Like me, OAT travelers love Africa. And whether you’re visiting the continent for the first time, or returning for yet another safari adventure, you can learn a lot from other travelers’ experiences. In fact, Africa has already proven to be a popular topic in our new Traveler Discussions forums. If you haven’t already visited this section of our website, I encourage you to do so—you can chat with fellow travelers about your upcoming trips to Africa, or share advice and experiences from your past adventures.
I also want to share some of the emails I’ve received from OAT travelers who are as enamored with Africa as I am:
Here, Linda T. (who enjoyed her first trip, The Best of Kenya & Tanzania, so much that she decided to travel to Kenya again!), and Arlene C., share their special encounters with some of Africa’s most famous residents …
After my first OAT trip, The Best of Kenya & Tanzania, I was inspired to do volunteer work later on at a very poor school in Kenya. What a rewarding experience, to build and stock an elementary school library—the only one within 100 miles. How appreciative all of the families were! This led to my decision to take a repeat of my Kenya and Tanzania trip, and the experience was more fabulous than the first. (I’ve included some photos from this first trip here.)
Two smiling children wave goodbye, thanking Linda and her group for visiting their village.
The sun reflects on Victoria Falls as Linda walks through the park.
But my all-time favorite memory of Africa occurred during another trip. While we were eating breakfast at a lodge in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park, an elephant died near a watering hole (he was very old and thin). But then, the most amazing thing happened: That night, all of the elephants came to mourn him. First the zebras came, saw the elephant, and brayed so loudly that you could hear them throughout the jungle. Then the elephants came, and although the elder had been removed by the park rangers, they formed a circle around the site, touching the water where he had died, pawing the earth, and making a deep mourning sound.
After some time, all of the elephants left except for about five (they must have been the immediate family). The rest of the elephant group waited about 100 yards away for the family members to finish their mourning.
I felt like I was invading their privacy, as this seemed to be their funeral service. It remains one of the most incredible sights I have ever seen.
Linda T.
5-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador
Los Angeles, California
OAT’s Ultimate Africa safari was spectacular and one of the best adventures I have had—and I have had quite a few. But one of the most memorable sights on our trip was seeing a cheetah in a tree. Our Trip Leader, Robson Zimbudzi, had never seen such a thing and he has been a guide for three decades. To his knowledge, nobody had ever seen a cheetah in a tree. What a thrill!
I have served in the Navy, jumped out of an airplane, and visited China, but my biggest dream was to go on an African safari. My “bucket list” is now complete! I hope to go on other adventures with OAT, but it will be difficult to beat my trip to Africa.
Arlene C.
First-time traveler
Murrieta, California
Linda and Arlene, thank you for sharing such amazing moments with me—and your fellow travelers! Experiences like these are rare … and leave lasting impressions, in our minds and hearts, for the rest of our lives.
Often, these unexpected encounters enable us to make personal connections with other cultures as well. I enjoyed this story from Cindy J. so much, I couldn’t help but share it with you.
My husband, Dennis, and I traveled on OAT’s Safari Serengeti trip. One morning, we were going up to Mount Meru to visit Mama Anna’s small cooperative farm. When we arrived in the foothills, our Trip Leader, Abraham Mushi, suggested that we stretch our legs with a short hike before seeing the farm. As we walked up the narrow path, we began to hear music and singing coming from what appeared to be an unfinished cement building, or the run-down wooden structure next to it.
As we neared the site of the building, we discovered that a church service was in progress. The pastor invited us inside, and we were amazed to see the men and women wearing exquisite, colorful satin and brocade clothing, sitting on sawhorse benches. They were enjoying a choral group at the front of the church that was accompanied by an electric guitar plugged into a car battery! The singing was beautiful, and the congregants smiling and friendly.
We learned that the cement building next door is the new church being built on the “pay as you go plan.” Several of us agreed this was one of the highlights of our trip.
Cindy J.
8-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador
North Fort Myers, Florida
Cindy, I absolutely agree that music is one of the great commonalities we share in this world. No matter where we are from, music can bring cultures together. What a wonderful story!
And what trip to Africa would be complete without amazing photos from your journeys? Here, Marsha P. shares a special encounter with one of Africa’s younger residents during an impromptu preschool visit on our Namibia & the Skeleton Coast: Africa's Last Wilderness adventure.
I'm sending this to you as I've been told that our smiles are an example of the spirit of OAT trips. This little girl attended a preschool in Namibia. Our wonderful guide, Uanee Karuuombe, took us to this preschool in the outskirts of Windhoek, because the school we were supposed to visit was closed for the holidays.
Marsha P.
2-time traveler
Bluefield, West Virginia