By Claude Shitindi – My Bush Report For August 2013

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Claude Shitindi

Habari (Howdy)! This is ADS driver-guide Claude. I have just finished a wonderful trip that we started with the most diverse and active circuit of the Serengeti (Kogatende and Mara river). The Northern Serengeti was great with large herds of migration, crocodiles, big cats (lions, leopards and cheetahs) and other species of large game were seen in abundance.

We went to Lobo Valley (North East Serengeti) which was a little scattered with game but the sightings we found were amazing. Beautiful leopards, elephants etc.

The central Serengeti (Seronera valley) including Moru Kopjes and  Sametu Kopjes was stunning. It is very dry now in the central Serengeti especially to the south, but along the streams and marshes and around the kopjes we had great wildlife viewing.

After the Serengeti, we visited Ngorongoro and Tarangire with beautiful sights of elephants, giraffes, buffaloes and  greater Kudu…fantastic! In all the circuits in Northern Tanzania, Tarangire National Park is the only place one can spot a greater Kudu.

I hope you enjoy my pictures below. I certainly enjoyed taking them!

Regards,

Claude Shitindi.
ADS Guide.

The Great Migration at the Sand River, North Serengeti.

Giraffes browsing in the Central Serengeti.

This is a klipspringer seen here grazing.

Elephants going for a drink near Lobo hill (shown in the background)

At Lobo valley in the North Serengeti, we came across these leopards (mother and cub).

A nervous black rhino crossing behind our vehicle on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Elephant in the Mara River.

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By Wilfred Fue – My Client’s 2nd Safari To Tanzania

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by wilfred

Hello…My name is Wilfred Fue, a senior guide with ADS. This time I had a family of seven join me for a safari with the last name of LaRose from Minnesota.  This was their second safari to Tanzania.

Our Safari was great as we started to explore the Northern Serengeti, then Central Serengeti, and there afterwards we went to the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, and finished up with Tarangire. In all those places we saw an amazing variety of animals, birds and habitats. It was a very comprehensive itinerary.

(a) There were around 14 lions including full grown cubs, waiting near the water hole, perhaps they may get the advantage of thirsty prey around Nyamalumbwa.

(b) After completing their little meal, these cheetahs decided to sleep and relax right in the middle of the road on the way to Moru Kopjes.

(c) A rare hunt as giraffe are very tall for the lion to kill. But in absence of average size prey, formidable lions will do it.

(d) A live hunt, this lioness is strangulating a wildebeest at Mara River.

Regards,

Wilfred Fue
ADS Guide.

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By Thomson Malekia. – An Adventure with Natalia and Judy

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Thomson Malekia

Jambo! My name is Thomson and I am guide with ADS. I just concluded my most recent safari tour (August 3rd to August 9th, 2013) with two guests from Florida, USA named Natalia and Judy. My clients arrived on time at Lobo Valley Airstrip in the North Serengeti on August 3rd and we begun the game viewing soon after their arrival. My guests were very enthusiastic and I was delighted that they wanted to carry on with the game drive well into the twilight. We saw a lot at the first day around Lobo Valley, Lobo Hill and Kleins Woodlands. It was an impressive safari for them and we were very luck to see the wild dogs at Ololosokwan valley. We conducted a walking safari within a few meters of the wild dogs with an expatriate from the wild dog project and wild vision game ranger.

Pictures include:

– A family of cheetahs at lobo hill.
– African wild dogs – the most endangered species in the savannah, the wild dog project helps monitor and protect them in the Ololosokwan valley
– Great migration crossing the Mara river from Lamai to Kogatende. ”Impessive”.
– A group of hippos sun bathing in the Mara river,  North Serengeti.
– A key stone species – elephant (bull) pulling down a tree to debark.
– African hippo grazing along the Mara river.
– Vultures eating a wildebeest carcass.
– Cheetah hunting.
– King of the jungle roaring.
– Lion marking its territory.

Thanks,
Thomson Malekia.
ADS guide.


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By Ally Dhulkfil – Awesome Safari.

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Ally Dhulkfil

Good morning from Arusha, Tanzania. My name is Ally Dhulkfil and I am a professional guide with ADS. My most recent safari was a short but sweet trip that began on August 3rd, 2013 with 3 nights in the North Serengeti split between Buffalo Camp and Lemala Mara Camp, 2 nights in the Central Serengeti at Sametu Camp and a final night at the Ngorongoro Crater at Lions Paw Camp.

My two guests were from Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) and their names were John and Terrie. We had a very nice time together and were lucky to see a tremendous amount of animals during our adventure. We started our trip in the North Serengeti where we saw three brother cheetahs and nearby some elephants crossing the Mara river. In the Central Serengeti, when we went for an early morning game drive and came across a pride of lions and also the balloon ride which made for a nice picture with the sunlight. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Ally
ADS guide

Lions in Seronera Valley, Central Serengeti

Elephants at the Mara River, North Serengeti

Balloons in Seronera Valley

Three cheetah brothers in the North Serengeti

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Day in the Life of a Boarder at The School of St Jude’s

GIVING BACK

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ADS is a proud sponsor of The School of St. Jude. This photo essay outlines a day in the life of a St. Jude Boarder. We hope that you’ll help us spread the news about this charity-funded school that provides a free, high-quality primary and secondary education to the poorest and brightest children of Tanzania. Asante Sana!

Every morning of the week, Peter and his classmates walk in single file along the dirt track from the boarding campus to the school. The path runs alongside fields of maize and banana trees, where women bent at the hip tend to their crops. It goes past dust covered houses, where children in worn clothing peep out from the doorways. Further along, the path passes the water tap, where people from all around the village go to fill their empty buckets, which they balance gracefully on their heads on the way home.

At the gates of the school the dirt road gives way to a paved driveway and rendered two-story buildings filled with classrooms and covered in flowering vines.

There is a large open-air dining hall where the students are served morning tea and hot meals for lunch everyday.

Beside that are grassy football fields and brightly coloured swing sets. This is not a typical Tanzanian school. One of the many reasons The School of St. Jude is so unique is that it is funded entirely by donations from generous sponsors, allowing over 1600 students to be educated there for free.

Government schools in Tanzania also provide free education, but unlike The School of St. Jude their classrooms are often overcrowded and lack basic materials for learning such as textbooks and stationary. In many government schools the students are not provided with meals, so those students who do not have food of their own to bring are forced to learn on an empty stomach. As well as this, the teachers are often under-qualified and still make use of the cane for punishment.

So it is unsurprising that every year hundreds of students flock at the gates of St. Jude’s for selection. The sheer number of applicants means that the process of selection must be rigorous. Firstly, the applicants sit several rounds of testing. Those that achieve the highest results in the testing are then visited in their homes in order to ensure that the students that are taken into the school are not only the brightest in the area, but also the poorest.

Peter is one such student. He started school at St. Jude’s in 2008 and this year he and his classmates began their first year of boarding. They live in the boarding campus nearby the school from Monday to Friday and go home to their families every weekend.

When they reach secondary school they will move into the secondary boarding campus where they will live fulltime during the term and go home only during holidays.

The advantage of the boarding facilities is that the students are ensured breakfast, lunch and dinner and they have every opportunity to focus on their studies.

Peter’s family is his mother, father and two younger brothers. They live in a house consisting of three small rooms made of mud and wood, lined on the inside with cardboard and with a single electric light in each. The first room, adorned with pictures of Christ and Bob Marley, has only just enough room for a couch and a small table where they cook and eat meals. The second room is where Peter’s parents sleep, their worldly possessions are stacked in the little space there is around their bed and their clothes hang from the ceiling.

The last room is where Peter and both of his brothers sleep together in a single bed. Washing is done outside in buckets that they fill with water from a tap that is a few metres from their house. On the weekends when Peter goes home he tutors his brothers who attend a local government school, helps his parents with chores, reads and plays with his neighbours.

We must be careful when we talk of poverty and wealth, for they come in many forms. Peter is a part of a family and community on whom he can rely on for love, support and friendship, and in this regard he is extremely wealthy. However, in terms of standards of living, healthcare and opportunity for quality education and employment, Peter and his family are lacking. This is true for many other Tanzanians and is the reason that The School of St. Jude was set up with the mission of fighting poverty through education.

An Australian woman named Gemma Sisia started the school a little over 10 years ago on a block of land that was donated to her by her father in-law. It started with a single classroom, 3 students and 1 teacher. Through the tremendous amount of support that Gemma received, the school has grown at a remarkable rate. It is now Africa’s largest charity-funded school and has libraries, computers, buses, playing fields and boarding facilities.

The school not only gives education to over 1600 students but also provides employment to over 400 local Tanzanians who are hired as teachers, cleaners, cooks, gardeners, bus drivers, and administration and maintenance staff. All food, learning materials, building materials and anything else that is bought for the school is bought locally and therefore gives a huge amount of income to local businesses. As well as local staff, there are over 40 international volunteers who work in the business office, maintenance and as teacher mentors.

For Peter and all of the students at The School of St. Jude, the opportunity to receive a quality education means an opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge to become what they aspire to be. Peter aspires to be a doctor. Each of his classmates have their own aspirations too; to become teachers, engineers, lawyers, accountants, tour guides, musicians, football players, and even prime ministers. Consequentially, this opportunity to become what they aspire to be, also becomes an opportunity to raise themselves and their families out of poverty, giving themselves, their community and their country a brighter future.

by Rachel McLaren

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By Godson Mbonye – Safari Report August 7, 2013

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Reggie Matemu

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.


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We Will Long Remember The Early Morning Sunrise Game Drives.

Family Vacations

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Posted on by Michael

Our safari trip began with a call to ADS, and within a day we received a call from Lynn Newby-Fraser, who answered many questions from us who knew little about safaris. We were planning on a safari for seven—our daughter, her four children, and the two of us. Lynn addressed all of our questions and email correspondences promptly and worked to make our trip the best we could ever ask for. She is truly a very qualified safari consultant. Lynn worked with us, answering promptly the simplest, dumbest questions for weeks. She was so patient, polite, and gracious; we felt no fear asking her anything. In addition to keeping us reassured, she sent us many helpful hints and suggestions and checklists to make sure that we had everything we needed to have for the safari. Not a thing was missed or omitted. We even learned a few Swahili words before leaving. Because of Lynn, we were able to undertake this wonderful trip-of-a-lifetime with ADS, and we will do it again.

At Kilimanjaro Airport, we were met like celebrities by a representative who took us right through immigration with our visas and with no waiting in line; we were soon on our way to our luxurious hotel in Arusha. The “meet and greet” staff in Arusha was great, and the staff members promptly met us before and after the safari. Mathias and Francis patiently drove us to and from the airport and places of interest like the Cultural Heritage Center and the Tanzanite Experience. We shared our lunch, which the team at the Lemala Mara Camp packed for us, with Mathias and Francis. Richard and John from the Lemala Mara Camp were so gracious to even come say good-bye to us at the Mara River Airstrip, saying that they had a pick-up to do. Our last night with them was unforgettable. Like all dinners, theirs was delicious with a beautiful presentation. Ten of their workers sang the “Jambo, Jambo bana; Habari, Habari gama . . . .” song and presented us with a delicious good-bye cake. It was sad to think that was the end of our wonderful, memorable safari trip. We thoroughly enjoyed every one of the accommodations—there is something great and unique about each of them.

Ellson, our driver-guide who provided us the private safari, became part of our family, like Lynn, from the instant we met him. He personalized our safari, and we felt he was completely devoted to our interests and wishes. We had all-day game drives, and he knew the right places to go and which animals to look for, asking after each stop if we were ready to go on; he never took anything for granted. He gave us details on each animal, answered every question, and showed us pictures from his books. The very few times when he was not so sure, he admitted it, which we appreciated. With his knowledge, he could write a great book. We asked questions not only about our trip but about Tanzania’s politics, education, economy, people, etc.

We will long remember the early morning sunrise game drives, picnic breakfasts and lunches, and the many different animals, birds, primates, reptiles, raptors, and trees of the serene Serengeti and Tarangire National Parks, Ngorongoro Crater, the Great Migration, Lake Manyara, and the Mara River. All these priceless memories are thanks to ADS—Lynn, Ellson, the ADS Arusha staff, and all of the accommodations staff members. Everyone was beyond belief—gracious, polite, helpful, and always looking after our interests first. A footnote—Ellson kept our vehicle immaculate. Our ride was dusty and muddy, not to mention bumpy, and with four children, messy. Every morning he had it spotless like the first day he picked us up in Arusha. ADS should be proud of Lynn and Ellson, who have a deep love for their profession and are truly “people” employees.

Thank you for the beautiful t-shirts, hats, bottles of water, cokes, jar of cookies, and bags of candies, as well as use of binoculars and a cell phone. The kids AND adults enjoyed your thoughtfulness and are making good use of the t-shirts and hats still. Thank you very much for such nice gifts. Your brochures, CD, and materials were very helpful, as well. The Arusha staff gift of the traditional Maasai bracelet and stamped Tanzania postcard to send to friends and family are very special and a good remembrance of all of you gracious people. Sherrie sent her postcard to us, and it was awaiting our return home to the U.S. from the best safari experience. ADS is most thoughtful and considerate in all it does for its clients. Our sincere thank you and gratefulness to ADS’s entire team who made our safari adventure the best traveling experience in our ten years of traveling together as a family. The kids and we will never forget our travel with ADS and each one of its behind-the-scene staff who worked hard for us, also. Asante Sana, Asante Sana.

Finally, a day or two before our long-awaited trip to Tanzania, Oprah Winfrey was on Good Morning America, and she mentioned, “I’ve done a lot of safaris, but there’s nothing like the Serengeti. It is huge; nothing like it.” Soon after we returned, I saw her on David Letterman’s show. There she was again with a picture of her and a man in the Serengeti, exclaiming how wonderful it is. There is no question that we made the right choice with ADS and Lynn.

Asante Sana,

Sherrie E. and Family
Newport Beach, California
Safari Dates: August 11, 2013 to August 20, 2013

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By Thomson and Arnold – A Family Trip To Tanzania.

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Thomson Malekia

Jambo! It is your safari guides Thomson and Arnold from Tanzania reporting after the conclusion of our most recent safari that required the use of 2 vehicles and guides. A family of 10 people arrived at the Ndutu airstrip in the South Serengeti at 10.00am on July 15 2013, and we began the game drive around Ndutu area. Our first day turned out to be indicative of our entire safari as we immediately encountered some tremendous wildlife viewing. Let me explain further our first day. We saw a big pride of lions including nine cubs (they seemed to be the Serengeti’s welcoming committee). Immediately afterwards, we saw a cheetah anxious looking for something to eat. However, a lioness from the big pride entertained us all by chasing a warthog. We visited Oldupai Gorge after departing the South Serengeti and continued on our game drive to Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw Camp with a game drive through the Crater along the way. What a day!

The following are some of the pictures to share with you.

010 – Buffalos at lake Manyara.
021 – Mongoose family at Tarangire.
023 – Mongoose on the top of stone at Tarangire.
025 – Hummerkop nest (small bird but makes a huge nest which were up to 90 – 120 kg)
098 – Lion at ndutu big marsh area stalking a warthog.
104 and 106 – Lion cubs drinking water at the marsh area.
111 – Cheetah in the ndutu woodlands area searching for food.
114 and 116 – Elephant bull at small marsh ndutu.
119 – Hippo in the crater.
122 – Grandkids having good time at Ngorongoro Crater (Ngoitoktok springs – picnic site).
128 – Healthy Olive Baboon at Lake Manyara under ground water forest.
130 – Black faced vervet monkey at Silale Swamp, Tarangire.
134 and 136 – Roaring lions while mating.
151 – Camouflaged female leopard at Lobo valley, North Serengeti.
157 – Sun bathing hippo in the Mara river, North Serengeti.
158 – Migration heading towards Mara river.
184, 203, 204, and 211 – ”Learn from the best”. Lion cub sharing wild experience with his mom.
219, 224, 226, and236 – Dark male lion enjoying a wildebeest provided by the female
257 – Like father like son.
261 – Buffalo herd at Mawe ya Nomad
142 – Avocet standing by one leg at lake Magadi in Serengeti.
147 – A bull elephant debarking yellow barked accacia tree

Thanks,

Thomson Malekia and Arnold Mushi,
August 5, 2013
ADS guides.

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By Anglebert Pantaleo with Dan and Lisa G. Family

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Anglebert Mrema

Jambo from Serengeti. My name is Anglebert Pantaleo and I am a safari guide for Africa Dream Safari. I presently had an eight day family safari with Lauren, Blake, Ryan, Lisa and Dan G. and it was so great. They were from a city called Newport Beach in California, USA and the safari dates were July 19th to July 26th, 2013. This time we started our tour at Ngorongoro crater at Lions Paw camp where we had great adventure. We did see Many lions and they were very active at early hours down at the caldera.

After our one night at the caldera, we move to the endless plain of serengeti and we had two nights at Semetu camp, two nights at buffalo camp and the last two nights was at the Lemale Kuria Hill. The Serengeti was so adventurous. At Seronera valley we had a big pride of 18 lions under the tree just by the side of the road. As it is so dry there was nothing for them to hunt but the gazelles. We watched them try to hunt the gazelles with no success.

The highlights of the northern Serengeti were two sets of three brother cheetahs at the Mara river. First, we had two young brother cheetahs at Wogakuria Kopjes and they looked very unexperienced with the whole surroundings. We had another sight of three brothers at Lamai triangle and they tried to hunt a baby gnu with no success. Generally we had a great family trip and I would like to share 3 pictures which we took during this trip with the entire ADS family.

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A Piece Of Tanzania In Our Hearts

Family Vacations

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Posted on by Michael

Jambo to All Considering a Safari,

If you’ve ever thought about exploring the African “bush,” we’d wholeheartedly encourage you to contact Lynn Newby-Frasier at African Dream Safaris (ADS).  Lynn turned our daydream, our “what if,” and our “maybe someday if we’re lucky” into reality.  For years, my parents, my children, and I have dreamed wistfully about a safari in Africa.  We’d watch nature television shows featuring lions, elephants, zebras, and other exotic African animals and wish we could have these experiences firsthand.  We’d linger over magazine articles about East Africa.  We’d pause at travel brochures featuring trips to Africa.

Finally, less than two months before the only two-week period that the seven of us would have free last summer, we decided that it was time to address that dream.  We surfed the web for safaris and contacted half a dozen companies.  Although each representative was helpful, it was Lynn, with such passion for her job and for Tanzania, who won us over.  After our first phone conversation with Lynn, it was obvious that working with her and ADS was the clear path to our dream safari.

However, I feared that as I shared our approaching dates, ages, and financial boundaries that her optimistic tone would wane or that she would even admonish us.  Never fear, Lynn was always supportive and accommodating, ensuring us that our dream safari would happen.  She listened carefully, suggesting accommodations and travel itineraries that fit our physical, budget, and curiosity needs.  Lynn worked quickly and efficiently to incorporate our suggestions and provide us with not one, but five separate safaris that all fit our interests and desires.  After we selected our favorite, she quietly and quickly worked behind the scenes setting each step of our safari into motion.

It wasn’t until we reached Tanzania, that we realized how much planning she had done for us before our trip.  Along the way, it seemed like we daily had questions, which we emailed to Lynn.  She cheerfully and graciously answered each one—some so mundane like whether there is lotion provided in the lodgings.  Her reminder lists and Swahili vocabulary lessons helped ensure that we were well prepared and excited.

When the big day of our departure arrived, we wondered how we would survive in Africa with our trusted friend Lynn remaining in the states.  Our worries were quelled by ADS’s Arusha team of Matthias, Francis, and Trevor.  They picked us up at Kilimanjaro Airport, took us to our beautiful hotel, and made sure that we enjoyed our stay in Arusha.

Then we had the great fortune to meet Ellson, our driver/guide.  We could not have asked for a more patient, knowledgeable, and skilled guide.  Being passionate about animals, we barraged him with questions daily, which he thoroughly and expertly addressed.  Curious about Tanzania and its wonderful people, we inquired about practices, customs, and politics.  Each day, we marveled at the wonderful sights he showed us and the volumes of information that he imparted to us. He quickly learned our interests and habits and tailored our schedule and itinerary to fit our desires exactly.

We met travelers with both ADS and other safari companies at our lodgings.  While we were impressed with what our fellow ADS guests had seen, we were sad to hear of the abbreviated game drives and inflexible schedules that guests of some other companies experienced.  For example, on a day where Ellson changed his initial plans so that we could see a leopard and python that fellow drivers had informed him about, these other tourists had no choice but to return early for lunch and an afternoon of leisure.

While other safari outfitters charged up to twice as much, we are certain that we could not have had a richer, more fulfilling, or memorable vacation.  Although my parents have kindly taken my children and me on an international trip every year, this has been our favorite.  It is our first experience, too, where our agent has stayed in contact with us upon our return.  We will always be grateful to Lynn, Ellson, and all those with ADS, the lodgings, and excursions who made our safari truly a dream come true and left a piece of Tanzania in our hearts.

Asante sana,

Janet, Henry, and Sherrie E. and Toby, Lani, Jamie, and Jesse M.
Newport Beach, California
Safari Dates: August 11, 2013 to August 20, 2013

 

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Help Fund ‘Snapshot Serengeti’ – A Vital Wildlife Research Project

GIVING BACK

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10 DAYS LEFT TO RAISE 33K! – Make a contribution to Save Snapshot Serengeti { HERE }

At this very moment in Serengeti National Park, hundreds of cameras are automatically taking photographs day and night, in corners of the park where people almost never go. These are camera traps – remote, automatic cameras that take pictures of passing wildlife – and they take some of the most amazing, natural and important photos of the Serengeti’s animals. But their initial funding has run out, and they’re asking for your help so they can keep the cameras up and running for years to come.

Operated by the long-term Serengeti Lion Project, Snapshot Serengeti is a massive camera-trapping project that captures the secret lives of Africa’s most elusive animals, and brings those photos to your computer. In fact, because these cameras take over 1 million photos each year, we rely on volunteers like you to help us identify the animals within.

The photographs captured on these cameras are not only thrilling to see, but they are helping us understand how this amazing ecosystem works so that we can continue to protect it into the future. Today we launched the sixth season of photos from the project – unfortunately, they might be the last. Our funding from the National Science Foundation has run out, and unless we raise $30,000 to keep our rickety Land Rovers running, Snapshot Serengeti will shut down. We’ve launched a crowd funding campaign { here } to ask for your support.

There is still much to learn about the Serengeti, and many of its secrets can only be understood by long-term projects that capture both annual variability and unexpected events. The Snapshot Serengeti cameras let us study this incredibly dynamic system in a way that was never possible before. Even in the few months since Season 5, the wildebeest migration has come and gone, wild dogs swept through our area, and a long-lost pride of lions returned home.

Please check out our Indiegogo campaign and support us if you can. We’ve got some thank you “perks” that you might enjoy, such as a postcard from the Serengeti, a picture of YOUR picture with a Serengeti lion, and even one of our old cameras that has been gnawed on too many times to use anymore.

And whether or not you can support us directly, please share the campaign link – igg.me/at/serengeti – with your friends and family. We’re not asking for luxuries — have you seen our drop-toilet? — we’re just trying to keep the land rovers chugging along and the cameras clicking by raising money to pay for diesel, equipment, and field assistant salaries. The more people help out, the better our chances of truly understanding what makes this incredible ecosystem work – and the better our chances of bringing the Serengeti to your computer screen for years to come.

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Calling All Thrill-Seekers!

TRAVEL TIPS + UPDATES

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If you love adventure and are looking for an “off-the-beaten-path” escape into an untrammeled wilderness, Tanzania and a private safari with ADS are a winning combination! Get your cameras out, put your hiking shoes on, and get ready to experience a slice of rare wilderness that few people ever will!

A private safari will allow you to maximize each glorious moment.s No need to adhere to a fixed schedule. No need to limit your mileage or hours ‘in the bush’. No need to compromise your interests or fun to keep a group of strangers happy! Your expert guide will take you to the farthest corners of the wilderness to see and do the things most people only dream of.

Enjoy unlimited game drives to the farthest corners of the wilderness while other tourists putter no further than the main roads near their lodges. Embark on early morning adventures at first light while other tourists are still sleeping. Witness thousands of wildebeest and zebra on their annual migration. See the Big 5 as they roar, stalk, hunt, leap, stampede, battle and frolic in their natural habitats. Visit a remote Maasai Village, where visitors are a rarity. Hike to the elephant caves and waterfalls. Watch in awe as your vehicle descends into the depths of an ancient collapsed volcano. Add on even more adventurous trip options such as hot air balloon rides, walking safaris, bush flights, canoeing, night-safaris, authentic cultural interactions, and other incredible experiences that delight and inspire the thrill-seeker in you!

For more details including group-specific guest testimonials and a sample safari itinerary, please visit: africadreamsafaris.com/adventure-safaris

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I Recommend ADS To Help Make That Dream A Reality.

Family Vacations

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Posted on by Michael

My wife, my two teenage daughters and I are home from Africa, but find ourselves wishing we were still back in the Serengeti!

We recently returned from a 12-day safari organized through Africa Dream Safaris, and it was all that we hoped for and more. I wanted to make this trip to see the animals of the Serengeti and Tarangire in the wild before that chance is gone, and for my kids to have the opportunity to do the same and to be able to tell their children of all that they saw. If you share any similar dreams, I encourage you to pursue them. No documentary can compare to seeing first hand giraffes grazing amongst acacia, hearing the roar of lions nearby at night, or the sound of a multitude of wildebeests as they cross the open plains.

We were blessed with many great moments (thanks in large part to the abundant wildlife Tanzania affords and to the amazing spotting skills of our guide), but some of our favorites memories include the following:

– Seeing hippos in the Mara river from our small plane as we were landing in the northern Serengeti

– Immediately being amongst the wildlife and encountering crocodiles, hippos, elephants, giraffes, zebra, and wildebeests within 15 minutes of landing

– Game driving through the rolling hills and kopjes of the northern Serengeti and anxiously awaiting what we might find around each turn

– Seeing lionesses calmly looking for prey in the golden morning light

– Spotting a leopard, and then her cub, in a tree with a freshly killed impala

– Watching the same leopard cub inadvertently drop the kill from the tree branch to the ground, much to the annoyance of its mother

– The sight of a herd of elephants in the Lobo Valley crossing within yards of us and the sound as one turned and trumpeted at us

– Spotting a rhino and seeing how he dwarfed the wildebeests around him

– The call of hyenas at night immediately outside our tent at Seronera Sametu, and later the roar of lions as they passed through camp

– The incredible vistas and sunsets on the Serengeti

– Hearing the rush of the grass and seeing the speed of cheetahs as they took off after an impala

– Seeing the harshness of the wild as we came upon a badly wounded hyena in Ngorongoro Crater that had clearly lost a battle the night before and was limping up to take perhaps its last drink of water

– Getting another sense of the same upon seeing a pride of lions feast on a fresh water buffalo kill

– Experiencing the friendliness of the Tanzanian people as we stopped to shop for a Kanga in Mosquito Creek

– And, finally, trying to hang on to as many images as we could our last night on safari as impala, elephants, giraffe, and waterbucks all grazed within yards of our tent while dusk set in on the Tarangire. Some of our photos capturing these memories are set forth below.

As others have consistently spoken of, the help African Dream Safaris provides in planning a trip such as this is incredible. Our planning guide, Lynn, was fantastic. She was extremely responsive to our questions (which were endless), diligent in planning an itinerary and accommodations that matched our visions (which among the four of us were diverse), and invaluable with the additional ideas and suggestions she offered. We needed and wanted some guidance and direction on setting up our trip. If you are in a similar situation, I believe you will find those needs more than met by ADS.

If you are concerned about spending multiple days in the same vehicle with the same guide, don’t be. It’s clear that ADS invests in finding quality people to lead their safaris. Our guide, Claude, was perfect. As mentioned above, his game spotting skills and wildlife knowledge were impressive. But more importantly, by the end of our safari, we felt we had a true friend.

Claude’s warm greeting and easy going demeanor immediately set us at ease. He welcomed our questions (which, again, were endless), was interested in getting to know us and in hearing of our experiences, and shared some of his with us. In between game viewing and learning about all the wildlife we were seeing, we talked of things that ran the gamut from backpacking to books, from football to fracking.

While always willing to talk, Claude was sensitive to allowing some quiet time to just take in all that we were seeing. He wanted to be sure we saw as much game as possible and offered suggestions on plans for each day, but respected whatever schedule we wanted. As I say, by the end of our trip, we felt we were saying farewell to a good friend, and we sincerely miss him.

If you’re thinking of going on safari, I encourage you to do so. And based on our experience, we are very comfortable recommending ADS to help make that dream a reality.

Ed, Sandy, Shannon and Kelly T.
Santa Barbara, California
Safari dates July 14-July 26, 2013

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By Raphael Mollel – A Wonderful Safari in Tanzania

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Raphael Mollel

Jambo! My name is Raphael, a guide with ADS, and I have just finished my safari ending July 27, 2013 with 2 guests from California named Pamela and Vernon. It was a superb itinerary as we spent a total of 13 nights together out on safari including 3 nights in the North Serengeti at Lemala Camp, 2 nights in Northeastern Serengeti/Loliondo Game Reserve at Buffalo Camp, 3 nights in the Central Serengeti at the Four Seasons Bilila Lodge, 2 nights in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area at Lion’s Paw Camp, 1 night near Lake Manyara at the Manor Lodge and our final 2 nights at Swala Camp in Tarangire National Park.

The northern region of the Serengeti National Park was really amazing on this safari. We saw all the big five (rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard) in one day. It is very rare to see all these species of animals in a single day as their behavior and preferred habitats do not frequently overlap. Apart from the big five, we saw the wildebeest migration crossing the Sand River, three cheetahs together, antelopes, giraffes, eland, ostriches, hyrax etc.

While staying at Buffalo Camp in the Loliondo Game Reserve, we visited a Maasai Village and were lucky that it happened to be the day one warrior was getting married. We witnessed a Maasai wedding ceremony which was really beautiful. They sang several songs and the warriors were jumping very high as if they were competing, but it was Furaha tu.

The central part of the Serengeti was attractive because we saw a mother cheetah with two cubs hunting a baby Thomson Gazelle and she successful caught it. Amazingly, she didn’t kill the gazelle but brought it back to her cubs and then released it. We then realized that she was teaching her cubs hunting techniques. Also in the central Serengeti, we saw two male elephants fighting around Seronera Valley probably for females or rank. Retima hippo pool was amazing as well due to the many hippos we found there.

Our descent into the Ngorongoro crater early one morning at 6.00am paid off as we came across four lionesses killing a buffalo right in the middle of water (Munge river). This was another highlight of the safari.

Lake Manyara National Park was beautiful, as well. The underground water forest was very green and we spotted several species of primates including baboons and both blue and vervet monkeys.

Amonng the highlights in Tarangire National Park was spotting a leopard close by and watching a herd of elephants bathing in Silale Swamp. The Tarangire migration of wildebeest and zebra (separate to the more famous Serengeti migration) was located in the central areas of the Tarangire Ecosystem. I have included several pictures I took while on safari including:

A beautiful leopard with it’s kill (baby wildebeest) in a tree (North Serengeti).

This mark in the North Serengeti marks the border between Tanzania and Kenya.

This is a picture of a leopard yawning on top of a rock in north Serengeti.

This giraffe is licking salt in order to replace lacking minerals in his body.

A female lion urinating very close to a male trying to show him that she is in heat.

Wildebeest migration crossing sand river.

Maasai warrior at Loliondo jumping very high when one of them got married.

It was in the Central Serengeti (Seronera Valley) that these male elephants were fighting.

In the Munge river of the Ngorongoro Crater we saw these four lionesses kill a buffalo.

This male lion was marking his territory on our car (Ngorongoro Crater).

A beautiful picture of wildebeest horns.

This is the nest of a Hammerkop bird. It is a very tiny bird that builds unusually large nests with different raw materials like nails, metals, woods, nylons, plastics, etc. That’s why it is known a superstitious bird.

Thanks,
Raphael Mollel
ADS Guide

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Wall Street Journal Article – ADS Partners With School Of St Jude

GIVING BACK

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Posted on by Michael

Africa Dream Safaris has partnered with the School of St Jude, which provides free education to about sixteen hundred children in Arusha, Tanzania. ADS will now be donating two-thousand hot lunches every month to the school of the School of St Jude. To read the Wall Street Journal article, click on Africa Dream Safaris Reviews. For our guests conducting African Safari Tours, we can offer trips to the school. This is recommended on your African Safari layover day though we can certainly provide the tour on your last day if flying the late night KLM Airlines or Turkish Airways departure. We can provide two basic tours with the first being an inspection of the school followed by lunch with the school children in the cafeteria. The second trip adds a bus ride with the children at the end of the school day followed by a home visit. Both tours make a wonderful complement to any african safari and returning client feedback and reviews have been very positive.

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