Meet Safari Camp Chef Rebeka Maronde

Ever wonder who is behind those delectable meals on safari? Meet Chef Rebeka Maronde, a rising star in the Tanzania culinary scene. She is one of the many top chefs at Thomson Safaris ensuring your African safari is filled with the best food to match the world’s best wildlife viewing.

Rebeka, who has been with Thomson Safaris for the last eight years, is head chef in the Tarangire camp. Her homestyle cooking has guests raving in the dining tent, and even asking for recipes so they can take a taste of Tanzania home with them. What’s even more impressive is that she’s able to work her magic in a rustic safari camp kitchen with no electricity! The kitchen is powered with just a few propane-fueled appliances (an oven, fridge and 3-burner stove) along with solar-powered lighting, and just enough pots and pans to prepare the day’s feast.

Rebeka started her culinary journey through a Thomson Safaris program that employs local Tanzanians to work at camps. Rebeka first’s job was a kitchen assistant at the Robanda camp, and later she worked her way up to became a chef’s assistant. Throughout her tenure she has worked in all the Thomson Safaris camps, and in December 2014 was promoted to her current position as head chef. Before her culinary career took off, she worked on her family’s farm near the Robanda Village, near the western boundary of the Serengeti National Park.

While Rebeka loves baking, her favorite dish to cook is the orange & tomato soup served at camp. Stay tuned to our blog for the recipe, coming soon!