Author: Michael

Our September 2013 Tanzania Safari

‘Adventure Of A Lifetime’…is the best way to describe our recent two week safari to Tanzania.

After our short plane flight into the Kogatende Airstrip, we met our driver/guide, David Chando, and began our trip into the bush. We immediately realized what a special person he is. He was personable, professional, respectful and all around great.

David’s knowledge of the animals and his country added to the success of our safari. His work day did not end after arriving at our camp in the evening. He made sure we planned the next days activities and he informed us where we were going and what we hoped to see in those areas. Next, he proceeded to clean the vehicle, stock it with supplies and have it ready to go the next morning.

After leaving the airstrip with David, in only 4 minutes, we saw our first animal, which was a Hippopotamus. Animal sightings were abundant and frequent throughout the safari and that was very impressive.

Our lodging accommodations exceeded our expectations. Particularly enjoyable was the Four Seasons, Ngorongoro Serena Lodge and the Swala Tented Lodge. The local staff at every resort treated us like rock stars. We could not have been more pleased with the service they provided us.

This truly was an adventure of a lifetime, thanks to the professional assistance from all the staff associated with Africa Dream Safaris. We have recommended to our friends, and suggest to anyone interested in taking a safari, to consider contacting the best organization for this type of vacation, Africa Dream Safaris.

Among the four of us, we took thousands of photos and movies, which will continue to provide us wonderful memories for years to come.

Below are some of our special sights, enjoy.

Chuck, Cathy, Donna and Dee
Fallston, Maryland and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Safari Dates: September 5, 2013 to September 15, 2013

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Within Minutes We Were Watching The Wildebeest Cross The Mara River

Thank you for setting up this wonderful safari for our group. Starting with the Lemala Mara River remote camp and finishing with Swala was the right way to go. All the camps were special in their own way, and we enjoyed all the experiences from the “talking showers” to the gourmet meals. We have many memories to cherish.

Arnold was our outstanding guide/driver. He is so knowledgeable about all the animals, birds, vegetation and the area in general. He was so enthusiastic about everything we saw and that feeling rubbed off on all of us. It is wonderful to see someone so proud of his country and heritage.

Within minutes of picking us up at the airport, we were watching the wildebeest cross the Mara River. Arnold really seemed to know the animals and their habits and had us at the right time and the right place so often. He was always conscious of where he placed the vehicle for the best viewing angle and lighting for photography. And… his ability to spot animals was amazing. He never rushed us when we wanted “just one more picture”. He is truly an asset to your company.

Thank you for providing this wonderful experience and we will be sure to recommend your company to everyone we know.

Attached are 11 photos from our safari.

Susan and Don F.
September 6, 2013 to September 16, 2013
El Dorado, California

Africa01.jpg – Lion cub playing

Africa02.jpg – Spotted Hyena resting

Africa03.jpg – The Leopard that walked DIRECTLY in front of our Land Cruiser

Africa04.jpg – Lunch on the Savanna

Africa05.jpg – Maasai dance

Africa06.jpg – Hippo pool

Africa07.jpg – The male Lion we saw that tried to kill 2 males cubs from another pride

Africa08.jpg – Dwarf Mongoose

Africa09.jpg – Baboon with new baby

Africa10.jpg – Sunset behind a Baobab tree

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Around Every Corner There Seemed To Be Another Wondrous Sighting

As we disembarked from our internal Tanzania flight, our ADS driver/guide, Arnold, greeted us with his big friendly smile, welcoming us to the Serengeti. From then on we could tell our safari would be a wonderful and exciting trip. He quickly took care of all the paperwork and we took off to watch nature unfold before our eyes. Within an hour of our arrival we were already watching the first of our three wildebeest crossing of the Mara River. By that evening we had already seen more wild animals then thought possible. As the days went by we kept checking off the animals from the ADS list, even adding several new species which Arnold would point out to us.

The Serengeti terrain was so diversified and beautiful. Around every corner there seemed to be another wondrous sighting, of Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, Elephants, Giraffes, herds of Antelope, Zebra, Buffalo and Wildebeest, all walking right by our LandRover. By the end of our safari we were able to list 47 identifiable animal/reptile species and 34 identifiable birds, all which Arnold explained in detail about their behavioral patterns from birth, child rearing, mating to death.

Arnold’s exceptional abilities to read the animals, allowed us to witness a rare sighting of the astonishing interaction of two male lions hunting down male cubs of a different Pride. Seeing the lioness intervening to distract the male lions to protect her male cubs was amazing. We felt like we were reliving last month’s article in National Geographic on “The Life of a Serengeti Lion”.

We started to accuse Arnold of being able to send an email message ahead to the animals, saying we will be there in 10 minutes for viewing and pictures. Sure enough, we would arrive at just the right time to see another amusing animal crossing right in front of us. His ability to position the LandRover so the lighting was perfect for our pictures was incredible. His continual patience of letting us yell out “Stop! Arnold I want to take another picture!”, just added to the excitement of our safari. Arnold even predicted rain, changing our planned “Nature Walk” to an earlier time, and sure enough at 3:30 it started to rain just as he predicted.

Our Massai Village visit gave us a real view of the village people of Tanzania and their hopes and hardships. Listening to the village people describing their traditional ways and how they are realizing there is now a global world out there which is requiring them to move their villages forward into this changing world while trying to keep their traditional values was inspirational.

We thank Dawn for helping us plan and setup our incredible safari. Her suggestions, directions, the choice of camp/lodging sites gave us various experiences “in the bush”. She always took into account our desires and answered all inquiries in a very timely manner. She was always just an email away.

ADS’s LandRover was in tiptop shape. As we traveled those ruddy roads each day, we appreciated traveling with a topnotch company. (Arnold kept the LandRover neat, clean and in good working order; he is a man of all trades)

Thank you ADS, Dawn and Arnold for this amusing and wonderful safari. As Arnold says “Every time is a good time in the bush”

Steve and Marie R.
El Dorado Hills, CA
Safari dates: Sept 4-16, 2013

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We Would Highly Recommend ADS To Any Family

Our family booked the 9-day package with Africa Dream Safaris and arrived in Tanzania in late July, 2013. Prior to booking with Africa Dream Safaris, we researched many safari outfitters and chose ADS and we were SO glad we did. What a great experience!

Our main concern from the beginning was safety since we were taking our children (ages 18, 14, 11). It truly was one of the best experiences we ever had and it far exceeded our expectations. We met so many people from around the world. Highlights included seeing the Big 5, visiting the Masasi tribe, taking the night drive from the Buffalo Luxury Camp, and taking the hot air balloon over Central Serengeti.

We would highly recommend Africa Dream Safaris to any family. It was safe, dependable, professional, and truly amazing and we loved our guide.

Kevin & Lynn M. & Family
Westminster, Colorado
Safari Dates: July 24, 2013 to August 2, 2013

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Africa Has A Way Of Getting Into Your Heart And Soul.

Amazing trip! Dawn was awesome to work with. She was very patient and answered all of my questions, which were many! She made sure it was our vacation and met all my requests. I really wanted to be in Africa during the full moon and wanted specific tented camps during our stay.

Dawn worked really hard to get everything booked just as I wanted. The first night on our safari we ate dinner under the full moon! It was perfect! We loved everything about our safari. Our guide was awesome and taught us so much about the environment, the animals and the people of Africa.

Our guide Ally told us at the beginning that Africa has a way of getting into your heart and soul. He was absolutely right! We were very sad to see our trip end but we walked away with incredible memories and a vacation of a life time.

One of my most favorite memories was the first morning of our safari waking up to hot coffee being served to our tent. We went outside on the deck to drink the coffee and as soon as we sat down a beautiful giraffe came strolling by right in front of us as if he was saying good morning and welcome to Africa! We had many special moments.

We were fortunate enough to see a lion kill a gazelle. We saw the entire thing from the hunting to the stalking to the kill. It was fascinating. I could not get over the patience of the lion during this process and how she searched for the perfect tree after she caught the gazelle to lay down and begin her feast. We also saw a lion family, the father, mother and two cubes. It was neat watching the family interact, the cubs playing with their mother and the mother taking the cubs to her freshly killed wildebeest to let them eat.

I could not get over the massive amounts of animals we encountered during our safari and how the different animals coexist with each other. You would see zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, gazelles, topies, cape buffalo and hartebeest (and some I am sure I forgot) all in one view. What an incredible sight!

We witnessed part of the great migration as thousand of wildebeest moved in search of green grasses. That was truly amazing. We really enjoyed watching the monkeys and baboons with their babies on their backs, they were very funny. On an early morning drive we saw a bunch of hippos in a single line running down a rapid flowing stream making all their hippo noises! Then watched how they got very territorial with their space as the stream opened up to a pool of water.

One of the places we stayed (Four Seasons Bilila) had a huge watering hole right in front of the swimming pool. Each day herds of elephants would come up and drink out of the watering hole. It was fun watching the baby elephants squeeze in between all the huge elephants to be able to get their small trunks close enough to the water to get a drink. We counted 28 elephants around the watering hole one night as we watched the sun go down.

I cannot forget to mention all the amazing birds in Africa. Some of the birds were extremely large and most of them were very colorful. The visit to the Maasai village was fascinating. They welcomed us with open arms, gave us a tour through one of their homes and performed a special dance with their jumping and rhythmic vocals.

All the tented camps were exactly as described and pictured on the internet. We really enjoyed getting to meet the local people who worked at the camps. Each camp brought a different experience and varying degrees of animals roaming the camps. The quiet mornings were so peaceful and the sunsets were like no other.

We always felt safe and our guide was there every step of the way. I researched a lot of safari outfitters and chose Africa Dream Safaris as a result of my interactions with Dawn and the positive testimonies from other ADS travelers. It truly was a “dream” vacation one we will always cherish. Thanks Dawn for putting together a wonderful trip.

Terrie and John M.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Safari Dates: July 20, 2013 to August 2, 2013

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ADS Gave Us The Experience Of A Lifetime

Our safari was only 2 months ago and it feels like forever since we were there. I look at our pictures almost daily and tell many fond stories to anyone who will listen. My sister, Debbie, had always dreamed of being on safari and she did all of the research for the trip. The minute she found ADS, she called me to tell me, “I have our safari”. Lynn was our safari specialist, and she was a fabulous resource. She truly catered to our wishes and needs in designing our safari.

I can’t find the words to accurately describe our experience and never could have imagined the memories that were made on our trip. Our guide, Michael, never ceased to amaze us. We called him “Eagle Eye Mike” because he’d see things we didn’t even know were anywhere near us.

One day, we spotted a lion couple lounging in a field. He stopped the truck and told us they might be mating. Sure enough, within 10 minutes the mating began. Michael explained to us they they will mate every 15 – 30 minutes for a few days and that they are coupled together for only 15 seconds or so. Michael was extremely knowledgeable and answered every possible question we had (and we had many). If he wasn’t sure of the answer, he would consult one of his many field guides he had in the truck.

We can’t imagine having to share the truck with anyone. It was perfect for the two of us and all of our gear. We could move freely about in order to get the best photo; one of the days Michael must have opened or closed the roof more than 5 times for us. He knew the park like the back of his hand, and for much of the trip it was like the Serengeti was ours alone with no one to get in our way.

After our second day, we thought we had seen it all and figured that the rest of the trip would be low key and uneventful. We couldn’t have been more wrong! Each new day had something new and unique in store for us. At the end of each day, when we reached our camps and lodges, we were treated like royalty. From the moist towels and cool drinks upon arrival, the fabulous meals, and our early morning coffee wake up call, we were spoiled. Then when we were ready to head out again, Michael would have the truck fresh and dust free, waiting to take us where ever we wanted to go.

My sister’s dream was to see giraffes, and that we did. We even saw a baby with its mother and nursing. Come to think of it, we saw young or babies of almost every animal we saw. I’m a science teacher, and the controlled burning, predatory, migratory and mating behaviors, and birds picking the insects off the giraffes will be part of my lessons. How perfect that I have pictures and anecdotes to share with my students.

I could go on and on about our safari, but to sum it up: ADS gave us the experience of a lifetime and when we go back again, my sister will not need to do any research. We already know we will be traveling with Africa Dream Safaris.

Linda J.
New York, New York
Safari Dates: August 1, 2013 to August 10, 2013

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A Father-Daughter Photography Adventure

Our safari was truly an awesome experience and definitely an excellent pick for a father-daughter photography adventure. Immediately after our bush flight into the Serengeti our adventure began and continued all the way up to our departure. Every day held new discoveries. Even if we explored the same area for two days, we spotted new animals interacting in completely different ways. It’s one thing to hear about other peoples’ safaris and how amazing it is to be surrounded by hundreds of animals, but it is entirely different to personally experience it.

Our driver Peter was amazing at simultaneously spotting game in the distance, navigating the roads, and educating us on the nearby animals or current terrain. We definitely learned a lot about wherever we traveled and now possess a plethora of random trivia about African wildlife.

We thought the accommodations along our journey added an adventurous atmosphere to the safari. They perfectly blended the idea of camping in the bush with the comforts of home. The views from many of the campsites were simply astounding. There was definitely a pleasant sense of isolation when you stood outside your tent and realized that the only things you could see were wildlife and savannah.

Sharon & Africa Dream Safaris definitely made this a trip of a lifetime. We already wish we were back on game drives exploring Tanzania.

Caroline and Joe L.
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania
Safari Dates: August 1, 2013 to August 12, 2013

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Simba In The Serengeti

This truly was our dream come true from the animals, to the hotel rooms, to the people that greeted us with a smile. Every single animal on our check sheet we got to happily mark off from the wild dog to the black rhino!

One of my favorite moments was going on the back roads outside of the Serengeti, after a meet and greet with the local village one of the villagers was talking to us about the Wild Dog den up in the mountain. Next thing you know we convinced him to ride with us up the mountain to show us the dog den as soon as we made it to the top of the hill he told us to turn off our engine. Sure enough within a minute a wild dog walked right up to us, then dog clan joined him. It was so amazing to just listen to the animals and watch them interact. Speaking of watching animals interact my favorite thing to do was to pull up next to a family of elephants and just watch them, the babies would run around chasing birds and would often fall down after running in circles it was so entertaining.

Every detail of this trip was so well planned out thanks to Lynn and Africa Dream Safaris. On our anniversary night the cooks came out and danced around our dinner table singing us songs and brought us a cake. It truly was the best way to celebrate our anniversary!

During this trip we were expecting to see 1 or 2 lions on our week long safari but after 3 days and counting over 50 lions we finally gave up counting! We were amazed by the mass amount of animals we found.

We were so happy about all the different animals we learned about on our trip and how informative our guide was he had such a great span of knowledge of every animal out there.
We really hope to go again soon, we already miss the animals and staff.

Taneal and Neil C.
Tulalip, Washington
July 25 to August 3, 2013

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We Ended Up Seeing Two Wildebeest Crossings

Equipped with Sharon’s visionary plan and our driver guild Petro’s extended experiences and great talent with animals, we have just completed our unforgettable African dream safari.

Our trip started from the North Serengeti. Someone told my husband that the chance of seeing the wildebeest crossing Mara river was 15%. We wanted to see it badly. However, we understood perfectly that nothing was guaranteed and a safari trip was supposed to be a surprised one. Petro knew where to take us and how to approach the potential crossing spot and the best time to get closer therefore not to disturb the animals. We ended up seeing two crossings. Second one with more wildebeests and lasted more than ten minutes and very exciting.

Around the Buffalo Spring area, we visited a Maasai village, had a guided nature walk and a night game drive. All the activities were fun and rewarding.

In the central Serengeti area, we saw the chases and hunts by lions, a mama leopard, and a cheetah. Some failed and some succeeded.

In the Ngorongoro Crater, we saw more hyenas than elsewhere. All the animals here seemed braver than those in the Serengeti National park. It is a good chance to take close up pictures of them.
Tarangire guaranteed us with more elephants and lions.

Over all, we have seen all the animals and most of their actions we wanted to see. We saw 65 lions, 5 leopards, 9 cheetahs, a family of African hunting dogs, and countless of a lot of other commonly seen animals and beautiful birds. I believe the land in Tanzania is magical. It became a habit of trying to spy an animal and animal seeing has continued in our dreams. The beauty of the land, people, and animals of Tanzania has printed in our hearts.

Ann W.
Fremont, California
Safari Dates: July 25, 2013 to August 5, 2013

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The People Of Tanzania Were Welcoming, Friendly and Helpful.

Jambo! We had a marvelous time with ADS. Our driver Thompson is the BEST!! I felt like after only after a 3 hour drive that I have seen everything and was thrilled to have 6 more days. Accommodations were 5 star and the staff could not do enough for us. The people of Tanzania were welcoming, friendly and helpful. I would do this again in a heart beat. Thank you Dawn, Thompson and everyone at ADS for a vacation of a lifetime.

Natalia R.
Bradenton, Florida
August 2, 2013 to August 9, 2013

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Better Late Than Never (old Swahili saying)

Just getting around to looking at my photos and enclose a few for you. The little lady in the village is Donna and that is Michael jumping. We couldn’t have been more pleased with our safari and with Russell as our guide. He was the perfect combination of extraordinary knowledge of the flora, fauna and history of the region and a warm, very likeable companion.

We have recommended ADS to many of our friends. Several physicians at our hospital have established a link to the FAME clinic that we visited and we were most impressed with all that ADS gives back to the region with support of the clinic and the local school.

Best wishes, and we hope to join you again in the not too distant future.

Len and Donna W. and Michael W. and Imtiyaz H.
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Safari Dates: August 6, 2013 to August 14, 2013

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Rhino Saved From A Pride Of Hungry Lions

Where do I begin? After months of research, I finally chose ADS as our safari company. I had been on safari twenty five years ago and had some ideas about the kind of safari I wanted. Lynn completely “got” my vision and planned our itinerary and accommodations accordingly. Planning was a breeze!

We were completely taken care of from landing in Kilimanjaro to our final flight out to Cape Town. The staff was very professional.

I thought since I had been on safari before, I knew what to expect. I was so wrong. Our first day we saw hippos, zebras, elephants and so much more! Our guide Pokea not only showed us the stunning wildlife, he talked about the flora and fauna as well. We saw more animals in the first couple of days than I saw on my entire safari twenty five years ago-including many that I had never seen before.

One of the many things we really liked about our guide was his deep respect for the animals. The only time he disturbed the wildlife was when he actually saved a rhino from being eaten by a pride of hungry lions. Very exciting! He was so skilled at finding the animals, it was uncanny. He was the perfect fit for our family even down to his sense of humor. Our night drive was highlighted by 100 cape buffalo crossing in front of our car, a rare bush Hyrax and a Carical.

The accommodations were all lovely, Lion’s Paw was everyone’s favorite. Amazing location, attentive staff, Water Buck and Zebra in the bushes and the Tropical Boo Boo bird with its many voices. The ‘treehouses’ at Kokoti were such fun.

I will definitely be recommending ADS to all of my friends, they gave our family the trip of our dreams and memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you!!
Jim and Tori O.
Rosie (Age 15) and Alice (Age 13) O.
San Rafael, California
Safari Dates: July 22, 2013 to August 1, 2013

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We Will Long Remember The Early Morning Sunrise Game Drives.

Our safari trip began with a call to ADS, and within a day we received a call from Lynn Newby-Fraser, who answered many questions from us who knew little about safaris. We were planning on a safari for seven—our daughter, her four children, and the two of us. Lynn addressed all of our questions and email correspondences promptly and worked to make our trip the best we could ever ask for. She is truly a very qualified safari consultant. Lynn worked with us, answering promptly the simplest, dumbest questions for weeks. She was so patient, polite, and gracious; we felt no fear asking her anything. In addition to keeping us reassured, she sent us many helpful hints and suggestions and checklists to make sure that we had everything we needed to have for the safari. Not a thing was missed or omitted. We even learned a few Swahili words before leaving. Because of Lynn, we were able to undertake this wonderful trip-of-a-lifetime with ADS, and we will do it again.

At Kilimanjaro Airport, we were met like celebrities by a representative who took us right through immigration with our visas and with no waiting in line; we were soon on our way to our luxurious hotel in Arusha. The “meet and greet” staff in Arusha was great, and the staff members promptly met us before and after the safari. Mathias and Francis patiently drove us to and from the airport and places of interest like the Cultural Heritage Center and the Tanzanite Experience. We shared our lunch, which the team at the Lemala Mara Camp packed for us, with Mathias and Francis. Richard and John from the Lemala Mara Camp were so gracious to even come say good-bye to us at the Mara River Airstrip, saying that they had a pick-up to do. Our last night with them was unforgettable. Like all dinners, theirs was delicious with a beautiful presentation. Ten of their workers sang the “Jambo, Jambo bana; Habari, Habari gama . . . .” song and presented us with a delicious good-bye cake. It was sad to think that was the end of our wonderful, memorable safari trip. We thoroughly enjoyed every one of the accommodations—there is something great and unique about each of them.

Ellson, our driver-guide who provided us the private safari, became part of our family, like Lynn, from the instant we met him. He personalized our safari, and we felt he was completely devoted to our interests and wishes. We had all-day game drives, and he knew the right places to go and which animals to look for, asking after each stop if we were ready to go on; he never took anything for granted. He gave us details on each animal, answered every question, and showed us pictures from his books. The very few times when he was not so sure, he admitted it, which we appreciated. With his knowledge, he could write a great book. We asked questions not only about our trip but about Tanzania’s politics, education, economy, people, etc.

We will long remember the early morning sunrise game drives, picnic breakfasts and lunches, and the many different animals, birds, primates, reptiles, raptors, and trees of the serene Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, Ngorongoro Crater, the Great Migration, Lake Manyara, and the Mara River. All these priceless memories are thanks to ADS—Lynn, Ellson, the ADS Arusha staff, and all of the accommodations staff members. Everyone was beyond belief—gracious, polite, helpful, and always looking after our interests first. A footnote—Ellson kept our vehicle immaculate. Our ride was dusty and muddy, not to mention bumpy, and with four children, messy. Every morning he had it spotless like the first day he picked us up in Arusha. ADS should be proud of Lynn and Ellson, who have a deep love for their profession and are truly “people” employees.

Thank you for the beautiful t-shirts, hats, bottles of water, cokes, jar of cookies, and bags of candies, as well as use of binoculars and a cell phone. The kids AND adults enjoyed your thoughtfulness and are making good use of the t-shirts and hats still. Thank you very much for such nice gifts. Your brochures, CD, and materials were very helpful, as well. The Arusha staff gift of the traditional Maasai bracelet and stamped Tanzania postcard to send to friends and family are very special and a good remembrance of all of you gracious people. Sherrie sent her postcard to us, and it was awaiting our return home to the U.S. from the best safari experience. ADS is most thoughtful and considerate in all it does for its clients. Our sincere thank you and gratefulness to ADS’s entire team who made our safari adventure the best traveling experience in our ten years of traveling together as a family. The kids and we will never forget our travel with ADS and each one of its behind-the-scene staff who worked hard for us, also. Asante Sana, Asante Sana.

Finally, a day or two before our long-awaited trip to Tanzania, Oprah Winfrey was on Good Morning America, and she mentioned, “I’ve done a lot of safaris, but there’s nothing like the Serengeti. It is huge; nothing like it.” Soon after we returned, I saw her on David Letterman’s show. There she was again with a picture of her and a man in the Serengeti, exclaiming how wonderful it is. There is no question that we made the right choice with ADS and Lynn.

Asante Sana,

Sherrie E. and Family
Newport Beach, California
Safari Dates: August 11, 2013 to August 20, 2013

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A Piece Of Tanzania In Our Hearts

Jambo to All Considering a Safari,

If you’ve ever thought about exploring the African “bush,” we’d wholeheartedly encourage you to contact Lynn Newby-Frasier at African Dream Safaris (ADS).  Lynn turned our daydream, our “what if,” and our “maybe someday if we’re lucky” into reality.  For years, my parents, my children, and I have dreamed wistfully about a safari in Africa.  We’d watch nature television shows featuring lions, elephants, zebras, and other exotic African animals and wish we could have these experiences firsthand.  We’d linger over magazine articles about East Africa.  We’d pause at travel brochures featuring trips to Africa.

Finally, less than two months before the only two-week period that the seven of us would have free last summer, we decided that it was time to address that dream.  We surfed the web for safaris and contacted half a dozen companies.  Although each representative was helpful, it was Lynn, with such passion for her job and for Tanzania, who won us over.  After our first phone conversation with Lynn, it was obvious that working with her and ADS was the clear path to our dream safari.

However, I feared that as I shared our approaching dates, ages, and financial boundaries that her optimistic tone would wane or that she would even admonish us.  Never fear, Lynn was always supportive and accommodating, ensuring us that our dream safari would happen.  She listened carefully, suggesting accommodations and travel itineraries that fit our physical, budget, and curiosity needs.  Lynn worked quickly and efficiently to incorporate our suggestions and provide us with not one, but five separate safaris that all fit our interests and desires.  After we selected our favorite, she quietly and quickly worked behind the scenes setting each step of our safari into motion.

It wasn’t until we reached Tanzania, that we realized how much planning she had done for us before our trip.  Along the way, it seemed like we daily had questions, which we emailed to Lynn.  She cheerfully and graciously answered each one—some so mundane like whether there is lotion provided in the lodgings.  Her reminder lists and Swahili vocabulary lessons helped ensure that we were well prepared and excited.

When the big day of our departure arrived, we wondered how we would survive in Africa with our trusted friend Lynn remaining in the states.  Our worries were quelled by ADS’s Arusha team of Matthias, Francis, and Trevor.  They picked us up at Kilimanjaro Airport, took us to our beautiful hotel, and made sure that we enjoyed our stay in Arusha.

Then we had the great fortune to meet Ellson, our driver/guide.  We could not have asked for a more patient, knowledgeable, and skilled guide.  Being passionate about animals, we barraged him with questions daily, which he thoroughly and expertly addressed.  Curious about Tanzania and its wonderful people, we inquired about practices, customs, and politics.  Each day, we marveled at the wonderful sights he showed us and the volumes of information that he imparted to us. He quickly learned our interests and habits and tailored our schedule and itinerary to fit our desires exactly.

We met travelers with both ADS and other safari companies at our lodgings.  While we were impressed with what our fellow ADS guests had seen, we were sad to hear of the abbreviated game drives and inflexible schedules that guests of some other companies experienced.  For example, on a day where Ellson changed his initial plans so that we could see a leopard and python that fellow drivers had informed him about, these other tourists had no choice but to return early for lunch and an afternoon of leisure.

While other safari outfitters charged up to twice as much, we are certain that we could not have had a richer, more fulfilling, or memorable vacation.  Although my parents have kindly taken my children and me on an international trip every year, this has been our favorite.  It is our first experience, too, where our agent has stayed in contact with us upon our return.  We will always be grateful to Lynn, Ellson, and all those with ADS, the lodgings, and excursions who made our safari truly a dream come true and left a piece of Tanzania in our hearts.

Asante sana,

Janet, Henry, and Sherrie E. and Toby, Lani, Jamie, and Jesse M.
Newport Beach, California
Safari Dates: August 11, 2013 to August 20, 2013

 

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I Recommend ADS To Help Make That Dream A Reality.

My wife, my two teenage daughters and I are home from Africa, but find ourselves wishing we were still back in the Serengeti!

We recently returned from a 12-day safari organized through Africa Dream Safaris, and it was all that we hoped for and more. I wanted to make this trip to see the animals of the Serengeti and Tarangire in the wild before that chance is gone, and for my kids to have the opportunity to do the same and to be able to tell their children of all that they saw. If you share any similar dreams, I encourage you to pursue them. No documentary can compare to seeing first hand giraffes grazing amongst acacia, hearing the roar of lions nearby at night, or the sound of a multitude of wildebeests as they cross the open plains.

We were blessed with many great moments (thanks in large part to the abundant wildlife Tanzania affords and to the amazing spotting skills of our guide), but some of our favorites memories include the following:

– Seeing hippos in the Mara river from our small plane as we were landing in the northern Serengeti

– Immediately being amongst the wildlife and encountering crocodiles, hippos, elephants, giraffes, zebra, and wildebeests within 15 minutes of landing

– Game driving through the rolling hills and kopjes of the northern Serengeti and anxiously awaiting what we might find around each turn

– Seeing lionesses calmly looking for prey in the golden morning light

– Spotting a leopard, and then her cub, in a tree with a freshly killed impala

– Watching the same leopard cub inadvertently drop the kill from the tree branch to the ground, much to the annoyance of its mother

– The sight of a herd of elephants in the Lobo Valley crossing within yards of us and the sound as one turned and trumpeted at us

– Spotting a rhino and seeing how he dwarfed the wildebeests around him

– The call of hyenas at night immediately outside our tent at Seronera Sametu, and later the roar of lions as they passed through camp

– The incredible vistas and sunsets on the Serengeti

– Hearing the rush of the grass and seeing the speed of cheetahs as they took off after an impala

– Seeing the harshness of the wild as we came upon a badly wounded hyena in Ngorongoro Crater that had clearly lost a battle the night before and was limping up to take perhaps its last drink of water

– Getting another sense of the same upon seeing a pride of lions feast on a fresh water buffalo kill

– Experiencing the friendliness of the Tanzanian people as we stopped to shop for a Kanga in Mosquito Creek

– And, finally, trying to hang on to as many images as we could our last night on safari as impala, elephants, giraffe, and waterbucks all grazed within yards of our tent while dusk set in on the Tarangire. Some of our photos capturing these memories are set forth below.

As others have consistently spoken of, the help African Dream Safaris provides in planning a trip such as this is incredible. Our planning guide, Lynn, was fantastic. She was extremely responsive to our questions (which were endless), diligent in planning an itinerary and accommodations that matched our visions (which among the four of us were diverse), and invaluable with the additional ideas and suggestions she offered. We needed and wanted some guidance and direction on setting up our trip. If you are in a similar situation, I believe you will find those needs more than met by ADS.

If you are concerned about spending multiple days in the same vehicle with the same guide, don’t be. It’s clear that ADS invests in finding quality people to lead their safaris. Our guide, Claude, was perfect. As mentioned above, his game spotting skills and wildlife knowledge were impressive. But more importantly, by the end of our safari, we felt we had a true friend.

Claude’s warm greeting and easy going demeanor immediately set us at ease. He welcomed our questions (which, again, were endless), was interested in getting to know us and in hearing of our experiences, and shared some of his with us. In between game viewing and learning about all the wildlife we were seeing, we talked of things that ran the gamut from backpacking to books, from football to fracking.

While always willing to talk, Claude was sensitive to allowing some quiet time to just take in all that we were seeing. He wanted to be sure we saw as much game as possible and offered suggestions on plans for each day, but respected whatever schedule we wanted. As I say, by the end of our trip, we felt we were saying farewell to a good friend, and we sincerely miss him.

If you’re thinking of going on safari, I encourage you to do so. And based on our experience, we are very comfortable recommending ADS to help make that dream a reality.

Ed, Sandy, Shannon and Kelly T.
Santa Barbara, California
Safari dates July 14-July 26, 2013

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