A safari had been on our bucket list, it was something we talked about for years and then finally took the plunge! My search was easy, I google searched the top five safari companies in the United States and Africa Dream Safaris was on that list. What set them apart was their web site, blog pages, personalized tours, and the recommendation of National Geographic.

Dawn was wonderful, helping us develop an itinerary that met our needs to a tee! Kathy helped coordinate our flights and if you’ve not used Qatar airlines, we highly recommend you do, our flights were wonderful.

People ask us how was your safari? Our response has always been the same, it was remarkable, life changing, humbling and perfect from the time we boarded our plane until the time we landed back home. It was everything Eileen and I hoped it would be and more!

Our safari began when Martese met us and quickly led us through customs. An hour later he and Joseph had us to the Arusha hotel safe and sound where we took some time to relax and have a nice meal.

The next day we hopped aboard our small plane and flew over the Serengeti to our first stop where our guide David was waiting. There are not enough words to say about how gracious, funny, kind and knowledgeable David was during our safari. He knew we wanted to see as much as possible so he made suggestions on our daily itinerary to assure we did just that! He found the animals and there were many occasions time got away from us as we watched the interactions between them.

Time seemed to stand still as we watched two cheetahs sitting under a tree, or a herd of buffalo protecting their young by warding off two lions, or a group of elephants grazing so close to our vehicle we could have touched them, or a female lion protecting her kill from curious vultures, or the thousands of wildebeest traveling north to south that seemed like they were following us!

How can we forget our night tour getting caught in a thunderstorm, wondering if we’d get back to the lodge safely and when we did get back having dinner waiting for us in front of a warm fire? Or how about the night when a buffalo decided to lay right next to our tent to sleep for the evening, or the young cub looking up at us from his hiding place in the bushes?

We toured a Maasai village and learned about their culture, sat in their home and danced with them! They laughed politely as we tried to get the rhythm and follow them. The young men and women couldn’t have been more welcoming to these two strangers entering their village. We were in awe each and every day of our tour!

Each tent site, while all different, was magnificent, from the accommodations, to the food, to the staff that made us feel safe and at home. Our meals were wonderful, our box lunches tasty as we sat under a “sausage” tree and ate our meal overlooking the vast plains and Koppes of the Serengeti. Our last night we were serenated by the staff at our lodge during dinner and presented a cake as a thank you from Africa Dream Safaris! We were quite surprised and grateful!

For us, this was our trip of a lifetime with memories we will hold dear to our hears for years to come. Africa Dream Safaris made that dream come true, we couldn’t have made a better choice! We are truly grateful to all who made this such a magnificent experience! Asante sana!

Jeanne O. and Eileen W.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Safari Dates: October 13, 2017 to October 27, 2017