From the moment we contacted Africa Dream Safaris, we knew we selected the right group to design our personalized safari with our friends Chris and Nanette. Their responsiveness, customer service and attention to detail and was outstanding. Our safari in April with ADS spanned the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. From the moment we stepped off the plane in Kilimanjaro to the plane ride home, every detail was handled with the utmost care and attention to detail. Our very likeable and incredibly knowledgeable driver-guide, who soon became a cherished friend, delivered beyond expectations and our expectations were very high as we anticipated this epic adventure for over a year. The tented accommodations were very comfortable and while staying at the Lake Masek Tented Lodge on the banks of Lake Masek, we often heard snorting hippos in the water just below. The Crater Lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater was luxurious yet really fit the surroundings. From cool beverages and towels to welcome us upon are arrival to the drawn bathtub with rose petals when we returned from safari, the experience there made us wish we were staying longer. While enjoying appetizers and cocktails on the outside terrace overlooking the amazing crater, our decision in selecting ADS was again reinforced as we traded stories about our safari experiences with guests who hadn’t booked with ADS.

Over the course of our two weeks, were able to enjoy the experience of observing many different kinds of wildlife up close including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, hippos, black rhinos, giraffes, zebras, dik diks, warthogs, gazelles and even stood in the middle of one million wildebeests. Although there are so many we could easily recount, two memories we will always have is an adult lion slowly walking by our stopped Land Rover and hearing its tail “thump” the vehicle door as it checked us out and walked on by –and– watching several baboons while they sat on the hood and top canvas of our vehicle as they peered in at us. While we saw other vehicles during our time in the bush, we also had many times our driver-guide took us to places for which there were no other vehicles or people. It never felt crowded and in fact one day as we were driving across the Serengeti, it occurred to us we had not seen another vehicle or another human for over two hours. ADS also arranged for our hot-air balloon flight across the Serengeti. At times the balloon only floated at tree-top level as we quietly floated over pools of hippos and grazing giraffes.

Africa Dream Safaris is the right partner for this kind of adventure — our experiences and memories on this trip will last a life time.

Jim Schmidt & Karla Marshall
April 2011