Sharon,
We are back in Arusha. Don’t know how we got so lucky to have our other trip cancel and stumble onto you. The best trip ever! People were awesome and whenever we mentioned your name a smile would enter their face! Thank you thank you for everything!!!
Jenny and Phil Greger
Woodlands, Texas
Safari Dates: January 10, 2013 – January 16, 2013
It’s Super Bowl weekend. Excitement is in the air. Bobby had gone back to Florida to start planning another safari with Sharon, possibly challenging Mt. Kilimanjaro in October. I am finally rested enough to start organizing pictures and videos taken on the trip. Reflecting back, worlds apart from my current reality, Tanzania, the scenery, the animals, the sound, the smell, the color, and the people. Each frame and clip transport me right back to the magical land; its primordial essence and life force.
Bobby and I booked the safari with ADS two months before our departure. Unlike Bobby, who talked to everyone and their brother who’s ever been on an African safari, I barely read the handbook and got all the gears just a few days before Bobby and I met at the airport.
I wanted to have a firsthand and empirical experience of my African dream safari so I went on the safari without much preconceived notion or expectation. And boy was I elated and amazed by the entire voyage! Our guide, Russell, was AWESOME! Game drives were exciting!! All the tented camps were great. The food was delicious and everybody we met along the journey was wonderful!!!
Since we got back a week ago, I started reading all the other fellow ADS travelers’ “bush reports.” Ha! Our safari was just as brilliant as they had all described! Out of all the memorable moments forever etched in my heart and mind, I think my biggest amazement was that, not unlike human beings, how lonely and vulnerable a wild animal can be once being “kicked out” of its own group, and how collaboration helps survival, with the exception of the solitary female cheetahs, of course.
Two special sightings I’d like to share here are both with cheetahs.
When Russell pulled the car close to a pair of young male cheetahs feasting on their early morning kill, the poor little wildebeest was more than half eaten. Nearby, 30~40 vultures were waiting, and they waited patiently. As each cheetah took turn feeding on the best part of the meat while his buddy on the lookout over the next hour, more vultures landed from above and inched in on the cheetahs as if they knew the cheetahs were almost done. Their patience finally paid off as one of the cheetahs began to walk away. The flock moved in swiftly before the remaining cheetah left. Annoyed, the cheetah turned to the scavengers to chase them away as his buddy joined in to fend off the birds as if telling them THEY were the boss. Wow…what an ugly sight! Within the next 20 minutes, vultures fought off each other to grab a good bite. They squealed, and they fought. I now have a fresh understanding of why calling someone a vulture is such an insult!
Then one day we came upon a slender female cheetah hiding in the tall grass of the open plain. She appeared to be hungry and weak. We watched her in the car over our box lunch rooting for her to get some lunch of her own with perhaps a weaker prey coming through her hideout spot. Without the usual ease and grace, the girl cheetah paced, lied down, stood up, patrolled, dug the ground then sat upright. Appearing alert and a bit nervous over the vultures overhead, the three of us in the car all wondered what was going on. As an hour passed by without much action, Russell suggested that we’d moved in a bit closer before moving on. As soon as we parked the car directly in front of the cheetah blocking her view, she actually became relaxed and fetched out something and began to eat. Much to our amazement, the cheetah actually had a small gazelle hidden in the bush. With this bigah-ha, Russell explained to us about the cheetah’s behavior that we’ve observed in the past hour. Instead of devouring on the fresh kill, for over an hour, the cheetah was trying to fake the vultures so they don’t attract the hyenas to loot her food away. And once we parked the car in front of her blocking her from the hyenas’ view, the cheetah felt safe enough to start dining on the baby gazelle in a hurry. WOW, we had just witnessed a harsh reality for the survivor of the fittest on the Serengeti Plain!
Aside from all the wonderful safari activities, Bobby and I had so much fun competing to see who could spot the most animals without Russell’s help. We even managed to learn all the Swahili names of all the animals encountered along the way. I won, of course. And Bobby was a good sport. But think Russell was actually the one who got entertained the most in our 9-day-long expedition!
All in all, the trip to Tanzania was simply mesmerizing. I am grateful for Bobby and thankful for ADS for making my African dream safari a reality. Wishing all who hear Africa’s calling would come to this magical land and experience its enchantment for themselves at least once in a lifetime. Surely, I will be back.
Aloha,
Judy Peng and Bobby Snyder
Los Angeles, CA and Highland Beach, FL
Safari date: January 17~27, 2013
Did you ever, in all your travels, have a trip from leaving the house to returning to the house without a single hitch? Well, we did, even including air transportation. Now who ever heard of perfect on time flights?
Sharon, your itinerary sold me on the deal and after dreaming about this for around 50 years, I had some pretty high expectations. Well, ADS met them all. Unfortunately for ADS, in terms of its evaluation form (which frankly was silly), it was impossible to exceed my expectations. How can anyone exceed an expectation of perfection? After all if we stay at a five star hotel it should be perfect, and it was. But why quibble about a form?
Everything went as smoothly as promised–from arrival at Arusha to final departure from Arusha. And in between: Wow. Our guide, Ally, was fantastic. He seems to have binocular vision: he spotted animals at five hundred yards while driving along on twisty, incredibly rutted roads. He really took good care of us. He was very knowledgeable, very solicitous and an easy conversationalist. And topping all that, he understood and laughed at my dry sense of humor. What a pleasure!
We saw all of the so-called “big five” and everything else to boot. We saw a bunch of lions feasting on a freshly killed cape buffalo (we might have missed the kill by less than an hour). Most interesting experience? We were twenty feet away from a new born gazelle, maybe five minutes old, struggling with its first few steps and learning how to suckle; unfortunately, something went wrong with those shots, we’ll see. All lodges were great and food was fine, even the picnic packs.
We’ll follow with selected photos. Have no doubt, everyone we talk to will know how great Sharon Lyons and ADS are. By the way, my granddaughter Alix did her own blog, meant more for her college friends but very interesting (http://alixinafrica.wordpress.com/). She had the same fantastic time that we did.
Bob Litke
Somerset, New Jersey
Safari Dates: January 8, 2013 to January 16, 2013
Here at ADS we continually strive to provide the very finest african safari. This starts with making sure that each and every guest is fully prepared before departing from their home. It may sound rather obvious but we find that those guests who are well prepared for their safaris tend to be able to sit back, relax and enjoy the whole travel experience to a higher degree. An ounce of preparation is truly worth a pound of cure, especially when embarking on a once in lifetime adventure to a remote corner of the world!
On this note, we are pleased to announce that we have just finished publication of our new ADS Handbook, a comprehensive information guide to ensure that you are 100% prepared for your safari. This new handbook (updated with the latest safari tips, packing recommendations, FAQs, etc.) is now available.
If you would like to receive a FREE copy of our new ADS Handbook, simply email your personal safari consultant with your current mailing address and we can drop one in the mail for you today. At 157 pages long, make sure to get your handbook soon as it’s certainly not a quick read!
Thanks for choosing Africa Dream Safaris. It is our honor and privilege to facilitate YOUR safari dreams coming true!
Safari Njema (Safe Journey)!
ADS is the best! I know this sounds contrite but the way they handled every aspect of our 12 days, was just outstanding! We booked with much excitement and as time got closer to the “big trip” our apprehensiveness rose. There was no reason to be apprehensive, because Dawn at African Dream Safaris had planned every detail to work out beautifully! Arrival in Arusha, being met right after coming off the plane, and being whisked though the passport/visa lines, was quick and efficient and impressive. Mt. Meru Hotel was fantastic and very hospitable and a great choice for beginning and ending our safari.
The animals were fantastic, to say the least, but our driver, Omary seems to know exactly where to find them just by watching the birds in the air or the trees, or listening to the sounds of the zebra’s barking when they fear the lions in the area. We had a small rain storm come though daily, so we also want to comment on the muddy roads or paths that we traveled. Omary was a very careful driver and never got us stuck. He also was very attentive in cleaning the vehicle inside and out each night, so we started our adventure each morning in a nice, clean vehicle.
We watched some drivers zoom by us and we appreciated his controlled speed and attentiveness so we didn’t miss the hidden animals. It made the trip more relaxing and we still had the option of telling him when to move on or stay longer. We can’t say enough about Omary’s knowledge and experience in the area of game driving.
All the accommodations we stayed in were wonderful, but the very best was the “Kusini Tented Lodge”. The staff, food and accommodations were fantastic. We especially loved the wonderful evening drinks and social on the “welcome rocks”. The overstuffed bean bags to rest upon and appetizers being served while watching the sunset after a day of seafaring, was just fantastic. We loved the high standards that managers, Deb and Chris, from the UK, provide to all their guests. Each meal was served on beautiful white china from England and the food was just outstanding! We wished we would have had a 3rd night to enjoy there before moving on to the Ngorongoro Crater. Our 2nd favorite lodge, was without a doubt the “Manor at Ngorongoro”, which has wonderfully appointed individual guest cottages and beautiful horse stables. We also wished we could of added a day there to tour the coffee plantations by horseback.
We can honestly say without a doubt, this was a fantastic adventure! You hear so often the negatives of the world but Africa Dream Safaris was truly a wonderful organization to travel with in every way!!
Thanks again to Dawn of ADS , Omary our driver and the rest of the camp staffs for a fantastic memory making trip.
Jean and Don Erickson
Stevensville, Michigan
Safari Dates: December 30, 2012 to January 8, 2013
While watching the endless and fascinating parade of wildlife in the Serengeti, I am always reminded of what extraordinary athletic skills the various animals possess. With many of you gearing up for your safari-of-a-lifetime with ADS, I thought I would share some “leopard facts” with you.
Together with the hyena, this beautiful feline is the most successful of all the carnivores and is certainly the mostly widely spread of all the cats throughout both Asia and Africa. The leopard’s success is due to its adaptability -it is able to live in environments varying from lowland rainforest to desert. In fact a leopard was even found frozen in an icecap on the summit of Kilimanjaro.
In areas where human encroachment has reduced their territory, they are able to live comfortably in an urban environment eating anything from insects to mice and more – many a family pet continues to disappear in Nairobi and seeing that they can easily take down a 300 pound young topi or wildebeest, they are not particularly fearful of man either. This is one reason why you don’t want to walk around unescorted at night when on safari.
Leopards can accelerate up to 37 miles per hour and here are the two points that I find particularly impressive: they can jump up to 20 feet from a standing position (I tried to see how I well I could compete and have decided not to share the results with anyone) and, a female leopard weighing around 128 pounds, can drag a 150 impala ram almost vertically up a tree.
Particularly good places to see leopard include Loliondo /the Buffalo Springs area, Lobo Valley, the Seronera River Valley and Tarangire National Park, so keep your camera ready.
A special thanks to Teddi Edington for sharing this excellent picture showing Teddi and her family getting ready to embark on their safari over the holidays. What a great present for the family!
Here at ADS we are gearing up for one of the busiest times of the year with over 20 groups arriving in the next 2 weeks. Luckily the weather, wildebeest migration and the game viewing in general are cooperating. Massive herds of wildebeest have inundated the Moru Kopjes area of the Central Serengeti and appear poised to strike south to the plains as soon we receive a bit more rain. The Seronera Valley is home to the biggest herds of zebra at the moment while the Gol Kopjes complex in the East Serengeti has attracted the migratory gazelle herds. Our guides report that the big cat viewing is superb with lots of big lion prides with cubs especially out on the long grass plains north of Naabi Hill. Cheetah viewing is excellent in the East Serengeti from Sametu to Gol Kopjes while leopard viewing remains good immediately around Seronera.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to Tanzania here over the next couple days. Happy Holidays to all!
There is nothing more heart warming than hearing the pitter patter and lively chatter of a toddler in the hospital, having fully recovered from a serious illness. It’s simply music to the ears. And that’s what Dr. Frank and I heard upon arriving at FAME Medical on Tuesday morning. Little Gabriel was scurrying around the ward, making the nurses and his tired mother smile. Diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and a severe bacterial gastroenteritis the day of his admission, he was now on the road to a full recovery. As the year comes to an end, we would like to again thank all our ADS supporters for your ongoing interest and support. Your visits while in Tanzania, your thoughtful questions, your encouragement, and your generosity of spirit mean more than you can know.
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Africa Dream Safaris is proud to be a major sponsor of FAME and Dr. Frank Artress since 2008 and was honored with the Tanzanian Humanitarian Award specifically because of our work with FAME. Our ongoing monthly donations help FAME fund their mobile medical clinic bringing medical care to children living in remote areas. Many medical conditions can be treated correctly with proper healthcare including respiratory infections, waterborne diseases and diabetes. We suspect many children with juvenile diabetes simply die in rural Tanzania due to limited access and resources.
You may be asking yourself “How can I help?” The good news is that it doesn’t take much to make a real positive impact. Please consider a $50 donation to help Dr. Frank and Susan meet operational expenses for their Mobile Medical Service, purchasing laboratory equipment to provide more comprehensive diagnostic services, and completing the next phase of the medical project which involves expanding the existing Outpatient Clinic into a small hospital. The facility will include 12 inpatient beds and a major and minor Operating Room.
Africa Dream Safaris will match dollar for dollar any $50 donation thus turning your contribution into $100, which has real significant purchasing power in Tanzania. Please click here to contribute to FAME and to learn more about the organization. Make sure to enter ‘Africa Dream Safaris’ in the designation field to ensure that your $50 donation is matched correctly.
The latest news from the safari capital of Africa has just been released. Here is a link to the December 2012 Serengeti Cheetah Report prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by Helen, the on-site researcher for the Serengeti Cheetah Project. You won’t find this information anywhere else. Africa Dream Safaris helps fund the Serengeti Cheetah Project’s ongoing conservation efforts. In turn, periodic reports are prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by the on-site researchers for the Serengeti Cheetah Project.
…as we seek to describe our safari. Each day was filled with wonderful surprises. To name only a few—the exciting wildebeest crossing at the Mara River within hours of our arrival, herds of elephants, elegant giraffes, an exciting lion kill, hours of watching cheetahs, leopards, lion prides, crazy baboons, monkeys, gorgeous birds, and peaceful sunsets with acacia trees silhouetted in the distance.
Michael, our driver/guide was wonderful. His knowledge of wildlife, history, and culture were of great interest to us. His sense of humor and fun-loving personality were a joy! And he certainly knew where to find the wildlife.
In Tarangire National Park, we were treated to a rare viewing of wild dogs, believed to be extinct a number of years ago. We think Michael was as excited as we were.
Our accommodations and food were superb. The Tanzanian people are lovely with smiles all around. As we said goodbye, a piece of our heart remained in this beautiful part of our world.
Many thanks, Michael. Many thanks, Lynn, as you patiently guided us through the planning process. And thank you ADS.
Kathy and Howard Ellstrom
Lexington, South Carolina
Safari Dates: October 3, 2012 to October 11, 2012
PS We did manage to carry on our luggage. Our wardrobe was less than fashionable!
The trip and experience of a lifetime is how we have been describing our recent safari in gorgeous Tanzania with Africa Dream Safaris. Each day was a new adventure with Anglebert our driver/ guide. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable about the animals and birds, the history and culture of Tanzania, but he was also skilled at reading animal behavior and predicting what they might do next, affording us opportunity for wonderful viewing and photography.
Our safari with ADS started on Nov. 1, 2012 in the Northern Serengeti after a short flight from Arusha. Even from the air we could we could see herds of zebra, wildebeest, elephants, and Cape buffalo. Within hours of meeting Angelbert at the Kogatende airstrip we were fortunate to see a herd of wildebeest crossing the Mara River as a lioness waited in the thickets on the other side. We found her later in a thicket with one of her kills.
Our first two nights stay were at Buffalo Springs tented camp where we received a warm welcome. The staff made us feel at home and protected, and we loved waking up each morning to a “ good morning” with coffee and hot chocolate being brought to our tent before we left for an early morning game drive. The “tents” here were very deluxe. Ours had a leather loveseat and chair, a king size, beautifully furnished bed, and a tiled bathroom complete with all the amenities.
The next morning we went to a Masai Boma where we were given a guided tour of the Boma and were instructed in Masai culture. Our time there ended with the men and women dancing and singing for us. That evening we took a night game drive starting in the late afternoon.
The wildlife was particularly abundant here. We saw a herd of 24 giraffe, a pride of 22 lions, Thompson gazelle, Topi, Eland, Reedbuck, Water Buck, Elephant, Mongoose, Baboon, Vervet monkey and a large herd of Cape buffalo, which thankfully were on the other side of a narrow deep ravine, as they looked ready to charge our vehicle. We also saw our first Serval Cat, and a pack of five Wild Dogs.
We chose to take a walking safari at Buffalo Springs too. It was a little unnerving walking in places where we had seen wild game even though we had two Masai warriors with us in addition to our guide Moses. He was very knowledgeable in the animals, plants and birds we came across. We even got to watch a pair of Dung Beetles rolling their dung ball and then burying it. While game driving here we came upon two poachers late in the afternoon who had killed an eland. Angelbert reported it to the park rangers, who came promptly to check it out.
November 4 we game drove in the Loliondo and Lobo Valley area. One of our first sightings of the morning was a leopard who walked out from under a small bridge we were crossing. Later that morning we saw Cheetah, Ostrich, and Bat Eared Fox. We visited the Retima Hippo Pool, and though we had seen hippos in the rivers we had been near, we had never imagined or seen such a huge number of Hippos in one place. It was fascinating to watch them and the area lent itself to great photo opportunities. Later as we ate our boxed lunches Angelbert introduced us to Tangeweezi, a soft drink that tasted like a combination of Mountain Dew and Ginger ale. We really enjoyed it.
Our next two nights we stayed at Seronera Sametu tented camp. Jonas, one of the staff, greeted us each time we arrived at camp with hot moist towels, fresh mango juice, and his beautiful smile. Once again our tent accommodations were amazing and comfortable. Had it not been for mosquito netting around our bed and the sounds of lions, and hyena in the night, we would have thought we were in a resort hotel somewhere.
The next morning we ate our breakfast in the Land Rover as we watched a mother cheetah and her 5-month-old cubs eating their breakfast of gazelle. Throughout the day we toured many of the kopjes. We climbed one to see the Masai drawings on the rocks. Later at Lake Magati we saw innumerable flamingo. We later saw a large herd of wildebeest thundering across the plain and stopped a while to watch them. Angelbert positioned us so that they were running at us. For added entertainment, two young impala bucks fought each other nearby.
We had planned to go back to camp early today as we were both quite tired, but we were so glad we didn’t when we saw two male cheetahs that had spotted each other from afar. As they approached each other they recognized that they were brothers and nuzzled each other. Shortly after, Angelbert spotted 3 female lion stalking a herd of wildebeest. One charged too soon and the wildebeest got away. We followed one of the lionesses as she tiredly walked the road next to our Land Rover and stopped to drink heavily from a rain puddle.
Jonas’ lion stories at supper that night we pretty frightening and as he walked us to our tent that night we could hear lions!
November 6 we started our game drive today at 6:30am and headed for the Southern Serengeti. In early light we saw a cheetah take down a gazelle. Angelbert was so adept at observing and interpreting animal behavior. We had been watching a herd of zebra going down to a lake to drink. He noticed that the stallion of the herd suddenly held his head high. Sure enough, there were four lions hiding in a thicket near the water’s edge. It was fascinating to sit close by and see all this.
Later, after Angelbert spotted a leopard tortoise, he saw a male cheetah. Over the period of about an hour we were able to get within a few feet of this male cheetah. We watched him mark his territory, take a nap, walk to another set of low rock, climb up and look out over the plain. This rock was about the same height and size of our Land Rover. The cheetah hardly even looked at us as Angelbert backed our Land Rover up against the rock, had us pop our heads out the top and took our picture with the cheetah a mere 6-8 feet away. Just before we stopped for a picnic lunch we saw a pride of lions napping on and in the shade of Gol Kopjes. We were again able to get within several feet of the black maned male.
Our next two nights were at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. This lodge is amazing in its construction of local stone, and its location on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Our room looked out over the crater. While completely different in the type of lodging we had experienced in the other camps, we really enjoyed our stay here. Our room was large and comfortable, and we could get internet access at the bar which allowed us to update our family and friends at home about our amazing experience so far, and that we had not made it on the menu of the local predators so far. (This had been a concern of our 90 years plus parents).
We enjoyed the nightly entertainment before dinner, which featured local acrobats, a music/ dance group and a performance by the local Masai in their brightly colored clothing and beaded jewelry. The sunsets and sunrises over the crater were breathtaking! We enjoyed our game drives in the crater each day. The crater floor is abundant in wildlife.
In addition to lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, warthog, wildebeest, zebra, impala, gazelle, baboon, flamingo, ostrich, and hyena, we saw black backed jackal. We saw the black rhino from a distance, and even though Angelbert worked hard all day to get a closer sighting, they were not cooperating that day. As in other parts of Tanzania we were able to see a large variety of beautiful birds. The end of our second day in the crater ended with a Cape buffalo kill by two lion.
Nov. 8 we headed out of the Ngorongoro Crater area and toward Taranguire National Park. Along the way were took a short tour of a local Masai market where goats and sheep as well as clothing, fruits and vegetables were being sold. We also stopped briefly at a local arts and crafts market so that we could purchase a few souvenirs. Later we stopped at FAME (Foundation for African Medicine and Education). We were very impressed with the work here by Dr. Frank and his wife. They are certainly providing much needed medical care for the local people in a beautiful new facility. We admire ADS for supporting this work.
After eating our boxed lunches at the entrance of Tarangire National Park we began our game drive. While the temperatures so far on our safari had been temperate, we noticed that it was warmer and more humid here. We also experienced Tsetse flies for the first time. This was the one experience of our whole trip that I could have done without. They seemed to find me especially tasty. While we still saw a large variety of animals here, the numbers were down due to the rains coming early this year and many animals having already left the park.
We did have many close encounters with elephants, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We also enjoyed seeing the enormous Baobab trees and the giant termite mounds. Our final two nights we stayed at Kikoti Tented Camp. These “tents” are up on stilts and also beautifully decorated. Ours faced the evening sunsets, which were absolutely gorgeous. We were able to take time here to sit around the campfire at night and share safari experiences with other travelers. The local Masai sang, danced and jumped for us and then had us join in. They also demonstrated how to build a fire by rubbing two sticks together. The night before we were to depart, the staff presented us with a “Good Bye” cake and sang Hakuna Matata to us.
November 10 found us regretting we had to leave beautiful Tanzania with its warm, friendly people, beautiful landscape and amazing animals. Anglebert drove us back to Arusha for our flight home, and after a few hours to shower, pack and rest at the Mount Meru Hotel, he brought us to the airport and even waited there to make sure we had to problems with our departure.
We highly recommend Angelbert as a driver/ guide. How he stays so patient and happy through what were usually 10-12 hour days, drove safely on difficult roads, and still managed to spot the animals was unbelievable! He was so kind and helpful, and has an amazing knowledge of the animals, birds, history, and culture of Tanzania.
We also highly recommend Sharon Lyons who was so helpful in planning our trip, making us aware of all necessary paperwork, and changes, and answering our questions. Africa Dream Safaris helped us plan the safari of our dreams and then made it happen. We are recommending you to all who will listen. We definitely left a part of our hearts in Africa and hope to return one day.
Doug and Jan Van Drie
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Safari Dates: November 1, 2012 to November 10, 2012
We decided a safari was the perfect way to celebrate our 45th anniversary. We have wanted to go to Africa for years but for a variety of reasons never got around to it. We quickly found out that deciding to go was the easy part – choosing a company to travel with was an almost overwhelming problem. We are avid photographers – amateur, but serious. We are also experienced travelers – but Africa was an entirely different concept for us. We wanted a tour company that would handle a lot of things for us but give us flexibility, allow us go where we wanted to safely, but more than anything, go at our own pace. After a lot of research, we chose Africa Dream Safaris. After spending 11 days in Africa and watching other tour operators, we clearly made the right choice.
The first step was determining where and when to go. After several discussions with Sharon Lyon, we learned that where we went depended on when – and vice versa. She did an incredible job of helping us match up what we wanted to experience and when we could go with where to schedule our trip. So we booked it and then waited for the big adventure to start.
When we arrived in Tanzania, we were met by an ADS representative and for the rest of our time in Africa we were never without someone to help us. After a brief stay in Arusha, we flew into a camp by the Mara River and our adventure began. We met our driver/guide for the next 10 days, Omary. He turned out to be an amazing match for us and was a significant reason for our trip’s phenomenal success. Not only did he have incredible knowledge of the Serengeti, the wildlife and the plants but he had a great feel for lighting, backdrops, scenery, etc. He even had a good sense of humor – by the second day we had established our “missions” for the trip – including giving him one of a “mature male lion on a rock”. This became our quest – but by day 8 he had delivered! He told us on day one we were family – by the end of the trip we knew he really meant it.
We elected to stay in “bush camps”, preferring that to being in a lodge. In every camp, we were met on arrival by the staff with warm facecloths and drinks. In each camp we had comfortable accommodations – whether part of a permanent camp or a tent on the ground. The service we received rivaled many 5 star European destinations we have experienced. And every person we met seemed genuinely interested in our comfort, safety and ensuring we enjoyed the trip and the accommodations.
And last, but not least, was the Serengeti. We were totally unprepared for the experience. By the second day, we decided that if we had to end the trip, our expectations would have been exceeded. The enormous variety and quantity of wildlife was astounding. We saw dozens of lions, numerous cheetahs, hundreds of elephants and giraffes – the list goes on. We saw the wildebeest crossing the Mara River (one of Omary’s missions). We had lunch on a Kopje overlooking a migration of zebra a mile wide stretching from one horizon to the other. We had a whole pride of lions walk within feet of our truck. We watched a leopard descend from a tree and disappear in the grass only to reappear right by our truck. The flexibility we had allowed us to do this; other tour operators had left when the leopard didn’t move. The list goes on and on.
This was a truly memorable experience. We wanted to make it memorable since we would only be able to do this once and already we are figuring out how to do it “one moretime” .
Gary and Nancy Prade
Castle Rock, Colorado
Safari Dates: November 6, 2012 to November 16, 2012
As October draws to a close, I thought it would be interesting to compile a couple of the more remarkable pictures we received this month from returning safari guests. I have included some of the more unique shots received or the ones that just plain made me smile. All pictures below were taken while on safari with African Dream Safaris during October 2012.
What can we say that has not been said by other ADS guests? From the moment we arrived until our sad goodbyes at the airport, we were treated like VIP’s.
One can see many animals on safari but it’s the guide that makes the trip. Our guide, Elson, was wonderful. His ability to spot the animals, lying under the tree or hiding in grass, was incredible. One member of our family was interested in birds and Elson knew the names of all of them. During the 9 days she was able to spot almost 100 different species. He had a great sense of humor as well, especially when we pointed out our favorite animal, the Serengeti Stickebeest! We saw them everywhere.
We saw several crossings at the Mara River. The wildebeests came down to the water and back up the bank, again and again, before they finally crossed. One person described their bellowing as “yes”, “no”, “yes”, “no”! It seemed as if the entire migration was outside our tent the night we spent at Lemala Mara River Camp. What a great way to start our safari.
Lions and cubs, elephants and babies, cheetahs, leopards, you name it we saw them, the big 5 and our own “small 5”. We were also lucky enough to spot a pack of 10 African Hunting Dogs, 2 Serval cats and a Bush Baby.
We also visited the FAME hospital and saw what wonderful work Dr. Frank and Susan are doing there. We were so impressed we are considering going back to volunteer there.
When we planned our safari we thought it would be a once in a lifetime event, but it was so fabulous that we can’t wait to go back again. Tanzania is truly a magical place.
Charles and Debbie Pitman
Safari Dates: October 1st to October 11th, 2012
Silverthorne, Colorado
Hello Lynn,
We are pretty-much back to normal here in Santa Fe, but I have to say that we are forever changed by our Tanzania experience. We were exceedingly pleased with all aspects of the trip, and your planning proved to be a major factor for the successful logistics and overall magnificence of the trip. By getting us out into the bush [in these really special camps], we were able to experience the wildlife as few others can.
We were particularly grateful to have Pokea as our guide. He is amazingly knowledgeable, and he took us to locations were the action was really happening. His patience [with our unending questions] was very welcome. Pokea is an amazing asset to your company. And of course, the itinerary was second to none.
With the custom aspects of our travel, we were able to focus on our particular interests, and Pokea was more than willing to provide us with outstanding service for our requests. The Ras Nungwi Zanzibar R&R at the end was very special too.
I have attached a few photos that I hope you might like. Please don’t hesitate to count on us if you need an endorsement or recommendation. We have only the highest praise for you and your ADS company! Thank you again.
Ken Apt and Mary Morris
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Safari Dates: September 30, 2012 to October 13, 2012
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