Author: Michael

Quote of the Week: Janice and Cal Weisberger

Safari, the word conjures visions of Tarzan and Ramar of the Jungle. We had always wanted to go to Africa to see the wild spaces. We did copious research and chose ADS because of superb reviews and word of mouth from friends who’d travelled with ADS. We were not disappointed. We are experienced travelers and have not been treated better on any of our many trips overseas. We were met promptly at JRO and helped through the visa process. We were off to our hotel in good time.

The next morning we were met by our guide at Kogatende airport and within minutes of beginning our game drive had already seen many different species and a wildebeest crossing of the Mara River. The days only got better from there.  The daily game drives constantly produced new adventures. We were amazed how quickly we came to be used to wildebeest, zebra and giraffe around us. We never ceased to be excited by the great cats. Lions, leopard and cheetah always held our attention. The realities of life and death for the animals of the Serengeti became clear to us. We wondered at how the elephants and other species came together to protect their young. We watched a small herd of Thomson’s gazelles protect itself from a nocturnal prowling leopard. This was on our evening game drive from Buffalo Springs.  The power, grace and determination of the leopard had us in awe.

The accommodations at all our venues were excellent. We took a break from tent camps at Bilila Lodge and were amazed at the level of luxury in the bush this provided. The tent camps were fantastic especially Swala at the end of a long drive in Tarangire.

Our safari with ADS ranks with the best travel experiences we’ve had. We would certainly choose to travel with ADS again. The service at all periods of our planning and actual trip was superb. The people of Tanzania were warm and friendly and great hosts. Thank you ADS and Asante Sana to all the folks of ADS and the Tanzanian people for giving us one of the great experiences of our traveling lives.

Janice and Cal Weisberger
Santa Monica, California
September 2011

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Our Safari Feedback

Below is our african safari feedback, now that we have had time to reflect. I also attached a few pictures from the 1,200 I took. Dean had better equipment and may provide you with a better sampling. I did take a few hours of video and am in the process of editing it and will forward 2 copies when completed (via regular mail) I for you and one for Engelbert.

Overall:
Overall, we expected the trip of a lifetime and we got it. I have told everyone, this was the best trip ever and if they ever go, African Dream Safaris is the way to go. I have no complaints about anything. Even the unexpected was handled well. I have awesome pictures and video to help me remember the trip. I saw much more than expected and felt safe and secure the entire time.

Prior to leaving:
All the information your sent was very helpful. The booklet was good at getting us prepared. Your follow up was good, not too much, but enough to keep us engaged. We didn’t know whay to expect and you gave us what we needed to know to prepare.

Once we arrived:
We were met, as promised, at the airport and taken care of to get through the line and visa process. The people handling us through this process and transportation to the hotel were very nice and helped us get comfortable with our very different surroundings. The young woman who spoke with us and gave us the phone etc. ( I can’t remember her name). was very nice and informative. To improve the experience the young woman could speak a bit louder. She was soft spoken so it was difficult to hear in the back of the vehicle, sometimes in the front as well. I offer this as an improvement opportunity not a complaint. They were all very nice and helpful and very patient answering our incessant questions.

The Hotel arrival and Departure:
VERY VERY nice. The rooms were much better than expected. The food at the Hotel was good. Had we had more time to stay there, I might have more feedback. I did use the business office a bit. Everything was very nice. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Engelbert:
You have a very dedicated employee, who enjoys working for Africa Dream Safaris and tells his clients he likes it and why. He was an excellent guide, way above expectations. He worked hard on our Safari. We left before dawn each day so we could be in the bush at dawn. We usually returned to the lodge at dusk. While this gave us excellent wildlife viewing and some spectacular pictures, Engelebert had a lot of long days. Every morning we would have a clean vehicle to ride in, so we know he worked on the vehicle after he dropped us off. I think we only ate breakfast at the lodge the last day and we never ate lunch at our lodge. Additional work for Englebert, arranging and packing our meals and cleaning the vehicle afterward.

He was very patient. I had some gastro – intestinal difficulties throughout the safari and his patience for my numerous “happy bush” stops was much appreciated. He was always very careful to make sure the “happy bush” was safe. Early in the safari, he was so patient as we looked at wildlife he knew we would be seeing the entire trip. While he would subtly prompt us to move on, he never pushed us and let us learn at our own pace. He tried to give us a lot of detail on the wildlife and had books for us for reference, He quickly learned what we wanted and patiently helped us find it.

I am convinced, Engelbert was a major reason our safari was so spectacular. He has knowledge of the wildlife and what they are going to do. He couples that with an eye for photography. So while he might stop somewhere and we think we should go closer, Engelbert would explain why were parked were we did and sure enough we would get some excellent viewing and excellent shots of all kind of wildlife. He shared his knowledge with us and patiently answered our never ending questions. Engelbert had an easy going way of sharing the knowledge that made us feel comfortable. We felt more like friends with him than him being our guide. He was our expert friend and he made us feel that way and provided us the comfort to ask him anything. Spending 12-14 hours day together could have been a challenge, Engelbert made it a pleasure. He always had everything we needed/wanted and made us confortable every step of the way.

Lodging/food on Safari:
The lodges in the bush in order of preference are: 1 Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge, 2 Serena Lodge, 3 Ngorongoro Crater, 4 Kikoti Tented lodge. Mbuzi Mawe had the friendliest staff and excellent food the rooms were good as well. Serena had a wonderful view on the veranda where we sipped cocktails and watched the sunsets and listen to the wildlife. Food was good, Ngorongo was like a hotel but the dining was excellent.

Transportation on Safari:
The vehicle was excellent, clean and as comfortable as we could expect. We had plenty of room and excellent visibility. The cooler had plenty of water, juice and was cold. We didn’ thirst. Englebert brought snacks for us between meals as well. We bounced around quiet a bit but enjoyed every minute. It was amazing to us how Englebert could stay on the road while, looking in tree for leopards, the bush for wildlife and the road for animal tracks.

Michael and Terry Kniola
Dean and Patricia Manke
North Bethesda, Maryland
July 2011

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Quote of the Week: Jack and Diane Collin

I can’t begin to tell you how much we enjoyed our trip.  Everything Africa Dream did was top notch.  We could not have been happier.  Every person we came into contact with was exceptional.  We loved our guide and dubbed him the #1 Guide which became a big thing in the guide camp for him. He was fantastic.

We saw everything and more than expected.  I thank you again for all the hard work.  The accommodations were all spectacular and far exceeded our expectations.  The Kempinski Hotel was great and that was documented by the fact that we were sharing it with Hillary Clinton the night we were there.  I will have no problem highly recommending your company to anyone thinking about a trip to Africa.

Thanks again

Jack and Diane Collin and Thomas and Bonnie Williamson

July 2011

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Quote of the Week: Joan Salm and Family

We can’t believe it’s over! What an incredible experience we had on our Africa Dream Safari – it truly was a dream come true. We are a recently retired couple who went on safari with our 16-year-old grandson. From the moment we landed in Kilimanjaro to our departure 12 days later, we were taken care of and every need was met with grace and kindness.

The next morning our flight to Kogatende gave us our first view of this unique part of the world. We landed and met our guide/driver/soon-to-be-friend and we were off on our first game drive. We were totally transported and rapidly in synch with this wondrous place. We gasped and were awed with what we saw our first day. Our driver/guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about everything we were seeing: animals, of course, and plants, trees, birds (oh what a variety of incredible birds) and history.

We could hardly believe what we were seeing that first day near the Mara River: hippos, gorgeous giraffes, wart hogs, thousands of twitchy Thomson gazelles, those crazy wildebeests, zebras, crocs, elephants and 3 cheetahs. We had our box lunch in the car under a tree with four lions … can you believe it! We just felt so privileged to be seeing this magnificent place with our own eyes. Everyday was a new … we were happily on the go every minute we could be to see and photograph as much as possible and we were rewarded time and time again.

On our third day in the bush we were invited to witness a Masai ceremony in Loliondo. This was truly an honor and a wonderful opportunity to have a glimpse of what is important to these beautiful people. The occasion was the elevation of a new generation (age set) of warriors. These young men came to this boma (circle village) from miles around to this “graduation” ceremony as they had come of age and had proven their bravery. There were around 100 of these men all very proud and decorated with red color in their hair and unusual hair arrangements and many big smiles.

We are particularly glad that we chose ADS because of their commitment to supporting many of the conservation efforts in Tanzania and are especially pleased that some of cost of our trip goes toward these programs to help preserve these precious places forever.

Joan Salm and Family
July 2011

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Poli Village School

Poli is a traditional Tanzanian village within the Usa River (pronounced “Oosa”) district and is close in proximity to the local offices of Africa Dream Safaris. Support and sponsorship by Africa Dream Safaris helps Poli Village provide an invaluable education for the over 300 young children that call Poli their home.

The power of a good education offers real hope to elevate these children and their families above circumstances of poverty. The children here are eager to learn, but the dedicated teachers at the Poli village primary school must work long, tiring hours in over-crowded classrooms and with limited supplies. Through community work and donations of cash and supplies, we at Africa Dream Safaris hope to provide the fundamental resources to ensure that each student has the tools and resources to develop to their full potential.

Many of our guests are extremely moved by their experience in Africa, not only by the beautiful natural resources but also the graciousness of the culture. Generally speaking Tanzanian people are bright, eager to learn and inherently happy, even in circumstances of extreme poverty. A consistently reoccurring question from returning clients is how to “give back” and make a tangible difference in the lives of real Tanzanian people. Herein lies just such an opportunity, and we invite you to participate if you feel called to do so as Poli Village is still in dire need for adequate supplies to support their school. Some items you may wish to consider bringing with you to Africa include pens, crayons, exercise books, composition/spiral books, small back packs, coloring books, colored markers, chalk, chalk board, age appropriate novels, and rulers.

If you bring school supplies with you, we recommend distributing them among your regular clothes and luggage to reduce the change of being asked by Customs to pay duty. Alternatively you may wish to donate towards the purchase of curriculum specific materials or classroom items such an overhead projector. You can rest assured that Africa Dream Safaris takes great care in making sure your gift is put directly to work right here in the village. Regardless, please see below for a description of our Poli Village excursion, which can be conducted with an Arusha layover or on the last day of your safari if departing on the late night KLM flight. ADS will donate $30 per person directly to the Poli Village primary school for every guest conducting the Poli village tour described below.

Available only to Africa Dream Safaris clients, our Poli Village excursion takes you to a traditional village in Arusha. For guests who wish to visit a non-touristy village and learn more about the culture and life of most Tanzanians, this 2-hour excursion to the nearby village of Poli will be a highlight of your trip.

Located at an altitude of 3,900 feet above sea-level, Poli boasts beautiful views that would be the envy of many resort properties. Curious giggling children will welcome you as will the Chairman or Mayor of the village. You might meet at the site of the village council “office” – a shady area underneath a large century old tree – that has been the traditional village office for countless years. The Mayor will share how a village of this size is managed along with the day-to-day issues and challenges such as water, electric and medical supplies. Site visits will include the primary school, clinic, courthouse and the village offices. This tour is usually a highlight for clients seeking cultural interactions and insight into the life of most Tanzanians.

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Peace House Orphanage

By 2010, an estimated 20 million children under the age of 15 will have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Without parents to support them, many children are often forced to abandon school. Without an education, orphans face a bleak future with little hope. A survey of over 400 households with orphans in Tanzania reported that almost 40% could not cover even basic expenses. The most common difficulty was covering school fees, including those for materials and uniforms. Africa Dream Safaris is proud to be a major sponsor of the Peace House, a charitable organization that was founded to help AIDS orphans in Arusha, Tanzania. Monthly donations by Africa Dream Safaris help the Peace House provide vulnerable children with the opportunity to receive a quality education in a nurturing environment. Financial support by African Dream Safaris focuses on the Peace House School, which is a unique boarding school for over 240 AIDS orphans. Peace House is a U.S. based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In the spirit of giving hope, Peace House is creating a brighter future for Africa’s orphans, vulnerable children and their communities through nurturing care, dynamic education, technology research and business development. The Peace House Boarding School for Aids orphans was opened in 2007 and is located on land donated by the government of Tanzania. Courses and activities at the Peace House School will include a focus on creative problem solving and entrepreneurial business development skills. A key goal is for Peace House School graduates is to become job creators – young people who can build a sustainable future for Tanzania. Many of our guests are extremely moved by their experience in Africa, not only by the beautiful natural resources but also the graciousness of the culture. Generally speaking Tanzanian people are bright, eager to learn and inherently happy, even in circumstances of extreme poverty. A consistently reoccurring question from returning clients is how to “give back” and make a tangible difference in the lives of real Tanzanian people. Herein lies just such an opportunity, and we invite you to participate if you feel called to do so as the Peace House is still in dire need for adequate supplies to support their school. Please see the Peace House’s wish list below. If you bring supplies with you, we recommend distributing them among your regular clothes and luggage to reduce the change of being asked by Customs to pay duty. Alternatively you may wish to donate towards the purchase of curriculum specific materials or classroom items such an overhead projector. You can rest assured that Africa Dream Safaris takes great care in making sure your gift is put directly to work. Guests travelling with Africa Dream Safaris are welcome to tour the facilities at Peace House. This excursion can be conducted with an Arusha layover or on the last day of your safari if departing on the late night KLM flight.

Peace House Wish List:

  • Academics
  • Notebooks
  • Pens
  • Overhead projector
  • Ruler
  • Novels (Age appropriate (pre-teen) / topic appropriate)
  • Back packs
  • Colored pencils
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Serengeti Cheetah Project

Africa Dream Safaris is a proud sponsor of the Serengeti Cheetah Project. Our quarterly donations help fund the Serengeti Cheetah Project’s ongoing conservation efforts, which include preserving the approximately 210 remaining cheetahs that inhabit the Serengeti Ecosystem. The Serengeti Cheetah Project was initiated in 1974 by George and Lory Frame, when virtually nothing was known about cheetahs in the wild, and information on their conservation status was limited. Since then, it has been responsible for collecting demography data to monitor the Serengeti’s critically endangered cheetah population.

The initial research conducted by the Serengeti Cheetah Project focused on establishing the basic natural history of cheetahs. Today, the project continues to collect demographic data but focuses almost entirely on issues of conservation significance. Its overall goal is to preserve the long-term survival of cheetahs in the wild. Africa Dream Safaris now helps fund their ongoing conservation efforts. In turn, periodic reports are prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by the on-site researchers for the Serengeti Cheetah Project. So you won’t find this info anywhere else!

We’ve asked Laura Simpson, the current field researcher for the Serengeti Cheetah Project, to focus on individual cheetahs and tell us about their daily lives and their relationships with each other. It is a fascinating soap-opera out there! We think you will really enjoy the real-life drama and adventures of these awesome animals as they live, hunt, and raise their families in the harsh African wilderness.

You’ll get to read current updates, stories and photos of the world’s fastest land-mammal, all in one of the most exciting settings in the world, the Serengeti National Park! You’ll also share in the on-site adventures of the dedicated researchers who are determined to save this beautiful cat from extinction in the wild. Sometimes touching, sometimes humorous, their stories are always entertaining and I’m sure you will enjoy them as much as we do!

Laura does a great job explaining her work and the overall mission of the Cheetah Project in these reports!

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Serengeti Lion Conservation

Africa Dream Safaris is a proud sponsor of the Serengeti Lion Project. Our funding helps to protect lions against diseases such as canine distemper through programs aimed at vaccinating domestic dogs on the periphery of the Serengeti. We are delighted to announce that Africa Dream Safaris was honored with the Tanzania Conservation Award specifically because of our work with the Serengeti Lion Project. This prestigious award is presented by the Minister of Tourism in conjunction with the Tanzania Tourist Board.

Twenty-six resident lion prides residing in and around the Central Serengeti have been continuously studied since 1966 when George Schaller began his groundbreaking field study. The Serengeti Lion Project was hence created, which is the longest continuous field study ever conducted on a large mammal. One female member from each of the 26 prides is radio collared so that they can be tracked and studied on a weekly basis. George Schaller’s initial study turned out to be a true landmark, not only because he worked out so many aspects of their social lives, but because his findings made it clear that lions did not limit the population size of their prey species. It was not necessary to persecute lions and other carnivores in order to ensure large populations of herbivores. The Serengeti could persist forever as an unspoiled spectacle of predators and their prey. Although we might take this notion for granted now, park wardens used to shoot predators and even eradicate some species from game reserves.

George Schaller began and conducted the study from 1966 to 1969, followed by Brian Bertram from 1969 to 1974, Jeannette Hanby and David Bygott from 1974 to 1978 and lastly Craig Packer starting in 1978. After 1978, the Serengeti Lion Project was taken over by the University of Minnesota under the directorship of Craig Packer. Two field biologists are stationed in Seronera 365 days a year to monitor and continue this long-term study. For a $500 per group donation, we can arrange a field talk by the current field biologists at the Lion House in Seronera (Central Serengeti) where you can learn first-hand about the lions of the Serengeti.

Africa Dream Safaris helps fund the Serengeti Lion Project’s ongoing conservation efforts. In turn, periodic reports are prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by the on-site researchers for the Serengeti Lion Project. So you won’t find this info anywhere else!

Since there are MANY lion prides in the Serengeti, we picked 6 specific study prides to focus on. Talk about having the inside scoop! These Serengeti Lion Project researchers live, sleep, and work out in the bush every single day, so they are able to offer invaluable information about the location and adventures of our favorite lions. Reading like a soap opera at times, we think you will also enjoy the real-life drama and adventures of these awesome animals as they live, hunt, and raise their families together in the harsh African wilderness.

So what new adventures have our favorite lions been up to lately? View these reports to find out!

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Foundation for African Medicine & Education

Tanzania is among the 50 poorest countries in the world. Poverty at this level means little or no access to reliable diagnostic and medical care, particularly in rural areas. High child and maternal mortality rates plague the country. An estimated 1 out of 9 Tanzanian children die before their 5th birthday. Sadly their deaths are often the result of preventable or treatable diseases, including malaria, diarrheal disease, acute respiratory infections, low-birth weight and AIDS.

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Four Magical Big Cat Moments

Georgette and I wanted to take the time to write you a few of our thoughts on our recent safari.

As we headed to the airport, we talked about our extremely high expectations for the trip. We felt that we were starting on our greatest vacation ever. When we arrived home, a little over two weeks later, we realized that the trip had far exceeded those expectations. The African Dream Safari team had provided us with a dream vacation that we will never forget. We wholeheartedly would recommend ADS to anyone who is considering a safari vacation.

We had the perfect guide for our trip, an incredible wealth of knowledge of all the cultural, natural and scientific information of the Northern Tanzania area as well as having an extremely friendly and easy going personality. One of his first questions to Georgette, me and my two sisters was what was our priority to see on the safari. We are all cat lovers and of course our response was to see the big cats. Through a little bit of luck and and our his knowledge of where the big cats were often spotted, we saw over one hundred lions, cheetahs and leopards during our trip.

FOUR special cat moments on the safari included having a male cheetah jump up onto the hood of our land cruiser and peek over the opened roof at us. I took an incredible close up of its face (from about three feet away). I was standing up in the vehicle directly behind the guide when this happened. My sister took a great shot of the cheetah through the windshield of the vehicle.

The second cat moment came in the Lobo area of the Serengeti when we came upon a male and female lion pair lying on the grass next to the road. As we were taking pictures, the male suddenly stood up and mounted the female. Somehow, I managed to take a few pictures of their intimate moment as Georgette and my sisters were laughing so hard they didn’t get any pictures of the moment.

A third cat moment occurred on our last morning in the Serengeti. We came upon a kopje with over a dozen young male, female and lion cubs sleeping on the rocks. As we were sitting there watching them, our guide spotted two mature male lions about 1000 feet away sleeping in the grass. Later, one of the male lions stood up and started to roar. All of the lions on the kopje responded to the male’s call with their own cry including all of the young cubs. This continued on for probably 30 seconds. We were mesmerized by their morning roll call. Our only wish was that we would have thought to record the audio of it.

The last cat moment that I will mentioned occurred in the Ngorongoro Crater. We witnessed four young lions trying to take down a mature cape buffalo. During the course of the chase, the buffalo ran within 30 feet of the land cruiser. The lions were young and inexperienced and soon gave up. Then as the cape buffalo ran to escape from any further attacks, the buffalo ran right into an elephant who had just emerged from some vegetation. The elephant and cape buffalo appeared to wrestle for a moment when the elephant suddenly rolled the enormous buffalo over onto its back. Our guide said he had never seen a buffalo and elephant in an encounter like this.

We knew we would see a lot of a lot of animals on the trip but the sheer numbers was more than we had imagined.  The Northern Tanzania countryside was absolutely beautiful. Even during the rare moments when we were in an area with only a few animals, we were lost in the beauty of the landscapes. I would have enjoyed the drive though the natural wonderland even if we didn’t see many animals. Finally, we enjoyed meeting the beautiful people of Tanzania who always seemed to have a smile and were dressed in vibrant colors. All of these things combined to make the perfect trip.

In conclusion, we all agreed that this trip was incredibly special and with the pictures we shared with my sisters and the journals we wrote about the events of each day, we will be able to reminisce about this trip for the rest of our lives. Again we would like to thank the African Dream Safari team for all of your efforts and would recommend to everyone that they book their safari with ADS.

Ronald and Georgette Reckers
Sacramento, California
June 2011

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Quote of the Week: Scott and Michelle MacIntosh and Family

What a fabulous trip!!!!!! ADS is the best. Your people on the ground in Tanzania were simply superb, especially our guide. He made everything seem effortless and he made us feel extremely welcome. Not to mention that we are convinced that he has bionic eyesight as he saw everything from “miles” away long before we even had the slightest idea where to look. In addition, our guide was very knowledgeable regarding the animals, migration patterns and where to find anything your heart desires to see.

Michelle and I are already talking about going back in the rainy season so we can see the wildebeest giving birth in the Ndutu region. Thanks for planning an absolutely fantastic safari for us. Attached are a few pictures for your enjoyment.
Thanks!

Scott and Michelle MacIntosh and Family
June 2011

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Finding A Cheetah With Cubs Was Unbelievable

I have just completed my company’s 2012 calendar and in selecting the photos for the project, I was reminded of how much we enjoyed our Africa Dream Safari.

We had wanted a really special photographic experience and your suggestion of a private safari made sure that is what we received. Everything was great. Your staff was waiting for us at Kilimanjaro Airport and going through Customs was a breeze. Our flight to the Serengeti was interesting in that our dirt landing strip was in the middle of the Great Migration and wildebeests were everywhere.

Our driver was excellent. He knew animal behavior and had an uncanny knack at finding all sorts of interesting wildlife situations. ADS had several vans in each area and the different drivers would share information making everyone’s experience ever better. I like cats and we saw too many to count. Finding a cheetah with cubs only a few yards from the van was unbelievable. The accommodations were very comfortable and sitting on your own deck watching the sunset on the Serengeti at Mbalageti Lodge was a real treat. Dinners were satisfying at every location. We chose box lunches for breakfast and lunch to spend more time on safari.

Our trip was truly an experience of a lifetime and I have many excellent photos of Tanzania to keep those memories alive. Thank you for all of your help in planning our safari.

David and Carrie Spencer
Wichita Falls, Texas
June 2011

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Quote of the Week: Erika Hartle-Schutte and family

This was truly the trip of a lifetime for us- finding the words to capture the experience is impossible. A dear friend of mine recommended ADS and after seeing her photographs and hearing her stories, I had some pretty high expectations; those expectations were exceeded in every way! The guidance we received through the planning process was fantastic and resulted in the perfect adventure for our family. Our driver-guide was phenomenal! His expertise, knowledge, patience, and gentle, quiet demeanor were so astounding and so appreciated. It was truly a pleasure to get to spend our days with him. We were amazed by the sheer number of animals we saw each day and as we went to bed each night, we wondered how the next day could possibly compare to the previous day.

We have 6,000 photographs between the four of us so picking a few favorites to share is nearly impossible.

· We sat and watched this noble lion for nearly an hour; he napped and groomed himself and then stood up and marked the front of our vehicle as he walked away. He knew he was King.


· The elephants were breathtaking; it was a gift to watch (and listen to) them eat, drink and bathe themselves in the mud.
· We were so blessed to see not just one, but four leopards! We were on an early morning drive on our last day in the Serengeti when we saw this striking male; not a single other vehicle was around so his beauty was ours alone.


· Watching two cheetah brothers groom each other was an amazing experience; we were so fortunate to share that quiet, magical moment with them.


· While it was usually the babies and the monkeys who provided the silly moments of the day, this itchy zebra had us laughing. We sat and watched as she rubbed her belly, neck and legs all over this rock- and two other zebras were waiting in line to do the same thing!

Asante sana.

Erika Hartle-Schutte and family
June 2011

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Like Meryl Streep in the movie “Out of Africa”

As soon as my friend Barbara agreed to go to Africa with me we began researching our options for travel.  After talking with several travel agents and doing our own research we decided to go with Africa Dream Safaris.  There were two main reasons for this:  1) They are with you every step of the way.  This was very important to me as this would be my first trip overseas.  2)  They provided for a private safari.  We would not be at the mercy of a group of people who may not have wanted to keep the same schedule as us.

Upon arrival at the Kilimanjaro airport we were greeted by friendly staff and escorted to a VIP Visa line.  I’m sure we were comfortably enjoying a light dinner and wine at the hotel while others on our flight from Amsterdam were still waiting to get their Visas.

The next morning we were on a plane heading for the Serengeti.  I imagined that the flight might be like Meryl Streep in the movie “Out of Africa”, but it was a cloudy day so no animal sightings.  But… as we came down for landing, we crossed over a pond and we saw our first animals – hippos!!  We were so excited, but that was only the beginning of what was to be the most incredible 8 days.  Imagine actually driving through herds of elephants, zebras and wildebeests.  Seeing leopards lazily sleeping in trees, and a pride of lions just beside your jeep.

One of the highlights of our trip was watching as a mother cheetah taught her cubs how to hunt.   When in the midst of thousands of wildebeast and zebras we felt like we were in the middle of a National Geographic photo spread.

Our accommodations were great.  We loved the tented camps.  I think our favorite was the Tarangire River Lodge.  There were only two other people staying there that night (just another reason to go in the off season).  In the morning, we viewed a herd of elephants from our deck.  As with all other places that we stayed, we had great food and heard lions and hyenas and other animal sounds all around us, all night.  At the Mbuzi Mawe camp we were greeted by a giraffe not 20 feet away from us as we were escorted to breakfast.

Let me also say a few words about the people of Tanzania.  They are so friendly, helpful, gracious people.  We felt right at home wherever we went.  And high praise for our guide, Simon.  He has X-ray eyes.  He could spot animals before we could get them sighted in our binoculars.  We had so much fun with him, and he took extra steps to ensure that we had a great experience.

Sadly, our trip came to an end.  We will never forget this experience.  Thank you Africa Dream Safari, and Asante Tanzania.

Denise Burchill and Barbara Johns
Allison Park, Pennsylvania
May 2011

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Quote of the Week: Bill and Gayle Moore

We returned two weeks ago from the most amazing travel experience of our lives. Ten days on a photo safari arranged by our Representative at ADS and supported in country by our expert Guide and a top-notch office staff.

While everyone in the customer quote emails applauds your efforts, client service and attention to detail, these same statements coming from my wife and I may be viewed from a different perspective. We are both television network journalists who have covered many of the major national and international news stories of the past thirty years. We have travelled extensively around the world and worked with many companies in order to expedite our travel and in-country accommodations and needs. When looking for a company to handle this dream adventure, we were first impressed with the endorsement from National Geographic and then the quality of your marketing materials – including the video. Being journalists we are naturally suspicious of the spin marketing and public relations people like to create. In the case of ADS, however, we now believe that you are actually humble with respect to your marketing materials when compared to the quality of service and experience you deliver. Off hand, I can’t think of any company that has ever delivered more than they promised EXCEPT you. This started from the moment we first contacted ADS until we were dropped off at the Mt. Kilimanjaro Airport upon the conclusion of our safari. You and your staff just did everything possible to make this a smooth and memorable experience. I know we are not alone in this praise, since everyone we ran into in Tanzania that was using your company had nothing but glowing praise for ADS and its’ people. Some of these people were back for a second and third safari because of you, the guides, the beautiful animals and friendly people of Tanzania. In our case, we had considered this a one time “bucket list” experience. Now, we are planning to return within the next few years to visit those areas we didn’t get to on this trip. We also want to see the mountain gorillas on another trip.

One thing that ADS clearly recognizes is the important role their expert guides play in the success of the company and customer satisfaction. In our case, you knew that we were professional broadcasters and avid photographers. I am sure it was no accident that we ended up with our Guide. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, and their locations on the Serengeti, but he was also quite attune to our photographic needs – including lighting and viewing angles. We were all so impressed with our Guide that words alone cannot express our appreciation of his efforts and friendship during this safari. Our Guide was able to locate every animal we hoped to photograph and many we didn’t count on seeing, including the elusive Black Rhino. People viewing our photos are amazed at what we captured and how close we seemed to get to the action. We all miss being in his company and look forward to going on safari with him again. This, of course, is also a tribute to ADS and enlightened management that understands the importance of the staff that works directly with the client.

We have been receiving your customer quote emails since signing up for our safari, so I am not going to repeat what everyone else has said about the outstanding animal experiences, excellent tented lodges, comfortable vehicles, and friendly service staff at each location. All potential customers – or those waiting to experience their safari – need to know is that nothing is exaggerated when it comes to ADS marketing or the experience that awaits each individual on safari in Tanzania. Well done and our sincere thanks.

Bill and Gayle Moore
May 2011

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