Bio

Canadian born Leslie Nevison and her husband of 30 years are committed travelers. They first went overseas to live in 1990. They have since called nine countries home – Turkey, the Sultanate of Oman, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Greece, Tanzania, Congo-Brazzaville, Zambia and Gabon. Leslie has traveled through another thirty countries worldwide. In 2005, she started Mama Tembo Tours Inc. When Leslie isn’t traveling, she enjoys writing. She has written over 40 travel articles for publication.

The Mama Tembo Story

In 2000, my husband and I moved to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I knew exactly how I would spend the next three years. In the 18-year-old jalopy christened Mama Tembo - or Mother Elephant in Kiswahili - I undertook a time-honored East African tradition - I went on safari, clocking up thousands of dusty kilometers around the country in all, and often ending up where, if I got stuck or broke down, vultures were more likely to come along before another vehicle. 

In time, the names of the old vehicle and owner merged and I began to hear "Welcome again, Mama Tembo." "Mama Tembo, your tent is ready." My nickname paid me a great compliment, but it also inferred a burden of responsibility, for the matriarch of the elephant herd is vital to its protection and welfare. Anxiously awaiting my return to Dar es Salaam was my inherited Tanzanian family - housekeeper Mummy, gardener Francis, and security guard Ben, and their wives, children, and relatives. They taught me all about Tanzania without my ever needing to leave home.

Logo version 1.0