The Best Check Mark Off Our Retirement List!

Our African safari was the best mistake of a lifetime. We were planning on going in February of 2024, but our information arrived with a 2023 itinerary. One look and we were hooked. Dawn our safari planner got a call the next day and our plans were becoming a reality. Dawn helped us with every detail, answered all questions and helped with all the paperwork.

We have only been out of the USA twice so the VIP treatment at the airport in Tanzania helped ease our stress. Esther, our Arusha greeter is a bubbly and friendly person. She was so much help getting us to our hotel and the the airport in the morning. We discussed our safari itinerary and that we were looking for every ANIMAL. She never left our side and helped on our return flight making sure everything went well through customs and check in. Hakuna Noma!

Once in Seronera we met our driver Russel. He is very knowledgeable about the wildlife, trees, birds and the culture also extremely patient. He let me watch baby elephants until I decided to go or the elephants left.

He was like part of our family. He always made sure Brad had good lighting and the correct angle for pictures. If you ever meet Russel ask him to tell you the warthog family stories. We also had fun while I was trying to pass his bird test. There are just a few animals from the ADS check list that we did not see due to the wrong region.

We saw baby elephants, four leopard tortoises, dung beetles and black rhinoceros (seven in one day) which were on my list of must sees. Brad found his leopard and baby warthog. We were able to watch a cheetah teach its three cubs how to stalk. Two followed her exactly while the third one was more interested in playing and distracting the other two. It was amazing to see and hear the animals in the wild.

We stayed in bush camps the entire 10 day safari. We were able to hear lions roaring at night and early in the morning. At one camp there were giraffes sleeping close to the trail on the way to breakfast.

They were all first class with exceptional people, very friendly and helpful. The retirement cake and dance by the staff at the bush camps were totally a surprise. We had a bush breakfast at the Lions Paw private picnic area that was beautiful. I told Brad not to get use to this kind of treatment, because it was not going to happen at home.

We can’t say enough about ADS. The name says it all AFRICA DREAM SAFARI. Thank you so much for an amazing and extraordinary safari of a lifetime.
Asante Sana!

Brad and Jane B.
Chaska, Minnesota
Safari Dates: March 01, 2023 to March 10, 2023

  1. My husband and I are scheduled for 10 days in February of 2025… I am very excited. Hippos are at the top of my list… Did you see any?

    1. yes we saw lots of hippos. Most were in the water but we were able to see a couple of groups out of the water including a couple of babies .

    2. Hippos everywhere!!!! There’s an amazingly huge hippo pond between west and central Serengeti (not sure your itinerary), but I saw hippos every day in smaller capacities, too. Just was there May 19-29, 2023. Enjoy!!!!!