Don’t wait for the perfect time for your safari. Pick a time that works and GO. Our trip was timed for mid to late January, so the weather was perfect, and we even experienced the early stage of the wildebeest birthing season.
We saw an amazing variety of animals from the central Serengeti to the south Serengeti, in the open savannas and the woodlands. The abundance of prey meant that big cats were plentiful. During our ten-day safari, we saw at least five leopards, fifteen cheetah, hundreds of lions, and a rare serval cat.
We had lion sightings for ten consecutive days, and even witnessed a kill. Across the Serengeti, we saw herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, impalas, and other wildlife as far as the eye could see. In Ngorongoro crater, we saw large herds of cape buffalo and a black rhino.
In the woodlands, we saw plenty of elephants and giraffe, often quite close to our land cruiser. Each day there were things that were truly amazing to witness. Our guide did a marvelous job of finding new and engaging things each day. From the large elephants to the small dung beetles, we were able to stop and watch at our leisure the activities around us.
Looking back on our trip now that we are back home, it is hard to pick even a top ten picture collection. Our guide set us up for amazing pictures and video. Our guide was knowledgeable about not only the animals we were seeing, but the birds, trees, flowers, and even the geological process that created the Serengeti.
He was able to provide information on a wide variety of topics as we traversed the plains of the Serengeti National Park, Maasai village, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park over the course of our ten days with him.
Planning our trip with ADS was easy. They had answers to our questions as well as lots of good advice on what to expect on safari. The camps they picked for our safari were truly wonderful with outstanding staff and honestly quite luxurious accommodations. It was nice to be so close to the wildlife and have less driving to and from our game drives.
Having the camps near the wildlife was definitely an advantage. Hearing the hyenas, lions, wildebeest, zebra and other wildlife at night took a little getting used to, but we always felt safe and secure in the camps.
From the moment our group stepped off the airplane at the Kilimanjaro Airport until the time we departed, the ADS staff exceeded our expectations. The ADS staff in Arusha escorted us everywhere we went so we always felt safe. They expedited our arrival at the Kilimanjaro Airport, drove us to/from the lodge, took us shopping in Arusha, and even assisted us with accommodations when our departure flight was delayed a day.
This was truly a once in a lifetime trip for us. Africa will forever be a wonderful memory for us thanks to our guide and the ADS team.
Bruce and Lori T.
Center Point, Iowa
Safari Dates January 18, 2023 to January 31, 2023
Beautiful pictures. Can you let me know what type of camera was used? Thank you
I took about 2400 pictures with my Samsung S22 Ultra phone camera. I used a small tripod (selfie stick) to hold my phone to make it easier to hold still and brace it against the vehicle chassis when zoomed in for long shots or close-ups (the phone camera has 100 power zoom). The tripod also came with a bluetooth remote control which made snapping pictures very easy.
What was the weather like this time of year? And did you stay in the luxury canvas tents while in the Serengeti?
Weather the last two weeks of January was actually very comfortable, even for us coming from the the middle of winter in the upper midwest of the US. There was a bit of rain, mostly overnight, the first few days, but it didn’t impact our game drives other than having a few more mud puddles to drive through. Temperatures probably got to mid/upper 80s (degrees F), but that was comfortable with the low humidity. The open vehicle was very comfortable since you are always in the shade.
Yes. We stayed in several luxury tent camps: Sametu, Woodlands, Lake Masek, Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw, Escarpment, and Maramboi. All were excellent with great staff and accommodations.