We’d had a Serengeti National Park safari on our bucket list for several years, but we weren’t sure if it was ever going to come to fruition. However, one of my wife’s good friends booked a safari through Africa Dream Safaris (ADS) and was thoroughly impressed with the results, so we decided to give it a go. We were not disappointed!

We started out on the morning of Aug. 6th and arrived in Tanzania at around 9:00PM on Aug. 7th. We were met at the Kilimanjaro airport by an ADS rep, who ushered us through the customs process and then to our transportation to Arusha, which was with ADS rep Joseph and a driver. One thing I’d like to point out is that someone from ADS is always with you, which we found very comforting, given that this was our first excursion to Africa, where things work a little differently than here in the USA.

Based on recommendations from our ADS sales rep, Sharon Lyon, we had decided to spend two nights in Arusha after arrival in Tanzania. We’d highly recommend that option, since it not only lets you acclimate to the area, but also gives you some time to rest from the trip, which from the USA can be quite tiring indeed, especially if, like me, you don’t sleep well on planes.

During our stay in Arusha, we were treated to a tour of the city, with Joseph providing the commentary, and a stop at the local cultural center, which contains a wealth of things to see and plenty of souvenirs to pick from. I’d also like to add that the food at our lodging was excellent and we found the people there to be friendly and accommodating. Great coffee, too!

On our second morning in Arusha, Aug. 9th, we were taken to the local airport, by Joseph and a driver, to catch our plane out to the Northern Serengeti to meet our guide and begin our 8 day safari. Again, Joseph handled the chaotic airport check in process, and we were glad to let him do so!

The flight was about an hour and was efficient and comfortable. Upon our arrival, we met our guide, Dr. Alex, and after taking care of some preliminaries, we were off to start our search for the wildebeest Mara River crossings, which of course are the main reason people come to the northern section of the park this time of year.

Among many other talents, one being his amazing ability to drive safely on the legendary rough Serengeti roads, Dr. Alex had a knack for locating the active river crossings, so we were treated to ringside seats to a couple of those on that first morning.

We spent some time watching the crossings and also did some other game drives allowing us to take in the sights and other animals that call that section of the Serengeti home. After we finished, we headed to the Mara River Camp, our home for the next two nights.

I’d like to add a word or two about the camps/lodges we stayed in while on safari. In addition to the Arusha Coffee Lodge mentioned above, we stayed in five different facilities, all fairly similar, but each with it’s own distinctive style and flair. While we were still in the Serengeti, we did hear some lions and hyenas at night which, from the safety of our accommodations, was very cool stuff indeed!

In addition to the Mara River Camp, we stayed in the Mbuzi Mawe Tent camp, the Seronera Sametu tented camp, the Lion’s Paw, and Serena Safari Lodge, the last two of which were outside of the Serengeti National Park, but they allowed us to see the Ngorongoro Crater and the Manyara Forest and lake. The people working at each one were unfailingly friendly and always ready to provide us with customized service for whatever we desired. And the food was excellent!

Our days consisted of getting up early… sometimes earlier than the breakfast was officially available, but the workers always were there to greet and serve breakfast to us regardless… and then leaving the camp by 6:00 or 6:30 to start the day’s game drives.

Our guide and driver, Dr. Alex, gave us the choice of when we wanted to get started, which could have been later in the morning, but recommended that we get an early start in order to see the maximum amount of active animals.

We were determined to maximize our time there, so we opted for early take offs each day. His recommendations were correct, as were often the first vehicle out in the bush and we saw an amazing variety of animals!

We would get boxed lunches (and sometimes boxed breakfasts) to take with us, so we wouldn’t have to return to the camp during the day, freeing us up to continually do game drives until we were ready to return at the end of the day. There was always something new and astonishing to see seemingly around every corner.

We called Dr. Alex “the lion whisperer”, because he not only knew how to find the prides, but he could tell what they were doing by reading their body language. For instance, one morning we spotted a female lion coming back to where a pride was hanging out.

Dr. Alex said to notice the way she was greeted by the cubs and the other females and he said she had come back to gather them up and take them to a kill, so he kept his distance, but followed them for over a mile. Sure enough, there was a kill and the males had already had their fill, so the cubs and females got to pile on and snarl and growl and get their portion. It was amazing!

The number of animals we got to see is too numerous to mention herein, but as a sampling, in addition to the lions and about a million wildebeest, we got to see Nile crocodiles, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, elephants, all manner of antelopes and gazelles, hippos, giraffes, baboons, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, Cape Buffalo, birds of every description, and even black rhinos… although at a long distance… but we don’t blame them for being shy. In short, it was exactly what we wanted and more!

Finally, I do want to mention that at each of our camps, we were treated to some special events that were arranged just for the two of us and were totally unexpected, but greatly appreciated.

They consisted of a catered bush lunch during one of our game drives, a bush dinner after dark, a catered viewing of the sunset, and three appreciation cakes accompanied by the staff singing, clapping, and dancing for us. We were overwhelmed by the surprise and the genuine expressions of appreciation by all the staff.

In all, it was a job well done by ADS, Sharon Lyon, Joseph, Dr. Alex, and the many workers at each place we stayed. If you are looking for a customized and personal safari… not one squeezed in with a large group… we’d highly recommend Africa Dream Safaris. You won’t be disappointed!

Bill and Cyndi G.
Parkersburg, West Virginia
Safari Dates: August 7, 2024 to August 16, 2024