If you read no further this sentence, remember this:  IF A SAFARI IS ON YOUR WISH-LIST, TANZANIA IS THE PLACE TO GO AND ADS ARE THE PEOPLE TO MAKE IT HAPPPEN!

We can’t say enough good things about Africa Dream Safaris!  We had an exciting, comfortable, and safe trip to Tanzania thanks to ADS – and came away loving its amazing wildlife, beautiful landscape and engaging, high-spirited people.   We were totally prepared by Dawn Anderson, the ADS representative in the U.S.  – she addressed our every question and  need with unending patience.  She offers truly expert help because she’s been to EVERY area for safari and place we might stay – she really knows the ground!

ADS helps you understand your wide range of options, and is ultimately flexible: you select everything from early planning through helping direct the action each day: drive or fly, areas to visit, and level of luxury in your lodgings and food, and the daily agenda on the ground. While we chose to stay in some lodges too, our favorite place to stay was the Lake Masek Tented Camp – a small luxury camp that was personal and lovely. And where Hippos visited at night!  Staying in luxury tented camps is a wonderful experience – they are intimate and close to nature, but in a very comfortable way.

Our trip arriving January 30 and departing February 13 2014 was a perfect time of year – Tanzania was lush and green – but before the long rainy season.  The weather was pleasant, and we NEVER SAW INSECTS.  ADS took care of us from the minute we landed in Tanzania and in every way after that.  We started our odyssey with 2 nights in Arusha where two ADS guides, Faith and Immanuel, instantly helped us start to understand Tanzania, its people, its beauties and challenges.

Once on safari, it was just we two with Immanuel our guide/driver for all 8 days of our safari. He was extremely knowledgeable and got us up close to more wildlife than we could ever have imagined  – explaining the animals, birds reptiles – and everything about them-  behaviors, life cycles, habitats and of course the Serengeti  ecosystem.

The beauty of going with ADS is you aren’t locked into the pre-set, well-trodden paths of larger tour groups – our guide Immanuel was free to decide the best areas to explore each day, within our larger trip outline.  We spent lots of time alone and off road, tracking animals as they stalked their prey, for example!  Immanuel stopped at any moment when we wanted a photo:  no problem, just stop when you want as long as you’d like. He made it clear he was there for OUR experience.

And NOT TO BE MISSED – we stayed for 6 days after our safari on Zanzibar at the all-inclusive luxury resort The Palms – which can only be described as heaven on earth. The Palms had the best service we’ve ever experienced and while there we dined on ambrosia –prepared by a French-trained chef using local ingredients, often directly from the sea (lobster every day!!).

By getting to know guides personally, seeing Arusha and cities and towns on Zanzibar, and visiting markets, a coffee estate, spice farm, and a Masai BOMA, we gained an appreciation for Tanzania, and East-central Africa, that the safari alone would never have given us. This fantastic journey gave us a whole new feeling for Africa – and was all arranged for us, along with the transfers, guides, drivers and an unending amount of personal care and attention by ADS – both in the U.S. and on the ground in Tanzania. REMEMBER – DON’T TAKE A FIXED GROUP TOUR SAFARI, LET ADS TAKE YOU ON A SAFARI MADE-FOR-YOU!

Christine F. and Oscar G.
Alexander, Virginia
Safari Dates: January 30, 2014 to February 13, 2014