By Raphael Mollel – Wildebeest Migration

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Raphael Mollel

Jambo from Arusha, Tanzania. My name is Raphael Mollel and I am a driver-guide with Africa Dream Safaris. I have just returned from my most recent safari beginning on January 31, 2013 and ending on February 6, 2013. We had many extraordinary wildlife sightings on this safari. One of the highlights occurred on February 3rd near the triangle on the Southern Plains of the Serengeti where we witnessed one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles of the world, the Great Migration. There was a never ending mass of wildebeests enjoying the green grasses, which are rich in macro nutrients like Calcium that are essential for their bodies. I managed to take a picture as shown above, but one needs to see and experience the sights and sounds of the great migration themselves to fully appreciate the magnitude of the event.

Sincerely,

Raphael Mollel
ADS Driver-Guide
February 8, 2013

4 Comments
Read Full Post

Crossing Lake Ndutu

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Ally Dhulkfil

Good evening from Tanzania. My name is Ally Dhulkfil and I am a guide with Africa Dream Safaris. I have posted some pictures below from my most recent safari beginning on February 5, 2013 and ending on February 12, 2013.  My guests and I enjoyed 7 nights together visiting several different areas of the Northern Tanzania safari circuit with 2 nights in the Central Serengeti, 2 nights in the South Serengeti, 2 nights on the rim of the Ngorongro Crater and our last night above Lake Manyara.  One of the highlights was watching some of the wildebeest cross Lake Ndutu in the South Serengeti and a playful pride of lions (also near Ndutu).

By Ally Dhulkfil
ADS Driver-Guide
February 12, 2013

2 Comments
Read Full Post

ADS Recommendation

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Michael

You can read about itineraries, animals and locations on the Africa Dream Safari (ADS) web site and blogs. I want to complement the company at another level – with the expert help my husband and I received from our safari consultant, Lynn and our guide, Petro.

From the very beginning, as we compared safari companies, Lynn was the difference maker. As a matter of fact, it was Lynn’s quick email response and the way that she answered our questions that convinced us to travel with ADS.

As time got closer to our departure from home and arrival in Africa, I had an excited anticipation of the journey in front of me, but I also wondered about language, customs, etc., and if all the preparations and connections would be smooth. I cannot emphasize enough how well everything went, how perfect African Dream Safaris were in meeting us at our lodge (we had a meeting before our safari), taking care of us the night before the safari began, getting us to the Arusha airport, and meeting our guide as we stepped off the commuter plane in the Serengeti.

The following are some practical things I either experienced on the safari or would have wanted to know before going:

• Our driver, Petro, took very good care of his vehicle. Every day we entered a washed, cleaned Land Cruiser. Even the floor was washed, which gets very dirty and dusty from the roads.

• Each morning, you get welcomed by your guide in a fully stocked vehicle, complete with as much water as you can drink and any meals needed for the day’s drive. It is such a luxury, there is no thinking necessary for you for the day’s essentials. You only have to think about what you want to bring and how to enjoy the day.

• It is uncanny how rocks and trees can look like animals in the distance when you are in nature. Petro had amazing eyes and knew how to distinguish tree limbs from animal limbs. He also knew animal behavior well enough to know when to wait for something to happen.

• Wonderful meals were served in the lodging establishments where we stayed

• There was plenty of bottled water to drink

• Deluxe bed coverings on queen size beds

• Tents are not the pop tents of boy and girl scouts! These tents are complete with queen or king sized beds, sitting rooms and bath facilities. Most had desks. Staff at tent camps were very friendly and helpful.

• The tent lodgings are in the middle of the jungle, and there are animals around, but do not be afraid. There is protection from local Masaai people, who know how to deal with the animals. They walk you to and from your tent after dark and they stay up all night, keeping the animals away.

• Do not bring old currency (before the year 2000) or even new currency that is taped together. Not accepted. Bring more small currency than you think you will need.

• In January, in the lodgings we have stayed at, the flies and mosquitoes were not been bad at all. I also invested in anti bug clothing. My husband and I did not use, nor need, any Deet products.

• At several establishments, coffee was delivered to our room, with a cookie, as soon as the light was turned on in the morning, as we had discussed the night before .

• Ipads and Apple products can be plugged directly into socket, with adapter. You dont need a converter

Very early in our vacation , we learned to relax and trust the company. Our faith in Africa Dream Safaris was always realized and all connections were seamless. I wholeheartedly recommend this company and would travel with them again.

Jim and Nancy Barnett
Fox Point, Wisconsin
Safari Dates: January 15, 2013 to January 25, 2013

1 Comment
Read Full Post

Our Top 7 African Safari Highlights

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

We’ve been home from Tanzania for a few weeks now and we’re still talking about our experiences and continue to find ourselves “in the bush” watching the animals in our dreams at night. Our time in the Serengeti was amazing!

We had spent months thinking about this trip, reading reviews of different tour operators and considering various options. We are so glad we chose ADS. Lynn Newby-Fraser listened to our wish list and gave us good advice in the planning phase. Other ADS employees in Tanzania who were friendly, helpful and a pleasure to work with: Martias and Emanuel (Meet & Greet in Arusha), Jonas at Sametu Camp, Kidevu and all the private camp staff at Naabi Hill who did a wonderful job of taking care of us.

Our driver-guide, Arnold Mushi was truly outstanding. His knowledge of the Serengeti and his uncanny ability to spot animals (or predict where they would be) made all the difference. We were there in January, the green season, and the big herds of the migration were not where they would have been expected to be. But, Arnold was able to track them down for us. With all his experience in the Serengeti, he still hasn’t lost his fresh enthusiasm for each game drive.

We are also glad Lynn suggested adding the Grumeti Reserve to our itinerary. Our stay at Sabora Tented Camp was another unique experience. The choice to spend a few days in historic StoneTown instead of a beach resort on Zanzibar worked well for us also. We did a walking tour of the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and learned a lot about its varied history. We topped off our Zanzibar sight-seeing with a spice plantation tour, which was also interesting and fun.

While on safari, we especially enjoyed the pre-dawn and early evening game drives. Along with the increased animal activity, we got to enjoy spectacular sunrises and sunsets in some very different landscapes – the lush river valleys and lakes, wide-open plains dotted with kopjes, the magnificent mountains and Ngorongoro Crater. All beautiful. The morning and evening views of flat-top acacia trees silhouetted against the reddening sky were some of our favorite sights.

Choosing favorite experiences and favorite photos from our safari has been difficult – there are so many! But, here’s some of what we would consider highlights of the trip:

1. Watching a very large pride of lions in the Seronera Valley who were spooked by a couple of hot-air balloons coming in quite low. The lionesses were herding ten very small cubs away from this danger in the air with a lot of worried looks back and anxious noises to the cubs until the balloons were out of sight.

2. Driving slowly through the migration near the Simiyu River with the vehicle parting the tide of wildebeest and zebra. We will always remember the sounds they made – a sort of low-key grunting from the wildebeest and braying from the zebra.

3. Watching another large pride of lions climbing a sausage tree near the Moru kopjes. We counted five in the tree when we arrived. All lionesses and nearly adult-sized cubs. Then watched as more arrived and climbed up – two big males, another lioness and eight small cubs. The cubs piled on top of the last lioness, sometimes falling off, but usually climbing back up. One independent-minded little cub gave up on the crowd in the tree and settled under a nearby bush.

4. Watching beautiful birds: flamingoes on Lake Ndutu and Lake Magadi in the Ngorongoro Crater, yellow weaver birds at work in many places, lilac-breasted rollers, superb starlings, gray crowned cranes, Fisher’s lovebirds and many, many more.

5. Chasing after a couple of fast-moving honey badgers near the Barafu Kopjes and watching them dive into burrows in the ground.

6. Watching two hungry cheetah brothers in the Grumeti take off after a group of warthogs. One managed to bring down the last in the line of warthogs, but it got away from him and faced off with the cheetah. Face-to-face, those horns on the little warthog are pretty intimidating. All of the warthogs turned on the cheetahs and managed to chase them off. The predators became the prey.

7. Touring a Maasai boma and learning about their culture. They were gracious hosts who sang and danced for us and invited us into one of their dwellings. We also enjoyed visiting the children in their classroom.

This was a trip of a lifetime for us and we have Africa Dream Safaris to thank for making it a smooth, seamless experience. If anyone reading this is still debating a safari with ADS, we would say DO IT! It was absolutely worth all the planning, expense and long hours of travel. We will treasure our memories of the Serengeti.

Asante Sana!

Will & Beth S.
Salida, Colorado
Safari Dates: January 20, 2013 to February 4, 2013

1 Comment
, , ,
Read Full Post

African Safari Photo Tip

TRAVEL TIPS + UPDATES

Share

Posted on by Michael

While travelling on one of our African Safari Tours we recommend taking along a minimum 300 mm telephoto lens to ensure the best photography. A zoom lens such as the Canon EF 100-400mm offers the best flexibility allowing for great photos whether or not that lion is 10 feet or 100 feet away. But, why spend $1,500 or more on a lens for a once in a lifetime trip when you can rent one for a fraction of the cost. See our safari photo recommendation section for more information.

No Comments
Read Full Post

By Francis Peter – Just Back From The Bush

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Francis Peter

This is Francis Peter from Tanzania. I have just finished another wonderful safari beginning on January 21st and ending on January 28th. We enjoyed 7 amazing nights in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.  The weather is beautiful at the moment.

I have two quick photos of the animals I would like to share. I think often about the beauty of nature and the various animals that inhabit the Serengeti and how they can take care of one another.  For example, look at this photo of two lions walking in a single file line I took at the Gol Kopjes in the Southeast Serengeti on January 24th.

At Ndutu in the South Serengeti along the border with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we spotted two male giraffes that were sparring (a test of each others strength) on January 25th. Whoever wins gets the chance to mate with the nearby female. Unfortunately, they abruptly stopped sparring when we approached.

Click here to see my other recent blog posting.

Sincerely,

Francis Peter
ADS Driver-Guide
February 1, 2013

3 Comments
Read Full Post

By Arnold Mushi – The Great Safari!

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Arnold Mushi

Good morning from Tanzania! My name is Arnold Mushi and I am a professional guide with Africa Dream Safaris though everyone here just calls us ADS. I just came back from my latest trip ending on 29th January 2013. This trip covered two parks, Serengeti National Park (with focus on the Central, Eastern and Southern areas including the Ndutu and Ngorongoro Conservation Areas), and Ngorongoro Crater.

I had two guests on this safari and we all very much enjoyed this great adventure. It was a thrilling safari. I have been a guide for over 10 years now and I still look forward to every safari. This last trip was incredible for the animal viewing. We had 2 nights at Seronera Sametu Camp, 3 nights Camping on the Serengeti plains at Naabi Hill, 2 nights at Lake Masek Lodge and ended with 2 nights at the Ngorongoro Crater.   Below I would love to share some great sightings we came across:

It was in Gol kopjes to the east of Naabi Hill were we saw these two cheetahs on their honeymoon.

This male Cheetah was marking his home range to warn other male cheetahs.

These two male lions were up in the sausage tree running from the sun and flies in the Moru Kopjes of the Southwest Serengeti.

This big male lion was advertising his presence to other males in Gol Kopjes.

This is the great wildebeest migration. We came across the largest concentrations around Simiyu and Moru Kopjes.

Zebra shown here with beautiful sun rays. In the back ground is the famous Lake Magadi in the Ngorongoro Crater.

Crowned Cranes pictured here in Seronera Valley, Central Serengeti.

One of the legendary black-maned lions of the Ngorongoro Crater. We saw many large male lions during this safari.

As they say last but not least, the mighty elephant, one of my favorite animals.

Sincerely,

Arnold Mushi
ADS Driver-Guide
January 30, 2013

1 Comment
Read Full Post

By Wilfred Fue – Sightings from Tanzania

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by wilfred

Hello! My name is Wilfred Fue and I am a driver guide with Africa Dream Safaris. I would like to share with you an interesting wildlife sighting that occurred on my most recent safari this January between a family of cheetahs and a spotted hyena. This amazing event happened in the East Serengeti in an area between Sametu Kopjes and Gol Kopjes.

Leopards and lions are usually the only big cats known to climb trees due to their retractable claws, but here we spotted 3 young cheetah cubs who looked like expert climbers. This later proved to be advantageous when they spotted a gazelle in the distance. Their mother was able to stalk and chase down the gazelle enabling a successful hunt. The cheetah family succeeded to consume about 60% of the gazelle before a more powerful spotted hyena picked up the scent and quickly scavenged the kill from the cheetahs.

As my friend Ellison also said in his posting, some of the guides for ADS including myself were given small size cameras that fit in our shirt pockets. We plan on using them to take a couple pictures while on safari of some of the more interesting animals we encounter or some unusual animal behavior. We received computer training and we can post the pictures to this blog immediately after we finish our safaris. It’s very exciting as we are the first company in Tanzania doing this! You can post comments below too and I will try to respond when not in the bush.

Here the cheetahs are climbing the tree.

Lunchtime for the cheetah family after a successful hunt.

The spotted hyena scavenges the partially eaten gazelle from the cheetah family.

My guests and I enjoying lunch!

32 Comments
Read Full Post

By Peter Meena – Awesome Black Rhino Sighting!

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Peter Meena

Jambo Everyone! This is ADS driver-guide Peter Meena but many of my guests know me as Petro, which is my nickname. I have been a guide in Tanzania since 1993. Despite my 20 years of experience at being a guide in the Serengeti, I always see something different and exciting on every safari. This is one of the reasons why I love being a guide not to mention that the Serengeti has to be the most amazing wildlife sanctuary in the world. The concentration and diversity of animals always surpasses the expectations of my guests.

On my most recent safari from 16-January 2013 through 25-January 2013, I had the pleasure of leading two guests on safari named Jim and Nancy. We spent 9 nights in the bush divided between 3 national parks including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire National Park.

One of the highlights for me was this very rare sighting of a black rhino crossing the main road between Naabi Hill and Seronera. It was an amazing sight!  This was near the famous Simba Kopjes, a great hangout for lions too. The male rhino looked to be heading back towards Moru Kopjes.

The rhinos in the Serengeti were almost wiped out from poaching many years ago but thankfully a few survived in the Moru Kopjes area of the Central Serengeti and now the population is growing. It is very unusual to see a rhino out on the open plains this far from the Moru Kopjes as the black rhinos are browsers as opposed to the white rhinos, which are grazers and prefer the open grasslands.

Here are some other highlights from the safari that I was able to take a few pictures of.

These are teenager cheetahs stretching under the acacia tree at the Gol Kopjes in the East Serengeti. The Gol Kopjes is usually a very good place to see cheetahs in the green season from December to April.

Another highlight was this Honey Badger roaming around Lake Ndutu in the South Serengeti.

Lastly, this is our charging elephant and the highlight of our safari.

Sincerely,

Peter Meena
ADS Driver-Guide
January 30, 2013

4 Comments
Read Full Post

By Russell Temu – Amazing Serengeti

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Russel Temu

Jambo from Tanzania! My name is Russell and I am a professional guide employed with Africa Dream Safaris. I have just returned from a 8-night safari to the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater beginning January 19, 2013 and ending January 27, 2013. We enjoyed 3 nights at Sametu Camp, which is my personal favorite, in the Central Serengeti, 3 nights at Lake Masek Camp in the South Serengeti and our last 2 nights at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.

The safari was a lot of fun and the wildlife viewing was amazing. There are so many different species of animals this time of year that all coexist together in the bottom half of the Serengeti park. It is spectacular and I really enjoy watching my guests see this for the first time.

I would like to share with you some photos I managed to take on the safari with my very nice guests named Judy and Bobby. The best picture I took was of this cheetah with her cubs (shown above). They were using a termite mound as a vantage point to scan for prey and danger on the eastern plains of the Serengeti National Park near one of my favorite spots called zebra kopjes.

Asante Sana!

Russel Temu
January 28, 2013

4 Comments
Read Full Post

Dawn’s FAQ of the Week: What is the difference between a “Deluxe” program and a “Luxury” program?

TRAVEL TIPS + UPDATES

Share

Posted on by Dawn

“What is the difference between a “DELUXE” program and a “LUXURY” program?”

When looking out our website, one is likely to eventually come across the CHOOSE YOUR SAFARI section of our website.  Super!  This is a great place to start.

But as one starts perusing the options featured there, a common source for head-scratching is the various categories of programs available to choose from, specifically “DELUXE” vs “LUXURY”.

First of all, the difference between a “DELUXE” program and a “LUXURY” program is simply the accommodations; there is no difference in the quality of your vehicle or the caliber of your guide. A luxury program simply features higher-end properties compared to a deluxe program, or sometimes just a higher room category at the same lodge.

As a general rule of thumb, LUXURY venues are typically the smaller and more intimate tented lodges (10-20 rooms), with a heavier focus on atmosphere, individualized service and gourmet food.  (One exception to this is the Four Seasons Bilila Lodge, which is a large  hotel (73 rooms) but still offers a very high standard of LUXURY, so we classify it as such.  But *usually* that former ‘rule of thumb’ holds true.)

Ironically, sometimes the LUXURY venues offer less traditional amenities compared to a larger DELUXE venues.  The various ‘tented lodges’ (ie, Swala Tented Lodge, Lake Masek Tented Lodge) are a great example of this; you may not have a TV in your room, but you may hear lion’s roaring in the distance!

With regards to the sample itineraries on our website, there is sometimes overlap between the various categories of lodging.  Let’s use the October 10-day program for example, you can see Buffalo Luxury Camp is featured in both the LUXURY sample program as well as the DELUXE sample program.  This overlap happens sometimes when looking at regions with limited choices for accommodations (such as the ‘North’ Serengeti), or when a particular property offers a very high-end type of experience at a very good value.  Another example is Mbalageti Tented Lodge, which offers different categories of rooms such as their flagship “presidential suite” that is featured in our higher end programs.

Similarly, our ULTRA-LUXURY programs simply feature the highest-end properties available in any given area (such as the Crater Lodge), but may otherwise feature many of the same lodges already featured in the LUXURY program.

Sometimes the sample programs on our website offer slightly different itineraries too (ie, some may feature Tarangire National Park while others skip Tarangire and focus more time in the Serengeti), but again these are just samples to show you what is possible; we can always customize any program to spend more time in areas that hold the most interest for you.

You don’t have to stick with the sample programs on our website, but often this is a great place to start. As mentioned above, we can always customize the program to feature your priorities regarding lodges, duration, budget and parks/areas visited. Just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you get started!

No Comments
Read Full Post

African Safari Binocular Review

TRAVEL TIPS + UPDATES

Share

Posted on by Michael

One of most important items to take on any african safari is arguably a great pair of binoculars. Binoculars are critical for wildlife viewing are will greatly enhance the enjoyment on your safari experience by allowing you to closely watch the behavior of each animal or bird. We provide complimentary high quality Nikon Action 7 x 35 binoculars for every guest for the duration of their trip. To take your safari tour to the next level, you might want to consider investing in a higher power set of binoculars with image stabilization (IS). Our top pick is the Cannon 12×36 IS Image Stabilized binocular, which will allow you to spot a cheetah at 1,000 meters!

No Comments
Read Full Post

By Ellison Mkonyi – A Perfect New Year Safari

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Ellison Mkonyi

Jambo! My name is Ellison Mkonyi and I am a driver-guide with Africa Dream Safaris. I have just returned from the Serengeti having finished my first safari for the new year 2013. My safari was from January 10 to January 16 and it was the perfect safari to start the new year. We saw many animals. The variety of wildlife in the Serengeti always amazes me and the green season is one of my favorite seasons to enjoy watching the migration on the Serengeti plains. One of the highlights form my safari was seeing these adorable lion cubs (first picture) at the Gol Kopjes in the East Serengeti and also the great migration, cheetahs, baby lions nursing and very close experiences with the big Serengeti elephants.

Myself and many of the guides at Africa Dream Safaris have been given small size cameras that fit in our shirt pockets. We use them to take a couple pictures during the safari. I hope you enjoy my pictures.

By ADS Guide Ellison Mkonyi

9 Comments
Read Full Post