Meet A Female African Safari Guide Driver
One of the interesting things about my first ever African safari was that my guide and driver was a woman. Not that I didn’t think a woman would be able to do this role since I’ve had great ski instructors, scuba divemasters/instructors, dentists and other health professionals as well as financial professionals help me. But what really stands out here is that Leo Bambe from Safari By Leo is one of only about 25 safari guide/drivers out of 3,000 tourist guides in all of Tanzania. So the African safari guide and driver field is still a very male dominated one.
The Google and Tripadvisor reviews on Safari By Leo confirmed that Leo was more than capable as a safari guide and driver. On my very first safari game drive day, I realized that Leo was not only extremely knowledgeable about safari wildlife (and be able to spot them), but she can safely take us through any of the rough terrain out there in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro bush. The roads and pathways here are some of the bumpiest I’ve ever been on and the fact that she can get us through in a standard shift Land Rover safari vehicle puts most drivers in Canada, male and female, to shame.
Here’s a fun video to show a day in the life of a female African safari guide and driver.
As another way for all readers here to get to know more about Leo, I decided to conduct a video interview with her while we were out in the Serengeti. Here it is below.
It was quite evident that Leo, now a safari veteran with over ten years field experience out in the Serengeti, is well respected among her professional community with the many brief chats she had with other safari guide drivers (whom all but one during the entire week were male) while in the field sharing intel on wildlife sightings.
I hope you enjoy this interview with Leo as well as the first video above. If you are planning to go to Tanzania someday for a safari and/or a cultural tour, check out Safari By Leo.
Here’s a quick bonus video short as Leo helps me to pronounce Tanzania the correct way.
