One day near the beginning we were hunkered around one of those everlasting Acacia fires in the crisp dawn of South Maasailand. The ‘old man’, pushing 80 and with eyesight shuttered by cataracts, turned to Thad and Daudi and said “We’re low on water, you guys better go down and fetch some from that pool in the riverbed down yonder.” That sounds pretty straightforward but you’ve got to imagine the racket that was emanating from that pool down yonder. For the last several hours camp music had been lion’s throaty growls punctuated by buffalo bellows and the volume was on high.
“But there’s lion down there” we said. “So what, we need water, just walk down there assertively and fetch some.”
So we did walk down there assertively until at 30 meters we were faced by 8 very feisty, vocal and aggressive lion whose tails were ramrod stiff and thrashing the bushes, a clear prelude to a charge. “When the tail stops, the charge starts.” At that point our assertive walk while still facing the lions, somehow changed direction and we ended up back in camp WITHOUT WATER!
“Where’s the water?”
“Those lions are right next to the water, are very aggressive and won’t give way.”
“No excuse, you guys backing off like that are teaching those lions bad manners. You can’t let them get away with it. Now you walk in there assertively and get that water!”
The ending to this story is best told in person around a similar Acacia fire on a cool evening in South Masailand. Let it suffice to say that the ‘old man’ was always right. The name of this ‘old man’ was Mzee Mika who played a pivotal role in defining and naming Dorobo Safaris and it’s philosophy.
Started in the early 80’s by 3 brothers who grew up in Tanzania; Mike, Thad & Daudi. 35 years later, Dorobo Safaris is still a small, family run and owned company with the second generation getting involved. Based in Tanzania, we offer a wide range of safari options – from luxurious National Park lodge trips, to rugged adventures on foot.
While the unique wildlife and wild places are the center of attention in Tanzania, Dorobo’s niche has from the beginning centered on providing source experiences, whether through serendipitous cultural encounters or rugged and remote wilderness experiences. Based on long-term mutually beneficial relationships with local people, we are able to offer a privileged opportunity to learn about cultures that dance to a different tune and to partake of a rich synergy of traditional and scientific knowledge as we walk with Maasai, Hadza and Dorobo who are still intimately connected to the earth. Core to the Dorobo experience is not only an understanding of these cultures, but also knowledge of the ecology and biodiversity of the environments one is in and the development and conservation issues these places and the world face.
Primary Contact Person
Joshua Peterson
Primary Contact Email
Primary Contact Phone
+255 686 117 350
Website
www.dorobosafaris.com
Address
P.O. Box 2534, Olasiti, Arusha, Tanzania
Company Phone
+255 684 343 342
Company Email