In this year of our 20th birthday, we invite you to feel closer to our people, the backbone and the lifeforce of Asilia. Through this series of short blogs, we’ll introduce a cross-section of our people for their reflections on Asilia over the years and their thoughts on things to come.
Charles Matara
The Tanzania Tour Guide Awards
Each year, a prestigious awards process takes place to recognise the very best safari guides in Tanzania. The Tanzania Tour Guide Awards acknowledge the excellence within this sector of the tourism industry, highlighting the individuals who are consistently pushing the boundaries of service to always deliver the highest quality experience possible. Over the years, the format of the judging process has evolved, bringing the event into the public sphere and seeking to involve the public in determining the winning guides. To accomplish this level of involvement, the format of the competition has moved into mainstream media, being filmed and broadcast over local television networks. Guides are assessed in the field under different categories, like walking, birding, game drives, and even storytelling. Different judges accompany different categories, and at all times a camera crew follows the action, listening to the conversations, capturing the expertise, and providing the public with insight into the skills and personalities of the competing guides. At the end of the series, once all guides have been assessed and all tasks have been completed, the public has the opportunity to vote, lending their voice to the final outcome and contributing 40% of the final score, before the awards show is broadcast live.
At the recent 2024 Tanzania Tour Guide Awards, we were made exceptionally proud of Charles Matara, a seasoned Asilia guide who bagged “Best Guide in Walking Safari”, “Best Guide in Birding”, and the coveted award for “Best Safari Guide of the Year”. This is an outstanding achievement and deserved recognition for the calibre of guiding that Charles offers. For Charles, it’s an important acknowledgement, and one that he hopes inspires others to pursue their passions. “These awards mean a lot. They prove that if you have passion in what you are doing and put the effort into it, great things are possible.”
The beginning
For Charles, it was perhaps inevitable that he would choose a career in the wilderness. His father was a game ranger, living within various national parks. From a young age, Charles was exposed to the wonders of the wilderness and the wildlife it holds. It was during his secondary school years that he first noticed the safari guides driving guests into the parks, and it was then that his interest in becoming a guide began to take hold. After secondary school, he went on to study at the wildlife college, before applying to Asilia towards the end of 2015. After the rigorous and extensive selection process from 300 applicants, Charles was accepted into the training program and was one of just eight who successfully completed the induction training to qualify as a Trainee Guide. His first station was at Kwihala Camp in Ruaha National Park, under the tutelage of Head Guide, Lorenzo Rossi.
“I got very lucky to be mentored by Lorenzo at that time, one of the greatest guides and trainers.” Charles Matara
In Tanzania, there is no formally recognised guide-training, nor grading, system. Training is, therefore, usually conducted in-house, which can result in varying standards of guiding proficiency. At Asilia, we have created a system that ensures all new guides start from the same level by beginning with an extensive foundation level course which covers a variety of different subjects including botany, entomology, geology, astronomy, guiding technique and the identification of birds and mammals. At the end of the course, the new recruits must pass both a written and a practical exam, to graduate as a “Trainee Guide”. For at least the next 6 months, the Trainee Guide will sit in the passenger seat of the safari vehicle, mentoring under a senior guide and learning about communication and other real-life requirements of the role. There are five guide categories within the program: Trainee Guide, Junior Guide, Field Guide, Senior Guide, and Master Guide. Progression to a new level requires increasingly intricate knowledge on multiple subjects, as well as practical knowledge on advanced first aid, advanced rifle handling, and the handling of dangerous game on foot. The journey from Trainee to Master can take over 10 years, as experience and knowledge need to be gained, practiced, and tested.
Charles excelled at Kwihala and was quickly recognised for his potential. He spent 4 years in Ruaha, predominantly at Kwihala where he rose to the rank of Head Guide, but he also spent a year as Head Guide at the then newly opened Jabali Ridge. He transitioned to Roho ya Selous in Nyerere National Park, serving as Head Guide for a season, before venturing north to Sayari Camp in the northern Serengeti, where he spent two years, again in the role of Head Guide. Over the last few years, Charles has been actively involved in guide training, assisting the company’s guide training team in both foundation level training as well as on-going mentorship.
Looking forward
Having spent 5 years guiding in the parks of southern Tanzania, it comes as no surprise that these are the parks that Charles most enjoys. While he refuses to name a favourite Tanzanian park, it is the style of guiding required in southern Tanzania that appeals to him. “In the southern parks, your senses are working harder to find the animals especially predators. You’ve got to listen for animal calls or the alarm calls of birds, follow tracks, observe the body language of other animals, and sometimes even use your nose. This is what makes the difference.”
After having spent 7 years working as an in-camp guide, Charles has decided to make the change to becoming a safari guide. For an in-camp guide, it is crucial to have excellent knowledge about the local surrounding area, but guests fly in and fly out again just a couple of days later, so time spent with them is short. A safari guide travels with the guests, driving them around a safari circuit, conducting game drives in multiple locations as well as the transfers between camps. A deep reservoir of knowledge is required to be a safari guide. For Charles, changing to a safari guide was the obvious next step in his career, allowing him the opportunity to share more of his knowledge with future guests. “I felt if I move to Safari Guide, I will have more time to host, entertain, and share my wildlife knowledge with guests, more than I would as an in-camp guide.”
As we congratulate Charles on his achievements, so too we congratulate the entire guide training team who constantly strive to ensure we are producing guides of the very highest calibre. The importance of a quality guide within a safari experience cannot be overstated, and we are proud to see our guides being recognised as the best of the best.
Your expertly guided Asilia safari adventure awaits.
