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Bush2beach Crew

Preparing for your safari you’ll have met, or at least emailed with our safari consultants and it is their knowledge of Tanzania’s untamed bush and white sand beaches that make our adventures so special.

From the moment you decide upon your adventure, the operations team kicks in. There’s our Arusha office, our driver/guides, mountain and camp crews, cooks and ever important logistics crews, all combining forces to make your adventure the adventure of a life-time.

Let us introduce ourselves a little…

Crewmembers

• Chris Pilley - Company Director

  

  Born in Jersey, Channel Islands. Surrounded by merging oceans, grew up with nature and adventure in his blood, a member of the Young Ornithologist club at the age of 10years old, and with that continued into his teens exploring and experience what the great outdoors had to offer.

  World traveler, involved in many areas of tourism for the last 15 years. Experienced bush walker, guided several disabled groups up Mt. Kilimanjaro one being a world record taking an epic 21 day climb through arrow glacier. Dive master, having the pleasure to guide fellow divers through the crystal blue waters of Thailand and Honduras also involved in the removal of alien star fish and sea urchins to re-establishment of macro systus seaweed forests in Tasmania, Australia. Several back to back snow boarding season working as a snow board instructor opening up the powder slopes for those who wanted to free ride!!, loves wide open spaces, extreme mountainous areas and wild windswept coastlines where he feels most at home…

  Arrived in Tanzania back in 2000, he now takes a great pleasure in showing everyone what he has discovered with the custom made adventure safaris that Bush 2 Beach Safaris design and arrange.

• Ingrid Vaes - Company Director

  

  Ingrid first came to East Africa as a volunteer back in 2000 when she was involved in a community development program setting up a drip irrigation program for the local community. It was there she fell in love with the people and the land and moved to Tanzania where she set down her roots and joined the B2B team in 2006.

  From there on Ingrid has streamlined all aspects of operations to be the well tuned professional company that has risen through the ranks as one of the leading adventure specialist in Tanzania to date.

  If Ingrid is not in the office creating ultimate adventures she’ll be in the bush living them…

• Wilfred Onyoni - Director

  

  Wilfred Onyoni joined Bush2Beach a few years back although involved and assisting the B2B team since we started back in 2004!! Wilfred (AKA Willy) has been involved in Tourism in Kenya and Tanzania for some 20years. Wilfred handles all logistics for B2B climbs of Mt Meru and Kilimanjaro, ensuring that our Kili teams are ready to undertake and look after your every need whilst tackling the highest free standing mountain in the world, Willy will be there on familiarization climbing briefs and thereafter when you return to the gate for a well earned champagne hot lunch.  Willy also promotes and trains mountain guides and safari camp managers  in the use of emergency medical oxygen. 

  Willy, when you can get him off of one of his phones has a great friendly personality with endless stories to share about tourism in Tanzania along with a whole library of personal life experiences which need a dancing camp fire and a good single malt to loosen his tongue up a bit…a great team player and a pleasure to have on board bringing the Bush2Beach safari experience to that level of professionalism that you would expect it to be!!

• Simon Kimaro - Driver guide

  

  Original from Mtu wa Mbu – were is family still lives today farming on the fertile soils that surround the “Great Rift Valley” – spent his younger days growing up on the foothills of Kilimanjaro’s Machame area coming from Wa-Chaga tribe. Passionate about wildlife and the Tanzania bush, he has been a professional driver guide for years.

  Simon is cool, calm and collected in everyway and his reputation as a great guide is unstated title but seems fitting with the amount of repeat clients that ask for him time and time again. Whilst Simon is not in the field he continues to play an important roll in training younger drivers sharing his knowledge, experience and ensuring that the vehicle fleet is kept in tip top order to handle the rough conditions that the Tanzanian bush holds.

  Simon finally tied the knot in 2009 and became the proud father of two children and  he enjoys keeping his finger on the pulse of Tanzania politics.

  "Just want to let you know we returned home safely, and to thank you again for a great trip. Not sure if we conveyed this adequately but Simon was really fantastic throughout, a perfect guide for us; quiet and relaxed but confident, capable, and engaged. He was also awesome with the kids and will make a great dad:)"

• John Longino - Driver Guide

  

  A senior guide Bush 2 Beach is fortunate to now have working in the B2B Team. I have known John for around 8 years but try nailing the guy down!! Now that is not an easy task. After a big gap in not meeting or learning of John’s whereabouts we met in passing around 2 years ago, I learnt then that the 4 years absence was due to him driving and guiding clients in and out of Tanzania with large amounts of time spent in the Kenyan National Parks.

  John is the most senior driver we have and he is still a young man in his early 40’s – Johns 25 years of driving and guiding clients throughout East Africa has brought him to an elite class of professional driver guides that’s shines out without effort when heading out into the national parks. Another great asset that John has behind him is that before he became a driver guide he was a mechanic for 5 years, he has the ability to fix a car with what the bush has to offer in order for him to make it back to the nearest town to complete the repair.

  Johns humor is great and his personality light with a uncanny understanding of English, he may be quiet at times but he is following every word that is being said and will come back in on the conversation on the punch line. John is married with x 2 children, his daughter is 17 years and his son is 10 years old, he lives on the outskirts of Arusha originally coming from Shinyanga region and the Gold mining town of Kahama.

  John's qualities have not gone un-noticed; he was recently elected one of the 'Top Safari Guides" in Tanzania!

• Edwin Lyanga - Driver Guide

  

  With us for many seasons already, Edwin Ernest Lyanga is an experienced driver/guide, born in Morogoro. He grew up in the Singida region before coming to Arusha, where he not only obtained a number of diplomas in tourism but also, in 2009, became the proud father of Brian.

  Edwin knows the Serengeti inside out thanks to his 4+ years of work there for Serengeti Baloon Safaris and also spent some very enjoyable time working in the Selous Game Reserve, before ending up at Bush2Beach back in 2008.  He can spot wild-life as easily as he can chat with you in English, Swahili, Nyaturu and Nyiramba and can just about handle himself in Spanish as well.

  Outside of work he enjoys European soccer, Bongo Flava (Tanzanian Hip Hop) and the great outdoors, and one of his ambitions is to one day summit the great Mount Kilimanjaro.

  Edwin's dedication over the years has earned him a place in the 'Top Safari Guides" in Tanzania!

• Charles Kessy - Driver guide

  

  Perhaps at first impressions one would say a softly spoken, quiet guy, hiding a smiling face as best he can under a peaked cap and the latest designer sun glasses. However the feedback that filters through to us in the office through client reviews is quite the contrary and he gets 5 stars in every department, including his ability to explain in Spanish and impeccable English the ins and outs of Tanzanian wildlife and habitats.

  Charles was born back in 1976 on the fertile slopes of Kilimanjaro. Marangu being home to the Chagga tribes, his siblings consist of 3 brothers and 2 sisters with Charles falling somewhere in the middle of it all.

  His parents were farmers and when school was over it was expected for all children to help out with choirs around their small farm. They grew beans and maize for personal consumption and tendered to a small heard of life stock consisting of cows, goats and sheep.

  It would not be till many years later that Charles would discover his passion for wildlife and the urge to discover more about his own country. At the age of four, Charles family decided to pick up anchor and move through to Arusha, where they built up a property and continued with farming whilst the kids dove further into primary level education later attending an English medium secondary school close by. Charles was keen on football playing in right defense for the first team at the school. He laughed when telling his tale – that at around the age of 14yrs through to 18yrs he had a desire to become an actor and was hooked to action movies and figures to the likes of Chuck Norris, Rambo and Bruce Lee. With friends and in true Rocky style he trained with weights and kick bags in a make shift backyard gym till education came knocking again and whisked Charles off to the Maasai area of Monduli where he spent 2 years at Sokoine boarding school.

  It was here that he would get his first taste of the National parks and wildlife with a few school field trips.

  It seemed after his time in Monduli the path in life was set as he continued with a Wildlife management course at the Tropical centre back in Arusha leaving after an intensive year long course with a Diploma. He was fortunate in finding a job that would give him some experience working with foreign travelers at a local NGO furthering his skills as a guide with more trips into the National parks but mainly to Maasai communities where the NGO focus was set.

  Charles knew to stand the best chance of securing the right guiding job he would need to return to school as to shine out from the many young driver guides out there. He patiently went back to college for another year where he honed his language skills and learnt to Habla in Spanish. Charles did succeed to work as a freelance guide for many companies from 2003 up till 2006 before we would learn about this talented young man through his 1st cousin who worked for an aviation company, putting the good word in for him to us. As B2B was also growing we could not employ Charles full time and even struggled in the low season to give him trips, but we are happy to say for both parties things have changed over the years and Charles has become a regular B2B team player further joining fellow B2B drivers for a month long stint in Lake Manyara attending an intensive FGSA (Federation of Guiding Sothern Africa) no small investment for anyone but proves Charles dedication in being the best he possible can and sharing that knowledge with foreign visitors.

  His interest and hobbies outside of guiding are few as they all steer back to wildlife but he does have an interest in travel both in Africa and abroad and a few destinations on his hit list are the Amazon!!

  I wander why J and his last closing thought was Jamaica…I know the reason on this one as he loves zee reggae tunes….

• Daniel Sarumbo - Driver guide

  

  Daniel Sarumbo’s smiling face and larger than life personality began to make an appearance in and around the B2B team back in 2013. With every passing season he has guided more and more of Bush2Beaches Tanzanian Wildlife safaris with professionalism and a charisma that goes hand in hand with his character and joyful humorous mannerisms!

  Daniel was born in the Kilimanjaro Mwanga district where he undertook all his schooling before coming through to Arusha in 1998 to begin his long history in advanced education in varying fields that led him into tourism. He currently lives in the fertile slopes of Mt. Meru with his wife and 2 children.    

  Daniel will go out of his way to insure that all safari goers that have the pleasure to spend a week or two in his company leave with far greater impression of not only some of the finest wildlife that the Tanzania National parks have to boast but a deeper understanding of the country, people and land that he has taken upon himself to share some of Tanzania’s greatest secrets with all of those interested.  Daniel takes his guiding job seriously with a background in motor mechanics and stint in a gold mine for safety training. There after he took a course in medical first aid and these background skills are without the years when he dove head first into wildlife management and guide training. With over 10 years guiding experience under his belt it is a pleasure to have Daniel as a fully fledge member of the elite B2B driver guide team.

  Not to be out-done by John and Edwin, Daniel has earned his own spot in the Top Safari Guides of Tanzania! 

• Annie Porter - Sales and Operations

  

  We all know how fast time flies and it seems the older we get the quicker the months flow!!  The passing of time is certainly the case with Annie who joined the Bush2Beach team back in 2016 and although many of B2B clientele have met her upon arrival and she has customized a trilogy of safari, beach, climbing holidays!! It dawned on us she has never had a formal introduction!!

  Well to put things right before 2018 flips another calendar month a short paragraph as to the lady behind the flat screen and always on the other end of a mouse – A short story about Annie.  

  Her arrival to Tanzania back in 2001 was not by chance as she came to finalize her Masters in “Primate Conservation” to study Dwarf Bushbabies (Galagos) in a forest reserve on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. She continued with her studies and passion for Primatology later on the tropical island of Zanzibar, volunteering at Jozani Forest Reserve which is home to the Zanzibar red colobus monkey.  In 2003 she took her passion of wildlife and forest ecosystems to the next level with a career that found her managing operations and sales for a safari outfitter with a year break from office life in the wilds of Maasai Mara managing a luxury tented camp.  Her own knowledge of wildlife  and passion for photography has drawn her back to the bush that surrounds us here in Tanzania time and time again which naturally gives her the understanding and flair for safari planning and logistics with over 17 years’ experience behind her.   

  Annie and her husband Gary in their free time love adventure travel, hiking, running and simply being in the great outdoors. To work in the safari industry we all say it’s not a job but a passion and with the story of Annie now told I’m sure you understand a little more about the lady behind the flat screen when you next click “send”

• Chacha - Operations and stores

  

  One of the ingredients of the success of our Mobile Fly-Camps and Permanent Tented Camps, is our dedicated camp crew, who’s only wish is to make your bush experience unforgettable.

  Whilst you are out on a game drive or walking safari, he’ll be setting up tents, prepare your kerosene lamps for the twilight  and put together a luxury dinner. You return after several hours to a full set camp and delicious refreshments – hot water is being prepared for you to enjoy a bush shower and your sleeping tents awaits, cool and large enough for you to relax with reflections of your days game activities.

  It is perhaps easy to overlook the organisation and dedication that goes into such an experience, but it would not have been possible without the work of Chacha.