As 2017 comes to an end, we can’t help but look back on this adventurous year with such gratitude to our guests who have chosen us as their host to experience the wonders of Tanzania. With countless safari moments to revisit, it’s fun to look back and select some of our favorites to share with you.
1 / The first is from our guests Mark & Katherine H, from Flemington NJ who traveled with us as a 30th Anniversary gift to each other.
“Right from the plane, we adventured on our first game drive. The drive started at 11 am and ended just before dusk at 6. We saw so many animals that first day including a herd of elephants crossing the Mara River and a close up view of a pride of lions with their cubs.”
“But the highlight was during a late lunch on a hill above the famous Number Seven crossing, I looked down at the river and saw our first wildebeest crossing. We immediately zoomed down the hill and had front row seats of this magnificent sight, which included a crocodile near miss of taking down a zebra during the crossing. Wow, our first hours on the Serengeti were spectacular!”
> Read Mark & Katherine’s full safari story
2 / Our second selection comes from The Angells – our family safari guests from Brooklyn & Minnesota who traveled with us as a group of four and have posted more about their experience in Tanzania on their travel blog: walkandalie.com
“We loved arriving at each hotel to cool towelettes and smiles, and discovering our tents and rooms, which were all so magical, starting with the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge’s Treetops homes (like sleeping in a tree house) to the Serengeti Bushtops luxe tents. From elephants walking on the paths at Migration Camp to the water buffalo drinking below the Four Seasons’ pool, each location blended into the landscape and welcomed the animals, while keeping the guests safe.”
“Probably the most surprising thing for me was the quantity of animals. So much of the trip, there were hundreds of animals out every window of our vehicle! My favorites were the baby animals: monkeys clinging to their moms, elephants wiggling their trunks in the dust, giraffes loping with their pals. But the most unbelievable sighting of the trip was that as we watched the wildebeest migration across the Mara, a massive crocodile lunged out of the river and took one.”
> Read The Angells’ full safari story
3 / Our third selection was a solo adventure taken by our guest Eli E. of Peyton, Colorado who traveled with us from April through May of 2017. His day-to-day breakdown of his safari experience is filled with incredible details of wildlife sightings and very helpful travel tips for future guests.
“I am not a person who is easily impressed, but simply put, my 10 day solo ADS adventure was the most amazing trip I’ve ever taken. I live in Colorado, which is an impressive place in its own right. I’ve traveled to Europe, 47 states and Canada and I’ve seen some terrific sights in my life, but this trip was amazing from the time I stepped off the plane until the time I got back on it.”
“Be prepared to believe in magic. Tanzania is simply overflowing with magic if you will only take a few moments to appreciate it. Your ADS guide will help you find it. All the quotes you read about being able to lose yourself while finding wonder and discovery are true. You will never be the same after taking a safari.”
“My guide Raphael and another ADS guide who was taking a different couple on their trip met me within 30 feet of the plane. Raphael was standing in a place where I couldn’t miss him, he made it obvious who he was, and he greeted me with a warm handshake and excellent English. We loaded my bags into the vehicle, he took about 20 minutes to fill out some paperwork and we were off. Raphael showed me that he had my itinerary but then he made it a point to also ask me several questions about what I wanted to see and we quickly established a rapport.”
“He explained what we might expect in terms of animals, the quality of the roads, the weather, and the food. We had barely sat down in the Land Cruiser and he was already tailoring the trip to my expectations while I sipped from a cool bottle of water. I informed him I was demanding and that if the sun was up I expected to be seeing Africa. His response was to smile and tell me: “get in the vehicle and let me show you Africa’.”
> Read Eli’s full safari story
4 / In our fourth ‘best of 2017’ safari moment, our guest Jeff K. describes his arrival in the Serengeti when he first witnessed the spectacle of The Great Migration.
“As we went up a hill and around the bend we were rewarded with a view that no picture can ever do justice too. There along the horizon for as far as I could see front, left and right were over 2 MILLION Zebra and Wildebeests. It was sensory overload. There in front of me was the Great Migration!”
“My heart was beating like a 5-year old experiencing Disney for the first time as I was totally overcome with excitement. Arnold being the best driver / guide of all time slowly proceeded to drive us down into the middle of what was a never-ending sea of animals. He turned off the engine and there we stayed as we took in the sights and sounds of what the Great Migration is all about.”
“What made it ever more spectacular was in this total vastness of animals and land there was only 1 other vehicle in sight and, of course, it was another ADS one. We were the only 2 witnessing this magnificent “moment in time”. No other company took the time or drove the distance for their customer’s to experience this. We were all alone! This is what ADS is all about.”
> Read Jeff’s full safari story
5 / Last but not least, our fifth 2017 selection is told by our safari guest Jill & Ron D. from Percy, Illinois.
“We came away from our trip with so much more than we bargained for – we saw the great migration, the crossing, lions mating, angry lions confronting hyenas who had stolen their food, elephants, giraffe and zebras galore, and so many more animals. We saw the Big Five!”
“What we were unprepared for, and for some reason were so incredibly surprised about, was the cultural experience that this trip offered. The Tanzanians, across the board, are so warm, welcoming, hospitable and joyful. Everyone we met offered their hand to us, extended friendship and shared a bit about themselves and their country.”
> Read Jill & Ron’s full safari story
As this year ends, we’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to all who have traveled through East Africa with us in 2017. We hope you experienced your dreams while on safari and we wish you the best to come in the new year!
> More Safari Stories: Bucket List, Photo Safaris, Family Vacations, Romantic Getaways
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