My wife and I recently returned from a week’s safari in the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater in February 2020. The program that Africa Dream Safari (ADS) Vice President, Sharon Lyon arranged for us was as complete and near-to-perfect first trip to Tanzania that a traveler could want.
10. Getting in the Land Cruiser (before sunrise most days) with hot tea and coffee in hand, eager to see what the day would bring and NEVER being disappointed.
9. Eating amazing fresh fruit and fantastic homemade soups with nearly every meal and enjoying our first banana chips as a snack in the vehicle
8. Seeing elephants and the endless plains of the Serengeti FROM THE SHOWER.
We could not have been happier with our trip and our experience with Africa Dream Safaris. After a glowing recommendation from our friends who had previously traveled to the Serengeti with ADS, we reached out to Sharon Lyon and were not disappointed.
Becky and I returned from Tanzania and our Trip of A Lifetime on January 24, 2020. It was an amazing adventure, and we will carry our memories of it for the rest of our lives. We love wildlife and bird-watching and had talked about a safari to Africa for 20 years. We even attended a couple of travel shows about Africa, but couldn’t really figure out how to start and where do we go? How do you coordinate this? Is it safe? So, we procrastinated. Until, we met our new neighbors.
Extraordinary! Unbelievable! Amazing! Fabulous! A dream came true. The minute I stepped out of the bush plane on Serengeti soil in the Lobo Valley an indescribable feeling of peace and serenity encompassed me. Our guide Arnold greeted us with his contagious smile and wit. I continue to enjoy (nearly 5 months later) the burden-free peacefulness and serenity felt those amazing days during September 2019.
For our 30th wedding anniversary we knew a safari would be special. We singled out ADS because they specialize in Tanzania and offer a customized journey with private vehicle and an experienced driver-guide. From the beginning with Dawn as our safari director to the end with our driver in Tanzania, we felt secure that the planning, guidance and implementation of our trip was in capable and friendly hands.
Having recently returned from an eight day African Dream Safari, cycling through the 1000 photographs and reliving each day – it is hard to put in to words our experience.
We opted for a “rest day” in Arusha at the Coffee Lodge. After breakfast, Didah took us for a quick tour around the city and a stop for some shopping at the Cultural Center. We were glad to have this day to help acclimate ourselves to the time change.
Africa. Dream. Safaris. Each word had its own special meaning for this trip of a lifetime. Millions of words have spilled across page after page trying to capture the true essence of the magical and mystical land called Africa. It may be a cliche but there is no better way to express that this experience was truly a dream come true and an epic journey across the vast plains of the Serengeti and down into the breathtaking beauty of the Ngorongoro Crater with so many memories made along the way. This safari provided the ultimate opportunity to explore, investigate and learn about the animals, the geography and the people in the best possible way – up close and firsthand.
We recently completed a safari with ADS. It was the experience of a lifetime…from our initial contact with Dawn to our landing at Kilimanjaro airport we were welcomed and guided through our safari. Our expectations were met or exceeded within the first few days. Everything else was added wonder. We have already told many friends about this trip and hope they might have this opportunity in the future. It is unlike any other trip we have ever taken.
Wow! There aren’t enough superlatives to describe our September safari with ADS. While my husband and I are frequent travelers and have enjoyed many wonderful expeditions, we had no idea how magical and unique this immersive experience would be. We chose ADS because my brother and sister-in-law had recently traveled with ADS. My sister-in-law does her homework when she travels so we knew we didn’t need to look elsewhere. She always finds the best.
Well…how to begin? Our trip that you so meticulously planned for us was simply amazing! Everything from meeting the delightful Joseph to the last day room at the Arusha Coffee Lodge was seamlessly thought out.
We did a once in a lifetime photo safari to the Serengeti back in February 2018. Within a year, the magic of this place started calling our names again. I called Dawn Anderson, with Africa Dream Safaris, to get the planning process initiated for the second time. Since our first trip was during the green season, we thought we’d like to experience a dry season safari, with hopes of witnessing a Mara River crossing. We eventually booked our trip for mid August.
Going on a Safari has always been on our bucket list of ‘want to do’s’. But fears of distance, unknowns and where to go caused hesitation. Then a year ago our friends who had gone on a Tanzanian safari encouraged us. Well this got my husband and I thinking…we should just do it.
Leading up to our safari, my daughter and I watched all the nature programs we could on Africa and the Serengeti. We were prepared and excited. So, we thought. Nothing could have prepared us for the experience we had with Africa Dream Safaris. Our safari far exceeded our expectations.
She struts across the savannah, attitude on full display. At around four feet tall and ten pounds, she’s not the biggest thing out here, but she has swagger and a killer kick. I watch her chase several immense vultures off a carcass, just because she can. This is the most unique bird of prey in all the world—crane-like long legs, a bare red/orange face, hooked beak, and crazy black feathers on the back of her head. Over the course of ten days, I see about a dozen of these entertaining birds, sashaying across the most wondrous place in all the world—the Serengeti in Tanzania. The secretary bird is one of 201 bird species I record on my Sep 2019 trip with my 29-year-old daughter Daisy.
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