Travelling is always exhilarating: the initial journey full of anticipation, knowing there will be new things to see, different cultures to experience, and new, mouth-watering foods to sample. But never has it been more exciting than on my way to Tanzania this summer with my partner Chris and his ten year old son Ed. This wasn’t just my first time in sub-Saharan Africa, this was my chance to introduce Ed to adventure travel. Chris and I had the opportunity to witness that moment Ed was truly “bitten” by the travel bug. Everything was exciting to him; even starting his anti-malarial tablets three days prior to leaving became part of our family safari adventure! From game drives in Tarangire to trekking the foothills of mighty Kilimanjaro, sampling (and not always enjoying!) new food and drink, he jumped headfirst into everything, including the pool at Zanzibar…
“This was the most exciting holiday I’ve ever been on! I loved the safari because we saw a rhino as well as loads of other animals. Also I was the first one out of our group to get to camp one of Kilimanjaro! I also liked playing with Tom and Beth in the pool in Kichanga lodge, and the snorkelling was amazing. Everything really!” – Ed
It is a delight to see someone close to you become so enthusiastic about something you are truly passionate about. We have come away with memories totally unique to the three of us – the special moments we shared, the first time he saw a wild elephant, and the funny stories, usually with one of us being surprised by a bat/cat/stick insect {insert humorous animal here}. Trekking to camp one on Kilimanjaro was a fantastic day, something that pushed all of us, not just a ten year old! Our day-by-day experiences were also documented by Ed in his holiday journal (with a bit of encouragement!) and our photobook, which has since been taken to school to be proudly paraded to friends and teachers. His ability to recall the names of all the animals we spotted still amazes me! We learned so much, about the culture and the wildlife but also each other.
Ed on his first game drive The trip gave us the opportunity to share something we will all remember for years; a real trip of a lifetime, complete with mountains, safari and beaches. But for Ed, it also opened up a world of potential new and exciting destinations; whilst we all love remembering and laughing at the memories of this trip; it is also really fun to look ahead and decide “where next?”
