Safari in Tanzania - it's a bucket list dream for most people. What makes it so? Maybe the incredible animal diversity, or the interesting locals. Or maybe it's the chance to get away from one's life, and experience something completely different. Whatever it is, we want to go!

So imagine how pleased I was to read a new book by our old friend, author Donna Seim. She's written some lovely books that we loved reviewing, including Where is Simon, Sandy?, Hurricane Mia, and Saatchi and Little Star. Donna's latest is called Asante Sana Tanzania, and is the perfect inspiration and guide for a Tanzanian safari. 

What do we find inside? Besides gorgeous photos, taken by Donna's husband, Martin, a lovely travelogue, replete with personal touches, beautiful writing, and honest insight. You feel as if you are with Donna and Martin on their entire journey, from intial interest to coming home. We wander the plains, shop at a market, birdwatch, savor a shower. It is, by far, the best travel journal I've ever read - maybe because of the interesting writing, or maybe because of the incredible photos. Whatever magic arises from these pages is thanks to Donna and Martin - and will be an inspiration to visit and cherish Tanzania for anyone who reads it. Highly recommended.

We were lucky enough to talk with Donna, about her new book, education in Tanzania, preparing for safari, and more. Here's what she had to say...

Please tell us about your book, Asante Sana Tanzania...
Asante Sana, means thank you very much, in Swahili. My husband, Martin, and I traveled to Tanzania and Zanzibar after a life-long dream to go on a safari in Africa. Asante Sana Tanzania is the story of our trip. It takes the reader on safari with us so he/she may feel like they are there, in the Market Place haggling over the price of tea, sailing over the incredible vastness of the Serengeti in a hot air balloon, sleeping in a tent with wildebeest lulling us to sleep with grunts and snuffs, falling in love the fastest land animal on earth — the cheetah, visiting a Maasai Boma — the home of a Maasai family, being windswept and sun kissed on a dhow boat ride on the Indian Ocean, listening to children in a Muslim school chanting their numbers and letters, witnessing a lion pride on the hunt for buffalo, watching elephants take dust baths, giggling at warthogs take spa-like mud baths, and thrilled to the heights by the soar of a Tawny Eagle...all without having to get any of the painful shots!

The book itself is a coffee table presentation with full color photos throughout and a lively narrative that sweeps the reader up with humorous vignettes, tales of adventure, and spectacular photographs! It also has a Swahili glossary and a list of some fun wildlife facts at the end of the book.  

Lilac breasted roller, one gorgeous rainbow of colors. 

A truly regal creature—I never felt so small walking on the same plains as a giraffe

What inspired you to write this book?
My husband's photographs were so spectacular that I felt it necessary to rewrite my scribbles from my journal and to recount the trip officially for ourselves. The process of writing down all the details of our safari enhanced my enjoyment and rekindled my memories of the trip, I felt I was on safari again! After I finished my first draft, I shared with a fellow writer in my writer's group, whom I asked to edit it down and tighten it up. She, on the other hand, encouraged me to tell more, more, more... She wanted to know what we ate, how we dressed, what our reactions and thoughts were to all the situations we found ourselves in. Was it scary? Was it romantic? Etc...So I rolled up my sleeves and set to work to tell the whole story - and the end result was the birth of Asante Sana Tanzania. 

The crowned crane, the national bird of Uganda but plentiful in Tanzania

What resources did you use to research for your trip?
Once the decision was made to go on safari, and to go to Tanzania in particular, we started to check out safari companies. First we looked online and chose the ones that looked enticing. Next we checked to see if they fell into our price range. We contacted the companies that fit and asked them to send us information. In no time, the mailbox was full of brochures with testimonials and great photos along with DVDs. We took all the information in and started to weed out the bigger companies, or the companies that went all over the world. We finally narrowed it down to Thomson Safari out of Watertown, Massachusetts. They only go to Tanzania and they have been taking people on safari for over 30 years. We also liked the types of safari they offered. Other than that, it was word of mouth from people who had been on a Thomson safari — Thomson supplied us with as many references as we desired. We also read up on the wildlife, the country, the politics, and places of interest. Thomson did the rest - they sent us the safari bible to follow through all the steps of preparing and actually going on a real safari in Africa.  

Secretary bird, named for pouncing on snakes like a typist hitting the keys. Martin's favorite!

What are your top tips for going on safari in Tanzania?
Absolutely check with your safari company about the vehicle you will safari in. I highly recommend something like a Range Rover with windows that roll up. We also had a roof that raised so you could stand up and take photos from inside the van without a window between you and your subject that could be closed if necessary. We noticed many companies had cute open jeeps, but after watching a video where the cheetah jumped into the jeep with the people, it lost all of its appeal. It also rains, gets windy, dusty and hot, never mind the flies, so an open vehicle may look romantic, but I was very happy to be safely ensconced inside a Range Rover!

Wildebeest migration—every year they travel 500 miles to a grassy plain in the Serengeti to birth their calves

Travel light, but with layers of comfortable non binding clothing that dries quickly. Make sure you have sturdy and comfortable, broken-in shoes. Hats and sunscreen are important. Bring a good camera that isn't too heavy. Leave all your digital apparatuses at home, you won't have many chances to use wifi on a safari.You should stay in a tent for at least part of the safari and it is best to do that at the beginning. Then graduate to a lodge or as we did a coffee plantation with our own stone cottage. From there you can find delightful resorts. I would recommend an extension to Zanzibar. It is a short flight to the spice island, but it is truly a whole world away, with a 95% Muslim population. The Ras Nungwi Resort in Zanzibar was fabulous. A bit of a drive but just sit back and enjoy the view, once you are there you will be in heaven, it is on the northern tip of the island with the turquoise waters surrounding  it with dhows peppering its waters. An absolute must — take a sunset cruise on a dhow.

Carrying home the firewood—Ras Nungwi, Zanzibar

A weaver bird, one of fifty kinds. They are amazing, the male builds many nests and the female picks the best one, the other nests are  to distract predators, so many nests make it hard to find which one is lived in!

What surprised you most about your travels in Africa?
Every day was an adventure on safari! Everything was out of the ordinary so there was a WOW at every turn. The animals were gorgeous beyond description, the giraffe was really tall! But I think the biggest surprise was the absolute vastness of the land. The Serengeti never seemed to end, it was timeless! The animals exist in nature they way they did thousands of years ago. And then, BOOM, you arrive in a city like Dar es Salaam, the capitol of Tanzania, and the population is exploding around you. Bumper to bumper traffic, horns honking, people squeezed to breaking point in buses, young men walking through the traffic selling sodas from cartons balanced on their heads, and others selling DVDs, motor bikes scooting around you, over-stuffed trucks with junk and furniture and people balancing precariously on the top... a cacophony of noise... an endless stream of humanity. That was a surprise!

I especially loved your experiences in classrooms throughout your trip. What are your takeaways, in terms of education available for kids in these areas? 
This is an interesting question! The difference between walking into a school in the United States, with up-to-date technology and equipment, large auditoriums, musical instruments, state of the art libraries, fully equipped playgrounds and gyms, sport fields, cafeterias, etc... is not comparable! The classroom and schools that I visited in Tanzania were, at best, primitive. The desks were ancient and looked uncomfortable to sit in for long days. I never saw a sign of a single computer or digital equipment of any kind, the books were well worn and papers torn. The one library I was shown looked like a closet and it didn't give me the feeling that it was even used as a resource. I believe the children are taught by rote, a system of repetition and spewing back from memory what is told to them. The Muslim classroom we visited was simply a large room, with a blackboard at one end. No desks, no pencils, or paper...we brought a bag of gifts consisting of school supplies and I am not sure it was ever used. The teacher chanted the numbers and letters and kept rhythm by clapping her hands, the children parroted back in unison exactly what she had chanted.
    
I was told that the children in school were the lucky ones. Some of the tribes (there are over 200 in Tanzania alone) believe in education and are strong supporters of doing well in school and passing the required exams. If you don't pass the exams you cannot move ahead and then you have lost the chance to enjoy a full education. However, there are many tribes that do not value education and their way of life continues on as it always has for thousands of years. Some Maasai, for instance, are more concerned with how many cows they have than with schooling — because that is how their wealth is determined. It is also difficult for the tribes who have a mother tongue, such as the Maasai. The children first learn Maasai from their parents, then when they start school they must learn Swahili, the national language; finally, as they enter the upper grades they must learn English. By the time they reach what we would call high school, they have had to master three languages. I was greatly touched by a short story that I read while I was there, written by a Maasai student. He wanted to be educated and worked hard to do well, but his father wanted him to quit school because he needed him to help shepherd the flock. He was taken out of school against his will, and it was his bitter story he was telling. On the other hand, one of our Maasai guides, Johnson, was attending University in Arusha. He was well-versed in English and was a successful student. He wore the traditional red shawl of the Maasai but carried a cell phone. My guess would be that he had the support and financial stability of his family to help him succeed. I must not forget to mention that it is a financial reason that many children do not stay in school. The books have to be bought, the uniforms paid for and the tuition is not free. Schooling is a heavy financial burden for many families throughout Tanzania and all of Africa. 

To sum up the answer to this question, I do believe that the children who are in school are in a better place than those who are not, but there are some that would disagree.

What did you bring back, from your travels? 
Yes, we brought back the model of the dhow — the fishing sail boat! We met the man on the beach who was in the process of making it — and that encounter was another story in itself. We also brought home some Maasai beadwork that we purchased from a Woman's Cooperative. The pieces were made by the women, some were brand new, but others they were selling had been worn and used and for some reason were being sold. We bought several beaded plates that they wore around their necks, a carrier for poisoned arrows, a necklace and some beaded baskets. These were true treasures not to be confused with store bought trinkets sold for tourists. The women were working together in the cooperative to save money for medical expenses for their families. They, however, were new at this - I think we were the first customers, and they didn't quite get the concept yet that all the sales went into the common pot! That is an interesting story as well!

Our guide Johnson and the women's cooperative, trying to understand the concept of a common pot

I think that bringing home treasures from your travels is a lovely way to extend your memories of your trip. Also, photographs, more than anything, help to enhance and retain your memories visually. In the end I think the inner glow that is ignited when we share our stories with others is the most meaningful treasure we could return with! Asante Sana is now the embodiment of our travel treasures, experiences, and memories of our trip of a lifetime.

Martin and the dhow-carver

What's up next for you?
As far as travel goes, we will never stop traveling! Our next trip is to Chicago to receive two Awards for Asante Sana Tanzania! The Next Generation Indie Book Awards are being held during Book Expo America! Asante Sana Tanzania has placed as a Finalist for Best Book Cover Design for Non Fiction. We also placed as Finalists in Travel Book/Travel Guide category. As you can imagine, Martin and I are thrilled and very proud that  our book is  to receive two such high honors. 

After that, we have a trip scheduled for Puglia, Italy, the heel of the boot. Maybe another book! In between travels, I will be working on my next children's book, an animal fantasy/adventure story, starring Cheeky, a lovable North American River Otter, and his sidekick, Charlemagne, a very dapper Northern Pine Marten! 

Maasai girl we met at her Boma

Portrait of mother and baby, we met them on the plains below our campsite

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Thank you, Jessie and Wandering Educators for interviewing me and allowing me to share our book, Asante Sana Tanzania, with you and your readers. And if anyone wants to travel with us on safari to Tanzania, Asante Sana Tanzania is available on Amazon! We would love to have you join us!

Two boys at their Boma — home

Learn more:
http://www.donnaseim.com/
http://www.perpublisher.com/per193.html
http://www.amazon.com/Asante-Sana-Tanzania-Donna-Marie/dp/1937721272

All photos courtesy and copyright Martin Seim