Dear Friend of Naples Zoo,

So you're thinking about Africa? Me, too. I've been thinking about it as long as I can remember. I first heard about Ngorongoro crater when I was four years old. I was not destined to see it myself for nearly four more decades. And when I did, I was not surprised to find tears in my eyes. I can't wait to be there again.

As the son of zoo founders Larry and Nancy Jane Tetzlaff, a.k.a. Jungle Larry and Safari Jane, I grew up surrounded by lions and leopards, alligators and apes, tigers and toucans. Yet as extraordinary as my childhood was and as fulfilling as my career has been, there is something different about setting your own feet in a place like Africa.

If you are able to travel with me to these wild places, it's an experience that will truly change you - whether you're a nature enthusiast or not. There's truly something wondrous about being with these creatures in their native lands.

Our 2013 Classic Safari to Kenya and Tanzania will represent just my third trip to the African continent. Over recent years, I've spent days in waterhole viewing blinds and following Kalahari bushmen trackers in Namibia's northern lands as well as very different experiences like the guided game drives and elegant accommodations we'll enjoy together in East Africa.

So while there's much that's familiar to me, I'll be as thrilled as you are to scan the Serengeti for giraffes and glad to share the difference between a Grants and Thompsons gazelle and even practice a few words of Swahili with you. And I'll be clicking away on the camera like you when we see our first lion - and especially our first leopard.

We'll even meet a few months prior to departure at a group gathering at the Zoo to go over everything you'll want to know about traveling to Africa. Some of the nicest accommodations I've ever enjoyed have been while in Africa. And even on all day game drives, there are scheduled restroom stops every two to three hours. And let me put your mind at ease that even the tent camps offer beautiful showers, flush toilets, a vanity, and comfortable, real beds right in your own tent. That said, we're in Africa so there will be fun moments of adventure to share with your friends back home as well.

Best of all for me and you, we have Tauck's professional guides. They insure accommodations and daily arrangements are in order so we can enjoy the time together. I look forward to sharing stories and comparing experiences and photos after each day's activities over dinner and drinks. You'll also be working with my friends at AAA Travel who've been our local connection to Tauck for all our safaris and make sure your travel to and from Africa is the best it can be.

Best wishes,

Tim L. Tetzlaff (BIO)
Director of Conservation
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens