By Claude Shitindi – What A Meal!

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Claude Shitindi

Greetings from Arusha, Tanzania. My name is Claude Shitindi and I am a driver-guide with Africa Dream Safaris. I have just returned from a 7-night safari to the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater beginning January 28, 2013 and ending February 4, 2013. We enjoyed many different areas of the park and also a nice mixture of lodging and camping including Seronera Sametu Camp in the Central Serengeti Woodlands, Private Camping in the Southern Serengeti Plains and Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge on the rim of the Crater.

One of the highlights of the safari was on the day we drove from the Ndutu area of the South Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater. We decided to take a very remote drive along the way and detour through the Matiti Plains, which can be a great place to see cheetahs, and sure enough we came across this male cheetah that had just killed a year old wildebeest. It was such an amazing sight to witness.

Thank you,

Claude Shitindi
ADS Driver-Guide
February 18, 2013

  1. Nice to see Claude again. He guided us in April of 2012 for a wonderful safari experience. Hope his wedding and home building were successful.

    Happy Safari,

    John from Hot Springs, Arkansas

  2. Great to see you Claude, guide extraordinaire! I thought about you in Oct and hope you had a beautiful wedding.

  3. Claude,
    Great to see the picture of you on ADS. Congrats regarding the wedding. Thank you for the wonderful safari experience – it was truly an experience of a lifetime. We are now planning to go to the Galapagos, hopefully our naturalist will be as knowledgable and fun as you. Happy animal sightings!
    Cheers,
    Yvonne and Patrick Hearn

  4. Aloha to Claude,

    We just returned from our 12 days with Claude and the trip of a lifetime! Thank you Claude for making our safari so wonderful. Still sorting through the 3000 pictures I took, along with the same from Dianes, but we will be sharing them soon.

    1. Hey,jambo Lisa how you all doing,hope your part of trip through Nairobi was wonderful,all is fine down here,ow yes cant wait to see them on the sight,i know must be lots to do when you are back in that really life there.. My regards to All

  5. Jumbo! Mr Claude was our guide in January 2012. The safari was a stunning experience for me. I’ve travelled more than a lot of folks and have lived in six countries. The profssionalism Claude brought with him as a guide ws made even better by his intense curiosity about the ecosystem and how it really works. The graciousness and civility we experienced are some of my best memories. Sandy McQueen and I want to wish Mr Claude and his bride the very best.

  6. Salamu Claude,

    Claude was my guide for 10 days while in Tanzania September 2012. I traveled alone which made for a great one-on-one experience, and I was interested in everything, which Claude picked up immediately. Time after time he made sure I was able to get great photos and great animal behavior experiences. His knowledge and professionalism was outstanding, and I felt he appreciated my enthusiasm about all of my encounters. He remained calm, no matter what the situation, like a large elephant eating while on a bridge with vehicles on both sides waiting to cross. A smaller vehicle approached the elephant in what Claude explained to me was a disrespectful approach; a much smaller vehicle, racing the engine. The elephant quickly turned and stepped toward the smaller vehicle, which promptly backed up. I thought we’d just all have to wait it out, but Claude took control, spoke with the other guide to approach the elephant along side our larger vehicle, side by side, slowly edging, not racing the engine, and that the elephant would see the vehicles together as not taller, but wider, and surrender. I have to say I had some doubts, especially while on the bridge with the elephant, but Claude encouraged me to continue taking photos, and he was right, the elephant surrendered, much to the relief of myself and all of the other cheering people in the vehicles waiting to cross. His expertise was appreciated by all, and I was able to get great photos of the experience.

    Again, great to hear about Claude, Guide Extraordinaire, and Congratulations on your marriage. I wish you and your bride many years of health, prosperity, and happiness together.

    Asante Sana,
    Jan – Boston (Wilmington), MA

    1. Ow,how great to see your comment here Jan,hoping everything is going well with you there,yes loads of thanks to you and I thank god all went well with my wedding and so happy for both of us in this new life. ASANTE SANA