Nigel Theisen
With over 30 years of guiding in Southern and Eastern Africa, Nigel Theisen brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to any type of safari today.
Beginning his career in Zimbabwe, in the early 1980’s and after several years of guiding there, his desire for new experiences took him northwards to the more traditional game grounds of East Africa. After spending 26 seasons with reputable companies in Tanzania and Uganda, he has now returned to concentrate in his home country.
A staunch believer in ethical and sustainable wildlife utilisation, Nigel is fortunate to have been able to handpick the concessions and companies with whom he has operated, and continues to do so, for the maximum enjoyment, experience and value for his esteemed clients.
Nigel on the origins of SAFARI5:
"Before satellite communication and smart phones, it used to be that our only form of communication while in the bush was through HF (High Frequency) radios. From the early nineties I spent 17 seasons hunting with a well known safari company, between the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania and their concessions on the Maasai Steppe in northern Tanzania.
On the evening call-in schedule, our radio call signs all began with safari followed by a designated camp number. Often, especially on the longer hunts, we would leave the base camp for a week or two at a time, to go on “fly camp”, carrying whatever camping equipment and staff would fit onto our Land Cruisers.
Invariably this would take us into very remote areas that would afford better hunting opportunities or in search of specific species of game. The Rufiji River in the Selous Game Reserve was a favourite destination for Lion, Leopard, Croc, Hippo and incredible Tiger fishing. Kitiangare, Nabarera and Landanai south of Mt Kilimanjaro in Masaailand, offered good Leopard, Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu and Gazelle hunting.
It was on these many occasions that I would use my own HF radio to keep in contact with safari1, our headquarters back in Dar es Salaam. My call sign, on these occasions, became safari5, which is the name of my safari company today."