<p>Safari guiding across Africa is predominantly a male-dominated space. In Botswana over 90% of safari guides are men. Women in the region do not have access to the same career paths that tourism offers to their male counterparts. To date, there has been little active or ongoing investment, training and skills development in female guides that would empower them to pursue their dreams, open new career choices and provide for their families. The notable exception is Chobe Game Lodge with an all-female guide team, the Chobe Angels.</p>

<p>In November 2021, the African Bush Camps Foundation launched a female safari guide project that is targeted at creating job opportunities for local women. The project aims to develop female safari guides through skills training, mentorship, job shadowing and rotations at African Bush Camps lodges. The response was overwhelming with 350 applicants but only 5 positions available for the first intake. The training is a two-year program that will provide theory, practical and on-the-job training at ABC camps as a safari guide.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>This program will allow the new recruits to gain significant professional experience in travel and tourism, as well as hospitality. Once the training is complete the female guides will be experts in wildlife, conservation, safe practices, photography, natural history, tracking, communication, and patience! The female guides will join the renowned team of professional guides at African Bush Camps, who are an integral part of the safari experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>The Slow Fund is proud to invest in the female guide training program through a partnership with The African Bush Camps Foundation. B&amp;R has committed to sponsoring two female guides per year for three years, commencing with the 2nd cohort intake in mid-2022. Sponsorship costs are US$3,500 per guide.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>You can meet the trainee female guides during a stay at African Bush Camps Linyanti or Khwai properties, which we love to include when planning a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.butterfield.com/trip/bespoke/botswana-bespoke" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(112, 178, 196);">Bespoke Botswana trip</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p><strong>About African Bush Camps Foundation</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.africanbushcampsfoundation.org/focus-area/projects/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(112, 178, 196);">The African Bush Camps Foundation</a>&nbsp;is a registered non-profit organization that has been in operation since 2006. The Foundation’s mission is to partner with communities that are located near our camps to improve quality of life and achieve long-term conservation through programs focusing on Education, Community Empowerment, and Conversation.&nbsp;</p><p>They have projects running in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana that focus on addressing challenges that include unemployment, food scarcity, poor education and health care infrastructure, low school attendance and dropouts due to financial constraints, wildlife poaching, and preserving natural resources.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>The Slow Fund</strong></p><p>We established the Slow Fund to support innovative projects that are reflective of the regions that inspire them.</p><p>Whether through educational, cultural, or conservation and preservation initiatives, the Fund helps protect various forms of heritage and promotes the health of vibrant living cultures and the ecosystems that support them. To learn more about the Slow Fund and the projects we support, <a href="https://butterfield.com/who-we-are/sustainability/the-slow-fund" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click here</a>.</p>

The Slow Fund: Supporting Gender Equality In The Safari Industry With African Bush Camps Foundation 

Need to Know

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7 Facts That Will Change How You Think About Rwanda

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Travelling Consciously with African Bush Camps Founder, Beks Ndlovu

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New Zealand

<h3><a href="https://www.ratadining.co.nz/">Rata</a></h3>
<p>Rata’s name comes from the flowering, fiery-coloured rata tree &#8211; a species native to New Zealand &#8211; and serves as an homage to the country. Headed by Michelin-starred chef, Josh Emett, and veteran restaurateur, Fleur Caulton, Rata aims to embody the landscape (and flavours) of the South Island and combine them with a breezy Kiwi attitude in a relaxed eatery. This sense of calm extends to its discreet location away from the core and a decor of unfinished wood, polished stone and a trompe-l’oeil wall of a plush, green forest. As for the food, seafood and meat take on unconventional twists like Paua (a mollusc native to New Zealand) tortellini, glazed beef cheek from Wakanui and smoked eel from the freshwater streams and lakes of North Canterbury served with black truffle.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40931 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Rata.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="391" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Rata.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Rata-480x256.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></p>
<h3><a href="https://sherwoodqueenstown.nz/"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-40933 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/The-Sherwood450.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="449" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/The-Sherwood450.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/The-Sherwood450-301x300.jpg 301w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/The-Sherwood450-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px" />The Sherwood</a></h3>
<p>You’ll need to venture out of the city to make a visit to the trendy Sherwood and its sprawling three acres of land that watch over of Lake Wakatipu. Both a motel and restaurant, The Sherwood encapsulates Queenstown’s community spirit. Using ingredients from their own kitchen gardens and the surrounding farms as well as a few foraged bits, their culinary team whips up feel-good food reflective of the season, while tattoo-clad bartenders concoct artisan cocktails and pour pints from ever-rotating taps of craft beer. Be sure to check out their schedule of hosted DJ sets and live music nights which happen a few times a month.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.vknow.co.nz/">Vknow Italian</a></h3>
<p>This is my favourite spot for Italian food in Queenstown. You’ll have to take about a 5-minute cab ride out of town to get here, but trust me that it’s well worth the journey (another plus is you know it will be full of Q-Town natives rather than tourists). The intent here is to feel like you’re at home, and you do thanks to the excellent service, chilled-out atmosphere and home-style dishes.</p>
<p>A visit here is also a perfect opportunity to sip wine from the Otago region; co-owner Danny Carson has over 10 years of experience in the wine industry and runs some regular wine tasting events at the restaurant. If you’re interested in learning more about New Zealand vino, call ahead and ask when the next tasting evening is.</p>


8 Best Places To Eat in Queenstown

<h3>Mana Pools National Park</h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39303 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/leopard-singita-350px.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="376" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/leopard-singita-350px.jpg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/leopard-singita-350px-199x300.jpg 199w" sizes="(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px" />A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mana Pools spans 219,600 hectares of land along the lower Zambezi River, a land of transition from floodplain into rainy-season lakes. As the cycle of summer returns, these lakes gradually dry up once more, as the ebb and flow of nature continues its eternal cycle. During the rainy season, the park attracts a wide range of animals who congregate where the waters gather, and is one of the continent’s richest game-viewing hotspots. The largest concentration of hippos and crocodiles in the country is found here; in the dry season, you can expect to find massive herds of zebra, elephant and Cape buffalo. Other species to be found here include the lion, cheetah, Cape wild dog, brown hyena and leopard.</p>
<p>There are four large permanent pools formed by the middle Zambezi River, spanning 2,500 square kilometres (965 square miles) filled with islands, riverbanks, pools and sandbanks. The vegetation is rich in wild figs, mahogany, ebony trees and baobab trees.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-39334 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/johns-camp-mana-pools.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="487" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/johns-camp-mana-pools.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/johns-camp-mana-pools-451x300.jpg 451w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></p>
<h3>Matusadona National Park</h3>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39319 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/kudu-kariba-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="227" />This national park sits on the southern shore of Lake Kariba (the world’s largest man-made reservoir), in the north end of the country. The national park’s name has been taken from the nearby Matuzviadonha Hills. First proclaimed a non-hunting area in 1958, a game reserve in 1963, then a national park in 1975, it is comprised of 1,400 square kilometres (540 square miles) of plains and mountains.</p>
<p>Since 2019, Matusadona has been under the management of <a href="https://www.africanparks.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African Parks</a> who&#8217;s goal is to revitalize and reestablish the park as stronghold for black rhino and elephant. With increased programs to monitor and mitigate human-wildlife conflict, reintroduction of key species and a long term vision for the region, this park is undergoing an exciting transformation and set to become one of the country&#8217;s prime wildlife havens once again.</p>
<p>From grasslands to woodlands as well as rugged escarpment, this remote park is one where few tourists visit. It is best accessed by boat or small aircraft, but it is worth the visit!</p>
<p>The park is also notable for a fascinating wildlife rescue operation that has largely gone forgotten. When the Kariba Dam was constructed in the late 1950s, flooding the Zambezi Valley, a wildlife rescue operation took place to relocate more than 6,000 animals to new homes over five years, from elephants, antelopes to the smallest animals like birds and snakes. Without the technology they had today, conservationists and volunteers were literally catching animals, transporting them on rowboats(!) and taking them to higher, drier land, now the national park.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-39321 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="639" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px-451x300.jpg 451w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px-768x511.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ellie-behind-960px-901x600.jpg 901w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>
<h3>Where to Stay in Zimbabwe</h3>
<p><a href="https://africanbushcamps.com/camps/bumi-hills-safari-lodge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>Bumi Hills Safari Lodge</b></a></p>
<p>Blended among the stunning Zambezi escarpment and resting on a hillside overlooking Lake Kariba, this African Bush Camps property boasts one of the continent&#8217;s finest wilderness locations. The lodge’s proximity to Matusadona allows animals to roam freely between the national park and Bumi Hills’ private concession, creating endless game-viewing opportunities.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-51525 size-large" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-960x600.jpeg" alt="Bumi Hills Safari Lodge Zimbabwe" width="960" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-960x600.jpeg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-480x300.jpeg 480w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-250x156.jpeg 250w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1-768x480.jpeg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bumi-Hills-Safari-Lodge_Lake-Kariba_Zimbabwe_Luxury-Safari-Lodge_-Infinity-Pool-Area_-Sunset_-African-Bush-Camps-21-1200x750-1.jpeg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>
<p><a href="https://www.butterfield.com/stays/somalisa-camp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Somalisa Camp</strong></a></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-39309 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-elephant-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />Pitched along the edge of an ancient seasonal floodplain, Somalisa Camp, in the heart of Hwange National Park, bears witness to one of few remaining great elephant sanctuaries in Africa. Lucky for you, in this authentic bush camp elephants brazenly sidle up to the “Elephant Hole” at the edge of the camp’s wooden deck and take their fill. A natural watering hole just a few metres beyond allows for larger crowds to congregate (again, of the elephant variety). Don’t worry, plunge pool, open-deck homestyle dining and tented residences that are infused with old-world charm all mean that those of the human variety also get to have some fun.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-39308 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="641" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px-449x300.jpg 449w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/somalisa-deck-960px-899x600.jpg 899w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>


Our Favourite Safari Spot Right Now: Zimbabwe

Essentials &amp; Advice

<h3><strong>Desert Dreaming in the Kalahari</strong></h3>
<p>More and more people are being drawn to the deeply spiritual feeling that deserts often invoke. It seems to have something to do with a sense of space and self. It has to do with vast horizons, the huge inverted bowl of the sky, the uninterrupted sweep of the simple landscape beneath it—as featureless as a saucer, with you at its centre. Somehow, it is both humbling and centring. You realize how puny you are, and at the same time, that you are all there is. As American poet E.E. Cummings put it, &#8220;when skies are hanged and oceans drowned, the single secret will still be [humanity]&#8221;.</p>
<p>Humans have been present around these pans from time immemorial. Indications of a bushman village date the earliest occupation back to 500 BCE. There are bushman hunting shelters probably built and used in the 20th century, made of calcrete boulders that contain fossilized antelope bones and embedded Stone Age tools. The shorelines of Makgadikgadi, for it was more than once a vast inland sea, are littered with the archaeological relics of continuous but scattered human presence. Even when the waters finally receded two million years ago and left these shallow depressions of saline clay and silt to catch the sparse summer rain, the rich herds of wildlife—zebra, wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest—would wander across the plains in ceaseless pursuit of water and grazing. Their presence inevitably drew their following of carnivores—lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, and hyena—which of course attracted their own following—the early hunters.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-39167 alignright" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/23Hyena-Pan-Starlings-350px.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="233" />During the dry season, today&#8217;s diminished herds of game tend to concentrate in the west, in the vicinity of the Boteti River. With the onset of the rains, they usually disperse to the east and the north, to Nxai Pan and beyond. It is not uncommon to see game far out on the pans eating the mineral-rich silt, as if up to their knees in water as the heat shimmers a mirage across the surface of the pans.</p>
<p>The birdlife is a specialist&#8217;s dream: white-backed and lappet-faced vultures, bateleur, ostrich, kori bustard, black korhaan and bronze-winged courser, four species of sandgrouse and a startling variety of larks. In the wet season flamingos, pelicans, avocet and a huge range of ducks move into the area. Sowa Pan, near the town of Nata, is a birdwatcher&#8217;s paradise when in water.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-39166 aligncenter" src="https://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="640" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px-450x300.jpg 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/sunset-desert-960px-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>


In Botswana, <Br>the Ultimate Safari Awaits

Around The World

30 Best Hotel Bars Around the World

<h3><strong>Insect repellents</strong></h3>
<p>Try to source some <a href="https://amzn.to/2Hl4agA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘natural’ products</a> that are effective. As a rule of thumb, I try to steer away from things with ingredients that I can’t spell. I’ve experimented with various local products, including a basil and lemongrass lotion that did wonders for mosquitoes but attracted a fair number of curious bees. Otherwise, products with DEET are recommended for malarial areas; use what you are accustomed to or prefer.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-38879 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Drinks-on-the-boat-960px.jpg" alt="" width="732" height="488" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Drinks-on-the-boat-960px.jpg 732w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Drinks-on-the-boat-960px-450x300.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 732px) 100vw, 732px" /></p>
<h3><strong>Vaccinations</strong></h3>
<p>Be sure to contact your physician or a travel clinic well in advance of your travel dates to obtain professional medical advice and discuss up-to-date vaccination requirements for the areas you are visiting.</p>
<h3><strong>Cash</strong></h3>
<p>Have sufficient USD currency on you to tip lodge guides, trackers and staff. Some lodges allow you to settle tips by credit card, but just verify that this is possible. There may also be curios or handicrafts in the area, assume that credit cards aren’t accepted and settle in cash. Across Africa, USD currency notes need to be 2009 series and later. Banknotes dated earlier than 2009 or torn and tattered currency will be rejected.</p>
<h3><strong>Other odds &amp; ends</strong></h3>
<p>Be mindful to carry a full supply of any medication you’re on (including malarial prophylactics); sufficient toiletries whilst remembering that most lodges provide the essential soaps and shampoos; sunscreen (non-scented); an extra pair of glasses or contact lenses if you can’t see without them; extra memory sticks, camera batteries, chargers and all things camera and phone-related.</p>
<p>Be sure to remove any wrapping (such as plastics) when packing new purchases. Keep in mind that whatever you are taking in your bag, should return with you, including used batteries, empty toothpaste tubes, etc. Waste disposal in remote safari destinations is often done through burning. Don’t leave your plastics or anything that can’t be burnt. What is generally appreciated, though is to leave your used reading material and magazines for local lodge or camp staff. So you can leave a little more than just your footprints…</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-38874 size-full" src="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Singita-game-drive-fam-960px.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="641" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Singita-game-drive-fam-960px.jpg 960w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Singita-game-drive-fam-960px-449x300.jpg 449w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Singita-game-drive-fam-960px-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Singita-game-drive-fam-960px-899x600.jpg 899w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /></p>


What To Pack For <br> Your B&R Safari

family

<h4><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/trip/namibia-family-private/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3. Namibia</a></h4>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-27947" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Namibia-Family-Trip-900x600.png" alt="Namibia-Family-Trip" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Namibia-Family-Trip-900x600.png 900w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Namibia-Family-Trip-450x300.png 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Namibia-Family-Trip.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /> Wedged between the Kalahari and the South Atlantic, Namibia&#8217;s potential is as vast as its varied landscapes: wild seascapes, rugged mountains, lonely deserts, stunning wildlife, colonial cities and nearly unlimited elbow room.</p>
<hr />
<h4><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/trip/morocco-family-private/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">4. Morocco</a></h4>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-27951" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Morocco-Family-Trip-900x600.png" alt="Morocco-Family-Trip" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Morocco-Family-Trip-900x600.png 900w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Morocco-Family-Trip-450x300.png 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Morocco-Family-Trip.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /> We&#8217;ve waxed poetic about <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2013/10/22/morocco-family/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Morocco&#8217;s family vacation potential </a>before, and with good reason. The delights of magical Marrakech, Berber villages, <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2015/11/04/in-the-markets-of-marrakech-a-master-class-in-moroccan-cuisine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">incredible culinary culture</a> and stunning oases will please mom and dad, while camel and donkey rides, kid-friendly kite surfing, and a ropes course will keep the kids smiling all the way to the <em>souk</em>.</p>
<hr />
<h4><a href="http://www.butterfield.com/trip/tanzania-family-private/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">5. Tanzania</a></h4>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-27949" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Tanzania-Family-Trip-900x600.png" alt="Tanzania-Family-Trip" width="900" height="600" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Tanzania-Family-Trip-900x600.png 900w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Tanzania-Family-Trip-450x300.png 450w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Tanzania-Family-Trip.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /> Home to some of the world&#8217;s <a href="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/2015/09/29/6-of-tanzanias-coolest-if-lesser-known-exotic-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">coolest exotic animals</a>, (not to mention this little thing called the Serengeti), Tanzania is perfect for families with an adventurous spirit and desire to engage in their environment. The natural diversity here presents a truly breathtaking spectacle, from rolling hills, open plains and ground water forest, to massive volcanoes, and the Serengeti Migration.</p>


Experts + Insiders

Animals

Q&amp;A

<p><strong>You’ve quite deliberately tried to keep your camps more authentic than some of the other, larger outfits that have sprung up since the safari business started to take off. How does the experience you provide at your camps differ from other safaris?</strong></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-17117 alignright" src="http://www.butterfield.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Pool-320x212.jpg" alt="Ralph Bousfield" width="320" height="212" srcset="https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Pool-320x212.jpg 320w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Pool-124x82.jpg 124w, https://blog.butterfield.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Pool.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" />The environment defines how we have built our camps and how the experience unfolds. The camps are also an extension of my home and family history and therefore are authentic and not merely some Hollywood movie set. The experience unfolds as the environment permits, with the rhythm of the desert from wet seasons to dry season, from night to day. We have not felt compelled to go on a game drive in the morning and a game drive in the afternoon but rather to roll with life in the desert.</p>
<p><strong>In your father’s day, safaris would last three months, but nowadays you have one or two weeks tops to give somebody a similar experience. How do you go about presenting a true safari experience in just a few weeks?</strong></p>
<p>Our attitude towards the safari is that each trip is absolutely individual and is an experience in its own right. Your guide’s range and ability is paramount to the experience. We run our safaris the same way as they were run in the old days and try to achieve an understanding of the big picture and the rhythm of the environment at that time and moment of the year. In that way we give our guests a true and emotional experience in just a few weeks.</p>
<p><strong>What knowledge, impression or feeling do you want people to leave with after an experience at your camp?</strong></p>
<p>I want people to feel moved. To get it.  To have an understanding and a sense of belonging of where we come from and ultimately where we are heading. And to have a bloody good time!</p>


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