Posts From April 2013

An Expertly Planned And Executed African Safari.

Thanks to the entire ADS staff for an unforgettable family safari vacation. We did not expect the diversity in the animals we viewed, or the landscapes we traveled. Our pictures have been a huge hit with our family and friends who cannot believe the situations we were a part of, such as a Lioness fighting with a pack of Hyenas over a meal (our picture included here). Our guide had extensive knowledge of the animals, the land, and the culture, which added to what was happening right outside of the truck. We were learning and having fun at the same time! Our guide was top notch and always found interesting “surprises” for us to explore.

The pre-safari planning insured we had everything we needed, so that we didn’t need to worry while travelling, and could just focus on enjoying the trip. The help with renting our camera equipment was great, as the photos we were able to capture will preserve these family memories. We appreciated the escorted service from the airport and back again, as we never felt alone, or had to worry about what was next, again letting us focus on having fun and enjoying Africa. The accommodations were excellent as well, and have received as many comments as the photos of the animals and landscape. We realize the effort it takes to provide these services in the middle of the Serengeti and the hard work of ADS and the Camp staffs to provide them.

And, when on the last day, the unpredictability of Africa lead to a missing bridge and no road to Arusha, the ADS staff was quick to pull together a “Plan B”, to insure we made it to our plane on time. We will have no problem recommending ADS to anyone wanting to have an expertly planned and executed African Safari.

Thanks,

Greg, Molly and Lily F.
Columbia, Tennessee
Safari Dates: March 26, 2013 to April 1, 2013

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By Anglebert – Green Season Over The Serengeti

My name is Anglebert Pantaleo, a guide for ADS. Having completed my last safari started from March 25th to April 03rd, the entire Serengeti was so extraordinary with regard to the wildlife viewing. We had a well planned safari with a great pace starting from the Central Serengeti at the Four Seasons Lodge for two nights, then we moved to the Eastern Serengeti Plain at Sametu Camp where we felt real close to nature. We had three nights at Lake Masek Camp at the southern plain of Serengeti and Ndutu forest, as well as one night at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge where we had a great experience visiting the caldera.

It is the green season on Serengeti Plains as well as the Ngorongoro Crater and although it is raining, we had an incredible game viewing experiences. We always recommend the green season because it’s so picturesque with diverse flora and fauna, including the migrants birds. Also, there are very few vehicles around, which makes the game viewing more private and thus more rewarding. This is always the best time for guiding.

The game viewing my group had was unforgettable and I would like to share with you some of the pictures that I have taken.

Lanar Falcon perching on a rock at the crater floor.

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By Reggie Matemu – Friendly Cheetahs!

My name is Reggie with Africa Dream Safaris. My recent safari started on 22nd March 2013 with four guests and ended on 30th March 2013 with thankfully all four guests! The safari was a huge success in terms of the numbers and variety of wildlife we encountered.

I have been very lucky with cheetah over the last couple of months. On my last safari I was with three cheetahs who were very friendly and came close to my vehicle in the Gol Kopjes area of the East Serengeti. On this safari out on the Ndutu Plains in the South Serengeti, I had four cheetahs who jumped on top of my vehicle. This happened on the 26th of March and the guests and I really enjoyed this experience.  The next day I found another group of cheetah cubs, a mother cheetah with four cubs, and they started to play with us and also jumped up on my vehicle. Here are some pictures of these friendly cheetahs and also some others from my safari. I hope you enjoy them!

Here is a cheetah and my guest posing for a picture together out on the Ndutu Plains in the South Serengeti.

Lions in a sausage tree near Moru Kopjes, Central Serengeti. These lions decided to climb for some rest after devouring a kill.

Early in the morning we came across a mother cheetah with her two babies having  breakfast at Sametu Kopjes in the East Serengeti.

Two large male lions.

Baboon on the front of my car.

My favorite cheetah.

Regards,

Reggie Matemu
ADS Driver-Guide
April 4, 2013

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Dawn’s FAQ of the Week: What are the distances between places, and how much transit driving can we expect?

“Transit driving” is a big turn-off for most people, and here at ADS we certainly don’t like it! Nobody likes to waste their precious moments in Africa driving from point A to point B without anything interesting in between. The whole idea behind our “fly in, drive out” program is to minimize transit.

Luckily, once you get to the Serengeti, most of the lodges are going to be logistically situated within an easy 1-2 hour drive from each other (if you were to drive straight without stopping that is). So there is some driving, but the vast majority of these drives are through the heart of the National Park so they are a “game drive”, not just a “transit drive”. (As a result, the drives themselves do take longer than they would have to, but that’s only because you are stopping to enjoy all the animal viewing opportunities along the way!) You have a private guide and vehicle to take you out on these game drives, between properties and anywhere else you might like to go.

There are two exceptions with longer drives, that occur on separate days on a traditional itinerary, 1) the day you are transiting between the Serengeti National Park to the Ngorongoro Crater (approx 2 to 2.5 hours, gate to gate), and 2) the day you are transiting from The Ngorongoro Crater to either Arusha or Tarangire National Park (3.5 hour drive, gate to gate). Most clients find these drives still quite doable, and also find the sights in between very interesting (villages, farmlands, etc.) But if you prefer we can also build in additional flights to accommodate these longer distances.

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Serengeti Cheetah Report – March 2013

The latest news from the safari capital of Africa has just been released. Here is a link to the March 2013 Serengeti Cheetah Report prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by Helen, the on-site researcher for the Serengeti Cheetah Project (please allow for 30 seconds to download as it’s a rather large file).

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

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We saw everything…the Big 5, the Ugly 5, some of the Little 5

We have been home from our safari for a few days and are still beaming over the experiences. It was one of the most memorable times in our lives – a privilege to see some of the earth’s most beautiful and unique animals in their native environment. We were a bit concerned that the game drives in the Serengeti during the rainy season would mean we’d forego opportunities to fully experience the area. Not at all true. We saw everything we’d hoped to see….the Big 5, the Ugly 5, some of the Little 5, and the highlight being the assembly of a million wildebeests working their way across the plains at the onset of the Great Migration. There was also the added bonus of so many babies and healthy animals enjoying the abundance of food. It was truly beautiful to see dozens of shades of green foliage across the Seronera plains, around the Gol Kopjes, Naabi Hill, Ndutu Lake, Olduvai Gorge and Ngorongoro Crater.

We have reflected on what made our safari so wonderful, and have to say the most important item was the quality of our guide. Not only did Russell seem to know everything about the animals in the Serengeti, but he also had an energy introducing us to the animal behaviors. He could spot animals and birds from hundreds of yards in the distance before there was anything obvious to see. We were often the first, and only, vehicle at a sighting and Russell attentively positioned and repositioned the vehicle so that we could have the best viewing and picture taking opportunities. And, regarding birds, we had only a slight interest in birding when we started our safari. However, Russell’s knowledge of birds was infectious and by the end of the safari we had recorded sightings of 123 species. We enjoyed laughter and good natured ribbing – especially during our quest for the dung beetle!

Thank you for all of your efforts. We hope you enjoy a few of our favorite photos.

David and Lynette B.
Georgetown, Texas
Safari Dates: April 7, 2013 to April 15, 2013

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