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Author: Michael
Quote of the Week: Max Gottesman
Wow…the absolute trip of a lifetime! All of our expectations were met and exceeded. From arrival to departure, from our amazing guide, airport staff and Arusha staff, everything went perfectly. We saw every animal that we hoped to see including the wildebeest crossing 1-hour after our plane set down. A cheetah kill and the rhinos. We saw an abundance of every animal imaginable because our guide was so experienced and only wanted to please us.
Our fairy book accommodations went from incredible to unbelievable and just kept getting better. Arriving at our destinations tired and hungry and being greeted by warm and caring staffs with wet cold towels to wipe our dirty warm faces was half the fun of the trip.
You arranged an amazing and very memorable trip that we will never forget. The warm and wonderful people of Tanzania and ADS will never be forgotten. Thank you for all your suggestions, emails and helping in arranging our safari. I will certainly recommend you and ADS to anyone who asks. Asante Sana.
Max Gottesman
September 2010
Max himself meeting with several members of the Maasai Tribe as they gather together in song.
Quote of the Week: Christine & Robin Cadiz
It’s tough to even begin to describe the magic of Tanzania and the Serengeti plains. We are by no means morning people, but it was well worth it to wake up before dawn each day to watch the sunrise over the plains during early morning game drives. Everywhere, we were surrounded by breathtaking views. A herd of zebras sprinting across the plains, a family of elephants easily tearing down a feast of trees, a lioness and her six cubs playing at dusk, a cheetah slowly stalking a gazelle, a hyena dragging a wildebeest carcass away from vultures, hippos play-fighting in a pond, a leopard napping in an acacia tree, a pride with twelve lions peeping their heads up through the tall grass, and the elusive black rhino walking in the distance were just some of the incredible moments of our honeymoon safari.
Our safari with ADS was a truly unique experience; we could not have asked for a more special honeymoon. We really appreciated our guide Joshua, who was extremely knowledgeable and taught us so much. Both of us are biologists and learned a great deal from him. Momentarily, we thought about how awesome it would be to move to Tanzania to enroll in the field studies at the college he attended. We saw even more than we’d hoped for and were able to get up close to observe animals engaging in their daily activities – things that may have been routine for them but fascinating and dramatic to us. We were happy just to watch them do what they normally do.
The entire safari experience was wonderful from start to finish. Serengeti Migration Camp is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever stayed and private camping in the bush was definitely a highlight of our travels. What a romantic and unforgettable honeymoon!
Christine & Robin Cadiz
July 2010
A herd of zebra quenching their thirst at a water hole.
A pride of 12 lions resting in the grass (can you count all twelve?)
Two baboons taking comfort in each other’s company.
Quote of the Week: Denise Cross
I had the best and most amazing time that I’ve ever had in my entire life. I loved each and every minute of the trip and I felt so happy and content and peaceful the entire time I was there. I’m sure you hear some people say that it was “life-changing” and I have to agree that it certainly was that way for me. I hated to leave and I can’t wait to go back.
Thank you so much…to you and Africa Dream Safari’s for doing a wonderful job planning my trip of a life time!!! I have nothing but positive things to say about how great everything was. The people were lovely and everything went so smoothly….it was effortless for us and we just sat back and enjoyed every minute of every day. Our guide was very friendly and easy-going and we hit it off right away. He was fun and liked to joke around, which was great, but he was also good at doing his best to answer any questions that we had. He was a good guide and I enjoyed spending time with him every day.
On our very first day we were fortunate enough to witness the migration of the wildebeest and then we proceeded to see so many other animals that we thought that it couldn’t get any better than that!! But, every day we were amazed at how special each day was and how every day was the “best” day in it’s own special way. I loved Buffalo Springs and all of the wonderful people there. It was a gorgeous location and the tents and lodge were amazing….so beautiful! And I was so happy that we had a chance at doing the night drive…..that was special and different and, as an added bonus, we got to spend some more time with Sukato. When we went to his village the next day he invited us into his boma to meet his wife and new baby…….that was an amazing experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We took tons of pictures of the children and it brings a lot of joy just to look at them and see the smiles on their faces as we showed them their own pictures….they giggled and laughed….it was great!!!
I LOVED classic camping….I found it to be thrilling and wonderful and peaceful and all things good! On one of the nights there I heard a lion roar/grunt numerous times and that same night I unzipped my tent just enough to stick my head and shoulders out with my flashlight and, about 30 or 40 feet in front of me I saw 5 or 6 sets of hyena eyes starring back at me…..it was sooooooo exciting! The staff was great and we got a great tour of the chef’s kitchen…the food was delicious!
While in the Crater, we were fortunate enough to see (from a distance) 3 Black Rhinos…..that was very exciting! And, I was thrilled when, on our last day of Safari, we saw over 400 elephants……it was amazing! Overall, we saw lots of lions, about 5 leopards, and 2 cheetah. We saw so many animals every single day that I just couldn’t believe it. And, I couldn’t believe how close we got to them…..we were right beside so many of them….the lions, a leopard, hyena, ostrich, baboons, monkeys, elephants, zebra, wildebeest, etc, etc, etc……my mind is still trying to process all of it. It was the most amazing experience of my entire life and I felt so happy while I was there.
Denise Cross
September 2010
A young lion cub acting especially brave towards his older (and much bigger) brother.
The smiling faces of native Maasai children.
Quote of the Week: Sandy and Dave Bertetti
David and I want to express our sincere appreciation to ADS for an absolutely wonderful and unforgettable adventure to the beautiful country of Tanzania. We have traveled extensively all over the world with Tauck Tours, a first rate American travel company, but nothing even remotely compares to the personal preparation and treatment we were privileged to experience with ADS. On the Arusha side of the globe our ubiquitous guide was fantastic! He was such a gentleman—friendly, good sense of humor and an extraordinary knowledge and ability to look for predators and other mammals and birds and to teach us about their habits and ecological habitats. We saw not only all the big five animals but in fact almost every species on ADS’s Animal Checklist on Northern Tanzania including all types of trees and vegetation! We even saw a leopard kill, a black-maned lion, a rare kudu and a cheetah with her cubs enjoying a kill. But we really worked hard for it-in other words we were gone from morning to sundown searching!
Areas we really enjoyed seeing included the Mara River area especially during Migration-it was amazing to see literally hundreds of wildebeest and zebras all lined up to go across the Mara River-unfortunately a lioness appeared and they all stampeded back down the ravine which in itself was like a dry land crossing-dust everywheres—“a never to be forgotten” sight! We also loved the Serengeti Balloon ride and the champagne breakfast!
Outside the realm of herbivores and carnivores, talking with guide (our Maasai teacher and guide) and visiting a remote Maasai village was a very humbling experience for us. It was mind boggling to see first hand how the natives lived– we have never seen such poverty—grass and cow dung huts, no water nearby, no plumbing and no electricity. It really makes you appreciate how fortunate we are to live in America. We also enjoyed visiting the Poli Village outside Arusha and the Iraqw Village on the way from the Crater to Lake Manyara and learning about their traditions. Our visit to Olduvai Gorge was worth it as [our guide] took us down to the bottom of the area so we could see firsthand the original Leakey archeological site.
All in all we would rate this safari as OUTSTANDING, the most unique adventure we have ever experienced and I hope those reading this will have a similar Tanzanian experience; at least with Africa Dream Safaris you cannot go wrong-it was extraordinary to have our own private guide who would stop anytime (we took over 1200 photographs)! I would like to come back someday to this beautiful country of Tanzania but in the green season for a comparison. And we would not hesitate (in fact we already have) to recommend ADS to our friends. Kwa heri and Asante Sana.
Sandy and Dave Bertetti
August 2010
Quote of the Week: Joanna Litvack and Family
My husband and I did a lot of research before committing to ADS. We wanted the best for our ‘trip of a lifetime.’ ADS lived up to its reputation and more. We took our three boys with us and each one of us loved the trip. First, we could not have asked for a better guide. He found four leopards in trees — which other trucks simply drove past because their drivers did not know what to look for. We were amazed at how he found lions (we saw three prides), cheetahs (we saw many) and leopards. We spent most of our time going to places where there were no other people. We truly had the safari to ourselves. Second, the lodges and camps were truly luxurious. We preferred the luxury camps and were truly impressed at the level of accommodations and service. I cannot recommend ADS more highly and I would recommend them (and will) to my closest friends. Third, the people of Tanzania were very friendly and the side, cultural trips offered by ADS are worthwhile.
Joanna Litvack and Family
August 2010
Large male lion sauntering over to a shade tree.
A pride of lions finishing up some scraps from their dinner.
A mother cheetah and her sub adult cub basking in the bright Serengeti sunshine.
Quote of the Week: Sue Dougherty and Family
The Serengeti was my favorite. On one days drive in the Serengeti we saw everything from cheetah, lions on a kill, leaping gazelles, a leopard kill in a tree, the Great migration AND a Mara River crossing! It was because our guide knew what he was looking for and when to be inconspicuous that we got to experience that one. We had watched the wildebeest go to the rivers edge and balk back and forth for some time, then spotted another group with similar behavior. Our guide drove the Safari truck behind a tree, hiding us, but directly across from where the animals were “testing the waters”. We then heard the first splashes and drove over to the edge and witnessed the amazing river crossing right in front of us…It was spectacular!!!
All in all it was indeed the trip of a lifetime and I am still digesting it all…my main purpose was to see and experience the animals and the perfection of balance that exists in the Serengeti… that was accomplished without question… my experience filled my soul and was so amazing to share with my kids and husband…we will have a lifetime of fabulous memories….and an appreciation of some simple things… the day after we got home, my daughter said that when she filled her water bottle with our lovely Oregon tap water, she smiled, knowing we have clean water to drink… so mission accomplished here in a life lesson for the kids of how basics are simple to us, but not to much of the rest of the world.
Sue Dougherty and Family
August 2010
Big Cat Action in the Dry Season
The dry season continues to strengthen its harsh hold on the Serengeti. The last bit of green from the few sporadic thundershowers we received last month has faded to brown. Most of the wildebeest and zebra herds are located in the North Serengeti stretching from Lobo Valley northwest to the Mara River and Lamai Triangle. There are also significant herds in the Masai Mara, Kenya (especially zebra). The lagging herds in the West Serengeti and Grumeti Game Reserve we saw in June and July seemed to have moved further north now and we expect these to be arriving in the accessible areas of the North Serengeti shortly, which will mean another round of Mara River crossings. This had been an exceptional year for Mara River crossings and our guests have seen quite a few. In fact, we had one group witness the river crossing in both directions with no doubt some confused wildebeest. The best place at the moment to see the main herds of the migration is just northwest of the Kogatende Ranger Post about 2 kms past the Mara River in what we refer to as the Lamai Triangle or Lamai Wedge.
Despite all excitement in the North Serengeti, it’s the Central Serengeti that continues to steal the show. Why? Let’s just say all the Serengeti’s large carnivores (lions, leopards, cheetahs and spotted hyena) have been showing off their hunting skills. Pictures are worth a thousand words and I will just leave off with these extraordinary photos taken on July 29th just to the east of the Seronera Valley in the Central Serengeti at the beginning of the Eastern Plains. For those familiar or with our ADS map, the area is just to the west of the Sametu Kopjes and Marsh. Thanks to David Y. and his family for submitting these unique photos of 2 young cheetah males attempting to hunt a topi.
Cheetah and Topi Battle – July 29, 2010
Cheetah and Topi Battle1 – July 29, 2010
Cheetah and Topi Battle2 – July 29, 2010
Cheetah and Topi Battle3 – July 29, 2010
Cheetah and Topi Battle4 – July 29, 2010
Quote of the Week: Christine and John Collings
Our trip with Africa Dream Safaris was an experience of a lifetime! We went on safari with Africa Dreams in July 2010 with my parents and sister; it was the first time for all of us to Africa. We truly feel we had the most amazing experience possible.
Lions, cheetah, leopard, black rhino, elephant….we saw it all. I am continually amazed by the diversity and sheer number of animals that we encountered. It was mind-boggling. Our guide was wonderful. He was able to spot animals in trees, sleeping in the grass, or in the distance that we never would have found on our own! [He] was truly an expert on the wildlife of Tanzania; he not only showed us the animals, but explained their behavior in ways far more detailed than any guide book. At one point, I commented to my family that I had learned more from [our guide] than I had in a year of high school Biology!
We were amazed by how close we were able to get to the animals. Some of my favorite moments were watching the elephants; how with a quick look you knew they were watching you as closely as you were watching them; how they always kept the baby in the middle of the herd for protection; the way they interacted with each other as family.
Another memorable experience came at the end of our trip. We had stayed in Swala Camp the evening before, and were having a leisurely start to the morning. We had woken up to the sound of vervet monkeys running across the top of our tent, and when we went outside, there were animals everywhere! What an amazing place. After showering in their outdoor shower, I came back inside the tent; a few minutes later, my husband went running outside. I asked him what he was doing, and he laughed and said ‘A monkey just turned on the shower!’ Sure enough!
Christine and John Collings
July 2010
Quote of the Week: Debra, Chip, Preston Cazale and Mark Swierc
Our trip to Tanzania in July 2010 was truly a dream come true! An African safari had always seemed like one of those trips that might never happen – it’s so far away, how do you chose when there’s so many safari options to pick from, is it really ok to take our son and the biggest obstacle – my husband really didn’t have a desire to go! Fortunately a friend traveled to Tanzania with ADS in 2008 and after hearing about her trip we were convinced we had to go (thank you Sally!)
From the moment we landed in the Northern Serengeti until we departed a week later we couldn’t stop smiling! The week flew by for us with something exciting every day. Our guide was amazing – we would give him our “wish” for the day and somehow he made it happen – including spotting the elusive black rhino in the last 30 minutes of our safari! People in vehicles next to us couldn’t see them, so apparently our binoculars were superior (thank you ADS!).
We can’t say enough about our guide. We would be driving down the road at 30 kph and he would stop and back up and point to an owl in a tree that couldn’t have been more than 6″ tall – and it had a mouse in its claws! I loved that he didn’t always point out the wildlife to us, he let our 16 year old son do a lot of it, which added to the excitement for him. While we were in the Central part of the Serengeti, where there were a lot more tourists, our guide took us off the beaten path and we only saw a couple of other vehicles in several hours but LOTS of wildlife. One day we saw FORTY-SEVEN lions! Another day he spotted a leopard sleeping in a tree – how he saw it we’ll never know! We were the only vehicle there and were able to watch quietly for as long as we wanted – what an awesome experience.
I’d like to stress to anyone considering a safari the importance of having the freedom to control your entire day. Obviously our guide had recommendations, but he would defer to us on how long we wanted to watch the martial eagle, a lion stalk her prey, the vultures finishing off a wildebeest or crocodiles feasting on a hippo. It was always hard to leave one area, but the excitement of what was around the corner was constantly urging us on. I would highly recommend at least a couple of nights in a tented lodge – there’s nothing quite like getting ready for bed and hearing lions roar in the distance!
Thank you ADS for helping to make this trip so memorable!
Debra, Chip, Preston Cazale and Mark Swierc
July 2010
Quote of the Week: The Saffouri Family – Bassam, Barbara, Eliana, George, and Steffi
Thank you for all of your help and warm wishes! We arrived home tired but amazed at the wonderful adventure we had just experienced. Our safari was more than we ever could have hoped for, and we were extremely lucky in our animal sightings. On our first day alone, we saw lion cubs feasting on a recent kill, an ostrich mating dance, a herd of elephants within arms-distance from our truck, and so much more!
An elephant using his trunk to scratch a hard-to-reach itch behind his ear!
Our hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti was memorable even for those of us afraid of heights. At Ngorongoro crater, we were fortunate enough to see a rhino (only after our driver spotted it!) and newborn lion cubs with their mother. With the help of our guide, we counted over 100 different species of birds, much to the excitement of our daughter who had studied many of them at school. Over the six days, we saw the famous Big Five, and we believe we were the only ones of the other groups we encountered who had. The wildlife was incredible, but we also cannot fail to mention the sheer beauty of the land and the different habitats within. The crater was probably our favorite region with its panorama view and lush flora. Another highlight included visiting Olduvai Gorge and witnessing the site of one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in history – it truly was an awe-inspiring and humbling experience.
An elegant cheetah gliding through the Serengeti grasses.
We would like to end by commending the wonderful hospitality and warmth displayed by the people in Tanzania, both at the lodges and with your company. As we were newcomers to Africa, we were naturally a bit nervous, and the ladies who greeted us made us feel welcome and at ease. But most of all, we could not have been luckier to have been assigned [our guide]. His knowledge of wildlife and ability to spot obscure animals in the distance was astounding. Not only could he point things out, but he could explain details about the biology and behavioral aspects of each animal, which enriched the experience so much more. Over the six days, we regarded him as more of a friend than just a guide. He truly made a great safari unforgettable, and we will always remember his kindness and warmth towards our family. Thank you again.
The Saffouri Family – Bassam, Barbara, Eliana, George, and Steffi
July 2010
Quote of the Week: Tracey Tomashpol and Farron Brougher
We spent two weeks in Tanzania with Africa Dream Safaris and already are thinking about going back! From the moment we were greeted by the “meet and greet” staff at the airport (bypassing the very long line for immigration and so on) through each “check in” and our final drop-off at the airport, every detail went smoothly and we never spent a minute worrying about our next destination or check-in or anything. During the preplanning phase when I had endless questions and concerns and changes, [our ADS rep] answered each question thoroughly, patiently, and quickly. Those quick and thorough responses did a lot to convince us of ADS’s professionalism, and our experience confirmed it.
Being on the Serengeti at sunrise, with an endless plain around you and only the sound of wind as you watch lions only 10 feet away, is an experience we will never forget. But it’s only one of many such experiences! A cheetah and her three cubs under a small acacia tree, wildebeest and zebra crowding down a river bank to drink, a martial eagle plucking and devouring its kill, jackals fighting vultures over the remains of a zebra … each experience was new and unique and incredible. And the experience isn’t simply a visual one! Hearing the crunching of bones as a lion devours its prey, the grunts of the hippos in a lagoon, the screeching of guinea fowl or the sound of grass being pushed aside as a leopard walks past in the bush … all so memorable. And for our most memorable sounds, we’d have to include the night at the private camp when nearby lions growled and roared, along with the trumpeting that an elephant “mom” made when she thought we were too close to her and the “kids.” Did we mention that she then took off after our car? No problem driving quickly away though!
Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. He helped give us a picture not only of the abundant wildlife (birds, reptiles, animals) but of life in Tanzania too. He was working hard so we could have a tremendous trip, and we’re so appreciative. All of the staff we encountered were friendly, and the experience at the private luxury camp was not only a highlight of this vacation but of any vacation we’ve taken. Incredible new tastes with African food prepared in camp, served under the stars, with candles and starlight and the sound of distant (at the time!) lions. A camp where you are the only people for miles and miles. An incredible sky overhead. That meal and night could have gone on forever.
We would highly recommend the experience and the Africa Dream Safaris company to anyone. We’ll be back for a rainy season trip in another few years (wish it could be sooner!).
Tracey Tomashpol and Farron Brougher
July 2010
A procession of giraffes marching over the Serengeti plains.
A family of young cheetahs relaxing in the shade with their mother.
A confident leopard, pausing momentarily in a regal pose, as he pads through a grassy clearing.
The Northward Migration Crosses the Mara River
It has been a strange northward migration season here in the Serengeti. Last year in 2009 we saw a relatively typical northward movement with the migratory wildebeest and zebra moving into the Central Serengeti in May, the West Serengeti in June and finally the North Serengeti in July. We reported the first major crossing of the Mara River on July 29, 2009. The 2010 northward migration couldn’t be any further different from what we had witnessed in 2009.
This year the bulk of the migration had departed the plains by the end of April despite some fairly healthy rains. The situation got more unusual with sizeable herds moving directly north in May (roughly 2 months ahead of schedule) and skipping the Western Serengeti all together. We can now report that we have had the first major Mara River crossings up in the extreme North Serengeti on June 29th and June 30th, 2010. This is almost a full month ahead of a typical year.
The migration (both the wildebeest and zebra herds) is currently very widely dispersed throughout the entire top half of the Serengeti ecosystem. There are still a few scattered herds in the West Serengeti but the majority of the action is now taking place in the North Serengeti from Lobo Valley north to Bologonja Springs and northwest through Wogakuira and up to the Mara River. There are also sizeable concentrations ranging in the Grumeti Game Reserve. The gazelles are always the last migratory species to depart the plains and we are just finally seeing large herds of gazelles stream through Seronera and the Central Serengeti and pushing into the Western Corridor.
Wildlife viewing excluding the migration has been better then usual with predators including cheetah, lion, leopard and spotted hyena being regularly spotted on almost a daily basis in the Central Serengeti. We had guests witness a leopard chasing and bringing down a live adult wildebeest yesterday, which was something truly extraordinary (2nd time I have every heard of this happening). Last month, there was a quite a bit of activity in Seronera with several guests witnessing Seronera’s famous lion prides showing off their hunting skills. We had one guest bring back some incredible photos of one such encounter between a lion pride and an old bull buffalo (pictured below).
We also had a couple rare sightings a few weeks back of those elusive black rhinos in the Moru Kopjes complex in the Central Serengeti. Elephant viewing remains tremendous and all our guides are commenting on how the elephant population has been thriving the last couple of years.
Mara River Crossing – June 29, 2010
Seronera Valley – Central Serengeti
Leopard Kill – North Serengeti
