We spent two weeks in Tanzania with Africa Dream Safaris and already are thinking about going back! From the moment we were greeted by the “meet and greet” staff at the airport (bypassing the very long line for immigration and so on) through each “check in” and our final drop-off at the airport, every detail went smoothly and we never spent a minute worrying about our next destination or check-in or anything. During the preplanning phase when I had endless questions and concerns and changes, [our ADS rep] answered each question thoroughly, patiently, and quickly. Those quick and thorough responses did a lot to convince us of ADS’s professionalism, and our experience confirmed it.

Being on the Serengeti at sunrise, with an endless plain around you and only the sound of wind as you watch lions only 10 feet away, is an experience we will never forget. But it’s only one of many such experiences! A cheetah and her three cubs under a small acacia tree, wildebeest and zebra crowding down a river bank to drink, a martial eagle plucking and devouring its kill, jackals fighting vultures over the remains of a zebra … each experience was new and unique and incredible. And the experience isn’t simply a visual one! Hearing the crunching of bones as a lion devours its prey, the grunts of the hippos in a lagoon, the screeching of guinea fowl or the sound of grass being pushed aside as a leopard walks past in the bush … all so memorable. And for our most memorable sounds, we’d have to include the night at the private camp when nearby lions growled and roared, along with the trumpeting that an elephant “mom” made when she thought we were too close to her and the “kids.” Did we mention that she then took off after our car? No problem driving quickly away though!

Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. He helped give us a picture not only of the abundant wildlife (birds, reptiles, animals) but of life in Tanzania too. He was working hard so we could have a tremendous trip, and we’re so appreciative. All of the staff we encountered were friendly, and the experience at the private luxury camp was not only a highlight of this vacation but of any vacation we’ve taken. Incredible new tastes with African food prepared in camp, served under the stars, with candles and starlight and the sound of distant (at the time!) lions. A camp where you are the only people for miles and miles. An incredible sky overhead. That meal and night could have gone on forever.

We would highly recommend the experience and the Africa Dream Safaris company to anyone. We’ll be back for a rainy season trip in another few years (wish it could be sooner!).

Tracey Tomashpol and Farron Brougher
July 2010

A procession of giraffes marching over the Serengeti plains.

 

A family of young cheetahs relaxing in the shade with their mother.

 

A confident leopard, pausing momentarily in a regal pose, as he pads through a grassy clearing.