Travelogue from Tanzania: My Journey from tourist to traveller

In April 2024, team member Inger went on her first safari in Tanzania. Before the tour, she was filled with both excitement and worries. Read her travelogue below.

Visiting Tanzania and Africa for the first time is an experience filled with excitement and fascination.

Before going, I felt a great sense of anticipation, but it was also accompanied by a certain nervousness. Many questions crowded my mind: What would it feel like to stand face to face with wild animals? How close would we actually get to lions and elephants? What is it like to sleep in a tent in the middle of the savannah? How does a safari really work from start to finish?

The unknown felt overwhelming, and I could feel that I was stepping out of my comfort zone. However, having heard so many good things about Tanzania, I was confident that a lot of fantastic impressions and experiences awaited me.

It was an incredible relief and joy to finally arrive in Tanzania and set foot on the African continent for the first time. I felt grounded and ready for the great safari adventure. With great curiosity, I climbed into the safari vehicle to explore the savannah in Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater with our proud and professional guide.

A safari is not “just” a drive, but a journey into the animal kingdom, where you experience their natural behaviour in their natural surroundings. It was thrilling to follow the tracks in the hope of seeing The Big Five, learning about the animals’ behaviour, hearing the lions roar at night, and sleeping in authentic camps and lodges on the savannah.

Tanzania and Zanzibar offer unique lifestyles and nature. I encountered great hospitality, felt the pride of the local people, and gained an insight into their way of life, which is far from the way we live in Europe. I also had the opportunity to visit the Maasai people and learn about their traditions, lifestyle, and see them live side by side with the wild animals.

Transforming from a tourist to a traveller is about opening your mind and heart to the unknown and being willing to learn, experience, and understand that you are in good hands throughout the tour. It is an exciting transformation filled with many memories and discoveries that I can use both personally and professionally in my work.

This safari has made me braver and inspired me to pursue more grand adventures, not just in familiar Europe, but across the entire world.

Inger,

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller