The last time I featured Africa in Harriet’s Corner, I received so many wonderful emails from OAT travelers who are clearly as passionate about this amazing continent as I am. There are far too many to share here, but I’ve chosen a couple of my favorites.
Receiving this first email was like getting a letter from an old friend—and while she was characteristically humble in her message to Harriet’s Corner, I’m not letting her get away with it. Ten-time traveler Susan Rickert is a bit of a celebrity here at OAT because of the phenomenal work she’s done on behalf of the children of Tanzania. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Susan was so moved by her visit to the village of Karatu during her 2001 Safari Serengeti adventure, she’s been raising money ever since—a total of more than $100,000 to build five schools and fund numerous scholarships. Now, she’s focusing her humanitarian efforts on a remote village in the Amazon.
Dear Harriet,
Not even this massive python was immune to the charms of "Mama Susan."
I am getting ready to leave for my 11th trip to Tanzania and it is all because of my wonderful experience with OAT.
Like you, I also am in love with Africa, and with the exception of my husband and family, there is no greater enjoyment in life than to travel to Tanzania and experience the beauty of the place and the people and the animals.
I think at some basic level my heart, soul, fiber and sinew knows that I originated from East Africa and my DNA just resonates every time I go “home,” even though I live in San Francisco.
Thank you for creating Safari Serengeti and all of the cultural and school visits that have so deeply enriched my life and which I have introduced to my family, friends, neighbors and even strangers, who travel with me every year.
By the way, I am also booked on the Amazon River Cruise & Rain Forest trip and have signed up to take my third trip up the Amazon with OAT. I have fundraised for a first aid station in a remote, indigenous village and I want to see it in action, taking family members with me this time.
—Susan Rickert
I met “Mama Susan” in 2006 when we presented her with Grand Circle Foundation’s Giving Back to the World We Travel Award, and I’m continuously in awe of her dedication. Susan, thank you again for all that you do.
This next email literally caught my eye because of the incredible images attached to it. Fran M. discovered (as many travelers do) that Africa is a photographer’s dream, so I had to share a couple of her photos with you. Fran, I can’t wait to see what you come up with when you join us on Ultimate Africa in 2010!
Dear Harriet,
Fran and her companion, Kathy F., at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater.
Your May 11 “Corner” was very special to us since we traveled with OAT to Tanzania and Kenya in May of 2008. While we have traveled all over the world with OAT and other tour companies, this was truly the trip of a lifetime. There are so many stories to tell from our East African travels. Our Trip Leader was superb and each game drive was magnificent. Learning about the Maasai people was unlike any experience we have ever had on a tour. Camping in the Serengeti fulfilled a childhood dream. We were both changed by this trip and are longing to go back.
Elephants at play (we think!) in the Masai Mara Game Reserve near Sinya.
Just as important as the experience of being close to the wildlife and Africans was my thrill in taking fabulous photographs of elephants, lions, wildebeest, gazelles, impala, cheetah, etc. My interest in photography was heightened by that trip, and I can’t wait to use my new camera again on the next African adventure. While we had planned to travel with OAT to Egypt and Jordan in 2009, we have decided to wait until 2010 and go back to Africa on the Ultimate Africa tour. I’m sharing a few photos I took in Tanzania and Kenya including one of us on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. By the way, after traveling with your company to Costa Rica, Thailand, and Africa, we are absolutely “sold” on OAT and plan to travel exclusively with your company from this point forward.
—Fran M.
Finally, I wanted to take a moment to address a question that we hear a lot at OAT. This email came from Elaine C., but she’s not the first to ask. I’ll respond to her question below.
Dear Harriet,
I have brought this idea to OAT before but was told my request is not possible. However, I’m going to bring it up again, this time to you.
I am an avid traveler, having set foot on every continent and numerous countries. I also love OAT and the way the trips are organized. However, one thing that makes many of the OAT trips impossible for me is their length. As a professional, it is very difficult to leave my practice for extended periods. Hence, I find myself planning my own trips, which are action packed but almost never longer than 10 days.
When I traveled with OAT to Peru, I organized a group of 6 people. I could have had 26 people if the trip was 2 days shorter. Two days makes a difference to those of us who have patients and clients and businesses to run.
Is there any way for the trips to be shorter? I have even suggested shaping my own itinerary for my own group, but was again told this is just not possible.
OAT is a great travel source and the quality and organization is awesome. If only the trips could be tailored or shortened to accommodate those of us with less time to spare. Any help you can provide me is appreciated!
—Elaine C.
Elaine, thank you for raising this. There are actually several reasons why we don’t offer 7-day adventures—but first and foremost it’s because we simply can’t provide the rich, memorable experiences we want to deliver in such a short amount of time. Yes, a whirlwind tour can capture the highlights of a destination, and we’d never consider leaving those out, but we feel it’s equally important to take you off the beaten path for an authentic view of daily life—and to do this right, we need time.
We also need to pay careful attention to the pacing of our adventures. Keep in mind that the vast majority of our travelers are retired, and they greatly prefer spending more time abroad as opposed to a faster-paced tour that requires frequent packing and unpacking. Plus, one of the reasons why our value is so outstanding is that longer adventures maximize the cost of your overseas airfare.
As for customizing an adventure, you’re right—we’re not able to offer that option. Our adventures are a package from start to finish, and there are complicated contractual issues that prevent us from mixing and matching. Again, it’s part of why our trips are such a great value.
In closing, while I honestly do wish that we could please every traveler, Alan and I have always believed in doing one thing and doing it very well. I truly believe that we owe our success to this focus, and while this isn’t the answer you wanted to hear, I hope I’ve at least helped you to understand.