Each year Rick Thomson and Judi Wineland and their daughters, Nicole (13) and Erica (11), travel to Tanzania, their second home, to spend time in the Arusha office, explore new destinations, and revisit old favorites. What follows is an interview with them about their recent trip.

So, what's new and different?

Judi: The main difference this year was the fact that my father and brother and their spouses joined me and Rick and our two daughters for a two-week safari. This meant that for the first time in years, we actually experienced the true "rhythm" of a safari. We'd arise early for our morning game drive, spend hours watching wildlife, then return for a leisurely lunch with time for long chats with our staff. After lunch we could relax with a book or take a swim in the pool. Then we'd head out for more wildlife viewing, returning to camp for a sundowner cocktail before dinner. At night we'd gather round the campfire and share stories with each other, marvel at the constellations overhead or play games! This is actually what most people do on a safari but usually we're so busy running around doing site inspections, sorting out logistics and attending meetings, we haven't for years, experienced the rhythm of a safari in the way that our guests do. And I have to tell you it was pretty amazing!

Note: The Wineland-Thomson family then went on to spend a few more weeks, sorting out logistics, attending meetings, inspecting new accommodations and finally relaxing on the white sand beaches of Zanzibar before heading home.

A few of the new and different activities we enjoyed on our trip:

Canoeing on Lake Manyara

Walking along the Great Rift Valley escarpment

Snorkeling over the virgin coral reefs of the Chumbe Island Coral Park, an eco-reserve just southwest of Zanzibar's main island

What were the wildlife highlights?

Rick: Wow! Tough question - where to start?

One of the things that really struck me was the reaction of one ofour senior guides to witnessing a crocodile take a wildebeest in the Grumeti River. We came across a large herd of wildebeest amassed at the edge of the river. We watched for a time waiting to see if they would cross. After awhile, we decided to move on, and just as we were leaving the area, Mohamed passed with a group of our guests. They stayed to see what might happen. Well, what happened was something Mohamed hadn't seen in his 13 years of guiding safaris.

Right before his very eyes, an enormous croc rose up out of the water and grabbed a full grown wildebeest and wrestled it into the water, spinning over and over until the wildebeest had drowned. The frothy water turned red with blood. Later, as Mohamed was describing the scene to me, he said, "In all my years in the bush, I've never felt so frightened! My heart was pounding." He then added vehemently, "I never want to see that again!"

In fact, it's amazing how after 22 years of running safaris in Tanzania we always see something each trip that we've never seen before. And, the guides say the same. These guys spend 80 per cent of their lives, year in and year out in the bush, and still it's not uncommon for them to see something new each trip.

The front line of a large herd of giraffe in the Serengeti - the whole group was 4-5 times this many!

A lioness in Ngorongoro Crater sitting on the bonnet (hood) of a Land Rover, playing with the radio antenna just like an overgrown kitten might.

A beautiful crested crane walking along with her three babies. We asked our guides and no one had seen crested crane babies before.

A huge herd of giraffe - 40-50 of them in the Seronera region of the Serengeti. Sure, giraffe are plentiful, but they don't usually gather in such large numbers.

A tawny eagle chasing a sparrow-sized weaver bird, around and around through the air, twisting and turning, as the agile weaver desperately sought to escape its more powerful yet cumbersome foe. But eventually it tired and the raptor caught it in flight. They both tumbled to the ground in a flurry of feathers.

The wilderness in Tanzania is still full of surprises. It is immense and unpredictable and every single moment holds the promise of something new and exciting. This trip really reinforced in my mind what a remarkable place Tanzania is.

Judi: We didn't stay anywhere we hadn't been before. Each place is spectacular for different reasons. Tanzania just gets better and better. One of the great things about this trip for me was to see so many of our travelers along the way. We would stop and talk with our guests, have meals together, and on various occasions we were able to join them in their respective Classic Camps. From our U.S. office, I personally speak with many of our returning travelers, but there is something wonderful about sharing in the excitement of the safari experience as it is happening.

One morning a lone male giraffe sauntered through camp at the break of dawn, just as we were preparing to leave our tents for our early morning game drive. He passed within 20 feet from the line of tents, almost as if he were doing the morning wake-up call. Quite a few Thomson Safaris guests were in camp at the time and it was fun to relive the moment together later over breakfast. At another location, we all watched in awe as a herd of migrating wildebeest galloped right through the middle of camp.

Rick: What really impressed me was the fabulous service in our Classic Camps. Most of the guests we spoke with said the Private Classic Camp was their favorite accommodation. Each year the experience gets better, even when we think it's fine the way it is. In fact, this year, we noticed that our camp chefs have become so gourmet in their culinary offerings that we had to ask them to please remember to have simple food available for families with finicky eaters. Our own daughters prefer pasta to beef Wellington, and we know they aren't alone in their tastes. It's odd (and a bit ironic) how sometimes even positive improvement needs to be tweaked. I think one of the things that sets us apart as a safari company is the fact that we are so "hands on".

What was your most memorable "family" moment?

Judi: One of the great things about Tanzania is that there are still those wonderful moments that remind me how far from home I really am.

About two weeks into our trip, we were staying at the Sopa Lodge on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater. We were heading out for yet another full day of wildlife viewing, and our girls were groaning at the prospect of yet another boxed lunch. I took it upon myself to go to the manager to ask if there was any way to request if we could get something more "kid friendly" like peanut butter and jam sandwiches. (Tanzania produces some very tasty "old fashioned" style peanut butter). It took a while to convey the idea to him, as peanut butter and jam is definitely not a traditional Tanzanian combination. However, he was very patient with us and keen to assist. He then went to talk to the head chef and announced that it was no problem. The lodge staff really bent over backwards to please.

Later, after a visit to Olduvai Gorge, we were heading for the Serengeti when Erica, our youngest, decided she was hungry. She was thrilled to see the peanut butter and jam sandwich, and eagerly tucked into it. No sooner had she taken her first bite than I heard her cry, "YUCK!" The "jam" they used was Mango marmalade! The kids were not impressed. For us, it was a great reminder that despite our best efforts to make everything perfect, a sense of humor is still required.

Rick: We spent quite a bit of time in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti this year. We managed to hit it as the migration of wildebeest was full on. It was the tail end of the annual rut and there was a lot of action. It's really hard to predict where the wildebeest will be at any given time, and we felt fortunate that our timing worked out to be perfect. In past years we haven't been so lucky.

We are one of the few companies that will actually take our guests out into the Western Corridor for wildlife viewing when the conditions warrant it. It's a long drive and many companies impose restrictions on the mileage their staff can clock on any given safari. We have never done this. Our guides are free to take our travelers as far as they wish to ensure they have the best possible wildlife viewing experience.

Here's an account of an encounter between a crocodile and a wildebeest as witnessed by our guide Mohamed.

Are you going to make any changes to your safari programs as a result of your trip to Tanzania?

Judi: Actually, we were pleased to see how much our safari guests were enjoying themselves. Again and again we heard our travelers exclaiming that they were having the time of their lives, exceeding all expectations. The quality of the accommodations and meals gets better and better, and we're happy with the choices we have made for our trips.

The only change we are considering is to add an extra day in the Private Classic Camp on our Serengeti Wildlife Safari. Enough people told us that they would have liked to spend three nights in the Classic Camp that we are looking into it. There is something magical about being in the middle of the Serengeti in a small Private Classic Camp that is exclusively for Thomson Safaris guests. Sure it's a little more rustic than a lodge, but the Classic Camp is one of those experiences that can only be had in Africa.

Rick: Another benefit of the Classic Camp is the fact that mealtimes are flexible giving our guests the opportunity to plan their meals around wildlife viewing instead of the other way around. And you just can't beat the personalized service provided by our staff. For example: When you stay at a lodge and you are heading out for a full day of wildlife viewing, you are given a box lunch which is made up in advance in the kitchen. Everyone gets the same thing. In our Classic Camp, the cook puts out an array of foods buffet-style, and you choose what you want in your lunch box. It's a great way to make sure you have a lunch you can look forward to! Our kids were relieved to finally have a "proper" peanut butter and jam sandwich! Little things like this add up to make a surprisingly big difference.

Rick: I'd also like to mention that we have some new vehicles in our fleet. We recently purchased four stretch Land Rovers that seat seven passengers (with everyone in a window seat). These are perfect for large family groups. Our regular Land Rovers seat five. We customize our Land Rovers lowering the floor and adding more comfortable seats. This makes it easier to see out the windows. It may sound like a trivial detail, but after 10 days on safari, you'll be thankful that you haven't had to hunch over the whole time just to look out the window!

Judi: After 22 years in Tanzania, it is heartening to witness first-hand that we're still offering our safari guests an authentic safari experience of the highest quality. We're the best out there thanks to our incredible staff, both in Tanzania and in the U.S. office. And Tanzania as a destination continues to surprise and delight us. During our visit we were fortunate enough to meet with the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism as well as with officials from TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks). They are working hard to promote and improve conservation efforts in Tanzania. Responsible tourism is an important part of that effort and we are proud of the role we have played and continue to play to make a positive difference. Our commitment to Tanzania - its people, wildlife and wilderness - has never been stronger.