Amy Ross

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

Hi Lynn,

We had the experience of a lifetime during our safari in the Serengeti. It far surpassed our wildest dreams! From the moment we were greeted at the airport to our final good-bye, the entire Africa Dream Safari staff could not have been nicer or more helpful.

Our guide, Wilfred, was amazing in his ability to capture moments that we thought existed only in Animal Planet shows! We saw everything! From a cheetah hunting, to elephants playing, to a lioness teaching her cubs to stalk prey. Wilfred was so knowledgeable about animal behavior, the ecosystems of the Serengeti, and the customs of the people of Tanzania. It was really like touring with a life-long friend.

Our lodgings were amazing. On the first night at Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge we heard a lion roaring right outside our tent in the middle of the night! I thought I had dreamed it, but the next morning everyone confirmed that it was, indeed, a lion that roams the area. The staff at all the Tented Lodges were so friendly and attuned to our needs. The choice of food was astounding, and each meal was delicious. It was hard to believe that such luxury is possible in the middle of the Serengeti!

Our only disappointment was with the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. The rooms were wonderful, but the Lodge itself was a bit too “Las Vegas” like for our tastes. The bar and dining areas were always overcrowded, and there was no place to sit quietly to talk over the day’s activities. Perhaps that goes with the territory in such an amazing area that has limited lodging availability.

All-in-all, I rate our experience the “trip of a lifetime.” I have already recommended ADS to many friends and am enjoying my Africa Dreams nearly every night. Thanks so much to everyone at ADS, especially Wilfred, for an unbelievable experience!

Thanks so much, Lynn!

Warmest Regards,

Amy Ross
Los Angeles, California
April 2012

1 Comment
,
Read Full Post

I had some trepidation about Africa

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

My husband George is prone to sudden and unusual ideas, but this latest one – an African safari – seemed extreme even for George. Until recently, our vacations were typically spent in a pool in Mexico or driving across a handful of states in a motor home. I had some trepidation about Africa at first but couldn’t have put my finger on what there was to be afraid of! Dawn at Africa Dream Safaris was so responsive to our questions, and was so clear that ADS is a “class act”, that any concerns were quickly replaced by excited anticipation.

ADS had every base covered from the moment we booked our trip. In the months leading up to our departure date, Dawn continued to be a great source of help and information. The ADS handbook and website were great resources as well. I was impressed by the fact that every picture that appears in ADS materials and on the website was taken on an actual ADS safari.

When the day finally came and our ride to the airport pulled in the driveway, my phone rang with a message that our first flight was cancelled. The only way to reschedule our air was to postpone the trip for an entire day. One call to ADS (which I later realized was at an absurdly early hour at their California office) resulted in an efficient flip flop of our itinerary to accommodate the later arrival yet still be able to see all the areas we’d planned.

Of all the incredible moments and sights, one of my favorites was our first giraffe. He was close to the road, yet hidden at first in some tree cover. When Elson pointed him out and we saw him, I think we both audibly gasped. Exotic, beautiful, and almost dinosaur-like in his hugeness. For the rest of the week, I just adored the giraffes and how they would casually appraise us for a few minutes before they loped away in their clumsy yet strangely elegant way.

We observed lions numerous times during the week. We watched to our hearts content a mother lion and three cubs. She dozed while they played, she snarled at them when they annoyed her. From just a couple feet away, we watched a male lion keenly watch a lone baby wildebeest as it traversed a dry lakebed. Interested, but not interested enough to bother himself with the wildebeest, after several minutes he walked off roaring and grunting.

For two full days near Ndutu and in the southern Serengeti, we were a part of the wildebeest migration. The vast numbers of the wildebeest and zebras are astonishing, and it is amazing to be among them, to be surrounded on all sides, stretching nearly as far as the eye can see in all directions. We watched two male Grants gazelles lock horns, with the dominant one pushing the other one at least 50 yards. We also saw hyena, elephant, jackal, mongoose, warthog, hippo, cheetah with cubs, leopard, topi (I loved these guys with their tall yellow boots). It seemed everywhere you looked was something surprising or delightful.

Through all of this, Elson volunteered his incredible knowledge of all these animals, what they were doing, and why. I don’t think we asked him a single question he didn’t know the answer to. He noticed I enjoyed keeping track of all the different birds we saw, and he was even able to identify all of them. He also answered questions about the local and African culture. Throughout the week, he was often in radio contact with other guides and if there was a leopard in a certain place or a particular thing of interest, he would know where it was.

The lodging was excellent. The food was very good, and every lodge accommodated our requests for early breakfast so we could leave for our game drives before dawn. Box lunches were good as well. Because they don’t know your personal tastes, each one contained more items and options than a person could possibly eat. We made sure we saved our extras for the park rangers or the Maasai children who would run from the fields with outstretched hands.

I understand April is viewed as the slow season due to the rains but it seemed a wonderful time of year to go. Everything was green, flowers were in bloom, and many of the animals had young offspring.

We’ve been home a month now and we are still in awe of how amazing this trip was. We own a restaurant/bar, and one of the TVs runs a continuous slide show of the photos we took. The customers love it! Countless people have thanked us for sharing them and they are just incredulous over how close we were to these animals, as well as how many different animals we saw. Many people have asked whether we ever felt we were in danger; again, I suppose that is because until you’ve been there, Africa seems so far, so foreign. In answer to that question, there wasn’t a single moment on the trip that we felt even mildly uncomfortable. However, I am very glad we had ADS guides as there is no way I would have wanted to try to negotiate the streets of Arusha and other towns on our own.

Another question we hear from friends and customers is “Where are you going to go next?” I simply can’t answer that because I don’t know how we could ever top this trip. It was that special.

Susan and George VanKersen
Traverse City, Michigan
April 2012

No Comments
,
Read Full Post

Cheetah Report – Amazing Stories from the Serengeti

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Michael

The latest news from the safari capital of Africa has just been released.  Here is a link to the March 2012 Serengeti Cheetah Report prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by Helen, the on-site researcher for the Serengeti Cheetah Project. You won’t find this information anywhere else. Africa Dream Safaris helps fund the Serengeti Cheetah Project’s ongoing conservation efforts. In turn, periodic reports are prepared exclusively for Africa Dream Safaris by the on-site researchers for the Serengeti Cheetah Project.

There’s lots of exciting cheetah news in this latest issue directly from the bush. There have been several new arrivals as well as quite a few cubs reaching independence and having to start making their own way in the world and a few funny cheetah stories!

Read about the famous mother cheetah named Elanor who has reached the cheetah hall of fame for rearing 11 cubs to independence. There is also a really wonderful mystery story about the return of a cheetah named Taitinger who has not been spotted by the project for over 2 years! Lastly, read about the ‘Coffee Boys’ who are 3 cheetah brothers that have continually delighted safari guests in the Ndutu area of the South Serengeti with their incredible speed and hunting skills.

Ndutu is located in the South Serengeti right on the border of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Conservation Area and offers exceptional cheetah viewing during the green season. The Ndutu area consists of a patch of acacia fringe woodlands that surround two lakes (Lake Ndutu and Lake Masek). These woodlands are in turn completely surrounded by the main Serengeti plains. Ndutu, a transitional zone or ecotone, is where two distinctly different habitats merge and where various species of flora and fauna from both habitats can coexist.

Click here for the current Serengeti Cheetah Report.

No Comments
Read Full Post

Bush Report – March 23, 2012

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Michael

By ADS Driver-Guide Anglebert Mrema

Animal Pattern and the Great Migrations:

The head of the migration herd was at the Kusini – Makao plain and the plain between miti mitatu and kusini including hidden valley. There were also lines of gnus moving from matiti plains to kusini plain.

Central Serengeti Sametu and Moru Kopjes:

The Central Serengeti was quiet with very tall grasses in the area. We had honeymooning lions at Sametu kopjes on our first game viewing and a long line of gnus move from Zebra kopjes heading to the direction of Simba and Moru kopjes. We did see two leopard at seronera valley and five lions up on the tree at the same area. We had two brothers cheetah at Moru kopjes and our visit to the maasai painting was so great because there was a big herd of gnus on the other side of the area.

Southern Serengeti / Gol Kopjes, Ndutu forest and kusini plain:

Gol kopjes was very dry and dusty and there were a few lost gnus hanging in the area heading to the lemuta area. We did see three lionesses with five cubs of about six month old near barafu kopjes. The lions were not in good shape and its probably due to the fact that the migration herd has not stayed in the area for a long time because of the lack of rain at the south east part of Serengeti.

Ndutu forest and kusini plain were great. We did see a total of five successful hunting at the area. We were having our lunch under a tree near Lake Ndutu while watching a long line of gnus crossing the lake and honeymooning lions ten meters from our jeep, and we didn’t know that there was another lioness deep in the grasses just a meter behind the vehicle. This lion used the image of the jeep to get to the bush in front and move on to the shore of the lake pursuing that line of gnus and made a chase with no success. The gnus moved to the forest and settled there for sometime and the lion decided to make another move and successfully killed one gnu.

The second hunting was a Mama cheetah with four cubs who chased and killed a baby gazelle just twenty meters from the car. It was very interesting to watch the cubs trying to help mama to drag the kill to the shade and play with the kill before the mama cheetah opened it.

We moved on with the game viewing and found the three brother cheetahs near the area pursuing a small herd of gnus and successfully chased and killed one. Also, we had another cheetah chase and kill a gazelle on a different day. One of the late afternoon on our way back to the lodge, we came across a line of gnus and as they were crossing Lake Masek valley, we realized that there was a lion following them. We decided to wait and watch and this lion moved to one of the big male gnus and the gnu decided to fight back.

We watched them chasing each other for over one hour with the gnu using the bush and horns to defend himself from the lion and the lion did its best trying to get it. We decided to go to the camp because it was too dark and the next morning we found the gnu killed.

One of the most exciting moments of the trip was to be in the middle of the migration at Kusini – Makao plain as well as a visit to the small crater at the Kusini forest. The area was great and we thought that all the guns and zebras of Serengeti were in this area. We drove back to the area the next day and found the whole small crater covered with gnus.

Ngorongoro Crater:

It was raining in a large part of the Ngorongoro conservation area and the caldera was green, lush and very beautiful. We had great game viewing  and there were animals present in each corner of the caldera that we explored. We did see over ten rhinos in each day, which is a good sign that this endangered species is increasing due to conservation.

In the early morning, we had a great sight of over sixty female and baby elephant’s together escoted by a few males and they were moving from the North West part of the crater to the lerai forest. These females elephants were probably in transit due to the fact that their presence is very unusual in the Caldera as there are only male elephants here. There were also many lions and we had them right on the side of the road in many occasions.

 

1 Comment
Read Full Post

Going in May was Great

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

What a fantastic adventure!!!

Just as promised, we were met at Kilimanjaro Airport,and whisked through immigration. Soloman had us on our way to Arusha’s Mt Meru Resort in no time. We were pleasantly surprised walking into our spacious, luxurious suite. A great introduction to the quality of things to come.

Omar met us the next morning for a trip to Arusha National Park. What a neat experience and pre-safari introduction to flowers, birds and wildlife. We highly recommend a day spent in the park prior to safari.

Jumping ahead, I think going in May, at the end of wet season,was great. The countryside was green & full of flowers – no dust or bugs. Yes, some of rivers were at flood stage & roads impassable, but we certainly did not lack for birds & wild life.

We felt we were in excellent care and accommodations from arrival to departure. Enough good things can’t be said about the staff – Dawn, Soloman, Omar, Ellison- our safari driver/guide and the personnel at all the tents & lodges. We would like to clear the air on bringing snacks. You definitely do not “hurt” for food! The box breakfasts & lunches are of high quality and more than you will ever eat.

We also highly recommend the private classic camp. The service & food were outstanding. Lions on the road out of camp while still dark on an early morning game drive – what more could one ask for?

Africa Dream Safaris – you’re the best!

Thank you.

Bob & Edith Henry
Forks, Washington
May 2012

No Comments
, ,
Read Full Post

Not a Bus Tour

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

Traveling is important to Chuck and me. We have been on many trips for business/pleasure, taken tours and have been on our own mostly overseas. Last year we took a bus tour to Budapest, Krakow and Berlin. All was great – the tour director, the interesting places and our fellow travelers. However, my desire to travel to Africa was very personal. I didn’t want to only visit there, I wanted to experience an adventure. And, I didn’t want to be subjected to others’ interpretation.

I wanted up close and personal and to share it with Chuck whose values are the same as mine. It would be our life-changing getaway because the beauty of Africa demands your full attention. We determined that Tanzania – the Serengeti – was our place of choice because it is pristine and has the plentiful wildlife that we wanted to see. The last several years I have been investigating the many tours available and weighing the pros and cons.

After reading about Africa Dream Safaris, it appeared to be what we were looking for. I had an immediate reply to my inquiry from Sharon Lyon. From that time on, Sharon guided and prepared us for our journey. By the time we left the U.S., we were confident that the careful preparations would ensure us a safe and satisfying trip. The trip far exceeded our expectations. It was thrilling.

Our guide Omari was extremely knowledgeable about all areas of travel and about the animals, their location and behavior. Omari was available to us the beginning of the day whether we were later than the suggested hour or earlier. And, each day he was in no hurry to end the game drive. We learned so much from him and saw unforgettable sights.

Our beautiful pictures reflect the pleasure of seeing Africa for the first time and a wonderful memory. Unlike last year, the pictures are not dictated by, nor do they depend on which side of the bus you are travelling. Our guide maneuvered the vehicle so that we had the best views. He was patient and a most pleasant travel mate. Thanks to the professional and caring staff at ADS, we had the best time of our lives.

Chuck Chandek and Janey Madding
Cornelius, North Carolina
April 2012

2 Comments
,
Read Full Post

Trip of a Lifetime!

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

When booking the “trip of a lifetime” you can’t help but fear the worst…What if the trip doesn’t live up to your heightened expectations? I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t slightly nervous that the trip wouldn’t live up to the hype. Well, ADS certainly did not disappoint.

Our fears were alleviated after spending our first afternoon and the next morning in the Serengeti. My father said, “Well, if you told me I had to go home right now, I would feel like I got my money’s worth.” While a bold statement, we all agreed. We had already seen so much in such a short time: hippos, leopards, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, impala, birds, baboons, lions and cheetahs, many with young, as well as amazing scenery. And this was just the beginning of eight amazing (usually 12 hour) days spent in Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

ADS had everything covered from when we arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport until we were safely delivered to Dar Es Salam Airport thirteen days later for our trip home. From making the arrangements for our accommodations and airfare in Tanzania to arranging for our drivers in Arusha, Zanzibar, Dar Es Salaam and on safari, everything was absolutely flawless. Sharon answered any questions we had and even arranged for our tour of Stone Town, a last minute request.

Arnold, our driver, could not have been more personable, knowledgeable, or accommodating. He walked the fine line between making sure that we had the perfect photo opportunities / viewing experience and making sure that we respected the wildlife in their natural habitat. We often said that it seemed Arnold knew where the animals were going to be before the animals themselves knew. Thank you, Arnold. You are fantastic!

Before our trip, as we looked at the many amazing photos on the Travelogue posts from returning ADS clients, one question we had was, “Do you really get that close to the animals?” We found the answer to be a resounding “Yes, you do!”

On safari we were able to watch many animals up close: moms with their young, animals nursing and playing, hunting and eating, and even giraffes fighting. We also enjoyed the opportunity to visit a Maasai Village, where we were warmly welcomed.

We’ve been home for a month now and continue to relive our incredible adventure as we sort through the thousands of photos we took. We are still talking about our amazing trip and Arnold, our wonderful driver/guide. Thank you Africa Dream Safaris for our “Trip of a Lifetime”!

Asante Sana

Kevin Watson – Royal Oak, Michigan
Roger and Edie Watson – Berkley, Michigan
March 2012

No Comments
,
Read Full Post

Our Dream Honeymoon

Luxury Safaris

Share

Posted on by Michael

We have been home from our safari in Tanzania with Africa Dream Safaris for about one week now, and after having had this time to reflect on our trip, we still can’t believe what an incredible time we had. The trip was one that we had been talking about and contemplating long before we came across the ADS website. However, as soon as we found ADS, we knew we had found a company that could make our wish for an amazing and unforgettable safari a reality.

While our expectations for the trip were exceedingly high, ADS surpassed those expectations at every point of the experience, from the planning phase through to our departure from Tanzania. All of that was due to the various ADS staff, including Dawn (who helped with the planning phase of the trip), Solomon and Charles (who greeted us at the airport and took us around Arusha on our first day) and, perhaps most importantly, Ellson, our driver and guide.

Within hours of our request for information, Dawn had provided more information than we could have hoped for. She gladly answered all of the questions we had (which, as we do not travel often, were many) in an incredibly kind and timely manner and made the planning of the trip as easy at it could have been. We eagerly anticipated the day we were set to leave and soon, that day was upon us.

Immediately upon our arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport, we were whisked through customs without a hitch and we were soon on our way to Mt. Meru Resort in Arusha, the first of our absolutely incredible accommodations. We opted to schedule an extra day in Arusha to take a look at the city and to recover a bit from the jetlag. It also allowed us to enjoy an extra night at Mt. Meru Resort, which can easily put many of the best hotels in the states to shame.

Soon though, we were on our internal Regional Air flight to the Serengeti. Upon landing, Ellson, our guide, was waiting for us with the ADS vehicle (a vehicle which, we soon found out, was washed, cleaned and waiting for us each morning throughout the trip), cold beverages and some snacks. We could not have been luckier that we got Ellson as our guide. The wealth of knowledge Ellson had, and freely offered, was incredible. His ability to spot wildlife constantly amazed us. And whenever we had a question, Ellson kindly answered and with a smile that never left his face.

Within minutes of stepping off of our flight to the Serengeti, not only were we on our first game drive, but we had also spotted several lions and a leopard. We had read in other testimonials that many other ADS guests find themselves viewing wildlife within minutes of arriving, but nothing can really prepare you for that first moment when you do. That, though, was indicative of the entire trip.

We still cannot believe the amazing things we saw and experienced. A few of the highlights include being charged by a rather ornery young male elephant (though given Ellson’s skill, we never felt we were in any danger), finding ourselves in the middle of a herd of probably about 150,000 zebras, coming across a lion, a lioness and their three 3-4 month old cubs, and seeing two mother cheetahs each with cubs (one set was 3-4 months old, and the other set was probably only about 1 month old).

While all of the following are things we will never forget, the most unforgettable part of the trip was getting a chance to see one of the mother cheetahs stalk, chase and take down a Thomson’s gazelle only to then see the cheetah carry the gazelle to our vehicle where the cheetah and her cubs proceeded to feast on the gazelle literally right under our noses. Luckily, we have plenty of pictures to remind us of all of these absolutely incredible encounters (a few of the many, many pictures we took are below).

Our experiences, the service we received, and the accommodations at which we stayed while on our trip with ADS were all beyond what we could have dreamed of. We always said that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, but before we had even left, we were already trying to think of ways that we might be able to repeat the trip in the future with other family members. We truly can’t thank Africa Dream Safaris enough.

Jacob and Liz
Glenview, Illinois
March/April 2012

No Comments
Read Full Post

A Safari Record – Four hunts in One Day in the Serengeti

TRAVEL TIPS + UPDATES

Share

Posted on by Michael

Our amazing trip to Tanzania ended about 2 weeks ago. I have spent the time trying to tell friends and coworkers about the safari, but I have found that it truly is indescribable. One thing is certain. We had a magical time in Tanzania, and we are highly recommending Africa Dream Safaris to anyone who asks.

After reading so many testimonials from past tourists, I knew that our expectations were very high. But the experience was every- thing we dreamed about and more!

Let me just tell you about one extremely special (and probably very lucky) day that we spent in the Serengeti. We left Lake Masek Tented Lodge shortly after 6:00 a.m. and saw several wildebeest and zebra grazing along the roadside. We took a beautiful sunrise picture and soon found a male and female lion mating on the beach of Lake Ndutu.

Next we saw a Black-crested Eagle and several Bat-eared fox before coming upon six hyenas mating and howling on the dry lake bed. Another male and female lion heard the howls and starting chasing the hyenas, believing that the hyenas had made a kill. A cheetah stood on the hillside watching the chase as well.

Everyone lost interest when the lions discovered the hyenas did not have a kill. We drove on to the short grass plains of the Serengeti and began an off-road search. Almost immediately, we spotted a cheetah sprinting across the plains and successfully making a baby wildebeest kill. Soon, we found another cheetah with four babies and saw her hunt and kill a baby gazelle with the four baby cheetahs joining in the sprint and sharing the feast after the kill.

We observed the wildebeest migration herds kicking up a dust storm as they ran in single file and then found another cheetah eating a kill. There was a large flock of ostrich in the distance, and we were surprised to see a few rabbits hopping across the plains. There was another huge herd of wildebeest on the Lake Ndutu dry bed, and we watched two lions stalking their movement.

The young, inexperienced lioness was impatient and went for a kill but somehow missed getting a single wildebeest. The experienced, more patient lioness waited until the wildebeest started moving up the hill next to the lakebed, and we watched her kill a large wildebeest and drag it into the tall grasses. We parked just a few feet away and watched her hold off the younger lioness until she’d eaten her fill.

In the meantime, a male lion was making it’s way up the hill toward the kill, and we anticipated seeing a fight. Instead, the male was apparently exhausted from mating and waited patiently until the lioness was done before settling in for his dinner.

We decided to begin heading back to the lodge but instead ended up watching the “three brother” cheetahs hunt and kill a large wildebeest together (yes, that was our fourth kill of the day!) Again heading back to camp, we came across a pride of 13 lions sleeping under trees, including three cubs. The mischievous cubs were active, and it was great fun watching their antics.

Next we found the mother cheetah with the four babies and watched them eating a second meal. We tried again to head back to the lodge for dinner, but we saw the young, inexperienced lioness from this morning stalking a lone wildebeest. Again, we decided to drive on, but another vehicle radioed Anglebert about the lion & wildebeest, and we couldn’t resist another adventure.

We returned to find the lion and wildebeest in a hilarious stand-off. The two began chasing each other around a large bush. Over and over again, the lion tried to sneak up on the wildebeest for a rear attack only to find the wildebeest turned forward with its horns down. The lion tried taking a detour further up the hill, hoping to make a surprise attack, but the wildebeest was always ready to defend itself.

As darkness came, the lion climbed a tree, and the wildebeest stood guard below. We finally had to leave when we could no longer see what was happening. When we returned the next morning, the lion was still in the tree but the wildebeest was dead and partially eaten below it. Since we had watched the failed escapades of this particular lioness twice, we thought it was probably more likely that she had some help after we left or possibly the wildebeest died of natural causes.

We still can’t believe that we saw all of those events in just one day! And while it was by far the most incredible day of our safari, every single day brought new adventures. Our guide Anglebert was fantastic. Our favorite time was when he would stop the vehicle, stare off into the distance, and then say “Just checking”. We knew we were about to see something good, and we were rarely wrong!

When we saw a new bird or animal, he could find the page in his guidebook with one hand in a matter of seconds so that I could spell it correctly in my journal or read more about it. His knowledge of all the wildlife, including every tree and plant, was just amazing. We were frequently the only vehicle anywhere around, and we felt like we were the only ones getting to see all those incredible sights.

Africa Dream Safaris took care of us from the moment we arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport, leading us around those long lines and straight to our vehicle. We took the advice of our Safari Specialist, Dawn Anderson, and stayed an extra night in Arusha to begin our vacation. After almost 24 hours of traveling, it was so nice to have the whole next day to relax. Dawn even arranged for a ½ -day driver to take us around Arusha that afternoon, and we particularly enjoyed the Cultural Heritage Museum.

We stayed in a variety of tented camps and lodges and loved every single one of them. We met so many delightful staff members—the chef at Lake Masek Tented Lodge (Veronica) who liked to tease us by announcing dinner features like “Secretary Bird” and “Warthog”, the escort at Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge (Justin) who was working to improve his English and remembered all of our names, the walking safari guide at Kikoti Tented Lodge (Thomas) who told us colorful stories about Marula trees and drunk elephants and walked us to the top of Kikoti Rock so that we could enjoy the beautiful 360 degree view, and so many more.

We will never forget our magical time in Tanzania. We will be reminiscing about all of our adventures for the rest of our lives! Thank you, Dawn, for planning such a perfect trip and thank you, Anglebert, for being the best guide ever!

Dave and Judy Washburn
Steve and Sandy Dean
Dayton, Ohio
March 2012

2 Comments
Read Full Post

Andy & Kathi Stropkai

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

First of all I would like to thank the ADS team for all their time and help, they put the “P” in professional. After about a year and a half of planning and contact with Dawn we were here, and dreaming about it cannot bring to reality the anticipation and excitement of actually being on the Serengeti.

We were treated to the wildlife even before we landed as giraffe’s we grazing on tree tops just under our plane as we were landing. Within minutes of starting our safari we had encountered Lions and Leopards already at this point we knew we were in for a great journey. Our guide Peter was outstanding within minutes of leaving we were already laughing and having a good time. His knowledge of the wildlife and habits of the animals is incredible not only was this a safari, but it was an informal classroom as we soaked up Peters knowledge.

Our first day was beyond belief but it was only going to get better from there, from being charged by a massive bull elephant to having Lions walk down rubbing the side of our vehicle and crawl underneath for shade from the hot afternoon sun. The babies playing with their mothers to the thousands of wildebeest for as far as you could see in all directions.

The balloon ride which started at sunrise, skimming across the tall grasses and then shooting up to 1400 ft. to have spectacular views of the sunrise and the landscape from a vantage point that is unforgettable. We had wanted to visit an authentic Maasai tribe as our guide and now friend took us across miles of uncharted land out past the moving sand dunes and the Nasera rock to an unspoiled Maasai tribe, they welcomed us in, they danced for us and traded jewelry and personal items with us.

As we traveled across the plains we were treated to excellent accommodations at night where we were able to talk to others about their experiences. The encounters and the experiences we had will last in our memories even more than a life time if that is even possible. The safari and the people that we came into contact with far surpassed our expectations thank you ADS as in my opinion there is none better.

Sincerely,

Andy and Kathi Stropkai
Roseville, California
March 2012

No Comments
,
Read Full Post

The Best Trip Ever!

TRAVEL TIPS + UPDATES

Share

Posted on by Michael

Dear Sharon,

Ok I admit it, as time got closer for our trip to begin, the more nervous I got. What if this adventure I had been wanting to do was not going to live up to all the expectations I now had due to your web site and extensive paperwork? I kept telling myself…don’t go expecting too much!

WELL …what did I worry for? From the moment our feet touch African soil, the truly amazing adventure began! Met at airport by a young man with our name on a sign, like lightning we were through the visa process and then passed on to driver and ADS rep. Taken to overnight hotel and given a quick briefing and cool drinks. Dropped off our bags in a 5 star room and then downstairs to the buffet restaurant which stayed open for our arrival ! Food was great and much needed! The staff so friendly, my Swahili lessons had started!

Great nights sleep and then off we went to experience our first very small plane flight! I was scared I don’t mind telling you, but piece of cake! What a sight as we flew over the Ngorongoro crater, and the migration as it moved below us! About an hour later we landed, as a wildebeest fled from the run way! We had spotted three giraffe too as we came in to land.

WE WERE ON SAFARI! I can go on and on with our wondrous adventure but as I know you have done it 50 plus times I will just mention a few things that will always stick with me.

Claude, our amazing safari guide /driver/friend ! A young man that was gentle, kind, warm and so eager to learn from us as we learned so very much from him! He had so much passion and respect for the animals and land that he comes from. His knowledge was immense. We felt the whole time he spent with us, that he too enjoyed everything we viewed and took awe in!

Any question we had, and we had a great deal, especially me as I felt like a kid set free in a candy store, he had the answer for. And if he was unsure about a type of bird ,he would look it up! 99.9% he was spot on ! Our son has a true love of nature and I hope as our son grows into a 30 year old he become just like Claude. He joined us for 2 evening meals while at Lake Masek and he was so interesting to talk with. ADS should be very proud that they have this young man working for them and representing their company. We are already talking of a return trip with other family members and we will be requesting Claude!

Ok so here are a few high lights…..we ate lunch with a male and female lion just 7 feet from our jeep, mating every 20 minutes. As I stood up in our jeep taking photo that you would see in a National Geographic magazine , they completely ignored me. A family of elephants, one of many that we saw, with a 2 week old baby. We watched as two older elephants helped steady the baby so it wouldn’t fall going down an incline to the road in front of us. And as its back legs kept slipping as it tried to climb the incline on the other side. It was so funny and cute to watch! We saw so many elephant herds and families ,I hadn’t expected to see so many and it did my heart good!!

We were completely surrounded by Wildebeests and Zebra with their babies at a watering whole. In every direction there was no clearing ,as far as you could see to the horizon there were animals. The notice was something I hope to never forget. A Kopje with lions on the top rock watching the migration going by them, obviously having had their fill! A mother lion with 3 cubs about four months old fighting over which nipple they wanted! A Cheetah mother with 4 cubs on the move, taking regular stops to let the babies rest. Nature at its best! A Cheetah with a kill, a Thompson Gazzle baby, as she ate it keeping close look out for predators , nose and face pink with blood! The beauty of the land!

The African Maasai Enkang that we visited. I had told Claude that I didn’t want to go to a” tourist ” Maasai village, I wanted to see for real what one was like. Claude drove us to an area where we could see quite a few Enkang and he told me to chose one, I picked one way off in the distance! We were greeted by many children who came to the jeep windows to look at us!

Claude noticed there were no adults so while we waited in the jeep, he went to find out what was happening. I managed to ask the children what their names were by patting my chest and repeating my name. As I repeated their names they laughed so hard as I said them with my English accent! Claude returned and informed us the adults were at market and the Chief and his friend from a neighboring Enkang were watching over the children.

We were welcome to come visit but the Maasai adults who usually dance for any visitors wouldn’t be there! I was thrilled because this was what I wanted, no show, we had seen it at one of our lodges, this was a Enkang as it was in its daily routine! As we got out our jeep there must have been 30 plus children ages 2 to 18 years old. When my husband Pete got out the jeep the children ran back as I dont think they had seen a very large white man before!

The Chief was 60 plus years old and his friend in his 80s! Claude said that we could ask any questions and he would translate for us. We had brought bouncy balls and Frisbees for the children and we presented them to the chief who on close inspection and a demo on how to throw a Frisbee , handed them to an older child to hand out to the children. As the children played we were shown the Chiefs hut , invited inside! And the area where they live.

We talked of his cattle and goats, I think as Chiefs go he was quite well off . An 18 year old girl with a baby on her hip hung by us, huge beautiful smile. She was married to one of the Chiefs sons. The Chief had 4 wives and over 40 children. His 3 year old was sleeping in the Chiefs home, a child from his 1st wife!! These are a hardy and amazing people! The children were having so much fun with the toys that we brought , I took photos non stop with permission from the Chief .

As I took photos I showed the children and they were fascinated . They called out the names of the children in the pictures but when it was a picture of them they didnt know who it was! I would take a photo of them then show them and say “you see you?” Within a few minutes the children were running around saying over and over again “You see You ? You see you ?” So funny. After group photos it was time to leave and I had to pull myself away, lovely people who waved as we left and waved till they could see us no more!

Sharon I have so many stories I could go on and on ,but you know first hand how truly fabulous it is ! I have never wanted NOT to go home from a trip, But as we left Swala Tented Lodge I was unable to control my emotions for about 20 minutes, my heart so heavy!
Thank you for all you arranged for us , time spent answering questions and just being there on call whenever I had a queries!

THE BEST TRIP EVER !

Lynne and Peter Hare
Shalimar, Florida
March 2012

2 Comments
Read Full Post

Help Plan Your Safari With Our New Report Archives

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Michael

Are you planning a safari? Want to see pictures and read specific safari reports from the month or season that you are interested in travelling? Wondering what past ADS guests have said on say a safari in February or July or September or December?

Well, check out the newly organized archives section of our travelogue and safari blog. Here you can select a specific month from almost 5 years of data and read past trip reports or browse past customer pictures. This is invaluable information from a planning perspective.

One of hardest decisions when planning a safari is deciding upon which month or season to travel. Each month has its own unique highlights, pros and cons. Perhaps the best way to get a feel for each season is to read first hand accounts from prior guests that traveled in the particular month that you are interested in. Then, talk it over with your safari consultant and have him or her weigh in with their own personal recommendations.

To access our archives section with 5 years of past data, trip reports and customer testimonials, simply go to the ADS Blog and scroll down the page until you see the ARCHIVES section in the LEFT HAND MARGIN. Click on any of the months you are interested in traveling to read all the testimonials, bush reports, updates for that specific month.

1 Comment
Read Full Post

Migration Report – March 2012

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

Share

Posted on by Michael

This has been an odd green season with respect to the timing and pattern of the great migration.  As posted before in our December 2011 report, the green season started a full two months early in October (as opposed to early December as usually seen).

The rains were sufficient enough to keep the Migration on the main southern and eastern Serengeti plains from November until mid January when a general drying out period took hold. The majority of the migratory herds quickly departed the plains by the 3rd week of January and headed west and north into the woodlands. We even had reports of seeing large herds of wildebeest all the way in the Musabi Plains deep within the Western Corridor of the Park in February…bizarre!

As always the fickle weather (and hence the migratory game movements) in the Serengeti keeps us on our toes with an abrupt, 180 degree change. The Serengeti finally received some decent precipitation sufficient enough to trigger the great legions of wildebeest and zebra (that had been taking refuge in the woodlands) back on the plains. Apparently, the migration really did come flooding back onto the plains by early March in a very impressive mass movement. Let’s hope the weather pattern holds and we continue to have enough precipitation (only about 3/4 of an inch a week is needed…not much) to keep the migration on the plains through the remainder of the green season.

Our guides report the Migration is 4 main groups at the moment as follows:

1st group in The Triangle, which is a stretch of plains between Naabi Hill and Lake Ndutu/Masek (see South Serengeti Map)

2nd group in Hidden Valley (see South Serengeti Map)

3rd group on the Kusini Plains  (see South Serengeti Map)

4th group (and largest) on the eastern plains stretching between Gol Kopjes and Lemuta Hill with a good amount of action taking place east of the Serengeti border in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (see East Serengeti Map)

Picture courtesy of Peter Arebalo.

4 Comments
Read Full Post

Earth Angels at FAME Medical

GIVING BACK

Share

Posted on by Michael

A little girl stole our hearts five months ago. Here name is Jackline. Her father carried her into FAME Medical in a ketoasidotic coma, probably triggered by a severe infection. With the emergency care she received from the FAME team and our telemedicine communication with a volunteer consultant and Endrocrinologist in the U.S, Jackline survived that day.

Very weak, but finally stable, she was able to go home with her parents the following day. Unfortunately, her parents are among the poorest of the poor in rural Tanzania. Just putting food on the table each night is a challenge, let alone covering the costs of her twice a day insulin. We all wondered when the next crisis would hit. But then we were reminded……there are, indeed, “earth angels” in our midst. Someone in the community agreed to cover her medication costs on an ongoing basis, and one of our long-term supporters and volunteer doctors made the offer of a lifetime.

Dr. Duane Koenig, thought little Jackline might fare better in a neighborhood Boarding School, a place where she would receive three good meals a day, the necessary dietary supplements to keep her diabetes well controlled, and close monitoring by the School Nurse. He suggested making this proposal to her parents and offered to be her Sponsor. The family was ecstatic, as was Jackline.

For a motivated, capable child, like Jackline, this was a dream come true. Our team rallied. Siana Nkya, our head nurse and William Mhapa, our Community Health Facilitator, met with the school Head Master and nurse to discuss Jackline’s medical condition and needs. Dr. Duane donated the money to cover her school fees and school supplies, and Jackline began attending Tumaini Junior School. She came in for a check-up last week. She was smiling, laughing, quite literally glowing, and she left those of us at FAME Medical glowing too.

Africa Dream Safaris will match dollar for dollar any $50 donation thus turning your contribution into $100, which has real significant purchasing power in Tanzania. Please click here to contribute to FAME and to learn more about the organization. Make sure to enter ‘Africa Dream Safaris’ in the designation field to ensure that your $50 donation is matched correctly.

No Comments
, ,
Read Full Post

Tanzania Trip Diary

Bucket List

Share

Posted on by Michael

Jan 31, 2012
Leaving this evening at 6:20 PM to Newark on Continental. Hopefully left no hanging chads behind- we started packing 10 days ago and hopefully all last minute stuff was anticipated and dealt with. Too late now. Stayed at Fairfield Inn at Newark Airport. Nice room, lousy bed.

Feb 1
8 AM flight to Heathrow on Virgin- our first (virgin?) Virgin trip. Booked premium economy which is about half the cost of business. Seats are definitely bigger, pretty comfortable although they don’t retract much. Food was edible to good except for breakfast on route to Nairobi. Everything was on time, very smooth, although the connection took 45 min in Heathrow just because. We only have an hour on the ground on the way home, so it better be better then. Watched “Cowboys and Aliens”, “Horrible Bosses”, and the new “Planet of the Apes”. All are keepers. Turned off “Bad Teacher” after about 30 min—really dreadful.

Feb 2
Landing in Nairobi was on time- zebra grazing in the field next to the runway told us we were not in Kansas any more. Connected to Arusha on Precision Air; did not see Kilimanjaro because it was clouded in. After getting through the visa process, we were met by Nataaya from ADS for the ride to the hotel. They put us up in the Mt. Meru hotel, which is clearly an upscale, new hotel- very, very nice. We were in a beautiful suite. Hotel actually faces Mt. Meru, which at 15K ft is the second highest peak in Africa. The countryside is just littered with (hopefully) extinct cinder cones and craters. Nataaya went through our itinerary in detail, and gave us a cell phone and list of contact info. The cell phone had some international minutes in case we wanted to call home, but we had brought our international phone along so never used it. But we thought it was a very nice touch.

Feb 3
Nataaya and Charles picked us up at 8 AM and took us to the regional airport where we boarded a small plane for the flight to Serengeti. The drive took us through southern Arusha, which according to Nataaya is about a million in population and growing fast. I could spend a lot of time here just watching and taking pictures of the people on the streets- lots of colors, smells, hustle. Flight was about 45 min- went right over Ngorongoro crater, saw Massai villages on the rim but not much else- pretty barren looking from 2000 feet. The flight was quite smooth, very clear day. We landed near Ndutu and met Arnold (full name: Arnold Yahaya Mushi) who will be our guide for the rest of our stay. Arnold has been a Serengeti guide for 12 years, 5 with ADS. He is a big, sturdy bear of a guy with a big smile and a loud but pleasant presence. We headed straight into the bush – saw zebras, tommies, grants, dik-dik, giraffe, and at least 2 dozen birds especially eagles. And lions— we came on a pride feeding on a fresh wildebeast kill. The pride had two groups of cubs, with the 4 youngest around 6 months or so according to Arnold, who we watched as they crossed the road in front of us with full bellies quite evident to get a drink in the lake.

And cheetahs- we found a mother with 4 very young cubs (2 months or so), clearly on the hunt. We watched them for quite a while and I took a gazillion pictures and an hour of video- all this before lunch! We stopped at the Lake Ndutu lodge for lunch, where we will stay for 3 nights (cabin 7). Food wasn’t bad (although it was overall the worst of all of the places that we stayed on this trip) and Serengeti beer wasn’t bad either. That evening back in the lodge we were entertained by lovebirds in the bushes outside of our cabin and in the evening the resident genet cats appeared in the lobby. The genets are beautiful small nocturnal cats not much bigger than a typical tabby but much sleaker and with gorgeous spotted coats. I suspect that some of the scratching and sniffing noises at our door at night were these little guys.

Feb 4
What a day. We were up and out at 5:15 am and on the road before 6. Watched the sunrise over the plain and saw golden jackels, tommies, other critters en route to Naabi Hill. We got our permit and entered the park.

Migration! It really is something to see. Also lots of non-migrants- elands, cape buffalo, oryx, Coke’s hartebeast. But the highlights of the day were 1. The leopard hunt- what a show; and 2. Lions hunting zebras in the tall grass.

The leopard was hunting a group of impalas in the shade of a tree about 40 yds from our car at about 11 o’clock. The leopard was across the road from the impalas, a little to our right, about 20 yards from us at about 2 o’clock. We watched as he/she worked her way along side of the road, looking for a place to cross without being seen by the impalas. She came to within about 15 ft of our car and positioned a shrub between her and the prey to screen her crossing. This was amazing to watch- she belly-crawled inch by inch across the road to behind the bush; took her at least 10 min to get across. Once there she started around the bush away from us, but apparently thought she might be seen so came around to our side (10 ft in front of the car!!!) and started creeping up on the herd. She got to within about 25-30 ft from the herd when some bozo pulled his car around off the road and came pretty close to running over the leopard. He also spooked the impalas, and the leopard tried to grab one that ran by but missed. Lots of pissed off guides and tourists.

The lion hunt was possibly more successful- we will never know because they went out of our sight before the lions got close enough to attack. We were driving along when I spotted a lioness peering above the grass to our right. Arnold stopped, and we saw what she was focused on a group of 4 zebras crossing the road about 100 yds ahead of our car, going right to left. She made a little noise and two more heads popped up, and after a few seconds they all started moving. What was apparently the leader crossed the road in front of us, while the other two crossed right behind our car, using the car as a screen. We were able to see them do a pincer maneuver as the zebras trotted off to our left and eventually away down a little slope and out of sight. We could see the lions moving very quickly through the grass- the black spots on the back of their ears really stand out. Whole show lasted about 15 min before the lions dropped out of site too.

Little more info on Arnold: wife is Brenda, daughters Cynthia and Sylvia. They live in Arusha; Arnold is working to build a new house for them. He told me that he is using material from termite mounds, which makes great bricks.

Signature joke: Why is a giraffe’s head so far from his body? Because it has a long neck. Caught this one (with embellishments) on video.

Other typical Arnold quotes: “Don’t sleep! Don’t sleep! Don’t sleep!” and, “Is everybody happy?” and “Going fishing, fishing, fishing…” and “How is Everybody?”—constant chatter, great fun. Our contribution to the joke pool: How can you tell how many wildebeasts/zebras are around? Count the legs and divide by 4 (Arnold liked it- I hope is using it with his newer clients).

Feb 5
Long, dusty day in south Serengeti. The rains were late, so everything is dry and all of the animals ready to drop calves are looking for water and food so the herds are moving north to the rivers. Even though the animals were moving out- we still saw some great stuff. Arnold heard a couple of lions in the night, and he found them on edge of the lake- two young males, probably brothers. We also found the cheetah with her young cubs- same group, and she and the kits had clearly fed. Got some great videos of the family group playing and horsing around. It was very cool. Also found 3 fresh kills, already turned over to the vultures and hyenas. Arnold spotted a bunch of white feathers along the road and stopped to investigate- it was a white stork kill, and he spotted a lammergaier on the ground about 100 yds away. Apparently storks are their favorite prey. Arnold got quite excited, because they are quite rare (the lamergaier, not the storks), and he planned to report the sighting that evening. Other critters we saw:

Baboons on twin breast peaks
Daika
Hoopoe
Yellow-crested woodpecker
Lots of eagles
Bee eaters
Spotted eagle owl, spotted by Usha in an acacia.

Feb 6
Up very early to meet our ride to the balloon, Usha’s birthday. Company is called Serengeti Balloon tours, pilot was named John. We rode with a couple from Chicago, Tom and Xiang Adolfsson, and Hawa-san from Japan. It was a bit breezy so we launched astronaut style. We stayed low over the trees, with lots of eagles and rollers flashing below. Got a pretty good look at elands, although they still kept a good distance. After landing, we had the customary champaign and an excellent breakfast. On the way back we spooked some ground owls- tawny colored with darker brown head and wings (African grass-owl). Arnold then picked us up at the meeting place and we headed for the marsh. Lots of lion activity- several kills, fat and lazy lions, cubs, beautiful light. We came on a pair of lions mating and watched for a while- Arnold said they will go at it every 10 min for 2-3 days. Whoa. We spent the rest of the day crusing the area west of Ndutu including Hidden Valley. Everything is absolutely bone dry and dusty. Arnold was very concerned, because normally even in dry times hidden Valley has water. Not this year.

We ended up at our private camp, our lodging for the next two nights. Talk about blowing away expectations! The staff was Nema, Kelvin, Praygood and Gerald (chef). Kelvin had set a couple of chairs and a small table next to a small wood fire, which he started when we settled in. There we watched “bush TV” to the west and a truly spectacular sunset with a glass of wine in hand and some peasant conversation with Nema and Kelvin both. Gerald fixed a great meal and baked a birthday cake, and Arnold gave her a Massai necklace which is now on our wall at home. I think Usha had a pretty good day all in all.

Feb 7-9
Lots of catching up to do. We’ve been too busy (or tired) to journal the past few days so I hope I don’t forget anything. 2nd and last day at the private camp was just as wonderful as the first, and if we could afford it this would be the only way we would stay next trip. Early in the morning we came upon a family of bat-eared foxes who had not yet settled in for the night. They pretty much ignored us, running around and under the car, playing and putting on a good show. By 6:30 AM, however, they were tucked in their holes. Also saw several lion kill sites, and got some great pictures. We saw 3 leopards in the same tree with what looked like a Grant’s gazelle hanging in the branches. Probably a mother with two fairly mature cubs. On the evening of the 7th chef Gerald fixed us a traditional African meal- okra, plantains, stews, sweet potato, lamb, chicken, rice. Info on the private camp staff: Nema is a delightful young lady with a bubbly personality and just the best smile. She is a treasure. Kelvin is quiet, attentive, tried very hard to make us comfortable. Gerald is a fine cook and has a very good sense of humor. Praygood was extremely shy, so we didn’t have much of a chance to speak with him at all. Overall, very nice group. We left our tip with Nema to distribute to the rest of the staff.

On the 8th we drove to Mbuzi Maue lodge. Passed a hippo pool en route and almost passed out from the smell- we did not linger since Arnold told us we would be seeing more hippos later. The lodge was decidedly more upscale than Ndutu; Arnold had forewarned us that we were going to run into a different clientele here. Good news is that this group generally liked to sleep in and have a sit-down breakfast so we were out on the road hours before them each day.

Two memorable episodes during this 3 day stretch: 1. witnessing the birth of a wildebeast, and 2. lion pride using our car for a nap. Just an amazing day, with another gazillion pictures. The wildebeast- I spotted a pregnant mom along the road with a pair of forelegs sticking out back- pretty clear sign that she was in labor, don’t you think? We kept an eye on her from a distance, and when she wandered off with a couple of wildebeast attendants under a big shrub we gave her about 15 min and then worked our way around for a look. The baby was on the ground and just a couple minutes old. We watched while it struggled to its feet, fell a number of times, tried repeatedly to nurse, and after 20 min or so was finally able to stand and walk. After about a half hour we left mom and baby alone once the baby was relatively steady and feeding. Later on as we were driving along the river we saw a pair of young lions in a tree about 40 yds from the road and stopped to watch. It was about 11:30, and Arnold suggested we get out our lunches and watch for a while. After a few minutes big, battle-scarred male popped up from the tall grass and walked right past the car, where he lay down about 15 yds to our left and repeatedly stuck his snout into a clump of grass followed by some hilarious faces and grimaces- Arnold thought he was smelling the urine of his females looking for one in heat. After 15-20 min the two in the tree came down, and were joined by a couple others who also popped up from the high grass- we couldn’t see them until this point. They all wandered over to our car, which they must have decided was a good shade spot to avoid the mid-day sun, and lay down. One lioness just settled her head on the running board and all of them went to sleep. We had 5-6 lions under and on the car, and were stuck there for a good hour or so while they got in their noonday siestas. Got a really great photo of the lion resting its head on the running board reflected in Arnold’s outside rear view mirror. It was a really cool experience, and we were all glad that none of us had a serious need to go pee at that time.

We also saw more leopards, and a baby warthog with parents who had apparently escaped a predator attack with several cuts and gashes on its rump. We had dinner back at Mbuze Maue with two couples from Pittsburg and Seattle- nice people, who were blown away by what we had seen. Fortunately I had downloaded my pictures to an ipad and had it along to show them the photos or I am not sure that they would have believed us. On the walk back to our tent (#9) after dark we spotted a giraffe feeding in a tree about 20 yds from our front flap. Never saw that in Kansas.

Feb 10
We were up early as usual, before sunrise. Saw 4 hyenas and a pride of lions laying in the road- we waited a good 20-30 min before they finally moved enough so we could pass. Arnold spotted two cape buffalo males, which he called “retired generals” because they were old and had been run out of their herds. Saw several elephants, a group of spotted hyenas and later black-backed jackels, banded mongooses (mongeese?), rabbits, etc. Lots of nightjars in the road- all before dawn. Today was hippo day at retina pool. The river has shrunk down to a few pools deep enough for the animals, who were jammed in. The smell was so intense that Usha held her breath for the duration of the visit and her skin turned brown. Arnold’s too.Water conditions in general are really bad- the herds have all started north away from the usual breeding area in the short-grass savannah to the south. Arnold is worried that it will be a very bad year.

We saw a lot of new birds- hammerkop, grey-capped social weaver, red throated frangolin, many more. We stopped at the lodge and saw some cliff springers in the yard (didn’t have my camera), and a pair of rock hyrax in the rock right next to our tent (got a good shot).

Arnold joke: how do you tell a male zebra from females? Males are black with white stripes, and females are white with black stripes.

Feb 11
Arnold let us sleep in a bit today and have a sit-down breakfast at the lodge. First thing in the morning we saw a pair of von der Doecken’s hornbills outside the tent. Today we drove to Ngorongoro and Oldupai. En route we found a leopard in a tree, who was very cooperative and came across the tree to just above our car. We watched him as he spotted a small group of tommies and went in pursuit. The tommies fooled him just as he was sneaking up by slipping behind some tall grass, and the leopard just sat there for a while trying to understand what happened. It was actually pretty funny.

Oldupai was cool, although the museum is very small for what must be the most famous archeological site in the world. We spent a couple of hours there and ate lunch while we listened to a lecture on the history of the site. We then went on up to the rim of the crater. The Ngorongoro Serena Lodge is just plain stunning- one of the most astounding architectural designs I have ever seen. Our room has a small patio which looks out into the crater. Spotted a sunbird in the tree outside of our room (purple banded? Not sure but I have a picture) and several other small birds. Frangolins on the ground below. That evening we watched a show by a local group of musicians/acrobats who were really good.

Feb 12
Full day in the crater. Its really had to fathom the crater until one is down on the floor. Animals everywhere- it is really a unique and frankly weird place. According to Arnold hyenas are the dominant predator in the crater, with lions following them around to scavenge. So many cool things- warthogs laying in a puddle along the road, hyenas, zebra males fighting, many birds including crowned cranes and flamingoes. And rhinos- saw two from a great distance and three more much closer (although still a ways away). The density of wildlife in the crater is difficult to grasp- there is just so much.
That evening at the lodge we were entertained by local massai performing a traditional dance. It was quite a show.

Feb 13
We left the crater behind and headed south. First to Lake Manyara where the Rift Valley escarpment is very clearly evident. Saw hippos on the move, flocks of storks, pelicans, blue monkeys (forgot to mention that we had seen vervet monkeys along with baboons in the Serengeti, so this completes our monkeys list). Went on to Tarangire NP. While stopped at the entrance, Usha saw what she thought was a yellow bird fly by and followed it back into the trees. Turned out to be yellow-winged bats, which are quite rare and a good find. Got a few good pictures. Tarangire is quite different landscape from the Serengeti, with many more trees including baobabs and huge euphorbias along with the acacias. Lots of elephants, giraffe, buffalo, many birds. We stayed at Kikoti Tented Camp, which is a wonderful resort just outside of the park. Very, very nice.

Feb 14
The highlight of this day was being surrounded by what must have been at least a thousand buffalo. This was probably the first time I felt a little uncomfortable. We also found a pride of lions under a tree, and it was clear that these lions did not have the same tolerance for our car that the Serengeti prides had. At one point I turned around and noticed that a little brown bat had gotten one of his toes caught in the mount of the antenna at the back of the car and could not get free. We don’t know how long he had been stuck back there- could have been all day up to this point. I used a towel to get hold of him and lift him up a little until his toe came free and he flew off. That was clearly a first for Arnold too. The tsetse flies were particularly bad in Tarangire- these critters are just plain evil, and bug repellant is useless. They make no buzzing/whining noise like most flies; instead they just seem to appear from nowhere and usually you know they are on you when you feel the bite. We headed back to Kikoti mid-afternoon for a late lunch and a little rest. Later we went for a walk guided by Thomas, who is a Massai on the Kikoti staff. We walked about a mile or so to Kikoti Rock (Kikoti means “meeting place” in Swahili; this was a traditional Massai meeting spot), which we climbed and sat watching the sunset. Below were go-away-birds in the trees. The sunset, which was our last sunset in the bush, was really gorgeous. That evening we invited Arnold to join us for dinner and had a great time. Entertainment was provided by a guitar-playing Massai in traditional dress who had an interesting repertoire, including “Ring of Fire” among others. He seemed pretty pleased when I called him the Massai Johnny Cash.

Feb 15
Spent the morning in the park before we headed back to Arusha. The route home (about 2.5 hr drive) took us through a few good-size villages and towns. We stopped at one for a cold drink and to eat our box lunches. BTW- every day we pooled all of our leftovers from lunch and breakfast, which were always more than we could eat, and whenever we passed a Massai village we stopped to give the food to the kids. We always had chocolate bars, yogurts, fruit, chicken, other stuff depending on the day, enough to give something to 6-8 children.

Once we got to Arusha Arnold took us to a gallery which sold tinga tinga paintings and we bought a few. Arnold then took us back to the Mt. Meru hotel, where we were thoroughly de-briefed on the trip by another ADS staff member. We were both very impressed by the interest in getting fresh feedback. They put us back into the same suite; we had a nice dinner and a restful last evening in Africa.

Feb 16
Arnold picked us up early- I think it was around 6 AM- and took us to the airport, which is a good hour’s drive outside of Arusha. We (I) almost made a really stupid mistake right up front. The Precision Air flight from Arusha to Nairobi required that we check our bags (by the way, this time Kilimanjaro was beautiful). I just had them checked to Nairobi instead of all the way to Newark, thinking we could pick them up in Nairobi and carry them on since they were just a couple of roll-aboards. Stupid. I almost had to apply for a visa in Kenya to get our bags and go through customs and security to get back in to catch our flight. Fortunately, Kenya airlines staff were very helpful even though we weren’t flying with them, and they sent one of their bag attendants through customs to get our bags off the carousel and bring them back to us. If this had been in the US, they would have just taken the bags out back and blown them up. Good thing we had a 3 hr layover so we had time to work all this out. Other than this little self-inflicted fiasco, flights home were on time and uneventful. Except that I made one more stupid mistake, which was to buy some African liquor in Nairobi duty-free. It was confiscated when we went through security in Heathrow to make our connection. I was informed that I could check it in my luggage, but recall that we had a short layover on the way home and missing our flight was a poor trade for a bottle of booze. I hope the airport security folks enjoyed it. We stayed in the same hotel in Newark when we got to US and flew to KC next day.

There are a lot of things about this trip that were memorable. We saw well over a hundred lions, hundreds of thousands of wildebeast and zebras, hundreds of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, antelope, etc. etc. At least 10 different species of antelope, dozens of leopards, some really spectacular visits with cheetahs, so many birds- at least a hundred new species, maybe more. We put our trust in Arnold’s hands and he delivered the best trip of our lives, and we have traveled a lot. Arnold really made the trip memorable- he entertained us, taught us, kept us awake and alert, and was just a joy to be with. I also credit him with at least 50% of the success in capturing some really outstanding, professional-quality photos- we showed our pictures to a professional photographer who is a friend, and he was frankly blown away. Arnold got us into position, I clicked the shutter. And ADS is a class act, start to finish- the best service we have ever had from a tour agency, starting with our US agent (Dawn Anderson) and continuing through all that I have named earlier. I give their name out all the time to friends who are thinking about Africa in their future.

Can’t wait to go back.

Michael and Usha Rafferty
Olathe, Kansas
February 2012

1 Comment
,
Read Full Post