This is Patrick Kivumbi, a professional guide with ADS. My latest safari began on August 27, 2013 when I picked up my five guests visiting from Wyoming, USA at the Lobo Airstrip in the North Serengeti. We spent a total of 6 nights on safari together and explored the following areas: North Serengeti, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park.

After I picked up my guests at the Lobo Airstrip, I provided a quick briefing including an overview of the Serengeti National Park assisted by a large fold out map. We then departed for our first game drive around Lobo Valley, which is one of the most beautiful areas in entire Serengeti ecosystem. We were luck to come across three big male lions not long after we departed. Further up into the Lobo Hills, we came across more lions with a topi antelope kill including a large lioness with three cubs.

The rest of the safari went very well and I would like to share with you the below photos which I took during the trip.

We came across this adult elephant in the woodlands surrounding the Lobo Valley that was trying to cross the road. The elephant was seemed surprised to see us and was behaving in an unusually aggressive manor by attempting to charge our vehicle. It was a very exciting moment for my guests and I.

Here you can see a small bush where a lioness had dragged her kill (a topi antelope). This is the lioness with  two cubs. The kill was very fresh but the lions were very shy and nervous of our vehicle. Unfortunately, we see this behavior too often in this area as it is not far from a private hunting concession.

On the way to Mara River around the Bologonja plains we encountered these two giraffes necking!

On the same road to the Mara river before reaching the Kichwa Tembo area, we came across a wildebeest carcass surrounded by some vultures. Here you can see a Marabou stork along with Ruppells griffon vultures and white backed vultures. It is the migration time in the North Serengeti and there are may vultures around.

A herd of wildebeest gathered themselves around the Mara river waiting to cross the river.

Finally one of the wildebeest started to cross and then the entire herd jumped down into the river.

A beautiful lilac breasted roller on top of a thorny acacia bush.

On the way to Mbuzi Mawe tented camp for a late evening game drive, we enjoyed this beautiful sunrise. The sun was setting over the a flat top acacia tree…the symbol of Africa.

Outside of the gate of Tarangire National Park while heading to Kikoti Tented Camp we spotted this beautiful leopard tortoise.

Sincerely,

Patrick Kivumbi,
ADS Guide.

Jambo to the ADS family! This is driver-guide Ally reporting from the Serengeti National Park. I had an awesome safari with a family of two adults and one teenager from Canada named Alain, Monique and Cullen. The safari dates were August 21, 2013 to August 29, 2013. We spent 2 nights in the North Serengeti and the new Lemala Kuria Camp, 2 nights in the Loliondo Game Reserve at Buffalo Camp, 2 nights in the Central Serengeti at the beautiful Four Seasons Bilila Lodge and 2 nights in the Ngorongoro Crater split between Crater Lodge and the Manor Lodge.

We started from the Mara River Airstrip in the North Serengeti where we had tremendous game viewing opportunities due to the high concentrations of animals. We even witnessed several crossings including one crossing that lasted almost 1 hour. Most of the migratory wildebeest and zebra herds are on the Tanzanian side of the border and only a few smaller herds remain in Kenya.

Whenever you see lots of herbivores, you are bound to get some good carnivore sightings. Luckily, we saw leopards including one with a young wildebeest up in a tree that it must have successfully hunted. Pound for pound the leopard is the strongest predator in the Serengeti and it is always amazing how they drag prey larger themselves up into the tall branches of the accacia tree. In the Central Serengeti we saw three leopards but this time with a Thomson gazelle kill in a tree. We also were privileged to see cheetahs hunting, but unfortunately they couldn’t catch their prey. Here a few of my snap shots from my safari.

Regards,
Ally Dhulkifil,
ADS Guide.

On August 26, 2013 at the Kogatende Mara River Airstrip in the Northern Serengeti I met my clients (a lovely couple from Colorado named Jim and Cheryl ) for the beginning of their safari. Right from the airstrip our safari started and within in a few minutes we had seen several species of herbivores. We had a half day at Kogatende before heading down to buffalo camp.

It was such an unbelievable and amazing day as we were lucky to watch hundreds and thousands of wildebeest and zebras crossing the Mara river. It is not always easy to witness the crossings as sometimes the wildebeest will march right up the bank of the river and then for no apparent reason will turn right around.

My guests and I decided that after watching the crossings we will go somewhere and have a picnic lunch before heading down to buffalo camp. Our drive to the camp kept going great with some amazing sights including lions, giraffes, elephants and several species of antelopes.

The Maasai village near buffalo camp was fascinating. There is so much to learn and experience in that community. We enjoyed 2 nights at buffalo camp in the North Serengeti and departed on August 28, 2013 for 2 nights at Sametu camp in the Central Serengeti. I always look forward to a stay at Sametu camp. This camp along with the similar lions paw camp are my favorite camps in the serengeti/ngorongoro ecosystem.

On our way to Sametu camp we went through the lower grumeti woodlands and lobo valley. The landscape there was unusually green and lush for this time of year. Also, the game was incredible. We saw a lion with a buffalo kill, cheetahs, giraffes and elephants. It was a great day!

The Seronera valley was so cool. We got lucky with a cheetah hunt and she made a kill in front of us and we also saw a pride of lions killing a buffalo at Moru Kopjes. It was such an amazing and lucky day to see all these kills. It does not happen that easy during our safaris! Our two nights at lion’s paw (August 30th and 31st) went good too. In Ngorongoro Crater we saw rhinos and a big pride of lions (four males and three females) with one couple mating about ten meters from our vehicle.

On September 1, 2013 we departed for Kikoti camp in Tarangire National Park. We had such a great time with loads of elephants drinking, wallowing and splashing at Silale Swamp. Silale swamp is one of the best places in Tarangire for game viewing during the dry season. We tried for the extremely rare Oryx antelopes around Larmakao but unfortunately we did not find them. Instead, we spotted a very wild leopard that looked like it had never seen a vehicle before! We finished our trip on September 3rd and it truly had become a dream come true for my guests Jim and Cheryl.

Below are some of the photos to share with you.

– A mother cheetah with her two juveniles at Kogatende, North Serengeti.
– Wildebeests crossing Mara river.
– Maasai giraffe at lobo in the morning.
– Brousing elephant bull at Seronera valley.
– Giraffe at Moru.
– A mating lion at crater.
– After mating the lioness walking away.
– Silvery cheeked hornbill at Lake Manyara.
– Splashing and funny young Elephants.

Regards,
Claude Shitindi.
ADS Guide

Greetings from the bush! I am Anglebert Mrema guiding for Africa Dream Safaris. Having completed my safari with my clients Patty and Kevin, I would like to share some highlights from this trip with the ADS family. The safari started on August 4, 2013 and ended on August 11, 2013. We spent 4 nights in the Serengeti split between the North and Central Serengeti areas at Buffalo and Sametu Camps, 2 nights in Ngorongoro Crater at Lion’s Paw Camp and a final night in the Tarangire National Park at Kikoti Camp.

At Lobo Valley in the North Serengeti we had a great sight of a male leopard just by the road. This leopard was trying to stalk gazelles on the other side of the road.  However, the area was too open and it wasn’t easy for the leopard to get much closer for the strike. We moved to the Central Serengeti where we had a great sight of pride of lions at Sametu Kopjes. Although the Sametu Kopjes area was dry, the pride was very healthy and that is due to the presence of a big herd of Thomson gazelle in the area.

Ngorongoro Crater was great. We had a good sight of lions feasting on a zebra. The two females probably made the kill at night because just near there was another lion pride that came to realize that there was a kill around dawn.

Another interesting sight at the caldera was a black mane lion on honeymoon just by the road. It was interesting to see this big male lion immediately go behind to the back of the ADS vehicle and scent mark the logo printed on the tire covers.  Hope you will enjoy the pictures below.

This is driver-guide Raphael with ADS and I would like to wish the entire ADS family a warm greeting from Tanzania. Follows is my latest bush report for my recent safari concluding on September 1, 2013.

I had the pleasure of welcoming my two guests named Robert and Judy from Baltimore, Maryland to the Serengeti on August 25, 2013.  My guests landed into the North Serengeti via the Kogatende Airstrip (also known as the Mara River airstrip since it is located very close to the river and, in fact, a famous crossing point).

We immediately departed for our 1st game drive. We drove along the river and we saw three crossing on that first day! The second day we drove around Mawe ya Nature and we saw lionesses lying on those Kopjes (granite outcroppings). Around Lemala camp we saw a mother cheetah with her cubs and she was satiety. We saw also two crossing and one crocodile killed three wildebeests because the crossing was so massive. We enjoyed 2 nights in the Mara river area before departing for 2 more nights at Buffalo camp. On the way to Buffalo camp we came across a leopard which was not skirting at all and we had a good time there.

The Loliondo game controlled area around Buffalo camp was fabulous because we visited the Maasai village and it was gorgeous. They danced so nicely and we climbed the nearby mountain to look for a pack of critically endangered wild dogs that had been spotted in the area. Thankfully we successfully saw them.

After spending 4 nights in the North Serengeti split between Lemala Kuria/Mara camps and Buffalo camp, we departed for the Central Serengeti for 2 nights at Mbuzi Mawe. This would allow us ample time to explore the famous Seronera River Valley. In the Central Serengeti we saw a pride of lions numbering sixteen (16) individuals around Sametu Kopjes. The Ngorongoro Crater where we spent our last night was also amazing.  W saw a black rhino and several big male lions. We ended our safari in Lake Manyara National Park, which I think made a nice and peaceful conclusion to our adventure.

Please enjoy my photos below. The photos include:

011-Wildebeests crossing Mara river.
020/022-Captured picture when wildebeest jumping into the water.
026-I was holding a skull of a buffalo head.
035-Crossing of wildebeest.
057-A visible cheetah picture in a tree twig.
062-A crocodile getting a baby wildebeest.
065/067-Kogatende leopard cleaning himself.
072-Lion cubs drinking water.
076-A mother cheetah with her cub yawning.
084-Gong rock at Moru Kopjes.

Thanks,
Raphael Mollel,
ADS Guide.

Good morning from an unusually cool Arusha, Tanzania. This is ADS driver-guide David Chando with my latest bush report. It has been a little colder then normal in Tanzania the last couple of weeks though the weather reports show temperatures returning to normal shortly. The migratory wildebeest herds continue to be located at the extreme north of the Serengeti ecosystem with large groups both to the north and south of the Mara River. Hence, we have been enjoying lots of crossings. The wildebeest are crossing both northbound and southbound and in some cases two groups pass each other in the river going opposite directions!  It is interesting to note that the migratory zebra herds are located further south mainly in Lobo Valley area of North Serengeti.

Last week I went on safari with one client from New York by the name of William T. We started on 08 August 2013 and ended on 18 August 2013. The areas we visited included the North Serengeti, Central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Tarangire National Park. We had a great time together. Sights admired are as follows:

Wildebeest migration crossing the Mara river in the North Serengeti.

These are the sights which Mr. William said he was waiting his whole lifetime to witness. We enjoyed several crossings during his stay in the North Serengeti.

Wildebeest migration in the Lamai Triangle of the North Serengeti. This is the area to the north of the Mara river. As long as we can cross the bridge at Kogatende, I usually try to game drive both the north and south sides of the Mara River.

Thirsty elephant at water hole – North Serengeti.

Lions resting under a bush tree.  This was about mid-day when the sun was hot and the lions were seeking shade.

Female lion eating a warthog.

Cheetahs  hunting at the Nyamalumbwa plains (North Serengeti) with wildebeest grazing in the background.

A nice set up of plain zebras at Lobo Valley in the North Serengeti. This is the area where we saw lots of zebras.

Black rhino inside the Ngorongoro Crater. It has been difficult these days to see black rhino’s at Ngorongoro as the weather has been cold, making the rhinos less active and causing them to lay close to the ground. It becomes difficult to see them among the high grass.

Young bulls of elephants fighting – Tarangire National Park.

Thanks once again. See you soon.

David Chando
ADS Driver-Guide
September 2, 2013