We are delighted to announce that the first major wildebeest crossing of the Mara River occurred on July 26th about 20 minutes upriver from the bridge at the Kogatende Ranger Post.  Several lucky ADS guests with impeccable timing landed at the Kogatende Airstrip on the morning of July 26th and were treated to a massive crossing of tens of thousands of wildebeest. Our guides reported that the wildebeest crossing took a whopping 1 hour and 20 minutes with several successful hunts by the resident crocodiles. Talk about winning the safari lottery!

This was a very unusual year in that the record amounts of rainfall in the green season delayed the wildebeest from departing the southern plains by one full month. This is quite extraordinary taking into consideration that the migration arrived two months early, which calculate out to the wildebeest spending almost seven months on the plains this year (from mid October to mid May).

Africa Dream Safaris helps fund the Serengeti Lion Project’s ongoing conservation efforts. In turn, periodic reports are prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by the on-site researchers for the Serengeti Lion Project. So you won’t find this info anywhere else!

Since there are MANY lion prides in the Serengeti, we picked 6 specific study prides to focus on. Talk about having the inside scoop! These Serengeti Lion Project researchers live, sleep, and work out in the bush every single day, so they are able to offer invaluable information about the location and adventures of our favorite lions.

Reading like a soap opera at times, we think you will also enjoy the real-life drama and adventures of these awesome animals as they live, hunt, and raise their families together in the harsh African wilderness.

Please see below for the current report for July 2012:

The Transect Pride is still going strong with their many young lions. Last time I wrote there were six adult females and 17 yearlings. They all seem to still be alive and healthy though one of the yearlings might be missing. It’s too early to tell yet since they often are in a terrain where they are difficult to observe and a lion can easily go unseen.

 

The other day I was driving off road locking for this pride. I’d just spotted them in a tree not far away. But to get to them I had to cross a dry creek with very tall grasses and scrub. I wasn’t sure how deep the creek was so I had to get out of the car and investigate. I walked to the front of the car and a bit ahead of it to make sure I wouldn’t get stuck if I drove further. It seemed fine and I got into the car again. As soon as I shut the door a lion shot out of the grass near the car and ran away. It came from very near the car and I must have been close to stepping on it on my little walk. The lion had probably been lying there surprised and probably a bit scared as I got out just next to it. When I closed the door it took the chance to escape.

New cubs have been seen in the Maasai Kopjes Pride. Stan saw the collared female, Mato Keo, carrying two very small cubs between the rocks at Maasai Kopjes. Lately this pride hasn’t been very successful in raising cubs so we hope for these ones to grow up and live a healthy life.

A while ago I saw some of the females in this pride by a zebra kill. One of their resident males, Dogger, was with them too. He was already full and didn’t eat any at the time. Still, he wouldn’t let the females eat from the zebra. The only one he’d let eat was a cub who was also using the carcass as shade from the gazing sun, hiding under the ribs. One of the females, Mutant, approached the male in a soliciting fashion. Normally a male would be flattered by this but maybe she was just bluffing and wanted to taste the meat. The male saw through the bluff and responded by giving her a bite on the back. This rather small female responded with exploding rage, turned around and slapped the male, twice her size, on his shoulder so hard his mane stood straight up. Her claws had dug into his skin and she pulled it hard before letting go. It all happened in a split second and in loud growls. The other females were on their feet and about to come for her aid but the fight had already stopped. All lions lay down again and the cub was hiding in the tall grass, terrified.

 

Being out here full time, basically living with lions and getting to know their society helps you understand what you see much better. One good example of that happened earlier this year. A film team was out filming me and Craig Packer working. We were identifying a group of the Cub Valley Pride’s lions resting in the shade of a tree. An adult male was slowly approaching. It was Malin, a coalition member and cousin to Dogger just mentioned above.

To the film team this probably didn’t look like anything dramatic, it looked like a male going to join some lazy lions under a tree. But Craig and I were holding our breaths. Knowing the history of this pride and the male coalition we knew that the sub-adults under the tree were not fathered by the male approaching them. The females were probably going to be fine but one of the sub-adults was a male and could be killed if he didn’t watch out. The young male woke up and saw the big male approaching. Watching him getting closer and closer his urine started running uncontrolled, wetting his pants out of fear. Luckily for him Malin stopped short of the tree and the young male snuck away, keeping a low profile in the tall grass.

 

The Naabi Pride is doing well raising their cubs in the difficult areas around Naabi Hill. The male coalition with old Porky and younger Narnia used to stay with this pride more or less full time. But lately they have been seen with the females Sasha and Splash from the Simba East Pride. This is interesting since the cubs of these females now are grown and are trying a life on their own. The future will show if they will start a new pride or eventually settle with their mothers. Sidney, though, will surely not return to the natal pride as he is a male and will have to find other prides with females to mate with. And then there are the females Skvimp Sarah and Sonia who are still busy raising their cubs. For now they stay away from the rest of this pride. But one day Porky was seen with Skvimp too. That time her cubs were staying away, a wise decision since Porky would surely have tried to kill them, not being his offspring.

 

So the Simba East pride will be very interesting to follow the next few months. Will the older females mate and have cubs with Porky and Narnia? Will the pride stay apart and form three different prides or will they reunite? Will Porky and Narnia take over the whole pride and replace C-Boy and Hildur? Will the smaller cubs be able to stay away from the new males and stay alive?

For some weeks time Little My’s signal was heard from a palm tree thicket by the Seronera River. We suspected she was denning there with new cubs. Now we’ve confirmed that The Mukoma Gypsies Pride has six new little members and the proud mothers are Little My and Snork. In May this pride was seen next to the main road. I could tell something was going on straight away because the females were upset. Suddenly there were lots of loud growling and the females chased a young male away. He got a little beaten up but nothing serious. He took shelter in a drainage channel from the road. The females came down there with their cubs to drink, not far from the hiding place. When they left he came out and I could see that it was one of the sub-adult males born in the pride. He probably wanted to be with the pride again and eat their food. But the females couldn’t accept that since they have six new mouths to feed now.

 

The Mukoma Hill and the Mukoma Mischief Prides have been difficult to see lately. The mischiefs have been wondering widely around both beyond the east and the west of our study area. The Mukoma Hills on the other hand have been more stationary but on top of the Oldanyo Rongai Hill and thus impossible for us to see. We’ve had to do with locating them there with their signal from the collar. A couple of times though, they have been seen with two new males. These males were unknown to us before and are born outside of our study area. They are now named Nisse and Sotis.

This was our second trip with African Dreams Safari’s… and that speaks volumes.

Not only did we pick the same outfit, we picked the same guide. More on that later. We are filmmakers and professional wildlife photographers. On one hand we can be a pretty understandable and forgiving bunch. We realize no one can control the global weather patterns, the rain (or lack of), the conditions of the roads or whether or not the animals “show up” where they are supposed to. But we can also be a pretty demanding group. Because when the weather is good and the animals are there…. we seek perfection… the right light, the right shooting angle, accurate animal information and a guide with eyes as sharp as many of the animals we are seeking.

For these reasons, and others, we reversed our decision to spend our second African safari in Botswana and visited Tanzania again with Africa Dream Safaris. We just chose a different time of the year from our last safari knowing the weather patterns and migration would offer a unique and different opportunity. We were right.

There are, admittedly, a lot of companies doing safaris in Tanzania. Some are good, some aren’t. In my opinion, ADS sits either at the top of the list or right up there with the best. First, there is a hand holding attitude that is very comforting. It’s hard to research a safari from the US. And you have to be careful doing so. Let’s face it, it’s not all that hard to get a hold of some fancy animal photographs, hire a talented writer and create a fancy website. But you really have to dig to get to the core of the what’s important.

For starters, ADS does not put a limit on how far (or where) their guides can take you each day. Many outfits do. That’s an unadvertised fact. In fact, some outfits actually penalize their drivers for exceeding a certain number of allotted kilometers from camp each day and that can really limit your opportunities. This is somewhat of a secret… but its true. We were looking for something different and we found it again with ADS.

The Serengetti is not a zoo and it’s not like Disneyworld. The animals don’t appear on cue. They are nomadic, they move, they hide, they rest in the shade. Just finding them takes eagle eyes (well… actually not, they sometimes end up being 20 feet from your car but you get my drift). Our guide, Francis, is one of the best. College educated, experienced and speaker of many languages, he can find a leopard in a tree that you and I would drive by believing it was just another branch. He’s more of a safari ambassador in my opinion. He also knows “light”… when it’s the best for photography and when its not… and how to maneuver into the best shooting angles.

I also consider him our friend. We met him 4 years ago on our first safari and like many of the guides you will read about he became almost family. It was hard to say goodbye all those years ago. And we had not spoken to him for four years … still, we requested him on this safari. I was not sure he would remember us as the guides make friends with many clients in the bush. But when we stepped off the bush plane in the Serengetti and he saw us… a big, warm, African smile took control of his face and you could see the happy emotion in his eyes. I got a huge bear hug and he said, “AH, Mr. Jeff…. I am very happy today”. It was a touching moment and the start of a great 10 days.

I suppose I could go into a day by day itinerary like many people do on this site, but Africa is much more than that to us and you can read about those experiences from others. First of all, from a wildlife perspective it dwarfs what you will see in many other parts of Africa and that is the reason we chose to Tanzania over Botswana. Not that Botswana would have been a bad choice. But let me give you an example. We are selective photographers who do not pull the trigger on every opportunity we come across…. and there are many opportunities, trust me. Still, between the two of us in our vehicle we shot 11000 photographs on this trip… some of them are represented here. When you go out the first day on Safari you end the day saying… “wow’, today was a good day. We could actually go home now and still have a portfolio of impressive photographs that rival anything you see in a magazine.”

But that’s what’s great about the Serengetti, it continues to surprise you. It continues to produce. Just when you think you’ve got the best lion shot you’ve ever seen… you come across another, or another giraffe, or a cheetah….even more impressive than the one before. Or you become surrounded by 10,000 wildebeest in a cloud of dust. It just keeps getting better. And there is something magical about being out there.

ADS specializes in getting you off the beaten path and away from many of the other vehicles out there. There is nothing worse that coming upon a cheetah kill and have it quickly surrounded by safari vehicles. Save that for Yellowstone National Park. Many times last week we were the only people for as far as the eye could see. And in the Serengetti, the eyes see far. The landscape is forever changing. That alone is worth the price of admission.

I can’t speak for every guide in the ADS lineup… but a quick read through some of the other testimonials on this page bear out the fact that they are all knowledgeable and personable. I can now speak broken Swahili and its been a long time since I laughed as hard as I did sitting around camp at night with Francis. I also know a lot about not only the animals and their behaviors … but about life in Africa. This is like going out on vacation and coming home with a masters degree in wildlife conservation. There was not one animal, one bird, one reptile…. that our guide did not know or elaborate on. And their African accents are so unique you find yourself mimicking it. It’s something not to be missed.

” Custom.” That’s a key word at ADS. You can choose to go “high end” and be waited on or “rough it” in a bush camp and wake up to find lions wandering outside. A nice mix of the two make the experience memorable. That’s how we did ours.

On a personal note I had a good friend pass away 18 months ago. In the end we all wanted to buy him something or do something to for him. All he wanted to do was remember the things we had experienced together…. the memories. That’s what life is really about when you take away the cars, the money, the fancy clothes and all the other stuff we seem to hold so dear. And ADS creates memories… stories…. experiences…. ones you will never forget. That’s what makes Africa Dream Safari’s so special.

And one final note. If you go, you will see just about all of the animals you ever wanted to see… you know the ones…. the ones you dream about seeing. Sure, nothing can be guaranteed, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed. But in our case, something special happened. Our guide reached a little further… and decided to find the elusive Wild Dog, a know rarity in the Serengetti. Something many of the guides have yet to see.

Francis found them at the end of the first day. That’s Africa Dreams.

Go…. Just do it.

Jeff and Ginger

Sandy and I have been back from safari for two weeks now and we are still talking about how incredible our safari to Tanzania was. The people, the parks, the animals, and the accommodations of Tanzania were a magical experience. Everything we had read by others was true and deserves repeating. However, it still falls far short of actually experiencing it firsthand. Dawn Anderson and ADS’s attention to detail of what we wanted to see and experience was a major factor in the success of our safari. We cannot say enough about the time and effort Dawn spent working with us to make sure we had a perfect safari for us. Here are some highlights from our trip which began June 21:

Day 1 – We landed at Kilimanjaro airport in Tanzania where the ADS greeter had us processed in minutes through the passport control line. The ADS Arusha guide gave us a warm welcome, gathered our bags, gave us an informative ride to the Mt. Meru Hotel in Arusha. Then he conducted a safari briefing, presented a lovely welcome gift of a Maasai beaded bracelet to Sandy, and helped us get checked in the hotel.

Day 2 – After a relaxing evening, we spent an extra day in Arusha to recover from jet lag. We were taken on a leisurely tour of the city which was very informative and interesting. Sandy had the opportunity to do some shopping. We were taken to the Cultural Heritage Center for some souvenir shopping and then to TanzaniteOne, where Sandy purchased a beautiful Tanzanite ring. That evening, a private dining area was set up for us outside and a special meal was prepared so we could celebrate our anniversary; one of the reasons for our trip. This was one of the many unexpected and thoughtful touches provided by the ADS team throughout our Tanzanian adventure.

Day 3 – We had an early flight into the central Serengeti and it was finally safari time. Our guide took us to the Arusha airport and made sure we got boarded properly. Sandy does not like small planes, but the flight was short and low enough that we could see the countryside. On final approach to the Seronera airstrip, we were glued to the window of the aircraft as a huge herd of zebras emerged below us.

After landing, we were greeted immediately by our guide, Francis. This man proved to be one of the warmest and most knowledgeable people we have ever known. He was not only able to talk in depth about the animals, but of the country, its heritage and its development. We cannot overstate the importance of your guide on a safari and Francis was fantastic!

We immediately started our first game drive. We literally had chills because this is why we came to Africa. We wanted to experience all the wildlife and natural beauty. In the first half of the day, we saw lions, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, topi, eland, buffalo, elephant and ostrich. We had lunch overlooking a vast plain filled with zebras and wildebeest and were provided an introduction to the Serengeti and a detailed description of what we could expect on our safari. We continued our game drive all the way to Bilila lodge. Bilila lodge was a magnificent property and our room was pure luxury. We had an amazing dinner including a second surprise anniversary cake and were then off to bed.

Day 4 – We awoke for a leisurely breakfast and then were off to the bush. Our second day provided diverse wildlife viewing again including hippos, monkeys, baboons, crocodiles, turtles, lions, impala, gazelle, elephant, zebras, buffalo, and wildebeest. We marveled at how the landscape is ever changing and always seemingly endless. The countryside is breathtakingly beautiful. There were lots of birds of many species and many bright colors that contrasted sharply with the color of the countryside.

We were back to the lodge by 4 p.m. so we could enjoy our spectacular balcony view, beautiful sunset, and another great dinner. One of the great things about our safari was that it was private and we could pick when and what we wanted to do daily. This was one of the many reasons for choosing ADS. We came to realize this value the more we watched over crowded safari vehicles pass us daily rushing from spot to spot.

Day 5 – After breakfast, we game drove our way to the central Serengeti. We continued through areas of dense game which included zebra, wildebeest, cheetahs, buffalo and giraffe, and then stopped for lunch at the Serengeti Visitor Center. In the afternoon, we found ourselves driving among the kopjes gawking at lions, giraffe, and elephants. The highlight of the day was encountering a lion pride and watching them stalk their prey. An interesting thing was that the male lion did not take part in the hunt.

Day 6 – We had breakfast, checked out, and said our thanks to the wonderful staff and headed out for the western serengeti. Our destination was to view the great migration. We game drove the entire day through thousands of zebras and wildebeest. We had lunch along the way at a park ranger camp. We had no idea that this was only part of the great migration. How could there be more? We arrived at Mbalageti Lodge late that afternoon. It sits atop a hill and overlooks a wonderful plain that goes forever. We had another wonderful dinner and a good night’s sleep.

Day 7 – We awoke very refreshed and had breakfast overlooking the plain below us. While we were eating, a herd of hundreds of wildebeest came running down the side of a hill and ran across the plain below us. Magnificent! We game drove north to the Grumeti River where we were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of wildebeest and zebras on their great migration. There were so many you cannot imagine even trying to count them. They covered the entire landscape. They were on the way to cross the river on their northern trek into Kenya. We stopped at the river and saw many crocodiles hoping to get lucky.

Day 8 –We said goodbye to Mbalageti and began our drive towards Ngorongoro Crater. We saw the usual diverse array of wildlife along the way. We stopped for lunch at the Serengeti Park exit and continued down to Olduvai Gorge. We visited the museum and listened to a presentation. It was interesting to see this cradle of humanity first hand.

We continued on towards the Crater. On the way we stopped to visit one of the many Maasai villages. The people were very friendly and kind enough to let us tour their village. We finally arrived at Crater Lodge and got checked in. The staff was very professional and greeted us with Champagne. Our room was magnificent with a great view of the crater and complete with a wood burning stove to combat the chill from the altitude. Dinner was again outstanding and we received our third anniversary cake, which was delivered to our table by singing and dancing staff. This was a very nice end to a long day’s drive from the western Serengeti.

Day 9 – We were up at 6:30 am, grabbed some coffee and were among the first to enter the Crater that day. The view from above the Crater is matched only by the spectacular diversity of wildlife that unfolds from within. The crater lake was colored pink by hundreds of pink flamingos standing in it. We had an amazing breakfast overlooking a hippo pool. We watched a lioness with her cubs stalking a zebra herd. We had the great fortune of seeing the black maned lion and admired his beauty.

The day was capped off by our sighting five black rhino, which completed the BIG Five for us. We headed back to the lodge and were pleasantly surprised that a hot bubble bath had been drawn, adorned with rose petals. We had another delicious dinner in the dining room, next to the fireplace. It was then off to bed for an early drive to Lake Manyara.

Days 10 – After some coffee and saying goodbye to our excellent butler and the staff, we took a slow drive down the fog shrouded mountain road. We arrived at Manyara and game drove through the morning. Here, we saw many velvet monkeys and baboons. We observed a family with two little ones that were being watched over, much like we do to our children.

Then it was off to Tarangire Park. We had lunch at the park entrance and then drove into the park. We had been told that we might see a herd of 50 to 100 elephants. We immediately saw a herd, and then more, and more, and more. We were overwhelmed by the number of elephants and saw at least three hundred or more. This was amazing! I love the elephants and enjoyed this greatly.

We continued on until we arrived at Swala Lodge. Our hosts met us, gave us a tour, and a drink at the outdoor lounge. We watched a herd of elephants and impala graze while we enjoyed our drinks. We were treated to a special dinner under the stars at our lodge and Sandy was presented a birthday cake.

Day 11 – We were about to head home. After breakfast, we said goodbye to our hosts and game drove through the morning out of the park and headed to Arusha. We stopped along the way to buy more souvenirs. Once again the ADS staff was waiting at the hotel when we arrived, got us situated at Mt. Meru Hotel for lunch and made sure we got back to Kilimanjaro airport in a timely manner for the trip to Amsterdam.

Thanks again Dawn, the rest of the ADS Team, and a special thank you to our guide, Francis, for the trip of a lifetime! Francis is filled with information about Tanzania and always anxious to share this with his clients. He also has a deep compassion and an innate understanding of what every person needs to make their safari perfect for them. You are never “just another client” with ADS. You are treated as if you are the most important people in the world! We would never consider using any other safari outfitters now that we have experienced the attention to detail provided by the entire ADS company!

Jerry & Sandy
Nashville, Tennessee
June 2012