I’ve had lots of incredible wildlife encounters over the years having been fortunate enough to conduct dozens of safaris in the Serengeti. However, having cheetahs jump on my vehicle was one specific sighting that had always alluded me until last week on a recent trip to the Serengeti.
Recently the U.S. enacted a carry on electronics ban requiring any device bigger than a smartphone to be packed in checked baggage on certain flights to the U.S. This includes just about every major device larger than an iphone including cameras, laptops, tablets and e-readers.
How would you like to journey back to bygone times, where life is a little bit simpler and the soul can breathe? Where time slows to a crawl and there is beauty all around? Where the ambience is a reflection of how the world would be if “Out of Africa” ever met “Gone with the Wind”? Plantation Lodge may be that prescription your spirit needs. This is a ” stop whatever it is you are doing and smell the roses” type of place. The beauty of this Lodge is so highly regarded that many couples choose to get married under the postcard perfect terrace.
Luxury meets wilderness in the grandest of venues at Four Seasons Lodge. This five-star dream hideaway is pure bliss, a decadent oasis of unexpected luxury dropped in the middle of the raw Serengeti wilderness.
This is my sixth safari, and my second with Africa Dream Safaris. I have taken enough safaris to compare different outfitters, and I go with ADS from now on for a number of reasons. First of all is the service, from both Sharon in the U.S. as well as the team in Arusha. On this particular safari, we had a problem at one of our locations, and our guide immediately contacted the office in Arusha who made things right. Which is what I’ve come to expect from ADS.
My husband John and I have been home barely two weeks and already we have shared with innumerable people our experiences and photos from what can only be described as a trip of a lifetime. After much research (on my husband’s part) we decided on Africa Dream Safari. One selling point for us was the concept of a private, custom safari. After seeing crowded (sometimes with 6 or 8 passengers) vehicles during some game drives we were so happy we opted for a private safari.
What a once in a lifetime adventure we had in Tanzania with our friends, Neil and Sharon! We were met at the airport in the Serengeti National Park by our guide, Ally, and on the first day we saw all of the big five animals except the black rhino!
After more than a year of planning and anticipation, our dream of an African safari became a reality when we were joined by our two adult sons and their wives in Tanzania for what can only be described as the trip of our lifetime!
We recently returned from our February 12th to February 24th Tanzanian safari with ADS. This truly was the trip of a lifetime. We were so pleased every step of the way with the staff at ADS. Dawn was truly wonderful in answering all our questions as we made our plans.
Approximately 20,000 animals take haven in ‘Africa’s Garden of Eden.’ The Ngorongoro Crater is a world heritage site, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and is commonly referred to as the 8th wonder of the world.
We had a fantastic safari in Tanzania through ADS. The itinerary Sharon put together for our family of four was great and the accommodations and service at each hotel/lodge/camp were excellent.
We have just returned from a fabulous trip to Tanzania. It was a once in a lifetime trip for us. Special thanks to Dawn who patiently answered all our many questions over the past year.
Our driver guide Patrick was great! He found all the animals he knew we wanted to see including the black rhino (we saw four in the same day), and he was a wealth of knowledge about all the animals.
We stayed in three camps (Seronera Sametu Camp, Lake Masek Tented Lodge and Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw Camp), each one very unique and special. Sametu Camp may have been the most memorable as we had a lion who roared a couple of times during the night right outside our tent!
The staff at each camp was very welcoming and congenial, and the food was great as well. We went a day early in order to visit The School of St. Jude as well as to rest up before our Safari began. The children at the school were delightful.
Judi and Larry H.
Wake Forest, North Carolina
Safari Dates: February 16, 2017 to February 23, 2017
Mandusi Swamp is formed by the Munge stream. The swamp is a special habitat: a refuge for elephants and hippos, hunting ground for predators, cover for small animals, reserve grazing for the large herds of wildebeest and zebra and a nesting site for birds. There are about 70 different bull elephants that are regular visitors to the Crater floor and Mandusi Swamp while breeding herds of elephants (cows and calves) wander only through the rim forests and are rarely seen on the floor.
Expansive blue sky, sloping savannah and granite studded hills frame the magnificent setting for the luxury tented lodge Lemala Kuria Tented Lodge (aka Lemala Kuria Hills Serengeti). Lemala Kuria Tented Lodge opened their doors to guests for the first time in July 2013. Located way (way) off the beaten path in a remote alcove of the Wogakurya Hills region of the North Serengeti, tucked discreetly behind a massif of granite kopjes, this 5-star permanent tented lodge is an unexpected but welcome oasis of delights for the weary safari traveler.
December 11th we made the trip of a lifetime to the Serengeti. We were so excited for this trip, and after reading thru all the informative guides from ADS, we felt we were totally prepared and had an idea of what to expect on the trip. After a great night of rest at the hotel the first night, we boarded our flight in Arusha to set out for the Serengeti.
As scared as I was about such a tiny plane, the pilot, Harry immediately put us at ease, and we had an awesome flight. What I was not prepared for, was how awestruck I was when I saw the migration of the wildebeests and zebras from above. It was incredible and I still cannot find the right words for the feelings I had seeing it. I looked at my husband, and we both smiled, knowing this was going to be everything we hoped and more.
What I was impressed with most on the trip, was how perfectly orchestrated everything was. From the second we landed in Africa to our flight home, the staff at ADS was there to help and guide us. This was such a new experience, and quite honestly I was little paranoid about safety. (I can’t help myself, I blame it on 20 years of working in NYC – it’s exhilarating, but leaves you a little twitchy!) I soon realized, we were in good hands, and as long as we listened to our guide, we had nothing to fear! We just had to sit back, and enjoy the ride.
After we landed and said goodbye to Harry, we met Emanuel, who would be our guide for the next 7 days. We quickly began to call him Eagle Eyes, because he did not miss a THING.
We’d be driving along and Emanuel would stop, pull out the binoculars, and boom! Leopards in a tree. Or, boom! Cheetah cubs hiding in some bushes. Or, a rhino mom and her baby! Or, bat eared foxes! The best was when Emanuel stopped as we were driving in the late afternoon on our way to the Ndutu Lodge. Boom! DUNG BEETLE with a ball of dung and his bride riding on top. It does not get better than that!
I think a good guide makes sure you see all the obvious things, but a great guide goes above and beyond to make your trip fascinating! ADS has GREAT guides for sure. The most moving part of the trip for me was the migration – being in the middle of 100,000+ zebras and wildebeests, and watching them was awesome.
The elephants and their strong family structure was a close second. I was truly surprised at how graceful and silent they were. (And, of course as I told Dawn from ADS, the hyenas are my spirit animals! So I loved watching their cunning antics) For my husband, it was the lions. Seeing them, you really do understand why they are named the King of the Beasts. They are majestic, strong, and fearless.
Every day we returned covered in dust, exhausted and with the BIGGEST smiles on our faces possible. We had so much fun, learned so much, and met so many nice people, my heart is still full from all the experiences we had on this trip.
I do want to mention that anyone considering this trip should take the time to read all of the info ADS gives you. We knew what to pack, how to pack, what to wear, what we were going to eat, even what kind of camera lens to bring for the best experience possible. We saw other travelers who were not as prepared as we were, and it affects your experience. I really felt we had a top of the line experience with ADS. My husband is already planning our next trip to come back!
Nicole and Raymond V.
Morristown, New Jersey
Safari Dates: December 11, 2016 to December 19, 2016
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