Jambo! This is Russell and Francis writing from Arusha, Tanzania with our latest report from the bush! We have just concluded another wonderful safari to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire ecosystems. The game viewing is incredible at the moment. The wildebeest migration has been crossing the Mara River in the North Serengeti and there has been very good predator viewing in both the Serengeti and Ngorongoro for lion, cheetah, hyena and several other carnivore species. Elephant and buffalo viewing has been very good in Tarangire National Park along with some other interesting animal species.
On our latest safari we joined together to guide a very special family of twelve from Illinois, USA with 6 adults and 6 children of various ages. It was an amazing experience to be all together with three generations of this family from the grandparents to the parents and children. We all enjoyed our time together on this adventure through our famous game parks of Tanzania with a very solid safari itinerary. We had 2 nights on the rim of the Crater at Lion’s Paw Camp, 2 nights in Tarangire at Tree Tops Lodge, 3 nights at Serengeti Bush Tops Camp in the North Serengeti and 3 nights at Four Seasons Lodge in the Central Serengeti.
We picked up the group from Kilimanjaro Airport on the night of July 28, 2015. The adults and children were very excited to be in Africa and this was very rewarding for us. We spent the night at Mount Meru Hotel before disembarking for our safari the following morning. We explored all the best areas for this time of year and were rewarded with some extraordinary sightings. Here are some pictures of a few of the more interesting things we encountered during this special family safari.
Massive herds of migratory wildebeest crossing the Mara River on August 2nd
A lioness successfully hunting one of the migratory wildebeest in the North Serengeti
A family of Elephants and Zebras in the Tarangire River
A male Ostrich drinking from the Tarangire River
A clan of spotted hyenas feeding on a wildebeest near Lake Magadi in the Ngorongoro Crater
Bull African Elephant in Ngorongoro Crater
Saddle Billed stork looking for its prey in Lake Manyara National Park
A serval cat hunting close to Lerai forest in the Ngorongoro Crater
Dark maned male lion around Woga Kuria Kopjes in the Northern Serengeti
A pride of Lions along the Hippo pool in the Ngorongoro Crater
A lioness with some cubs and a young male Lion along the Hippo pool in the Ngorongoro Crater
Clear view of the Ngorongoro Crater which is uncommon at this time
A family of Elephant along the Mara River
A young male lion drinking from Seronera River in the Central Serengeti
Two male Cheetah brothers around Lamai triangle in the North Serengeti
Regards,
Francis Peter and Russell Temu
ADS Driver-Guides
I am one of the “parents” from the above story from Francis and Russell. Our family had an incredible adventure with Russell and Francis. The children in our group were 7-18 years old and all enjoyed. The trip exceeded our wildest expectations and the personal attention and expertise from Russell and Francis can not be emphasized enough. The pictures above are only a small sample of what we experienced with each day bringing a new highlight. I’ve traveled around the world and can say this was among the best trips I have ever been a part. Many Americans want to visit Australia, which I had the opportunity to do three years ago. While I enjoyed Australia, there is no comparison to the beauty of the land and both quantity and diversity of animals in Tanzania. I would recommend this trip 10 fold over one to Australia.
Russell was our guide in May 2013. He was amazing. Even after 2 years, I probably think about our Africa adventure with Africa Dream Safari nearly everyday. We saw so many different animals and birds up close and personal. Russell was so knowledgeable about the animals, plants and terrain. He was a wealth of information. Would love to go back someday.
Jambo Russell,
Jim and I often think of you and our wonderful trip last year with you in Tanzania. It was truly the trip of a life time and one we would love to repeat again.
See you next August – 2016!