Like traveling with “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom”

SAFARI STORIES

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Posted on by Michael

It’s impossible to know where to begin to thank you and ADS for all you did for us before and during our wonderful adventure.  The number of African moments that took our breath away are too numerable to count (although the 14,000 pictures Dale took might be some indication – ha!).  All of our dreams really did come true and we left feeling full and satisfied.  The country is magnificent and ever-changing, the animals are majestic and entertaining, the weather is perfect  and our guide/teacher was admirably focused on ensuring our adventure was an experience of a lifetime.

I know you had a hand in choosing our guide based on our interest in photography and what a gift he was.  Not only was he tolerant of our enthusiasm for photos but he joined in our joy of capturing great moments and lent his expertise to ideas for great shots and they were abundant!.  In addition, his knowledge of the animals and their habits was like traveling with “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom”.

He provided constant commentary, could spot wildlife from ridiculous distances and then could predict what we should watch for as we moved in closer…perhaps they were going to stalk some prey, look for water or even mate.  It was truly remarkable.  Needless to say we saw the big 5 repeatedly and then some!  He was open to all of our wishes for early game drives and met us each morning with a clean vehicle, breakfasts, lunches and beverages.  What a wonderful ambassador for Tanzania!  I am including just a couple of Dale’s more unique photos as proof of what a great photo team we all were!

And finally the accommodations were outstanding.  We loved the uniqueness of each location and their inspiring evening views.  Our meals were excellent, the entertainment was fun and our farewell was both appreciated and quite unexpected.

Again, thank you for guiding us through this adventure and for the service that is clearly a benchmark for ADS. We’ll be back someday with grandchildren!

Our sincerest thanks,

Debby and Dale Hewitt
San Antonio, Texas
August 2011

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This was our First Trip to Africa

SAFARI STORIES

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Posted on by Michael

We had the most memorable trip of our entire lives. Never have we seen so many beautiful landscapes as in Tanzania. The people were wonderful. The food was much better than we ever expected. The tented camps and lodges were magnificent, including Mt. Meru Hotel in Arusha.

The magic began when we landed in Kilimanjaro and were met by representatives from Africa Dream Safaris.  Peter and Monica took care of everything at the airport, whisked us away to the car with our luggage and we were off to the Mt. Meru Hotel for a wonderful night’s rest.

The next day Charles took us on a very informative tour of Arusha and he taught us so much about life in Africa. He was magnificent. Charles took us to the school and we had brought school supplies for the children and teachers. That was one of the highlights of our trip.

On the third day, we met our guide. He is the best guide in all of the world and he is such a wonderful person. We loved having him as our guide. We looked forward to each day’s start and dreaded the days coming to an end. Our eyes almost hurt we saw so much beauty, all created by our Heavenly Father.

We were awe struck on our first day of safari. We actually saw all of the big five on our first day!!! We will always remember the campfire at sunset, the beauty in the land and the animals, and our fabulouse visit to F.A.M.E. which we were so pleased to hear is supported by ADS. (Dr. Frank and his staff were wonderful. We will be adding them to our list of giving.)

We couldn’t ask for anything more.  Never have we been cared for in such a wonderful manner as the way in which ADS took care of all the details….from the time we arrived to the day we left. This was our first trip to Africa, but it definitely will not be our last. Francis was telling us about a trip to western Tanzania in February when there is a lot of calving taking place. We will definitely stay in touch when we begin plans for our next visit.  Thank you for all of your time, patience, and guidance.

Sincerely,

Stan and Dianne Rivers
Sharpsburg, Georgia
August 2011

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Quote of the Week: Alejandra Mugica & Family

Family Vacations

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For two years I prepared my dream trip to Africa, I wrote dozens of e-mails,
searched for hundreds of web pages, forums and reviews looking for the
perfect trip. Little did I know that the perfect trip was waiting for me in
Tanzania and all I had to do us unlock the company to help me discover it.
ADS was it. From the first e-mail, the first questions and the first doubts
I had, ADS was professional, and thorough with the information and answers.
Not one mail of dozens was left unanswered or half answered. Going to
Africa, I needed reassurance and support. ADS provided with everything I
needed to know to be safe, comfortable and mostly, excited about my trip.

Our first impression about our guide was immediately of man with experience,
knowledge and kindness. Little did we know all our wonderful guide had in
store for us. From the very first day his willingness to get us what we went
to look for rewarded us with a crossing, and a lion and lioness devouring a
wildebeest! From then on everyday brought us something new, different,
wonderful. We were lucky to have a guide that with the utmost respect for
wildlife was willing to show us Africa through his eyes. Herds of elephants,
cheetahs, lions, wildebeest crossings, baboons, leopards, hippos,
gazelles.and more.

At the end teary eyes for leaving this precious world behind, not just me but my family as well. I have heard that going to Africa changes you, it does. So many experiences, so many wonderful people, the children, the villages, and for me, the animals. The look on the animals eyes, the calmness, confidence and pride you can see when they look at you. It is something that only the gift of freedom can give. They decide what to do, they can leave, they can stay, they can fight. In this perfect world they stay, so we can learn from them and admire their beauty. So we can be in awe and be ready to start dreaming towards the next safari.

Thank you ADS for your professionalism, your thoroughness with details and
picking the very best guide for me and my family. We could not have asked
for a better experience!!

Sincerely yours,

Alejandra Mugica and Family
August 2011

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A Family Adventure – Crocs, Wildebeest and the Big 5

Family Vacations

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Posted on by Michael


Africa Dream Safaris provided a spectacular safari.  We were a varied group, with travelers from 22 years old to 65 years old. Judy (my cousin) was a list keeper and note taker, and she listed 41 animals and about 110 birds that were identified during our safari. Our guide, made sure that we saw the “big five” and some of the “little five”.  He has eagle eyes!

In the northern Serengeti we witnessed the wildebeest migration and the famous crossing of the Mara River.  The crocs were also in attendance at the crossing!

Not only did we see many, many animals on safari but we saw the majority of them very up close and personal.  We shared the road with a pride of lions.  We stopped along the side of the road to watch and the fearless lionesses and the cubs walked right past us. When a herd of elephants crossed the road we were surrounded by the huge animals.  We were close enough to smell the hyenas. Giraffes looked at us as curiously as we looked at them and then strolled by.

The cultural and educational stops were worthy also.  The visit to the F.A.M.E clinic and hospital was especially interesting to those of us with a medical background.  We’ve investigated the project since we arrived home to find out more about their mission. Emily (our 22 year old anthropology student) enjoyed the Olduvai Gorge Tour. Judy was especially amazed by the Maasai village visit. George and Judy were interested in the Maasai shepherds, coffee plantations and the fields of maize and rice.

We loved the mix of rustic and luxury that the tented camps give.  The Bilila Luxury Lodge was a welcome haven in the middle of the safari, and Swala Tented Lodge was hands down our favorite. Thanks to ADS for giving our family the opportunity to enjoy each other on a spectacular adventure of Tanzania.

Rebecca and John McKay and Family
Greer, South Carolina
July 2011

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A Memorable Honeymoon in Tanzania

Romantic Getaways

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Posted on by Michael

I wanted to contact you and tell you thank you so very much for helping us plan the trip of a lifetime. I cannot put into words how amazing our trip was and how beautiful the sites were that we saw!! We loved every second of everyday we were there and hated the moment we had to depart.

We truly believe our guide made the trip extra special – there was not one animal that we wanted to see that we were not able to get up close and personal with by the end of the trip. He was so knowledgeable about the land and all the animals – he was constantly educating us and entertaining us with his stories. He was very personable and we felt as if he was a true friend of ours by the time we departed.

We want to thank everyone at ADS for making our honeymoon so very special. We have been entertaining all of our friends and families with stories and pictures since we returned. We started planning our next trip and saving our funds so that we will be able to extend our stay on our next trip – we cannot wait to return. Thank you so very much for your help all the way through the process. We have attached some of our favorite photos for you to see – of course it was so very hard to narrow down. Thank you again and I look forward to contacting you to let you know we are ready for our next trip!

Kristen Payne and Jason Deweese
Columbus, Georgia
July 2011

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We Drove into a Pride of 35 Lions

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Posted on by Michael

Thank you ADS for an amazing, Tanzania Safari. Being a quintessential New Yorker, I must admit that I was initially skeptical when booking with ADS because I hadn’t met anyone in person and my entire transaction was over the phone / internet. However, from the moment we were greeted by the first ADS staff person upon our arrival until the day we were dropped off at the airport, we had nothing but a wonderful experience. Every ADS staff person that we encountered was courteous, knowledgeable and focused on our needs.

Our safari guide made sure that we experienced a trip of a lifetime. He was highly knowledgeable about the wild life (birds included), fauna and local culture. He was a perfect fit for me and my family because of his determination during our game drives. There was not one “uneventful” day during our 12 day safari (Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater. & Tarangire). It was as though he knew exactly where the animals would be each day! We had countless encounters with herds of elephants, pools of active hippos, traveling wildebeest, herds of giraffes, impalas, zebras, etc. We saw leopards and cheetahs but our highlight was the Lions!!

During one of our many exciting game drives in the Serengeti, we came around a turn and drove directly under a rock with two lionesses peering over us! It was the most frightening and exciting experience of my life. That encounter was topped a few days later when we drove into a pride of 35 lions (15 were cubs!). There was very little distance between our vehicle and the lions! I could go on and on describing each of our exciting days.

Although we traveled during the dry season, the Serengeti was remarkably still green and we witnessed a great deal of the wildebeest migration. There were times that we were the only vehicle on the road and it was quite nice because it made for better viewing and we were not covered in so much dust. Our vehicle was very spacious, clean and comfortable and the open roof top allowed for excellent photo opportunities. It was always well-stocked with water and soft drinks. The customizable, private safari experience was a good choice for us as we could plan our days out as we wanted and not have to deal with a planned schedule or travelers that preferred to go back to the camps/lodges for lunch. We ate our lunches and some breakfasts in the bush. I was amazed at the quality and quantity of the picnics or boxed meals. Our dinners were excellent and filling and the wine selections were outstanding. It was also a pleasure to have freshly brewed coffee brought to us each morning as part of our wake up call.

The lodges and camps that we stayed at were all outstanding and quite luxurious. The service was impeccable as the staff went above and beyond to make us feel safe and comfortable. During the night, we could hear animals rustling by our tents. At Migration Tented Lodge on the Grumeti River, hippos would come up at night to graze and we could hear them munching ….one night our tent was surrounded! It was such an exciting experience.

We visited a Tanzanian School/Orphanage, and the FAME medical clinic. These were all eye opening experiences and I’m happy that we had the opportunity to visit these places. It’s truly incredible to see how many people devote their lives to wonderful causes. We also visited a Massai village which was a tremendous cultural experience.

Our first safari adventure was incredible and it definitely won’t be our last. ADS does a great job and upon speaking to fellow travelers using other companies, we were constantly reassured that we made the right decision. No changing of drivers, full attention to detail with well thought out itineraries, no overcrowded vehicles and highly knowledgeable staff.

Thank you again!

Julianne Recine and Family
New York, NY
July 2011

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Quote of the Week: Janice and Cal Weisberger

Bucket List

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Posted on by Michael

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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