A MOTHER has revealed that she fell in love and moved 9,400 miles across to the world to marry her safari guide.
Lu Kombe, 40, was teaching English in Tanzania when she was asked if she wanted to join a three day safari trip at the end of her volunteering programme.
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She struck it off with her tour guide, Sam Kombe, 40, when she helped him put up the tents and the pair decided to stay in touch.
Lu felt a “spark” but was “cautious” as she was continuing her travels before returning home to Vancouver, Canada, and wasn’t sure she wanted to get into anything long distance.
But when she returned to Africa five months later the couple reunited and decided to give it a go.
Lu ended up moving to Tanzania to work on their safari company together and the pair tied the knot two years after meeting.
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Now they have two children – aged six and nine – and split their time between Canada and Africa.
Lu, who runs Safari Infinity, originally from Taiwan, said: “I went to go on safari and my husband happened to be the guide.
“I remember thinking how cool of a job it would be while we were driving through the Serengeti.
“When we met it felt like we’d known each other for a long time.
“The Serengeti will always hold a special place in our hearts.”
Meanwhile, Sam explained: “When Lu first came into my jeep for the safari, I had a good first impression.
“She was super friendly, chatty and a little clueless about wildlife (that would change later).
“And when we were setting up the tent, I remembered her offering to help me, and we got to chat a bit more.
“The long distance was hard, but I knew even then that was well worth our efforts. Flash forward a decade or so, we now run our businesses together and raising a family.
“I can’t ask for more and can’t picture a life without meeting my wife on a safari.”
There was a spark but I was cautious. It was very long distance
Lu Kombe
Lu decided to go on the volunteering trip after having “enough” of her desk job.
She went to Tanzania in June 2010 and got to go on safari at the end of her three-week volunteering placement.
The pair were friendly and professional while on safari but hit it off, as Lu acknowledged: “I remember we chatted. At the camp ground I offered to help him.”
Three days later, Sam was invited to a party and the pair said goodbye and stressed they would keep in touch.
Lu recognised: “There was a spark but I was cautious. It was very long distance.”
How easy is it to move abroad?
Brexit means British citizens now have to apply for visas to move to countries within the EU. While some countries residency restrictions are easier than others, here’s what you need to do at home before moving:
- Notify HMRC about your upcoming move.
- Let your local authority know and provide a forwarding address.
- Contact your mortgage and utility providers and bank before leaving.
- If you have paid enough UK national insurance contributions, you can qualify for a state pension abroad – contact the International Pension Centre.
- You can sign up to the Royal Mail’s redirection service.
- If you have outstanding student loans, contact the Student Loans Centre.
- If you have children, give due notice to childcares and schools.
However, Lu ended up doing another volunteering trip in December 2010 in Rwanda – and the two reunited, as she shared: “We could feel the connection. I got to know him – and his character.”
Lu was able to complete her thesis in policy for her masters in policy making Zanzibar.
She continued: “That’s when we were able to commit more.”
She helped Sam to start up his own business – which they now run together.
After finishing her masters, Lu got a job back in Canada at a mining company but after a year there she decided to move to Africa to do the business full time in 2012, to which Lu said: “Everything moved very fast.”
I did have a few people ask ‘how do you know this person is who he says he is?’. It was out of concern for me
Lu Kombe
The couple decided to make it official and had a ceremony in June 2012.
Lu beamed: “We just decided we were going to make it happen. We had a small ceremony in Tanzania. But we couldn’t get a visa to go to Canada.”
They then had a wedding in Taiwan in November 2012 and Lu’s family met him for the first time at their wedding – after only talking on Skype a few times beforehand.
She expressed: “I did have a few people ask ‘how do you know this person is who he says he is?’. It was out of concern for me.
“But the people who really know me know I’m a good judge of character and they were supportive.”
Relationships in numbers: The most common way to meet someone
YouGov looked into how Brits find love, and your best bet is at work or through friends according to the data.
- Through work – 18%
- Through friends – 18%
- While out and about – 15%
- Other – 11%
- Online dating platform – 7%
- University or higher education – 6%
- Dating app – 6%
- School – 5%
- Shared hobby – 5%
- Family – 3%
- Face to face at an event – 0%
The couple went on to have their daughter, nine, and son, six, and Lu has enjoyed learning about Sam’s culture and pace of life.
In February 2023, despite being officially married, Sam proposed to Lu with a new ring in their camp on a hill where they often see lions.
Lu revealed: “We had a traditional Maasai ceremony – blessing our marriage.”
Now the couple also run a glamping business – called Nyumbani – which is the Swahili word for ‘home’.
They say being partners in life and business helps them “appreciate” what they “each bring to the table,” as Lu concluded: “We balance each other out.
“Every time we go on safari I think about how we met.”
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