A trip to Africa had long been on my ‘Bucket List’ and a dream of mine but there was never anyone who could or would go with me. Little did I know that my wife, two sons and Africa Dream Safaris (ADS) planned the trip of a lifetime for me and my two sons for my 70th birthday. ADS had prepared us for every detail before we arrived in Africa with not only their outstanding website information but also personal interaction. We arrived at Kilimanjaro WITHOUT my bag as it stayed over in Amsterdam for an extra day. However, ADS didn’t leave me stranded and went out of their way and made this issue a priority until they had gotten my bag from the airport and delivered it to me out in the Serengeti. It was a real pleasure dealing with a company who knows that customer service does not stop when the check clears, but actually just begins.

It is an understatement to say we had an amazing 10 day safari. Our guide had to be ADS’s best and made us feel comfortable and welcome from the moment we met him. He was very enjoyable to be around and was an expert at spotting game we had not even seen with our binoculars. His knowledge of the animals (and birds), their habits and characteristics was simply amazing. The lodging throughout the safari exceeded our expectations. Every place we stayed had great food, cold beer, and great rooms (even the tented lodges). Every lodge had a wonderful staff and we were treated like royalty. The game drives and animal experiences are really hard to fully explain to those who have not experienced it. The magnitude of the great migration, lions basking on a kopje, cheetahs, lions or hyenas feeding on a fresh kill and herds of elephants so close you could almost touch them. Even the pleasant weather and beautiful scenery was more than we could have imagined.

Africa Dream Safaris really took care of us from the time we stepped off the plane until the time we stepped back on. They are truly a first class organization! We went into the trip thinking it would be a once in a lifetime experience but are now looking forward to our next experience with Tanzania and Africa Dream Safaris.

Don Reichert
June 2009

The 4 sequential photos document the story of a pride of lions hunting their prey, from stalk to feast.  A haunting illustration of the triumph and tragedy that must coexist out here on the Serengeti Plains.