Africa Dream Safaris (ADS) was recommended to us by a friend who booked a Serengeti trip.  It was a great recommendation as we were absolutely impressed with their overall program. We arrived in Kilimanjaro from Amsterdam, and ADS had someone meet us off the plane and guide us through immigration and customs.  It took about 10 minutes.

We then met their Arusha based team who drove us 1 hour and 10 minutes to the Coffee Lodge.  This really is a very nice hotel with large rooms and excellent service. The next morning, we had an early flight to Central Serengeti.  We landed at Seronera Airstrip where we were met off the plane by our guide Michael.

Over the course of a week he took excellent care of us and with our 12 hour days together we became friends.  Michael was incredible, he could easily teach a Master Class on the Serengeti his knowledge was that expansive.  Not only was he a human GPS system (as few of the roads or tracks are marked), but he also knew every species of animal we saw (big cats, all the antelope, birds, ants and every other animal) on sight and was able to tell us details about each species that thoroughly expanded our knowledge base.

We saw several hundred species of wildlife. Michael also had a book of East African birds that was about 3 inches thick, and he would show us the details of each species as we experienced them.  His other attribute was patience.  We took several thousand photographs, and Michael would always stop the vehicle, turn it off and wait while we did our thing.  We never felt rushed.

Right off the plane at Seronera we bumped into several Giraffe, Elephants, Lions etc and we know this was going to be an immersive adventure like no other we have experienced.  The animals can be very close to the vehicles and that allowed for some very personal photography opportunities.  We saw so many animals in the Central Serengeti in three days it was amazing.

We spent three nights in the Central Serengeti at Sametu Camp.  We were impressed.  The staff we extremely accommodating, the rooms spacious and comfortable and the food was very good.  It exceeded our expectations for sure.  We celebrated our wedding anniversary here and the staff went out of their way to ensure we had a memorable one.

On our fourth day we drove to the Northern Serengeti and particularly the Mara River.  Along the way we came across many animals to observe.  We stayed at River Camp on the Mara River and our experience at this camp was exactly as it was at Sametu Camp – great people, spacious accommodations, five-star service and great food.

The Northern Serengeti was different than Central as the Wildebeest had migrated north and were present in their thousands.  Literally the herds were so expansive they were everywhere.  We observed a lion hunting for over an hour, and it was fascinating.  We were also lucky enough to witness a mass Wildebeest crossing of the Mara River.  This was like nothing we have ever experienced, and I feel considerably lucky to have witnessed it.

After 3 days we flew out of Kogatende Airstrip back to Arusha where the ADS team once again met us and took us to Kilimanjaro for our flight home.

This was the experience of a lifetime, and I cannot over emphasize the work ADS did in making it so special for us.  They are true professionals who care about their clients.  Everything was coordinated perfectly, and our safari was tailored to our requirements.  The ADS team is excellent, and I highly recommend them to plan an unforgettable safari experience.

Graham and Kelly R.
Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
Safari Dates: July 15, 2024 to July 22, 2024