Jessica Schedler - Make Life Simple
MAKE LIFE SIMPLE
JESSICA SCHEDLER
"As I'm sure many guests have said, words can hardly describe the sense of adventure and excitement of a safari with &Beyond. First of all, &Beyond exceeded every expectation we had for the safari. The best thing that &Beyond did for me on vacation was to get me out of civilization and western society."
Being in the bush completely changed my life and global perspective. I thought I needed everything around me in the western world. All the extra "things" that we think give us comfort. I didn't realize that all of those "things" just bring unnecessary stress into our lives. I didn't realize how "loud" my life is. Always appointments, always things to do, things to buy next, things to fix and schedules. If I have one suggestion, one thing that the company should never stray from is that they should continue to try so hard to get the guests as far away from civilization as possible. Where the hippos bump against the canvas tent at night and the lion's roar makes you question how secure the tent is (in a funny way, like I CANNOT believe I'm here!). When the only vehicle you see is your own and the only people are a couple of other guests. Where there are no roads, the airstrip is dirt and the animals sing you to sleep. That is what made our safari so memorable. The exhilarating feeling of being in the bush in the middle of nowhere. Another suggestion I have is that, after your guests enjoy their first safari with you, to find some way to guide us into the charitable programs that &Beyond is working with. For example, if a guest wants to continue with humanitarian work for a couple of weeks after the safari, to provide the experience for them as well. To have a program that guests could enroll in by the week in local villages in an area that interests them. One other thing I noticed is that, as we planned the trip, my husband and I agreed that we'd spend such a large sum because it was a once in a lifetime experience. However, after our safari with you, we can't wait to go back and can't imagine any other type of vacation now! (Unfortunately for our budget!). So I thought it would be nice to have a frequent guest program. A VIP email with exclusive discounts for returning &Beyond guests.
Colin Scarlett - One picture says it all
ONE PICTURE SAYS IT ALL
COLIN SCARLETT
"In 2007 my wife and I had the pleasure of staying at the Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp, along with a few other &Beyond properties. We have traveled all over the world and now realize that a wonderful memory is more than just the sights and sounds - it's the people who make the experience."
It's the wonderful staff of &Beyond that made our stay in Africa a memory that we will never forget. One evening the staff at Grumeti had put on a special dinner for my new wife and me. It was a private surprise dinner adjacent to the pool, with lanterns everywhere. The staff had presented my wife with a small gift and note that was written by the staff. It moved her so much that she burst into tears. If that wasn't enough, the wonderful Lawi then sang us a beautiful song, which moved us beyond words. Again, it's not the sights and sounds, but the people that make an experience truly memorable and &Beyond has the market cornered on this. Rather than providing you with the million photos we took during our stay I wanted to provide the one that most accurately reflects the wonderful feelings of joy we have when we think back to our experience in Africa ... tears of joy!
Judy James - River and Plains
RIVER AND PLAINS
JUDY JAMES
"We visited Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp in 2006 - my first time there, although not the first time in Tanzania. I absolutely adored it. Of all the fabulous &Beyond lodges we have visited, Grumeti has got to be my favourite."
Beautiful setting overlooking the river - lovely tents - ours was right on the river and we had birds nesting in the bushes outside the tent, wonderful noises all around and we adored sitting in the main area watching birds and animals coming down to drink. Wonderful plains game, open spaces, fascinating hyenas, the three legged lion and his friend, who hung around the camp, fantastic birds, especially in the riverine bush and forest. We spent a day at Lukungu School as part of our commitment to &Beyond Foundation and were pleased to find that the East Africa lodges, unlike some of the SA lodges, are very involved with the &Beyond Foundation and the work they do. I hope to revisit Grumeti in the near future as part of a trip to Tanzania, which I think is stunningly beautiful and the Serengeti an amazing place to be.
Jan Cioci, Italy - We left our hearts in Grumeti
WE LEFT OUR HEARTS IN GRUMETI
JAN CIOCI, ITALY
"WE loved all the lodges and camps however left our hearts in Grumeti. The experience was just wonderful, the people were great and as you know we decided to stay-on two extra days because we wished to relax, enjoy the hippos and frankly as the only two people at the lodge for three days were treated literally like royalty!! "
We luckily were able to sample both ends of the great migration as it seemed half of the herd was in the Masai and the other half was moving back and forth in and out of Serengeti. While every single ranger guide we had was excellent, I would like to say that you have a real treasure in Tumaini (Hope) from Grumeti who made our experience there interesting, fun, lively and full of laughter and learning. She is both a wonderful and warm person and very knowledgeable. She is certainly a keeper.!!!
