MARA: FOUR Swiss tourists who were involved in a safari vehicle incident near the Mara River in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park have expressed satisfaction with the overall services they received during their trip, praising the organisation, coordination of transportation and the support provided to them before and after the incident. The tourists, who were on … The post Swiss Tourists praise Tanzania safari services, Serengeti National Park appeared first on Daily News .
MARA: FOUR Swiss tourists who were involved in a safari vehicle incident near the Mara River in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park have expressed satisfaction with the overall services they received during their trip, praising the organisation, coordination of transportation and the support provided to them before and after the incident.
The tourists, who were on the final days of an eight-day Northern Tanzania safari, said their experience with Nature Responsible remained largely positive despite an accident that occurred on August 30 at the Kogatende wildebeest crossing.
All four tourists and their Tanzanian guide escaped safely after the safari vehicle unexpectedly began rolling while positioned near the crossing point. The visitors later continued with their holiday in Zanzibar.
In their joint account, the Swiss travellers said they were particularly satisfied with the way their safari arrangements were coordinated, including transport and communication throughout the trip.
“From the beginning until the end, we were extremely happy with the company and felt very well looked after,” they said.
They added that the company’s response following the incident strengthened their confidence in the services they had received.
“After the incident as well, Nature Responsible supported us a lot, stayed in contact with us and made sure that everybody was doing well,” they said.
The tourists said the incident itself was frightening, but maintained that their experience did not support suggestions that the driver had been reckless or rushing towards the river to obtain a better view of the wildebeest migration.
According to the visitors, their guide had throughout the safari demonstrated a cautious and respectful approach to driving and wildlife viewing.
“Throughout our entire safari he was never someone who rushed to get the best position,” they said. “He was always very careful when approaching animals and viewpoints, drove slowly and respectfully, and was considerate of the environment and the other safari vehicles.”
The tourists said their vehicle had initially stopped behind other safari vehicles as they waited for wildebeest to begin crossing the Mara River.
They said they already had a good view before another guide suggested that their vehicle move slightly to improve its position.
Their guide subsequently moved a short distance and stopped.
It was shortly after the vehicle had stopped, the tourists said, that they felt an unexpected movement.
One of the passengers described feeling a small jolt before the vehicle began rolling downhill.
“To me, it felt almost as if something that had been holding the vehicle had suddenly released,” the tourist said, while stressing that he could not determine what caused the movement or whether it was related to the vehicle’s braking system.
As the vehicle continued to roll, the passengers shouted at the guide to stop.
“I was standing directly behind our guide and had a clear view of him trying to stop the vehicle,” the tourist said.
“From what I could see, he was pressing very hard with his foot on what I believe was the brake pedal and was clearly trying to stop the car, but the vehicle continued rolling.”
The passengers eventually decided to leave the vehicle.
One tourist opened the door and jumped out, while two others escaped through a window before the fourth passenger also got out.
The guide managed to exit safely as well.
None of the four tourists suffered serious injuries.
The visitors have deliberately refrained from speculating on the technical cause of the incident, saying it should be established through the appropriate investigation.
“We cannot say what exactly happened mechanically or why the vehicle could no longer be stopped,” they said.
“We do not want to speculate about the technical cause or responsibility while this is still being investigated.”
However, they rejected suggestions that their guide had been driving irresponsibly.
“At no point during this situation did I observe him driving recklessly, rushing to get a better position or deliberately trying to get too close to the river. Quite the opposite.”
The tourists also expressed disappointment over some early reports and speculation surrounding the incident, saying some accounts did not correspond with what they personally witnessed.
“We were surprised and disappointed to see information and speculation being reported that did not correspond with what we personally experienced,” they said.
“We believe it is important that the facts are established properly and that our firsthand experience is also taken into consideration.”
Company puts safety first
Nature Responsible CEO Fransisca Masika said the company would not speculate about the cause of the incident before investigations are completed.
“Our first responsibility is always the safety and wellbeing of our guests and our team,” Masika said. “We are profoundly grateful that all four guests and our guide escaped safely.”
She said the company would cooperate fully with relevant authorities while continuing to support the tourists and the guide involved.
“We have listened carefully to our guests’ firsthand account, and we respect their decision not to speculate about the technical cause of what happened,” Masika said.
“We will take the same responsible approach. The relevant authorities must be allowed to establish the facts.”
Masika added that the company would review its safety and operational procedures and introduce improvements where necessary.
The tourists said the manner in which the company handled the situation had been reassuring.
They said their overall assessment of Nature Responsible remained positive and that they did not blame the company for the incident based on their personal experience.
“Based on our personal experience, we do not blame Nature Responsible for what happened,” they said.
Founded in 2012 by Masika, Nature Responsible is a Tanzanian-owned safari company based in Arusha, offering personalised safari experiences across Tanzania and East Africa.
The company’s operations include wildlife tourism, conservation, community engagement and responsible travel, with safari arrangements involving coordination of transport, guides and other services for visitors.
The Kogatende incident occurred during the final stage of what the tourists described as an otherwise highly satisfying Northern Tanzania safari.
The four Swiss travellers have since travelled to Zanzibar and said they are doing well.
While investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident continue, the visitors said their confidence in the company had not been diminished.
Their final assessment was unequivocal:
“If we were planning another safari in Tanzania tomorrow, we would have no hesitation in travelling with Nature Responsible again.”
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