FAME Medical in Tanzania

Catherine Duwe and Safi Mwambo spent their school break working at FAME Medical in Karatu, Tanzania.  They both are in their final year of Nursing School in Tanzania, and we look so forward to them joining the FAME Team when they graduate next September. These two lovely young women are fulfilling their dreams.

Catherine is from a very poor family in Karatu.  She began her time at FAME Medical as a Housekeeper.  Safi was studying to be a Clinical Officer but had to drop out when her family ran out of money.  She subsequently came to work at FAME Medical as a Nurse Assistant.

Recognizing their potential, both young women were selected for FAME scholarships –- a program FAME started in an effort to address the staggering shortages of healthcare workers in rural Tanzania.  According to one report, the overall nurse to population ratio in Tanzania is estimated to be 160:100,000.  In rural Districts, like ours, estimates suggest a ratio of 6:100,000.  Having experience, firsthand, these stark realities, Safi and Catherine understand how desperately Tanzania needs skilled and compassionate nurses.  They have dedicated their lives to making a difference where they are needed most, in rural Tanzania, the place of their birth.

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.

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Dawn’s Reading List

Okay, so many clients ask me what books to read before embarking on their safari adventure.  Some people want to learn more about Tanzania, and others just want a great story relating to the area.  Well there are MANY great books out there, and many of them are already listed on the ADS reading list.  I’ve read most of these books myself, but the truth is I do have my favorites!  If I had to pick a *TOP 3* favorite all time African Safari books, I couldn’t do it.  So here are my *TOP 4*:

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#1:  “Lion’s Share: The Story of a Serengeti Pride”

By Jeannette Hanby and Illustrated by David Bygott

Sigh.  This is one of my FAVORITE stories of all time.  Beautifully written and exquisitely illustrated by Jeannette Hanby and David Bygott, both of whom actually lived among the Serengeti lions for four years (wow), this is the story of the “Sametu” lion pride.  Not only is it packed with fascinating information about lions as told by scientific experts who have observed real animals in the field, it is a beautiful story. Unique and creative, this story transports the reader to another place and time and allows one to experience the Serengeti from a lion’s perspective.  You will journey alongside the lions and get to know them as individuals as they earn your empathy and respect.  You will experience all the highs and lows, the triumphs and tragedies, and the living and the dying that is the dance of Africa.  The story takes on an even more special meaning when one visits the Serengeti in person, specifically Sametu Kopjes, and gets the opportunity to meet one of these amazing lions in person.  Perhaps even a descendent from one of the lions in the story!  Rare is the book that can teach and still capture your imagination in such a special way at the same time.  This is a must read.

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#2:  “My Serengeti Years: The Memoirs of an African Game Warden”

By Myles Turner

It’s truly amazing what a mass of information and factual data you can pick up by reading this book, without even realizing you learned anything!  This story is the perfect solution for those of you interested in learning more facts about the Serengeti and how it came to be, but tire quickly of reading long dry articles or textbook-style literature. This is a memoir of Myles Turner, an African Game Warden, involved with the Serengeti in the early and turbulent years when it was being defined as a National Park.  A true story told by not only an amazing man but an extremely articulate writer; you will be drawn head over heels into his personal journey.  All told by Myles himself!  And accidentally you’ll learn a lot too.

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#3:  “Serengeti Home”

By Kay Turner

A companion to the aforementioned book “My Serengeti Years”, this is the story of Kay Turner – the wife of Myles Turner.  If “My Serengeti Years” is the ying, this is the yang.  Told by Kay herself, this is her amazing story of how she lived alongside Myles for many years in the raw wilderness of the Serengeti and its many challenges, an amazing feat in itself, and somehow successfully raised two children along the way!  Kay has a profound respect and appreciation for the beauty and solitude of the Serengeti’s great wilderness and the amazing animals that reside here, and she has a wonderful knack for conveying the feeling of Africa to the reader.  Kay’s writing style is equally brilliant but quite different than her husband Myles, and her description of the Serengeti reads almost like beautiful prose at times.  Reading Kay’s writing is decadently cozy, like wrapping yourself up in a favorite blanket by the fire on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon and sipping hot tea.  A heroine, humorist, artist, poet and adventurer, by the end you’ll want to be her best friend.

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#4: “Whatever You Do, Don’t Run”

By Peter Allison

The funniest book I’ve ever read. This one had me laughing out loud.  A lot.  Technically not written about Tanzania or the Serengeti, the truth is there are just some safari experiences that translate across the board to any safari anywhere in Africa.  Peter Allison is a Safari Guide in Africa, and his collection of real life stories and humorous outlook is Jerry Seinfeld brilliant.  Not only has he gathered an amazing collection of experiences that will have you gasping in awe, part of his art is observing and articulating the funniest animal (and people) behaviors that anyone who has been on safari will instantly relate to.  This one is a rare gem.  Go get yourself a copy and read it!  Now!!!

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A quick side note.  Some of these books and others on our reading list may be out of print.  But a quick internet search can usually yield positive results!  I’ve personally had very good luck finding inexpensive used copies of these books on websites such as Albris and Amazon .  Happy Reading!!!

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The Great Migration Has Arrived!

The Great Migration has arrived just in time to celebrate the grand opening of Seronera Sametu Camp. It has been an exciting month last couple of weeks with finishing construction and we finally hosted our first real guests. Needless to say they were delighted to have huge herds of wildebeest and zebra literally right in camp. You can see and hear them from just about any spot on the property but the view from the fire pit is superb as it looks out over an expanse of plains. The nights have been very lively with the wildebeest in town. Lots of action from lions and hyenas and we even had a single cheetah come through camp at dusk and cause quite a scene.

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Local Lions in the Dry Season

If the last couple weeks have been any indication, the highlight of the dry season here at Sametu Camp is going to be the local lions. Just about every night you can hear lions calling out in the distance and some nights multiple roaring from different directions. Hyenas have also been very vocal at night. Our guests are seeing lions on most mornings within a few minutes of leaving camp. The wildebeest and zebra have pushed further north but we still have a lot of game in the area including gazelle, topi, hartebeest, ostrich and warthog.

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Unusual Dry Season

We are already seeing large herds of wildebeest and zebra a full month earlier then we were expecting. It has been an unusual dry season here in the Serengeti. The rains came much earlier than usual. There have been some showers just about every night recently and large columns of wildebeest are heading south towards the plains. Barafu Kopjes, which is a really lovely 45 minute drive from Camp is packed with the migration as far as the eye can see.

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Abundance in the Green Season

The green season is really an amazing time to be in this part of the Serengeti. The plains to the south and east of the Camp are glowing green and rich with many different species of migratory animals. Even the European storks have joined the party with thousands descending upon the plains. The nearby Sametu Kopjes, which are only a few miles from Camp, have been the highlight for guests recently with plenty of cheetah and lion sightings including a couple successful hunts. Large herds of elephants are also abundant at the moment especially in the woodlands to the west of Camp.

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Rolf, Virginia, Brian & Katie Jacobson

As a repeat african safari customer with ADS, my expectations were very high for this trip and ADS did not disappoint. Over forty years ago my family lived in Bumbuli, Tanzania for two months as my Dad participated in a dental mission trip. Four years ago my two sisters, their husbands and I returned to visit Bumbuli and went on a safari with ADS into several of the national parks. On the testimonial page of the African Dream Safaris web page are pictures and comments from that trip.

We all agreed that the trip could not have been better. We also agreed that this experience was not something that could be described in words or pictures – it is something you have to experience in person to fully comprehend the majesty of the African wildlife in its natural environment. Upon returning from that first trip, my dream has been to take my family some day. This past January my wife, son, daughter and I were able to make that happen.

On our first day in the Serengeti we are surrounded by the migration. My son raises his camera to take a picture, then turns and asks “How can I capture this in a picture?” I replied “Now you understand why I’ve been saying for four years that it is impossible to fully capture this experience in words or pictures.”

Arranging the trip with Dawn was again a pleasure. Having worked with her four years ago, I knew she would take good care of my family. I had a better feel for locations and distances so it was much easier to discuss options this time. Some highlights from our trip along with pictures follow.

I will start with some people highlights. The Tanzanian people are wonderful – genuinely friendly. On our first day in Arusha we visited with David, the chairman of Usa River village. He enlightened us with some of the challenges faced by the people of his village as well as giving us a tour of a local primary school.

The following day upon arriving in the Central Serengeti we met Francis, our driver/guide. Francis proved to be a wonderful companion for the next eight days. He was always responsive to our requests and from a photographer’s perspective did an excellent job of positioning our vehicle for the best photo experience. He had an engaging laugh and worked hard to provide my family with a very special program! We also enjoyed the dinner time discussions on the life and politics of Tanzania.

Another people highlight occurred upon our arrival at our tent camp on that first night – I met an old friend. Ndeki, our camp manager from my trip four years ago, was again our camp manager for my family’s stay in the tent camp. We immediately recognized each other and exchanged a big hug.

For the rest of our time together he would call me rafiki (friend) and I felt honored to be the friend of such a fine gentleman. The entire staff treated us well with great meals and service. And my wife appreciated the fact that while we could hear animals like hyenas wandering through the camp during the night, we were perfectly safe in our tents.

While driving on safari the next day, Francis answered a call on his cell phone and then passed it to me – David, our driver/guide from four years ago, called to say hello. We were able to talk for a few minutes before losing cell phone service. My son commented after I hung up that I seemed to have friends all over Tanzania! On one of our safari days Francis drove us to the Angata Kiti area in the eastern Serengeti. ADS is one of the few safaris that offers the option to visit this area.

The area is very remote; we only saw one other vehicle during our trip to this area. But we were rewarded with another great people encounter. We met a Maasai chief, Suyani, who led us on an hour and a half walking safari around Nasera Rock in the eastern Serengeti plain. Suyani also let us visit his boma and meet some of his family. With Francis translating for us, Suyani taught us about the life of his Maasai family.

By participating in this ADS offering, all of our lives were enriched with a unique cultural offering. From the lady chef who kidded us that the main dish for the evening was tough old elephant to the Maasai guard who detoured us around the hippos to reach our elevated tent accommodations at Lake Masek to the waiter at Sopa Lodge who was able to speak Spanish with my son, we had many other delightful encounters with Tanzania people.

Of course we returned with numerous wildlife highlights as well from our African Dream Safari. I seem to have very good luck with cheetah encounters on my safaris.

Last time I had the good fortune to witness the extremely rare occurrence of a cheetah mother with six cubs. At 2-3 months old, they seemed most intent on disrupting their mother’s hunting with their play. On the ADS website one year later I picked out a picture by another ADS client showing the mother with the five of her cubs that had survived. She had to be an amazing hunter to provide for that many cubs!

This trip my family was rewarded when Francis discovered a cheetah mother with a cub just over a week old underneath a tree in the south Serengeti. For 40 minutes we watched by ourselves as the cub nursed, napped and played. And we listened to the mother periodically call plaintively for a second cub that never appeared; presumably that cub had not survived. Eventually the mother ambled off across the plain with the surviving cub bouncing along behind. Two ADS trips – two magnificent cheetah encounters.

Ngorongoro Crater is a magical place in the early morning. On our drive into the Crater, the morning started with a newly born zebra foal standing on wobbly legs and occasionally resting against its mother to stay upright. This was especially poignant as in the Serengeti two days earlier we had seen a zebra mother and foal killed by a pack of hyenas while the zebra mother tried to give birth.

As we proceeded onto the Crater floor we encountered several old bull elephants with the largest tusks of any elephants in Africa. While we watched, two elephants engaged in a bonding display by wrapping their trunks around each other’s tusks.

A little bit further on we happened upon six lions, including two adult males, who had just finished feasting on a wildebeest kill. Thirteen hyenas and several jackals kept a close watch looking for an opportunity to snatch a morsel. One of the males, with a stunning dark mane, strolled by our vehicle to a pond for a drink after his feast.

We stopped for breakfast in the Lerai Forest and were entertained by a black faced vervet monkey that scampered from a tree through the open roof hatch of another vehicle, emerging with some breakfast as a reward for his raid. Fortunately Francis knew better than to park our vehicle under that tree.

We continued on first with some baboon entertainment and then encountered a single adult male lion dragging a freshly killed wildebeest across the Crater plains toward a shrubby hillock.

The lion was panting hard with the exertion as it could only drag the wildebeest for 15-20 feet before having to stop and rest for 30-60 seconds. After 25 minutes the lion was finally able to secrete its kill behind some bushes. All of this activity happened before 10 AM in the morning – truly a magical place.

My wife will never forget one other wildlife encounter in Ngorongoro Crater. As she was standing outside our vehicle eating a picnic lunch, a black kite bird swooped down and snatched a piece of sandwich from her hand. After a startled shriek and a quick exam of her hand, we found no serious damage and had another memory to laugh about for years to come.

From the lion on the kopje with butterflies circling its head to the dung beetle cleaning up the plain, each of our wildlife encounters holds a special memory. Without an excellent driver/guide these encounters do not happen.

Both ADS driver/guides I have experienced have been outstanding. And I read the same comments from other clients on the ADS travelogue. We scheduled this safari with African Dream Safaris as a very special family trip. And all of us are grateful to ADS for arranging a trip filled with family memories that will last a lifetime.

Rolf, Virginia, Brian and Katie Jacobson
St. Cloud, Minnesota
January 2012

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Our Dream Vacation

When we started planning our first big vacation about a year ago, even before we decided on a destination, we called it our dream vacation of a lifetime. Eventually we narrowed it down to the Serengeti and by a twist of fate ended up using Africa “Dream” Safaris. ADS planned our dream vacation and our guide, Raphael, made it come true.

When we arrived at the airstrip in the Serengeti on the first day about noon we expected to get settled and oriented. Instead we saw more that first day than we expected to see the entire safari. And each day’s adventures seemed to exceed the previous day. The number of sightings of so many different animals was impressive, and I won’t go into detail, but what stays in our memory the most is the vista of migratory animals (wildebeests and zebras) as far as the eye could see in all directions. The Serengeti was beautiful and would have been (almost) worth the trip even without the animals.

Our guide, Raphael, was remarkable. Often we were the first and sometimes only observers at the most interesting sightings. Even when we weren’t the first, Raphael anticipated the animal’s movements and had us in the best position. He was knowledgeable about all the animals, providing insight and answering all our questions. He seemed to enjoy the sightings as much as we did.

I cannot imagine what the safari would have been like without ADS. With Dawn’s guidance we were well prepared. We worked hard to learn all we could and get everything ready and packed within the luggage limits. That was actually part of the fun and anticipation of the trip. Each day we were on the road around 7 AM and returned about 5 PM. All of our lunches and all but two of our breakfasts were on game drives. We are 68 years old and had no trouble standing up to the rigors of the twelve day (ten in the field) safari. But anyone deciding to go on a Serengeti safari should make sure they really want to do it. We did, and it was a dream come true.

We have included some pictures, but pictures cannot do justice to the vast magnitude of this unique area of the earth and the great migration phenomenon.

Stephen and Mariglyn Glenn
Friendswood, TX
January 2012

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Larry & Sandra Shober

We just returned from our incredible Safari to the Serengeti. I started the trip with very high expectations from reading and seeing all the information ADS provided. Much to my satisfaction, my high expectations were met and even exceeded in every category.

From the time we landed until we left we were guided and briefed every step of the way. There are times when marketing paints an unreal picture to promote sales. Not the case with ADS. We found no exaggerations in any of the information. In fact it was very thorough, we were prepared, thank you.

To try to describe the Serengeti and all the animals bankrupts my vocabulary! All my life I’ve seen pictures, stories and video of the Serengeti that were great but it’s not like being there where you can feel it, smell it, hear it, and become part of it. There are no words to properly describe it for me.

I’m sure your guides are all good but we had Arnold and I don’t see how you could get a better one. He knew where to go to find the animals and anticipated our every need. He was pleasant, knowledgeable and fun. “Hakuna matata!”

Our camps were all different but each had a charming character all of their own. They also had very efficient and friendly employees.

I am extremely pleased that we chose Africa Dream Safaris for our “someday” adventure.

Larry and Sandra Shober
Berlin, Pennsylvania
January 2012

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Grateful to See So Much . . .

Before going to Africa through Africa Dream Safaris, we read over and over from testimonials how wonderful everyone’s experiences had been. It just seemed to be too good to be true. But we are now believers! We are thankful to have had the opportunity to go to Africa and experience the sights and sounds of such a beautiful and pristine place. From the moment we met David, our guide, in the Seronera Valley, we knew we were in for a treat. David had an incredible knowledge of the animals and geography, keen eyes and a sense of where the game was.

People ask, what was your favorite animal or experience? We enjoyed it all! The animals were amazing, but so was the scenery. The Serengeti Plains stretch in front of you and seem to just go on forever. It was just breath taking! Our favorite sightings were of three black rhinos, a mother cheetah and her cubs, and the endless troops of goofy baboons! We could sit for hours watching the hippos at the Retina Pool or the multiple age pride of lions playing under a shade tree. The elephants were fascinating to watch, from the grace of the adults to the little ones just learning to forage and eat.

The sheer magnitude of animals of the Great Migration in the Hidden Valley was magnificent! We drove for 2 hours in a seemingly endless sea of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and birds!

In the Ngorongoro Crater, we listened as hyenas called to one another – come here!!! Building from just three to eleven, they banded together to work through the wildebeest and zebras in hopes of an evening meal. Fascinating!

We must also mention the peace and tranquility that we enjoyed. Yes, we were up and out most mornings by 6:00 a.m. and stayed out on game drives until after 6:00 p.m. each day, but we found so much joy in watching the animals coexist with each other in the quiet beauty of the bush.

If you by chance stay at the Seronera Sametu Camp, you will certainly enjoy being cared for by Jonas and his staff. “Good Morning”, will be his gentle wakeup call right outside your tent while bringing you hot coffee and tea. His personal attention to our needs was such a treat and made this camp a truly special place!

On our last night at the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge we were having a quiet dinner when we noticed a commotion coming from the kitchen area. The staff were parading and singing and we assumed someone was having an anniversary or birthday. As the marchers came closer we began to get the feeling that we we the intended recipients of their good cheer! Turns out that David had treated us to a farewell dessert cake! We enjoyed a portion and sent the remainder to the buffet. It was a nice gesture and expression of thoughtfulness on his part!

Also, I just wanted to touch on the airport check in at JRO. It was excellent. We entered the arrival area and met our host who tended to our every need. She even had the blue cards completed and we were quickly checked through immigration and customs. I did feel somewhat guilty being whisked to the front of the line and being processed so quickly. Then the meet and greet staff welcomed us and took us from there to Arusha in short order. A very nice way to end a long day of travel!

Finally, a note of appreciation to both you and Beverley. You two planned a spectacular trip and I wouldn’t have changed a thing! The whole trip just seemed to fit so nicely together. Starting in the tent camp with it’s small, intimate setting and progressing south through the Serengeti and on to more luxurious accommodations of the Ndutu and Ngorongoro Lodges, it was just perfect! We appreciate your knowledge and expertise and your responding to all the little detailed questions that we had!

All the best to you and everyone at ADS and again and thank you for your part in our incredible trip!

Harry and Beveryl Crosby
Staunton, Virginia
January 2012

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Wildebeest Calving Has Begun!

Every green season on the Southern Serengeti Plains (either during January or February depending upon certain factors) one of the most amazing wildlife spectacles occurs when the largest mass of migrating animals on the planet gives birth. But, let’s back up for a minute to see where it all began.

The annual wildebeest breeding season or ‘rut’ takes place when the migration moves off the plains in May. During a three period around 90% of the mature cows are bred. It is anarchy on the Serengeti Plains during this time with the mass movement of animals combined with the rut. Territorial bulls round up cows and stake out temporary territories in an all out effort to breed with as many females as possible. Rival males fight by bashing heads to gain access to neighboring territories.

Eight and a half months later the cows drop their calves (roughly 400,000 animals) on the open Serengeti plains to the south and east of the park. Unlike most other animals that seek cover when giving birth, pregnant wildebeest gather on the open plains and synchronize their birthing withing a two to three week window. No other herbivore in the Serengeti has such a pronounced birth spike. The goal is perhaps to all at once ‘flood the market’ with hundreds of thousands of new born calves in hopes that the predators can only capture a limited number before becoming satiated.  After about 7 minutes calves can stand and after about two days they can out distance hyenas.

The calving came early this year due to the higher then usual precipitation and the early onset of the rains, which created an abundance of nutritional grazing and standing water (both ideal conditions for nursing mothers).

In some years, such as this season, the calving starts as early as mid January while in drought years we have seen the wildebeest delay the birthing until March when conditions were more favorable. In one year we actually saw the wildebeest giving birth in the Central Serengeti Woodlands (a good 30 miles north of their traditional birthing grounds on the South Serengeti Plains. The wildebeest is an incredibly adaptable animal. It is this quality along with its ability to migrate great distances that makes it the most successful animal in the Serengeti.

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Laurie & Steven Cohen

Trying to summarize our experience, much less select photos, is impossible…I am guessing you have heard this before!

It was just incredible. ADS and its people are incredible – Mathias, Emanuel, and Thompson…all exceptional people. The trip was flawless. I almost don’t want to send this because each time we rewrite it, we get to dwell on it over and over again. There is no better feeling than how we felt at 6:00 am every morning, climbing in to our “traveling home”, opening the windows up and smelling the smell of the bush…nothing will ever compare.

Warmest regards,

Laurie and Steven Cohen
Indian Rocks Beach, Florida
January 2012

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