News - mid 2005
Sharing the News
Friends talking to friends and to friends of friends. This has become the tradition of promoting the
safari programmes of People to People Safaris (P2P). Clients have come after hearing from friends, or
from friends of friends, about the safari they made to Tanzania through P2P. The word spreads by way
of mouth. I call this our number one selling point.
Nevertheless, the period between mid last year and
mid this year has been a busy time of strengthening this advantage with other forms of marketing;
website, brochures, flyers and ads. As you leaf through this issue, you will notice how friends have
helped us redesign our promotional materials. And you will also notice how friends, and friendly clients
can be useful in hinting new programmes for future safaris. In the last twelve months, we have
introduced safaris to the southern circuit, have earmarked destinations for photographic tours, and
have set a plan for camel-supported safaris across Maasailand.
We are also proud to say that in this period, we had a great occasion to host three groups of sweet
honeymooners! All the pairs have left us with everlasting memories of what should be the meaning of life!
Join us in this newsletter to read a paragraph on one of our safari with the honeymooners and take the
chance to reminisce about your day!
With this introduction, welcome to our newsletter and let's share the news!
Photograph Safaris
In the last twelve months, two professional photographers from Majority World in the UK made two
separate photographic tours to the tribal communities of Northeastern Tanzania. Majority World is a
charity organization that aims at empowering African photographers to meet the standard of the
international photography market now dominated by Western professionals.
Though the two photographers; Miss Briony Campbell and Dr. Colin Hastings partly came for Majority World work in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Uganda, the bulk of their time was spent taking pictures
for P2P projects. First Briony made a long trip to the agricultural villages of Usambara, Pare,
Kilimanjaro and Meru Mountains, and to the pastoral communities of the Rift Valley. Her stimulating
travels across the traditional tribal settings of this area of Northeastern Tanzania, struck the first
hint for P2P to develop a photographic programme for clients interested in African traditional setting.
Dr. Colin Hastings who came about six months later completed this hint. His tour took the other
direction to the tribal communities living around Lakes Natron, Manyara and Babati and the periphery
of Ngorongoro Crater. After his tour, P2P was convinced to develop a photographic programme that could
benefit photographers interested in African traditional setting.
The Friends of P2P
Luckily, our friend Dr. Colin Hastings from London made a ten-day tour with P2P in February. In London,
Dr. Hastings runs Majority World, a fair trade photography, which in many aspects has principles that wed
with those of our tourism concept. Thus Dr. Hastings has been a strong supporter of our form of tourism
since its inception in 2000 and a key element in our culture book project aimed at revealing the potential
of tribal traditions.
When Dr. Hastings came, he spared some time to access the products of P2P and give talks to the staff on
ways to improve things. We are also very, very grateful that after his tour, he advised us on introducing
a new product; cultural photographic tours (please read story below).
Ms. Margaret Khoza, also from the UK, arrived in April to help with promoting P2P programmes. Margaret is
a frequent visitor to Tanzania and South Africa. In South Africa, she was a consultant with a cultural
tourism project that led tourists to Zulu traditional settlements. It was this experience that Margaret
came to share with P2P.
Another friend to view the development of P2P Safaris was Jacob Knight who came in May. Jacob works in
London but is a regular visitor to Tanzania. Jacob is helping P2P to redesign its website and the main
brochure (part of the website can be viewed at www.p2psafaris.com). From his visit, he has been
useful in revealing a better way to tackle the "Hanging Around Hanang" programme (please see story below).
The other important person to join the team was Brad Warren, a wide-travelled Australian photojournalist
now residing in Arusha. At the moment he is working with P2P to make the "blaze the trail trips" for
camel-supported safaris across Maasailand. Please see the main story for more information).
To all these friends and to those who came purely for safari, we extend our hand of Asante Sana!
Camel Safaris
Meeting Brad Warren this year has been an open sesame to strengthening the outdoor programmes
of P2P. Brad is a wide-travelled Australian residing in Arusha at the moment. His many travels and
multiple past careers have made him a man of great ideas and advice. From his past experience as a
tour operator in Australia and South East Asia, Brad envisions the introduction of camel safari
programmes across the arid Maasailand as a way of improving the lives of pastoral tribesmen in most
parts of Tanzania.
This is the new product that Brad finds useful in Maasailand, especially the arid area between Longido
and Lake Natron in northeastern Tanzania. This is a quiet, remote area with scenic views that change
from open dry land to hills and valleys, and from the shadow of the volcanic Mount Meru to the shimmer
of alkaline Lake Natron. The client gets the opportunity to camp, climb, walk and study nature. At
the moment Brad is working hard with P2P to develop this programme. This begins with making
trailblazing trips that will compose well-defined itineraries for future trips. Between now and
December anyone can join these "blaze the trail trips" which will be at a subsidized price. Please
write us to join the trips or to get more information on camel safaris: tatah@p2psafaris.com
Hanging Around Hanang
Squarish and free-standing on the floor of the rift valley, Mt. Hanang, the fourth highest
peak in Tanzania, seems an easy day trip from any of the surrounding villages at the base. But with
its three tricky peaks, and a height of 3418meters, Hanang has every reason to refuse to be conquered
squarely on a single day.
Jacob Knight's expedition in May this year
reveals that our "Hanging around Hanang" trekking programme needs more consideration. Now we have decided
to begin the climb from the township of Katesh, go through Jorodom village and camp halfway before making
the final assault on day two. For those who don't have time for camping or those who want to try an
"endurance test", we will still offer a full-day round trip from Katesh. Please write to ask for a
detailed itinerary.
Honeymoon Humour
The rest of the group outside the private lodge was desperate. It was time for departure but the pair
had not arrived.
In the middle of their rising impatience, Devo and Micha suddenly appeared. They walked slowly holding
hands the way they had done two days ago when they went down the aisle. When the desperate waiting
relatives saw them, their impatience was instantly transformed into a mood of admiration. "This
is their time", they smiled.
Micha is German and Devo is Tanzanian. After an exciting chase between the two continents, they finally
wedded in Dar es Salaam. Immediately after the wedding, P2P was honoured to prepare for them and their
relatives a wildlife-cum-cultural safari in Northern Tanzania .
