We were so blessed to go on our first safari and could not have been more thrilled that we chose Africa Dream Safaris. We researched several companies prior to making our decision and never once had any regrets. It all started with our discussions with Dawn Anderson. Once we spoke to her, we were sold that ADS was the right company for us. Dawn answered all of our questions, no matter how trivial. She provided suggestions and insight that ensured every detail of our trip was handled. Dawn is the best ambassador for ADS with her exemplary customer service and desire to make our trip memorable.

Once we landed, we were met by Matthias who moved us through the immigration process so quickly. Ali and Matthias both transported us to the African Tulip Hotel that night and answered so many questions and got us even more excited to start the trip. Our next day, we had a wonderful flight to the Western Serengeti with Liz, our pilot, who took time to point out animals and the Maasia bomas explaining their culture.

This great service was followed up by the most amazing trip we have ever experienced. I knew it was going to be wonderful and more than I expected, but I wasn’t prepared for how extraordinary it would be. I am totally in awe of our time in Tanzania. This trip was, of course, like no other trip and it seems so insignificant to say it was a trip of a lifetime.

Every day it was something new and exciting from the absolutely astounding accommodations to the animals, and more animals and more animals. We were blessed to see the Big 5. Patrick, our guide, didn’t stop until he found a cheetah for us. The leopards and lions were our favorite. We saw over 40 lions: male, female, cubs. Yay! Experiencing the migration of the wildebeest by being surrounded by thousands of them was incredible. I never knew how much I loved the zebra until we saw them everywhere and their curiosity in us was remarkable.

I mentioned the accommodations were incredible and I have to say we LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the Mbusi Mawe tents. Both tented lodges (Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge and Mbalageti Tented Lodge) we stayed in were wonderful and having everyone call you by your name made it so intimate and enjoyable. We heard a lion roar early one morning; we had a cape buffalo outside our tent munching away on grass one night; and then one morning, when we awoke an elephant had taken a shortcut through the campsite and taken down a tree right next to someone’s tent. That was so exciting!! I wanted it to be our tent.

Did I mention the food? The food was wonderful and who would have thought we would be picnicking with the wildebeest and zebra or having a five course meal each night.

Then, there was Patrick who was exceptional. It is so apparent how passionate he is about the environment there and wanting to make sure he met all our expectations with what we wanted to see. He continually obliged with stopping so I could get that one (or many) more pictures. He shared information about the animals, the park, and the country. You name it; he was happy to answer questions and even sang his national anthem for us. Patrick made the trip the most memorable one and for that, thank you from the bottom of my heart, Patrick!

I can’t stop smiling and looking at pictures and love all the memories we have from this trip. Dawn mentioned that she hopes a bit of the safari magic stays with us. I have no doubt it will. The beauty of the land was unimaginable to me. I found myself thanking our God for the opportunity to experience his hand in the creation of all that we experienced.

Our deepest gratitude goes out to Dawn, Matthias, Ali, Liz, and Patrick for providing us with a trip of a lifetime.

Don and Kelly H.
Zumbrota, Minnesota
Safari Dates: May 21, 2016 to May 28, 2016