Good morning to the ADS community. My name is Simon Sige, a professional Driver-Guide with ADS, and I am providing my bush report at the completion of my most recent safari. This time I had a couple named Stratton and Jayne from Houston, Texas. They were very nice people and good clients too.

The safari began on September 10, 2013 and concluded on September 16, 2013. We spent a total of 6 nights on safari with 3 nights in North Serengeti, 2 nights in Central Serengeti and 1 night at the end of our trip at the Ngorongoro Crater.

We started our safari at the Mara River airstrip in the North Serengeti at Kogatende on 10th September where we started by viewing the wildebeest crossing. We enjoyed spectacular game viewing in the North Serengeti during our 3-night stay in this area. Not only did we see the wildebeest crossing but we also had magical encounters with both leopard and cheetah cubs. This is very rare! Also, in the Central Serengeti we came across the famous pride of lions at Sametu Kopjes as well as some quality moments with some elephants. Please enjoy my pictures below that I took on this safari.

The pride males (two brothers) of the famous Sametu Lion Pride spotted resting under a tree close to Sametu Kopjes in the Central Serengeti.

The wildebeest crossing the Mara River, North Serengeti.

A mother leopard in the North Serengeti at Wogakuria Kopjes that had two cubs and was shifting them from one kopje to another.

Cheetah with two cubs in the North Serengeti.

Elephant browsing in Seronera river valley, Central Serengeti.

Thanks,

Simon Sige
ADS Guide

This is driver-guide Godson Mbonye reporting from Tanzania. On my last safari, I departed my home of Arusha on 20th of July in order to pick up my guests landing into the Kogatende airstrip, North Serengeti. My guests named David and Nicole landed on 23rd July at Kogatende airstrip. Upon arrival, we conducted a game drive in the Mara River area seeing many species of flora and fauna before driving to buffalo luxury camp. We enjoyed 2 nights at buffalo camp with game drives in the surrounding area as well as cultural tourism with the Maasai people. In the game reserve surrounding buffalo, we managed to see 5 wild dogs.

On 25th July we departed to the Central Serengeti for 3 days of camping and to view the various resident animals in this central region of the park. On 28th July we drove to Ngorongoro crater and spent the night at lion’s paw camp before concluding our safari in Tarangire National Park on July 29th and July 30th.

These are the pictures I would like to share with the ADS family!

– Tilapia Fish – Tilapias are found about every where in East Africa and are pictured here while catching food.

– Martial Eagle – Into these branches of an umbrella acacia in Tarangire National Park we saw a big martial eagle of about 8 kgs which was stalking a dik-dik (small antelope) down under a tree.

– Secretary bird – Seen hunting small reptiles in medium tall grasses at the Serengeti Northern Circuit beyond Mara river. This is (saqr-et-tair) means HUNTER BIRD.

– Termite hill – An amazing termite hill seen in shape of a standing pipe along a young acacia tree of about 5 meters height.

– Male lion – Warning strange lions away from their territory, at Seronera valley in Serengeti.

– Female leopard with it’s cub – We saw a female leopard with its cub on a tree.

– Hippopotamus – These hippos were out of the water at Seronera river Central Serengeti. These are semi aquatic animals.

– Snake – Savanna spitting cobra trying to cross the road at sametu kopjes seen hunting small rodents.

– Hyrax – At visitors centre rock, central Serengeti.

– Black rhinoceros at moru kopjes area, also others seen in the open central plain, a few meters from 16 valley area.

– Flamingos at lake magadi down in the Ngorongoro crater, seen with papitus grass – bother lesser flamingos and greater flamingos together.

– Vultures – Lappet faced/Nubian vulture on a balanite tree at platform beyond Mara river.

– Zebras here seen migrating in a line heading for drinking water at Munge river down in the Ngorongoro crater.

– An elephant near Retima hippo pool.

– A very beautiful herd of savanna elephants or Loxodanta Africana, under an umbrella acacia tree seen with makoma hill behind them.

– Three cheetah brothers resting under a balanite tree during te hot day time at northern Serengeti at Kogatende.

– Wild dog in loliondo controlled area at nothern Serengeti near lobo.

Thanks,

Godson Mbonye.
ADS driver.

On 6th July I was heading to Lemala Mara Camp near Kogatende and the Mara River to prepare for the arrival of my four guests named Smith Family. Kogatende is approximately 500kms from Arusha town.

On 07th July I was on time at the Kogatende Airstrip at 09:55am as the guests were landing with Regional Air. I informed them on each and everything concerning our trip and wildlife viewing in general. After my initial briefing, we went straight to the Mara River where we saw a huge herd of Wildebeest crossing two times in different paths across the river.  This was one of the highlights on the safari and it was a great beginning to their adventure.

Afterwards, we drove to Buffalo Luxury Camp for two nights. While at Buffalo, we managed to conduct our cultural tours with the Maasai tribe.

On 09th July we were on our way towards Sametu Camp located in the Central Serengeti when we watched a pride of 6 lionesses successfully hunt and catch a big bull warthog a few meters from our vehicle. We also saw leopard with a cub at Kwa Swai’s Rock in the Central Serengeti.

On 11th July we departed for Lion’s Paw Tented Camp in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. There we had two nights to conduct game drives inside the Ngorongoro Crater and were lucky to see black rhinoceros and lots of lions including mating activities with the King of Jungle.

On 13th July we departed the Ngorongoro Crater and headed to Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha for my clients flight back home to the USA.

Pictures include:

-A big herd of wildebeest crossing the Mara River

-The Smith family arrival with Regional Air at Kogatende Airstrip on 07th July.

– The second wildebeest herd about 4kms east of where we saw the first herd.

– Among common reptiles mostly seen at Serengeti Kopjes on Rocks we call it ”AGAMA LIZARD”.

-Hippopotamus in the Mara River, North East Serengeti.

-Common zebras drinking water at the Bologonja river in the North East Serengeti.

-Cape Buffalo seen grazing at Kleins Swamp as we headed towards Buffalo Luxury Camp.

-A Maasai giraffe under a balanite tree in the Loliondo Controlled Area.

-Family of Cheetahs in the Central Serengeti preparing to hunt for their lunch.

-Two male lion brothers waiting for the breakfast,

-Godson ADS guide with a male lion, King of the jungle in the Central Serengeti.

-Cubs are waiting for their father’s food remains

-Fish eagle, bird of prey at Seronera river, seen on yellow backed acacia.

-A beautiful Central Serengeti Sunset.

-Bats at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Visitors rest stop.

With regards,

Godson Mbonye.
ADS Guide.

My name is Reggie with Africa Dream Safaris. My recent safari started on 22nd March 2013 with four guests and ended on 30th March 2013 with thankfully all four guests! The safari was a huge success in terms of the numbers and variety of wildlife we encountered.

I have been very lucky with cheetah over the last couple of months. On my last safari I was with three cheetahs who were very friendly and came close to my vehicle in the Gol Kopjes area of the East Serengeti. On this safari out on the Ndutu Plains in the South Serengeti, I had four cheetahs who jumped on top of my vehicle. This happened on the 26th of March and the guests and I really enjoyed this experience.  The next day I found another group of cheetah cubs, a mother cheetah with four cubs, and they started to play with us and also jumped up on my vehicle. Here are some pictures of these friendly cheetahs and also some others from my safari. I hope you enjoy them!

Here is a cheetah and my guest posing for a picture together out on the Ndutu Plains in the South Serengeti.

Lions in a sausage tree near Moru Kopjes, Central Serengeti. These lions decided to climb for some rest after devouring a kill.

Early in the morning we came across a mother cheetah with her two babies having  breakfast at Sametu Kopjes in the East Serengeti.

Two large male lions.

Baboon on the front of my car.

My favorite cheetah.

Regards,

Reggie Matemu
ADS Driver-Guide
April 4, 2013

My name is Reggie and I am a driver-guide with Africa Dream Safaris. I have just returned home after completing a spectacular safari with my two guests from America named Nancy and Rachel. It was a very nice 8-night safari itinerary (Feb 22nd to March 2nd) with 3 nights at Seronera Sametu Camp in the Central Serengeti, 3 nights at Lake Masek Camp in South Serengeti and 2 nights at the end of the safari at Ngorongoro Serena Lodge.

There were many highlights on the safari but some of particular interest were as follows:

– We saw a mother cheetah who had a successfully hunted and killed a gazelle. After she and her cubs finished eating they came and used our vehicle for shade. They were very friendly they also tried to climb the vehicle. See the pictures below if you don’t believe me!

– We saw another female cheetah who also had a successful hunt but this time she managed to capture a baby zebra.

– We found a serval cat who had been killed by a leopard and was hanging from a tree. This shows how aggressive cats can get to each other due to competition over limited food resources.

– Baby wildebeest being born!

– Several very nice bush picnics including a picnic breakfast at Ngoitokitok picnic site in the Ngorongoro Crater (last picture shown below)

Much regards,

Reggie Matemu
ADS Driver-Guide
March 5, 2013