Quote of the Week: Sal & Thomas LaForgia

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Posted on by Michael

An African safari had been a dream of mine for many years and the ADS adventure far exceeded my wildest expectations… a private custom safari is the only way to go… it definitely proves the paradigm less is more…

Thank you! The picturesque/vastness of the surroundings and its countless inhabitants was unimaginable … the experience to go off road and view from the open top vehicle on the move will never be forgotten. The countless lions and lionesses, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes… I could go on and on. There was no shortage of animals from the moment we touched down in our small aircraft in the Serengeti… ’til the moment we departed. I thought you might like a couple of the pictures/attachments (we took 1254… can you believe) … I.e. Mother good morning kiss to young son… and the youngsters wetting down playfully in the mud… there were too many so I kept it simple hadn’t seen anything like these so here they are…

I’ve been on your ADS Safari distribution mailings and pictures for almost a year… after reading the many great messages, I must say I attribute the complete success of our safari to [our guide]… You matched us perfectly with him… He made my grandson, Thomas a 15 yr old, feel completely relaxed as if he were a long lost friend from the moment we met him at the air strip. [Our guide] never failed to meet any of my grandson’s expectations… they became close buds and often would go off just talking of the animals and the country… He made it a point to ensure his curiosities’ were always satisfied. He was enjoyable to have about us and contributed to much laughter. His knowledge of the animals, their habits and social behavior, the terrain, and skills as a guide never ceased to amaze me. He was uncanny at spotting game we had not even seen with our binoculars… then he would go off road and position us perfectly to observe and photograph them. His extensive and detailed knowledge of the animals and the countryside was amazing. He was great at explaining their behaviors and bringing us into their world. His patience, expertise and gentle humor made him the perfect guide! It was clear that he listened to our special animal interests and never failed to find what we were hoping for… Please say “Hello” to him for us and wish him the happiest of Holidays and a healthy and “Happy New Year”. Thank you…

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the ADS staff and your planning of our entire adventure… from the schedule to the selection of our lodging… it was just superb as were the staffs and service at each facility. The food and wine likewise surprised me and far exceeded my expectations… we were always treated like royalty. Thank you.

So many people have asked me, since I’ve returned, about my trip to Africa. I encourage them not to wait too long to take a safari and especially an ADS safari. Thank you again for facilitating my grandson’s and my ADS…

Sal & Thomas LaForgia
July 2009

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Quote of the Week: Thomas and Sal LaForgia

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Posted on by Michael

An African safari had been a dream of mine for many years and the ADS adventure far exceeded my wildest expectations… a private custom safari is the only way to go… it definitely proves the paradigm less is more. Thank you! The picturesque/vastness of the surroundings and its countless inhabitants was unimaginable … the experience to view from the open top vehicle on the move will never be forgotten. The countless lions and lionesses, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes… I could go on and on. […] I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the ADS staff and your planning of our entire adventure… from the schedule to the selection of our lodging… it was just superb as were the staffs and service at each facility. The food and wine likewise surprised me and far exceeded my expectations… we were always treated like royalty. Thank you.

Thomas and Sal LaForgia
July 2009

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July 23, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Michael

We have some exciting news from the bush today! The first sizeable herds of wildebeest were seen crossing the Mara River yesterday in the North Serengeti a few miles from the Kogatende ranger post. A few of our lucky clients out on african safari tours were absolutely delighted and we hear the crocodiles were equally thrilled. It’s always a magical moment every year when the first big herd of wildebeest launch themselves into the Mara River. There is no doubt now that we are in for an exciting and extended period of river crossings over the next several months as the bulk of the migration is still 60 miles to the southwest in the Western Serengeti and Grumeti Game Reserve as described in our postings below on July 20th and July 13th.

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July 20, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Michael

The wildebeest migration continues to be dispersed in 3 main groups. The two smaller groups are located in the Northern Serengeti (specifically with one group just north of Bologonja Springs and the other in the Lamai Triangle). The third and largest group is still stagnated in the Western Serengeti (mainly north of the Grumeti River from the Ruwana Plains into the Grumeti Game Reserve). Our colleagues in the Masai Mara are reporting only a few widely scattered herds of wildebeest. Our guides reported in today that the Western Serengeti is beginning to dry out while the Northern Serengeti has received a few thundershowers and is relatively green. Accordingly, we anticipate this large and final herd that has stalled in the Western Corridor of the park to begin moving north again towards the Mara River and the Lamai Triangle. Meanwhile our guests out on african safaris so far in July have been enjoying river crossings of both the Grumeti River in the West Serengeti and the Mara River in the North Serengeti, which is a very unusual phenomenon.

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July 13, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Michael

Last week was an exciting week here in the Serengeti with the arrival of the President of Tanzania, Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. It was even more exciting for one of our groups on tanzania safari who were able to meet the president as they happened to be at the Seronera airstrip when he first arrived. This group concluded their seven day safari in the Serengeti with spotting 5 leopards, 7 cheetahs, 62 lions, the wildebeest crossing the Grumeti River and meeting the President of Tanzania. Now that is going to be a tough safari to beat!

The President of Tanzania was in the Serengeti to celebrate the grand opening of Bilila Lodge, a new 5-star lodge just completed in the northern woodlands of the Central Serengeti. At the hotel’s inauguration, the president said “I have a deep seated love for the Serengeti and Bilila Lodge completes the ultimate Serengeti experience in terms of luxury and comfort…the opening of this lodge adds another dimension to the Serengeti, already the most famous national park in the world. As you may know, in 2006 the Serengeti National Park was voted one of the seven new wonders of the world.”

Now back to wildlife news…this year’s unusual northward migration pattern continues with the migratory wildebeest and zebra herds still fragmented in a dozen or more main herds throughout the Serengeti. The biggest and most reliable sightings so far this dry season have come from the western corridor of the park. The large herds in the Musabi Plains reported in our last positing on June 24th have continued their westward march, which culminated in several crossings of the Grumeti River last week. Tens of thousands of wildebeest are currently dispersed north of the Grumeti River in the western corridor with significant concentrations in the Ruwana plains.

Smaller herds of wildebeest have also recently been spotted throughout the Northern Serengeti with the biggest concentration just north of Bologonja Springs. The Mara River and Lamai Triangle area remain relatively quiet. By this time last year (as well as the 2007 northward migration), we had already witnessed several crossings of the Mara River into the Lamai Triangle. This year a significant portion of the migration is still 60 miles to the southwest crossing the Grumeti River in the Western Serengeti. All of us here at African Dream Safaris (along with the crocs of course) are eagerly awaiting the first significant crossing of the Mara River, which marks the culmination of the Northward Migration and the beginning of the main dry season period.

The typical dry season fires are now setting in throughout the Serengeti. The weather has been dry and warm though hopefully there will be a few scattered showers to generate new grass growth especially in the Northern Serengeti, which is the main dry season refuge for the wildebeest and zebra herds. The Central Serengeti remains better then usual for big cat (lion, cheetah and leopard) viewing. Though the wildebeest herds have long departed the Central Serengeti, there are still quite a few zebras around, which are keeping the large resident lion prides happily hunting along the water courses of Seronera. Two new lion cubs were spotted last week at Sametu Marsh. Our guide commented that he had never seen such young cubs before (estimated to be only a couple days old). Their eyes were still closed and both cubs were unable to walk more then a few feet without stumbling! The Sametu lion pride is well habituated to tourists. Also on the cat front, we are receiving consistent leopard sightings at Lobo Springs in the Northern Serengeti. Lastly, there have been several reports of unusually large groups of elephants near Wogakuria numbering over 200 individuals.

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June 24, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Michael

Several of our driver guides reported in today with exciting news on the wildebeest migration. Enormous herds of wildebeest along with some smaller herds of zebra have flooded onto the Musabi Plains in the Western Corridor of the Serengeti. The Musabi plains have been unusually quiet during this year’s northward migration season. These plains are typically packed full of all 3 migratory species (wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle) throughout May and June but this year’s unusual rainfall pattern has really disrupted the typical migratory routes. We also continue to receive reports of large groups of wildebeest being spotted in the Northern Serengeti and specifically in the Lobo River Valley. We are eagerly anticipating the first wave of wildebeest to begin crossing the Mara River in the far reaches of the Northern Serengeti of the great African Safaris. And, no doubt the Mara River crocs share the same sentiment. All of us here at African Dream Safaris are looking forward to our July trips and the beginning of the core of the dry season as the northward migration season is now coming to a close.

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Quote of the Week: The Lyman Family

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Posted on by Michael

Many thanks to you and the staff both in the United States and Tanzania for our dream-come-true vacation! We have so many memories, stories to tell and photos! Every detail was perfect. The lodges were beautiful, the food was more than delicious and our driver/guide was top notch! He was so knowledgeable about the animals, the plants and the terrain. He could spot animals as well as an eagle! It was great seeing lions every day since they are my favorite! We also saw a hyena make a kill, we saw a lioness with 4 cubs playing, and a pride of lions lying around digesting the wildebeest they had just eaten while jackals enjoyed the leftovers. We saw a herd of 37 (yes 37) giraffes! We saw a serval! We saw soooo many animals, more than I can list! Tanzania is beautiful and the people of Tanzania are so friendly! Thank you again for our trip of a life time!

The Lyman Family
June 2009

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Quote of the Week: Don Reichert

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Posted on by Michael

It was a real pleasure dealing with a company who knows that customer service does not stop when the check clears, but actually just begins.

It is an understatement to say we had an amazing 10 day safari. Our guide had to be ADS’s best and made us feel comfortable and welcome from the moment we met him. He was very enjoyable to be around and was an expert at spotting game we had not even seen with our binoculars. His knowledge of the animals (and birds), their habits and characteristics was simply amazing. The lodging throughout the safari exceeded our expectations. Every place we stayed had great food, cold beer, and great rooms (even the tented lodges). Every lodge had a wonderful staff and we were treated like royalty. The game drives and animal experiences are really hard to fully explain to those who have not experienced it. The magnitude of the great migration, lions basking on a kopje, cheetahs, lions or hyenas feeding on a fresh kill and herds of elephants so close you could almost touch them. Even the pleasant weather and beautiful scenery was more than we could have imagined.

Africa Dream Safaris really took care of us from the time we stepped off the plane until the time we stepped back on. They are truly a first class organization! We went into the trip thinking it would be a once in a lifetime experience but are now looking forward to our next experience with Tanzania and Africa Dream Safaris.

Don Reichert
June 2009

**Bonus Feature!**
This short video, comprised by Peter and Jody Arebalo, represents some wonderful highlights from their safari in May:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4so93gP4mFk

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Quote of the Week: Jayne Carson

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Posted on by Michael

Jambo! I do not know where to start or how to express just how fabulous our safari was. Our disappointment was that it came to an end!! Thank goodness we booked with Africa Dream Safaris. [Our ADS rep’s] combination of professionalism, friendliness and knowledge was the reason for our fortuitous choice. Our time in Tanzania exceeded all our expectations and I believe we had set our hopes for a fantasy safari pretty high. […] The itinerary was perfect for the amount of time we had to work with but there is no way it would have been as great without our guide. I do believe that a guide will make or break a trip like this and I cannot imagine anyone working as hard or as cheerfully as [our guide]. We came upon a couple of other ADS vehicles and they seemed to be having a great time too, unlike some others that we talked with […] Thank you once again and we will definitely be contacting you for another future Tanzania adventure.

Jayne Carson
June 2009

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June 18, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Michael

As promised in our last posting on June 15th, we would provide further details on the migration as our June safaris return back to Arusha and our driver guides report back. Special thanks to Don Vermillion who just finished his 4th Tanzania Safari with Africa Dream Safaris and his guide Peter Meena for reporting in. They covered some remote areas of the Serengeti on this latest adventure and without further delay, here is the scoop!

The migration remains splintered into at least 4 or more main groups as the wildebeest and zebra continue to make their way north towards the North Serengeti and the Mara watershed area including the Lamai Triangle. Two large groups of wildebeest were spotted in the Western Corridor with the larger group of wildebeest near the western park gate (west of Kirawira Camp) and the 2nd group (consisting of both wildebeest and zebra) being located north of the Grumeti River very close to the border between the Serengeti and Grumeti Game Reserve. A 3rd group of mainly wildebeest was spotted just south of Makoma Hill in the Central Serengeti and a 4th group of mainly zebra was seen dispersing through the Simba Kopjes area.

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Quote of the Week: Stephanie Kahle

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Posted on by Michael

Getting back to work and acclimating back to this time have left us with little time in the pm to email you back. We had a wonderful time on our trip. We couldn’t believe how many animals we saw in just the first 2 days! Ryan, my 9 year old, said while grinning from ear to ear in the jeep that he would “recommend this trip to anyone”. We saw everything we had hoped to see and more. We were shocked at how close the animals would be to the jeep. All of the accommodations were excellent. The change to Mbalageti was a surprise, but it was a really neat place. I almost wish we would have had another day there. The service everywhere was excellent, especially the private camp.

We really enjoyed [our guide]. He has great enthusiasm and experience. He was very eager to show and teach us as much as possible. I did want to let you know that I think it was such a great idea that ADS sent him to the USA. He is still just so excited about his experience and feels it gives him a better appreciation for why people come to Tanzania. Also, I wanted to let you know that Jonas, at the private campsite, is absolutely wonderful. He is attentive, hard-working, eager and friendly. He will be an asset to your company. There were no disappointments on our trip. It met and exceeded our expectations. We will definitely send some photos and a comment on the website, but it may take us a few weeks!

Oh, the only thing I will comment on is our visit with Daniel about the Iraqw. He is a very pleasant and knowledgeable man, but his presentation is quite long. It was interesting, but after a long ride in the jeep, a 2 hour talk can be a bit too much. I would kindly ask him to develop a standard 45 minute presentation, and then allow people to ask him questions if they would like more details. This would put his tour at about 1 hour, which seems more appropriate. Thanks again!

Stephanie Kahle
June 2009

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June 15, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Michael

The dry season has finally taken hold of the Serengeti. The famous southern plains, which only a few weeks back were green and filled with game, are now virtually empty except for Grant’s gazelle, warthog and ostrich. Our attention now shifts north to the beautiful western and northern woodlands of the Serengeti where we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the migration. The zebra herds have arrived in full force with large groups being spotted throughout the western corridor. However, it’s the large herds of wildebeest that are proving difficult to track at the moment. In fact, we recently took a scenic/survey flight over parts of the Serengeti (it would take several flights to cover the majority of the ecosystem and that is simply beyond our budget) and we only spotted some scattered herds. It appears that many of the wildebeest may be moving directly north without going through the Western Corridor this year. It has certainly been the strangest northward migration season that any of us here at African Dream Safaris can remember. We have several groups out on lengthy african safaris at the moment in the far reaches of the Serengeti so stay tuned for more updates on the migration as our driver-guides report back.

Meanwhile, wildlife viewing for resident game continues to be fantastic with Seronera Valley and the Central Serengeti continuing to steal the show. Also, the eastern fringes of the Central Serengeti at Maasai Kopjes and Sametu Kopjes continue to deliver consistent cheetah and lion action. In fact, yesterday one of our groups witnessed a mother cheetah and her four 14 month old (estimated) hunt and successfully kill an adult reedbuck at the swamp bordering the southern side of Maasai Kopjes. Also, last week our guests witnessed several hunting attempts by the Sametu pride right at the marsh in front of Sametu Kopjes. We are seeing typical lion behavior now as the dry season sets in with many of the lion prides waiting in ambush at their favorite watering holes, rivers and marshes.

A new documentary on the Serengeti debuted this week on the Discovery channel entitled Natures Most Amazing Events – Surviving the Serengeti. Make sure to set your DVR’s! It’s a great documentary filmed mainly at Ndutu in the South Serengeti and features Ndutu’s resident lion pride as well as the famous cheetah Eleanor and her six cubs. Eleanor was featured in our first Serengeti Cheetah Report that was emailed out this week.

We are delighted to announce the promotion of Sharon Lyon to Vice President of Sales here at Africa Dream Safaris. Sharon, affectionately known as the lion lady or mama simba has bee a valued member of the ADS team for over 4 years. Her commitment to ADS, and most importantly, her commitment to each of the over 500 guests that she has helped send on their dream safaris has been unsurpassed. Sharon has been on over 35 trips to Africa with one safari in the Serengeti lasting for 60 consecutive days. Now that is certainly a level of experience you won’t find anywhere else. Special thanks to Tara and Joe Parker who just returned from their African Safari and sent in this incredible shot of a black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater.

Black Rhino - Ngorongoro Crater
Black Rhino - Ngorongoro Crater
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Quote of the Week: Jayne Carson

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Posted on by Michael

Jambo! I do not know where to start or how to express just how fabulous our safari was. Our disappointment was that it came to an end!! Thank goodness we booked with Africa Dream Safaris. [Our ADS rep’s] combination of professionalism, friendliness and knowledge was the reason for our fortuitous choice. Our time in Tanzania exceeded all our expectations and I believe we had set our hopes for a fantasy safari pretty high. […] The itinerary was perfect for the amount of time we had to work with but there is no way it would have been as great without our guide. I do believe that a guide will make or break a trip like this and I cannot imagine anyone working as hard or as cheerfully as [our guide]. We came upon a couple of other ADS vehicles and they seemed to be having a great time too, unlike some others that we talked with […] Thank you once again and we will definitely be contacting you for another future Tanzania adventure.

Jayne Carson
June 2009

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Quote of the Week: Don Reichert

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Posted on by Michael

A trip to Africa had long been on my ‘Bucket List’ and a dream of mine but there was never anyone who could or would go with me. Little did I know that my wife, two sons and Africa Dream Safaris (ADS) planned the trip of a lifetime for me and my two sons for my 70th birthday. ADS had prepared us for every detail before we arrived in Africa with not only their outstanding website information but also personal interaction. We arrived at Kilimanjaro WITHOUT my bag as it stayed over in Amsterdam for an extra day. However, ADS didn’t leave me stranded and went out of their way and made this issue a priority until they had gotten my bag from the airport and delivered it to me out in the Serengeti. It was a real pleasure dealing with a company who knows that customer service does not stop when the check clears, but actually just begins.

It is an understatement to say we had an amazing 10 day safari. Our guide had to be ADS’s best and made us feel comfortable and welcome from the moment we met him. He was very enjoyable to be around and was an expert at spotting game we had not even seen with our binoculars. His knowledge of the animals (and birds), their habits and characteristics was simply amazing. The lodging throughout the safari exceeded our expectations. Every place we stayed had great food, cold beer, and great rooms (even the tented lodges). Every lodge had a wonderful staff and we were treated like royalty. The game drives and animal experiences are really hard to fully explain to those who have not experienced it. The magnitude of the great migration, lions basking on a kopje, cheetahs, lions or hyenas feeding on a fresh kill and herds of elephants so close you could almost touch them. Even the pleasant weather and beautiful scenery was more than we could have imagined.

Africa Dream Safaris really took care of us from the time we stepped off the plane until the time we stepped back on. They are truly a first class organization! We went into the trip thinking it would be a once in a lifetime experience but are now looking forward to our next experience with Tanzania and Africa Dream Safaris.

Don Reichert
June 2009

The 4 sequential photos document the story of a pride of lions hunting their prey, from stalk to feast.  A haunting illustration of the triumph and tragedy that must coexist out here on the Serengeti Plains.

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June 2, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

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Posted on by Michael

A picture is indeed worth a 1000 words. And in this case, 7 lone zebra in the midst of 10,000 plus wildebeest. A special thanks to Julia Eakes and Harriett McCorkle who took this great shot on their African Safari. This photo was taken on May 28, 2009 on the five hills track, just a couple miles north of Simba Kopjes in the Central Serengeti. You can see Oldonoyo Rongai Hill way off to the west, which is a famous landmark in the Serengeti that is used for navigating when off-road driving the Serengeti plains.

Five Hills Track - Central Serengeti - May 28th
Five Hills Track - Central Serengeti - May 28th
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