or one of the servers said, “This tastes much better when you’re warm,” and wrapped him up in a blanket before he tried it! It was very sweet.
It Was the Little Things That Made Camp Feel Like Home.
I swear sometimes it felt like the camp staff could read our minds. My kids were about at the end of their rope after a long day, and magically there was a campfire and Sprite waiting for them, which totally revived them for the rest of the day!
After a day of wildlife viewing, we would get back to camp and the staff always jumped right into playing with our boys, giving Evan and me some time to unpack, shower, and unwind. They would play soccer, board games, or whatever the kids wanted. It was just so nice!
That was one of our favorite parts of staying at Thomson’s Nyumba camps. We came back each day to a place where everyone knew our family and genuinely cared about making our experience special.
My kids almost never fought on this trip which honestly is the best indication that they were having the best time!!
The Guides Didn’t Just Know Wildlife. They Got to Know Our Kids.
I also wanted to comment on how our guides Grayson and Freddy paid attention to what our kids were saying and always knew exactly what they wanted to see. For example, here at the hippo pool, Grayson is pointing out signs of hippos flinging their poop on the walls because he remembered, without anyone reminding him, that my kids wanted to see how hippos could do that.
It was far from a one-size-fits-all experience. The guides really listened and responded to what our family hoped to see and experience.
The Hardest Part Was Saying Goodbye.
My kids who let me take their picture but don’t love getting their picture taken actually asked for this picture because “we want to remember Grayson and Freddy forever.”
If you look closely Ollie is actually a little teary in the picture because he was not ready to say goodbye!
Finally, our favorite family photo from the trip! I’m a big believer that a picture is worth a thousand words, and seeing how happy everyone is in these photos really solidifies what an incredible experience it was.
Ready to start planning your own family safari?
For Macy and her family, their Tanzania family safari became much more than a wildlife adventure. It was a chance to slow down, spend meaningful time together, and create memories they’ll carry with them for years to come.