For all my life, I have dreamed of a safari in the Serengeti. At our usual birthday cake eating at work, it was my turn to answer the 3 questions we all get asked: Favorite family tradition, who would you like to have dinner with, and what is your number 1 bucket list item. When I said my bucket list item was a safari in the Serengeti, it finally clicked “why do I just keep saying it, it’s time to do it!”

One month later, I had decided on Africa Dream Safaris and officially booked my trip for January 2019. After 43 years of wanting and 1 year of waiting, I now have had the most amazing experience of my life!

Having never had a real vacation, and having never left the United States, I was a little nervous about the trip as a single traveler. I had several questions for Dawn, which she always answered and made me feel at ease. My guide, Emmanuel, met me at the small airstrip with a huge smile and big loud “Hi Aaron!!” as soon as I got off the small bush plane. I was instantly at ease and ready to start the most amazing thing I’ve done in my life.

The amazing experiences started instantly. 30 minutes after we left the small airport, we saw the most amazing leopard. This usually takes some time, but not for us. Not only did we see the beautiful animal in the tree, but it decided to get out of that tree, walk right in front of our vehicle, and get in another tree what was right in front of us and start posing for our cameras!

For the next 9 days, it was the same type of amazing experiences. Each day something new and incredible.

Even though I wanted to see everything, I really wanted to see the cats. What incredible animals! I can’t stop telling my friends and family about the amazing things I saw. A couple days later, we met 2 cheetah brothers. Even though they were being bothered by the flies, they still took the time to come up and say hello. And I mean up CLOSE to say hello!

It is very difficult to put everything I saw into a testimonial, there is WAY too much to say and to show! From the Serengeti to Ndutu Lake, to the Ngorongoro Crater, every time Emmanuel and I thought we have seen it all, we were wrong.

Sending photos back to some family and friends back home, I got the usual “Can’t wait until see your update for tomorrow!” along with a lot of jealousy of what I was seeing. I am from Colorado, so while I was having the time of my life, it was snowing back home and they were shoveling driveways and driving on snowy roads.

All it took was a question at a birthday cake eating at work to get me to finally stop wanting to do it, and just do it. Africa Dream Safaris took a nervous lone traveler and turned this trip into just the beginning! So, stop saying “this is something I’d like to do” and turn it into “wait until I tell you about what I did!”

Maybe you will be like me when asked “Was it incredible?” I now say that the words “incredible” and “amazing” aren’t strong enough to describe what I saw, what I did, where I stayed, Emmanuel and his skills and kindness, and the memories I will have for the rest of my life.

Aaron S.
Broomfield, Colorado
Safari Dates: January 17, 2019 to January 27, 2019