Before my wife and I visited the Serengeti, I had 2 fears. First, I had visited the Serengeti 50 years ago and was fearful it had changed for the worse. I was pleasantly surprised that the wildlife was still very diverse and plentiful. Second, I was fearful my wife would not enjoy herself. She’s a city girl not used to camping. After our first night “glamping” she announced she loved it. She was enthralled every day with the immense vistas and close proximity to animals. She dubbed the extraordinary daily events as “WOW moments”.

We worked with ADS on our itinerary which we wouldn’t change. In summary, we landed near the Mara River in the North Serengeti  and traveled south east spending 2 nights per camp over 11 days back to Arusha.

The camps recommended by ADS based on our requested agenda were great. We stayed in Tent Camps/Tent Lodges all of which were roomy and had complete bathrooms. The camp staffs were genuinely friendly, generous, helpful and we shared many joking/laughing moments. The homemade Soups and BBQ Chicken dinners are memorable. Big breakfasts were available in the early morning so we could depart by sunrise. Finally, we always slept well in our mosquito netted beds and loved being serenaded by nearby hyenas and zebra.

We must also praise ADS’ Driver/Guide, Thomson Malekia. He met us for our Bush Plane departure to Northern Tanzania. He had a deep knowledge of the animals, animal behavior, geology, ecology, Serengeti habitats AND he had a great sense of humor. We shared many laughs. We also discovered the difference between a Guide and a GREAT Guide. A Guide follows GREAT Guides to animal sightings, interactions, and kills because GREAT Guides are the first on site. Thomson was a GREAT Guide!

The vistas and memorable “WOW moments” are too numerous to describe here, some of the animals we saw were: Wildebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Thomson’s Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Impala, Dik Dik, Klipspringer, Waterbuck, Topi, Eland, Bushbuck, Cape Buffalo, Masai Giraffe, Elephant, Hippos, Warthog, Mongoose, Hyrax, Bat Eared Fox, Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Blue Monkey, Black & White Colobus Monkey, Silver-backed Jackal, Golden Jackal, Serval Cat, Cheetah, Hyena, Lion, Leopard, Crocodile, Agama Lizard, Ostrich, Vulture, Marabou Stork, many raptors, wading, and colorful Birds.

Lastly, ADS made our arrival in Tanzania absolutely painless thanks to Sharon Lyon! Two very tired people were met at Kilimanjaro airport and personally guided thru customs express line, all transfers on safari, and delivery to Arusha airport for departure.

During our return flight home my wife said, “I would return in a heartbeat”. She still speaks of the limitless savannas stretching as far as the eyes could see in all directions and the absence of human presence. She was enthralled by the innocent beauty of gazelle, zebra and elephants, and the harsh but elegant reality of predator lions, leopards, and hyenas.

Kevin and Natalie M.
Los Altos, California
Safari Dates: September 12, 2018 to September 25th, 2018