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Quote of the Week: Stephanie Kahle

June 17, 2009June 6, 2017 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

June 15, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

June 15, 2009June 6, 2017 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

Quote of the Week: Jayne Carson

June 15, 2009June 6, 2017 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

Quote of the Week: Don Reichert

June 10, 2009June 6, 2017 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.

June 2, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

June 2, 2009June 6, 2017 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

Quote of the Week: Julie Eakes and Ray McCorkle

May 30, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

We would like to thank you for all your help in making our trip to Tanzania a trip of a lifetime. From the moment we got off the plane and met Jane at the airport Africa Dream Safaris has shown us the utmost in professionalism. Every aspect of our trip was overseen and taken care of at all times. [Our guide] was knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating and a true gentleman. When the Migration was delayed getting to the western Serengeti [our guide] was kind enough to drive us to the central Serengeti which was a very long day for him. I am sure other tour companies would not have gone that literal “extra mile”. We had very high expectations for our trip and you blew them all out of the water. Every night we went to bed thinking “OK it can’t get any better than this” then the next day it would. [Our guide] was so quick to stop every time I wanted to take a picture. Please feel free to use any of my pictures on your website. His ability to spot animals was amazing. We all had moments of laughter that brought us to tears. Trying to teach him to say ‘y’all’ as we do here in the south was just one of them. Asante sana!

Julie Eakes and Ray McCorkle
May 2009

May 26, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

May 26, 2009June 23, 2017 by Michael

The unusually dense herds of migratory wildebeest and zebra that had flooded into the heart of the Seronera River Valley as discussed in our last posting have splintered into several groups now. The biggest group is currently located around the Hembe Campsites at the beginning of the Western Corridor of the Serengeti approximately 5 kms to the east of the famous Musabi Plains. This herd is quickly moving west down the Corridor and we anticipate there will be some great migration sightings in the Musabi Plains in the days to come.

In addition to this aforementioned herd entering the Western Corridor, large herds of migratory wildebeest still remain throughout the Central Serengeti making Seronera Valley the current # 1 wildlife viewing destination for all our African Safaris in Tanzania. Our guests out on safari at the moment in Seronera are being delighted with not only great migration sightings but also with regular sightings of Seronera’s big cats. Several safaris out yesterday had nice experiences with all 3 species: lion, leopard and cheetah!

Migration sightings including both zebra and wildebeest have been recorded in the Central Serengeti at the base of Oldoinyo Rongai (near the Prince Charles campsites) and in the woodlands between Kubukubu and Retina Hippo Pool. We also have reports of scattered herds still stubbornly clinging to the edge of the Southern Plains around Kusini Camp and the Simiyu/Soito Kopjes. Furthermore, one of our safaris yesterday spotted another large herd of wildebeest in the Tagora Plains just northwest of Mbuzi Mawe Camp where the new Bilila Lodge is located. Today this same herd was spotted moving further north towards Lobo Valley.

It’s quite unusual to have the migration so dispersed at the end of May with herds scattered all the way from Kusini in the South to almost Lobo in the North while the traditional May ranging areas around Grumeti, Kirawira and Mbalageti in the Western Serengeti remain strangely empty. Despite the absence of the migratory wildebeest and zebra, the Western Serengeti is still delivering great game viewing for resident animals including elephant, giraffe and hippo.

Special thanks to our very own Lynn Newby-Fraser who took this fantastic migration shot in the Seronera Valley on May 16th.

Wildebeest Migration - Seronera Valley - May 13, 2009 — Wildebeest Migration - Seronera Valley - May 16, 2009

Quote of the Week: Peddamatham Family

Family Vacations

May 20, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

It goes without saying that our Safari trip to Tanzania was one of a kind. Even if one has watched National Geographic Videos about wildlife it can’t be compared to our up close and personal rendezvous with animals in the wild. It was almost surreal to watch these animals at play, napping, planning their next move, gorging on fresh kill in a setting that defies description. When the lion or lioness stares back at you, one feels that we are the caged ones and the tables are turned on us! […] It was indeed the greatest spectacle on earth and our lives are forever changed. We thank every one involved at ADS for this unforgettable experience and trip of a life time. ADS receives our highest recommendation for a Wildlife safari. I can’t wait to go back there someday.

Peddamatham family
May 2009

Quote of the Week: Susan and Andy Roth

May 19, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

Since an African safari had been our dream vacation for years, we were concerned that it couldn’t possibly live up to our expectations. To our delight it didn’t – it far exceeded them. From the moment we arrived, everyone on the ADS team did their part to make our trip an incredible, enjoyable adventure. [Our guide] was truly remarkable – he could spot animals that we could barely see even with binoculars, then he would 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, then put is in a great spot to watch. At the end of every day we teased him that there was no way he could top what we had seen, but somehow the next day always brought something wonderful – a large herd of giraffes striking beautiful poses against a storm darkened sky, the unbelievable scale, movement and noise of the migration, lion cubs playing within feet of our LandCruiser, hyenas stalking a wildebeest toward an ambush (fortunately for the wildebeest it was a failed attempt), zebra sentries guarding against a lurking cheetah, a charging elephant (at another elephant, not us, thank goodness) […]

I could go on much longer than you would probably like to read, but in short, thanks again to all that you and the ADS team did to make this the vacation of a lifetime (although we definitely want a return engagement!) You all made us feel so special and brought true meaning to the phrase ‘custom vacation’.

Susan and Andy Roth
May 2009

Quote of the Week: Marvin and Theresa Hall

May 18, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

We had been planning and anticipating our trip to Tanzania for an entire year. We had read guidebooks and web pages (there is none better than that of ADS). Certainly the trip was beyond all expectations and more than we could have imagined. So many people have asked me, since I returned, about my trip to Africa. It seems the epitome of understatment when I respond, ‘Simply Amazing.’ Words are inadequate to explain it.

I admit that even I was somewhat intimidated about traveling to Africa, but from the time that we arrived -and before, until we returned home we were made to feel supremely comfortable. I cannot imagine a better guide. Our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable – not just about the animals and plants, but geography, history, weather, etc. He was friendly, had a great sense of humor, was an expert driver and spotter, always professional, and he did everything imaginable to make our trip special. He worked hard for our benefit but always seemed to be having a good time too. (Please give him our regards.) Our lodging and dining at Arumeru, Kirawira, Private camp in Seronera, and Ngorongoro Sopa were really all spectacular. Ndeke and the crew at the private camp were all warm special people, John’s food was some of the best of the trip. Thank you for suggesting that we spend our “extra” night at the private camp. We were well taken care of. How wonderful and peaceful to end the day by a fire with good food and a glass of wine, listen to the hyenas as you go to sleep, and arise in the morning with a giraffe visible in the distance.

What can I say about the animals? It really is impossible to fully explain to those who have not experienced it. The magnitude of the great migration, lion cubs playfully frolicking on a koppe, and nature at its most raw as a lion pride or hyenas feed on a fresh kill. Even the scenery was more than we could have imagined. The endless vistas of the plains, incredible sunsets, stormclouds in the distance, and rainbows nearly every afternoon.

I know that this was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime, but I sincerely hope it was the first of many. Thank you to you and all of the ADS crew.

Marvin and Theresa Hall
May 2009

Quote of the Week: Gary and LuAnn Brown

May 15, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

After 30 years of dreaming and nearly a year preparing, we had our dreams realized thanks to Africa Dream Safaris. Our accommodations were quite varied and each was wonderful in its own way. Our private luxury camp had to be moved at the last minute because of damage to trees from some elephants and we would have never known it. Everything was perfect when we arrived and we were very spoiled by the staff.

We went on this safari to see the animals we love and came back loving the people of Tanzania just as much. We found them to be happy, warm and welcoming. A few staff members at Kirawira Tented Lodge heard that it was LuAnn’s birthday; about 10 staff members surprised us both by delivering a cake to her in the dining room, complete with singing. This is one birthday that she will remember fondly.

It was very reassuring knowing that the ADS staff was there to take good care of us. [The meet and greet staff] did a great job briefing and debriefing us. […Our driver guide] was experienced, intuitive, patient and knowledgeable. We were surprised at the variety and amounts of animals that we were able to see, from the hundreds of wildebeest to the shy leopards and rare black rhinos. We went places that other tours never saw and at times would go for hours/days without seeing another safari vehicle. We felt very lucky to have chosen ADS.

We had a marvelous balloon ride over the central Serengeti, enjoyed informative tours of a fishing village on Lake Victoria, and a medical clinic near Karatu, Tanzania and marveled at the artifacts displayed at the Olduvai museum. Thanks to ADS, this will forever be our favorite vacation.

Gary and LuAnn Brown
May 2009

May 15, 2009

AFRICAN WILDLIFE

May 15, 2009June 23, 2017 by Michael

How do over a million wildebeest go missing? This was the million dollar question being asked by many guests on their African Safaris in the Serengeti National Park for the first half of this week. The massive herds of wildebeest and zebra that had besieged the Moru Kopjes area (referred to as the ‘Moru Crush’) in our last post, departed just as quickly as they had arrived. Then, yesterday when all the tour companies were scrambling to locate the migration it was our very own African Dream Safaris guide (Reginald Matemu) who spotted dust plumes on the backside of Makoma Hill. This is the western side of Makoma Hill that faces away from the main tourist routes in Seronera. And sure enough after traversing to the back side of Makoma Hill, he discovered a plain completely choked black with wildebeest that lay completely hidden from the main tourist routes.

Last night this massive herd made its way around the base of Makoma Hill and flooded out onto to the Makoma Plain. This morning large herds of wildebeest streamed to the Seronera River. One of our senior guides commented that he had never seen such a huge herd of wildebeest in Seronera before. Incredible! All day long wildebeest continued to poor across the Makoma plain on their way to drink at the Seronera River. One of our guests out on safari waited for 42 minutes (yes…he timed it with his stopwatch) while a continuous column of wildebeest crossed the road in front of their vehicle enroot to the Seronera River.

Dozens of hunting attempts (only one successful one was reported) were seen all day long along the Seronerea River by the large prides of lions that inhabit the western edge of the Seronera Valley including the Makoma pride. One of our Africa Dream Safaris guides screeched in excitement over the radio: ‘these lions are hunting like crazy’! Even our seasoned safari guides still get overwhelmed with excitement at times and loose their ‘cool’.

On another interesting note, we had a group out on safari spot 6 cheetahs today (in 3 different groupings) at the Gol Kopjes on just a 2-hour game drive enroot from the Serengeti to the Ngorongoro Crater. Tens of thousands of both Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles have moved into the Gol Kopjes area and the East Serengeti in the wake of the wildebeest of and zebra herds moving off (called successional grazing).

The northward migration is accelerating quickly and we anticipate the herds to push into the Western Corridor of the Serengeti shortly. We will likely start seeing significant herds of wildebeest start appearing in the Musabi Plains (the first open plain in the West) in about a week before moving down the corridor. The entire Western Serengeti is green and lush at the moment as there have been good rains in this area all throughout the green season. This will no doubt attract the migration here shortly as Seronera and the Central Serengeti begin drying out. Seronera is still a bit green at the moment and we had some brief thundershowers last night so scattered herds of wildebeest will likely remain in the valley for quite some time after the core of the migration moves west. Safari Njema!

Quote of the Week: Susan and Andy Roth

May 14, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

Since an African safari had been our dream vacation for years, we were concerned that it couldn’t possibly live up to our expectations. To our delight it didn’t – it far exceeded them. From the moment we arrived, everyone on the ADS team did their part to make our trip an incredible, enjoyable adventure. [Our guide] was truly remarkable – he could spot animals that we could barely see even with binoculars, then he would 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, then put is in a great spot to watch. At the end of every day we teased him that there was no way he could top what we had seen, but somehow the next day always brought something wonderful – a large herd of giraffes striking beautiful poses against a storm darkened sky, the unbelievable scale, movement and noise of the migration, lion cubs playing within feet of our LandCruiser, hyenas stalking a wildebeest toward an ambush (fortunately for the wildebeest it was a failed attempt), zebra sentries guarding against a lurking cheetah, a charging elephant (at another elephant, not us, thank goodness) …

It was also so nice to come “home” to such great accommodations after our day out with the animals. While the lodges were beautiful and comfortable, our very favorite was the private camp. The guys did such a terrific job taking care of us we felt guilty calling it camping! Hot showers that smelled faintly of smoke, a nice glass of wine by the campfire, and charming conversation with the incredibly thoughtful and kind Ndeke. We all agreed that John’s food, cooked over a wood fire with your basic “Boy Scout” type cookware, was unbelievably delicious. It was far and away the best food we had on our entire trip, including that at some pretty upscale restaurants in Amsterdam which we used a stopover on our way to Tanzania. He is such a talented cook!

We honestly can’t think of how the trip could have been any better, and have become huge supporters of the Tanzanian people, who could not have been nicer or more welcoming. Our visit to the Masai village was both interesting and fun. We enjoyed having the chance to really see and hear how they live, and appreciated their candor and willingness to answer our many questions.

I could go on much longer than you would probably like to read, but in short, thanks again to all that you and the ADS team did to make this the vacation of a lifetime (although we definitely want a return engagement!) You all made us feel so special and brought true meaning to the phrase ‘custom vacation’.

Susan and Andy Roth
May 2009

Quote of the Week: Usha, Kumar and Sumanth Peddamatham

May 12, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

It goes without saying that our Safari trip to Tanzania was one of a kind. Even if one has watched National Geographic Videos about wildlife it can’t be compared to our up -close and personal rendezvous with animals in the wild. It was almost surreal to watch these animals at play, napping, planning their next move, gorging on fresh kill in a setting that defies description. When the lion or lioness stares back at you, one feels that we are the caged ones and the tables are turned on us! Our non stop encounters with wildlife were made possible only because of the meticulous attention paid to details by ADS. The greeting staff at Arusha, drivers, the lodges, everything was so perfect it almost feels like one is exaggerating […] It was indeed the greatest spectacle on earth and our lives are forever changed. We thank everyone involved at ADS for this unforgettable experience and trip of a lifetime. ADS receives our highest recommendation for a wildlife safari. I can’t wait to go back there some day.

Usha, Kumar and Sumanth Peddamatham
May 2009

Quote of the Week: Marvin and Theresa Hall

May 10, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

We had been planning and anticipating our trip to Tanzania for an entire year. We had read guidebooks and web pages (there is none better than that of ADS). Certainly the trip was beyond all expectations and more than we could have imagined. So many people have asked me, since I returned, about my trip to Africa. It seems the epitome of understatement when I respond, ‘Simply Amazing.’ Words are inadequate to explain it. […] It really is impossible to fully explain to those who have not experienced it. The magnitude of the great migration, lion cubs playfully frolicking on a kopje, and nature at its most raw as a lion pride or hyenas feed on a fresh kill. Even the scenery was more than we could have imagined. The endless vistas of the plains, incredible sunsets, storm clouds in the distance, and rainbows nearly every afternoon. I know that this was supposed to be a trip of a lifetime, but I sincerely hope it was the first of many. Thank you to you and all of the ADS crew.

Marvin and Theresa Hall
May 2009