Our trip to Tanzania was everything we could have dreamed of and then more. It started off perfectly when we were met at the airport by the ADS team and were whisked through the process like dignitaries while everyone else was standing around waiting.
The next morning we took our short flight to the Serengeti where we met the BEST guide, Francis. Yes, we had the best guide! Francis made sure that we were comfortable, that we saw everything we wanted to for as long as we wanted to and he answered all our questions-and believe me-we had a lot of them. We wanted to know EVERYTHING about the animals, how and what they did, about the people we saw and met and all about the culture of the tribes as well as the people living in the cities.
We spent 7 days in the Serengeti and every time we thought it couldn’t get better-it did. We also visited the FAME hospital, which was a great experience. We visited the Shanga project which we felt privileged to do.
There are so many stories we could tell but I guess the most memorable for me was one morning in the Southern Serengeti. I knew there was a possibility that I might see a “kill” but I really didn’t want to. This one morning we saw a group of zebras heading down to the water to drink. We drove nearer to the water to watch them and when we approached we saw several hyena waiting to attack when they got close enough. We stayed where we were, between the zebras and the hyena, till the hyena gave up and left and the zebra were able to get to the water and drink. (see pictures)
The hot air balloon ride was great and don’t be worried about it if you are afraid of heights. The folks that do it are wonderful and put out a fabulous native breakfast afterwards. There is a great velvet monkey story that we will leave for Francis to tell. Our hero!
We loved the accommodations. The tented lodges were so much more then we expected. The people everywhere were wonderful but Mbuzi Mawe was, by far, our favorite. The people there welcomed you as if it were their home.
If you’re thinking about going-DO IT NOW!!
Nancy & Lenny Max
The Villages, Florida
Safari Dates: January 20, 2013 to January 29, 2013
We agree that an ADS experience is fabulous. Only one problem seems to surface with every group. We act like children: my guide is better than yours. How do you explain that?
Glad you had a wonderful trip – thanks for sharing! Bob, in my opinion thinking our guide is the best isn’t childish or even about one-upmanship. I think ADS has many fabulous guides and given the limited safari experience we have (or are likely to get!), we have trouble conceiving that any other guide could be better. Each trip is special and unique and I for one want to express my appreciation for the wonderful time we had – which was in large part due to the expertise of Wilfred, our ADS guide. They work hard and really are the best – no shame in saying so! 🙂