Quote of the Week: Ann Eilert

How can one do justice to such a trip by summarizing in a paragraph or two the genuine warmth and kindness of the Tanzanian people, the amazing beauty of the richly filled woodlands, the expanse of the seemingly endless grassy plane, or the raw beauty of nature as it takes its sometimes cruel, often uplifting, but ever inspiring course in the lives of the animals that thrive there? I knew visiting such a place as Tanzania would be a rich and rewarding experience even before we went, but today I am simply in awe of the amazingly spectacular sights, sounds, and deeply rooted emotions that we experienced. […]

Having now lived overseas as an educator for nearly 20 years, and having traveled extensively in Europe, as well as throughout parts of Asia, Africa (Egypt & Kenya), and New Zealand, I definitely expected this trip to be “pretty great” – but I can now say in all honesty and without any reservation that this trip by far exceeded any travel experience I have ever had in the past– bar none! It really was a dream-come-true. Thank you, ADS, for taking all of us on a true “trip of a lifetime!” I, for one, cannot thank you enough!

Ann Eilert
August 2008

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Safari to Tanzania – July and August 2008

I’m back! Back from my most recent research safari in Tanzania. And what a fantastic journey it has been! Of course each research safari to Tanzania has the traditional “work stuff” one might expect with work related travel, such as inspecting properties, meeting with property managers, taking notes, etc. But it is also an opportunity to reconnect with the wilderness that fuels my passion for this incredible country and my desire to share it with other people. I always come back from Tanzania brimming with new stories and images that I could never have conjured up on my own, chatting away about it all non-stop to anyone willing to listen! On that happy note, I’ve included a few brief highlights of my trip below to share with you! My first stop in Tanzania was none other than the magnificent Serengeti. I could barely contain my excitement as our plane descended through the cloud cover that separated the views of the blue sky above from the magnificent wilderness below. As we descended through the clouds the ground opened up beneath us, and I could see long columns of wildebeest threading their way through the varied patchwork of trees and plains below that make up the Northern extension. The aircraft soared low, banking right over the Mara River which contained a large group of hippos, the tops of their wet bodies glinting in the morning sunlight. After the plane landed I stepped out and inhaled the smell of earth and grass. There was a familiar comfort that enveloped me immediately, like coming home.  In spite of it being the “dry season”, the landscape was still quite green here in the North Serengeti. We started our first game drive immediately, and right from the beginning it was non-stop action! As our vehicle meandered through the woodlands, large herds of impala exploded like tawny fireworks from hidden thickets and handfuls of wildebeest galloped past us on their way to join the big group near the river. Within 10 minutes of landing we were greeted by a massive bull elephant on the far bank of the Mara river, as well as a myriad of other animals including giraffe, hippo, and crocodile.    Eventually our guide pointed out a large cloud of dust on the distant horizon… “the herd is on the move” we heard him say, and within the sentence we were down the road at top speed. An endless stream of wildebeest started crossing the Mara river and we were right in the middle of it!   The scene that played out before us was simply astonishing. Thousands upon thousands of animals plunged their bodies into the river, fighting through the river current, and each other, in a desperate attempt to reach the other side before crocodiles arrived. It was almost like each wildebeest had temporarily ceased being an individual and instead had joined forces with a single living mass of pure energy that poured itself across the river. The sound of chaotic bleating, the vibration of the thundering hooves, and the haze of choking dust overwhelmed the senses. Amazingly, a second stream of animals broke away from the masses behind us and started to pour into the river on the opposite side of our vehicle. We were truly surrounded now! It seemed like hours, but the whole event was probably over within 30 minutes. It was something I will never forget. During the crossing we saw a giant crocodile take down one of the wildebeest! This crocodile looked like an unearthly monster, he was so grotesquely huge in size. He latched onto the wildebeest with his enormous jaws, and over the course of a full hour we watched the two animals embraced in a life and death struggle. Just when we were sure the crocodile had triumphed over his prey, he settled into a complacent grip. The wildebeest gained footing on the riverbed and surged to freedom. However, the poor animal was so badly injured that I doubt he could have survived. We left the scene emotionally drained, quietly acknowledging that we must accept Mother Nature in her entirety, even though at times she seems as harsh as she is beautiful.  The rest of the trip was no less spectacular.  In addition to visiting the magnificent Serengeti we also visited the Ngorongoro Crater, LakeManyara, and Tarangire. I could go on and on about all the wildlife sightings, but I’ll condense it to a few safari highlights which include spotting a leopard less than 10 meters away from the vehicle, witnessing 2 cheetah brothers defending a kill against a second coalition of 3 cheetah brothers, watching elephants drinking and playing in the river, listening to lions roaring in the night, seeing hippos fight, watching lion cubs play, and observing a “giraffe nursery” of young giraffe being guarded by a single giraffe “babysitter”. On one occasion we watched breathless as a pride of lions stalked a herd of topi that were coming to drink at a nearby waterhole, although the topi caught wind of the lions just in time and ran away before the hunt could begin. We also had the opportunity to watch a leopard stalking an impala; although this hunt was also unsuccessful it was still a joy to watch this supple cat in action. In total we saw 111 lions, 4 leopards, 16 cheetahs, and a rhino. We also saw countless elephants, gazelle, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, hyenas, birds, jackals, crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, monkeys and other animals. Whew!

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Quote of the Week: Jeff and Ginger Smith

I work in the motion picture industry here in the states. So it is fitting for me to describe it in those terms. Imagine a movie… the best movie you have ever seen. One that is not only an Adventure film, but a comedy, romance, documentary and dramatic film all wrapped into one. Now imagine the location for that movie being Tanzania and we are the Stars. We are taken to all of the best places, lodged in incredible surroundings, fed exotic foods, introduced to interesting people and treated like celebrities. The producer of this film… African Dreams Safaris.

Jeff and Ginger Smith
August 2008

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Quote of the Week: Gina McKenzie, Doug and Carol Williams

WOW! What can you say about the trip of a lifetime? Africa Dream Safaris made it happen for us! From our arrival in Arusha to our reluctant departure eleven days later, each day was filled with the most incredible experiences. By the end of day one, we were privileged to witness not one but two wildebeest crossings at the Mara River. We really thought to ourselves, “what more can there be?” But each day was better than the last – two more river crossings, all the wonderful animals in huge numbers and usually up close and personal, a glimpse into their behavior and the life and death struggles that happen daily. […] We were richly rewarded by the many things we witnessed. Our camps and lodges exceeded our expectations. From the friendly staff, the delicious food and comfortable accommodations, we were treated like royalty. […] This was absolutely the best vacation we’ve ever taken. We all agree we want to return. When we do, we will call on Africa Dream Safaris!

Gina McKenzie, Doug and Carol Williams
August 2008

**Bonus Feature!  This short video of the Mara River Crossing was recorded by Mariela Kotun in the Northern Serengeti in August 2008:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XjkCUCqPws

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Quote of the Week: Dan & Lynne Kohlhepp

I can’t say enough about our safari and the high level of service we received from Africa Dream Safaris. We saw everything we wanted to see and much closer than we expected. Africa Dream Safaris performed flawlessly from the planning of the trip all the way through to the post trip follow up. After anticipating this trip for months, my expectations were very high and I have to say they were exceeded by the reliable and friendly team at Africa Dream Safaris. […] During our first hour of game driving we saw an amazing amount of animals including elephants, lions, zebras, wildebeests, ostrich, giraffes, monkeys, baboons, eland, and more impalas and gazelles than we could count. The rest of the safari brought even closer sightings of lions, cheetahs, huge herds of wildebeests around the Mara River, rhinos, leopards, entertaining groups of hippos and elephants, many species of birds and much more. […] We were very pleased with all of the lodges, the high level of service and comfort of the accommodations. […] All of you at Africa Dream Safaris were very helpful and friendly. The ADS team did all the work, and all we had to do was enjoy the experience. I will highly recommend Africa Dream Safaris and look forward to planning a future safari with you!

Dan & Lynne Kohlhepp
August 2008

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Quote of the Week: Mark Coleman

We really had a memorable trip to Tanzania thanks to Africa Dream Safaris whose personnel and attention to detail allowed us to focus on the jewels of Africa – the landscape, people and wildlife. Each day proved as special as the one before. Reflecting on each day we were sure that the next could not live up to the last – but we were consistently proved wrong. From following a male lion down a dusty road to his lioness and young cubs, with no one else anywhere to be seen to intrude upon our private viewing, to a pair of cheetahs who sought out the shade of our Land Cruiser for more than an hour, to the adolescent rough-housing of two young elephants, each trying to exert his dominance over the other, each day held its own unique surprises for us. As eventful as each day was, the service and accommodation that greeted us each evening was beyond our expectations and truly appreciated. As I review the photos of our trip, a smile comes to my face remembering fondly our trip of a lifetime.

Mark Coleman
August 2008

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Quote of the Week: Joe and Julia Myer

We can’t thank ADS enough for helping arrange a truly memorable and wonderful safari. We brought home so many great memories – and pictures. We’ve received many great comments on the pictures we’ve shared with our friends and family, and all I can say in response is, “imagine what it must have been like to be there, to be in front of that leopard, to chase that cheetah running after a gazelle, to watch that bird swallow a snake whole, to see the 6 lion cubs laying with their mom…” And those stories are just the tip of the ice berg of what we saw and experienced. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with during the planning stages, a better host upon arrival to Tanzania, or a better driver guide to lead us on all our adventures. From the time we first contacted ADS to plan our trip to the final goodbye as we entered the airport to come home, we were treated respectfully and at times felt like family. I most definitely would recommend ADS to my friends and family as they were an absolute pleasure to work with. Thank you for a truly wonderful safari – Asante Sana!

Joe and Julia Myer
August 2008

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Quote of the Week: Dan and Lynne Kohlhepp

I can’t say enough about our safari and the high level of service we received from Africa Dream Safaris. We saw everything we wanted to see and much closer than we expected. Africa Dream Safaris performed flawlessly from the planning of the trip all the way through to the post trip follow up. After anticipating this trip for months, my expectations were very high and I have to say they were exceeded by the reliable and friendly team at Africa Dream Safaris […]

During our first hour of game driving we saw an amazing amount of animals including elephants, lions, zebras, wildebeests, ostrich, giraffes, monkeys, baboons, eland, and more impalas and gazelles than we could count The rest of the safari brought even closer sightings of lions, cheetahs, huge herds of wildebeests around the Mara River, rhinos, leopards, entertaining groups of hippos and elephants, many species of birds and much more […]

Over all, everything was as represented. All of you at Africa Dream Safaris were very helpful and friendly. The ADS team did all the work, and all we had to do was enjoy the experience. I will highly recommend Africa Dream Safaris and look forward to planning a future safari with you.

Dan and Lynne Kohlhepp
August 2008

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Quote of the Week: Ann Eilert

From the first moment of our arrival in Arusha, where we were warmly greeted by the cheerful and professional ADS staff on the tarmac, to the final moment of our departure, we could not have been made to feel more cared for, welcomed and relaxed. The accommodations at each and every place we stayed were outstanding and comfortable, and we were exceptionally well fed – whether it was in our semi-permanent tent, our permanent tent, in our private luxury camp, or in a lodge. (We experienced them all!) And our safari guide that met us when we landed in the Serengeti – what can I say about our guide to do him justice? After watching and listening to the many other groups that we saw on safari in the lodges, camps, and on the wildlife circuits, I now truly believe one’s safari is going to be only as good one’s guide…and our ADS guide was absolutely exceptional – truly, he was beyond compare! […] This trip by far exceeded any travel experience I have ever had in the past– bar none! It really was a dream-come-true. Thank you, ADS, for taking all of us on a true ‘trip of a lifetime!’

Ann Eilert
July 2008

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Quote of the Week: Jon Baird

The trip was beyond all of our expectations. We were thrilled with all of the accommodations and especially grateful for the services of our guide. He was without a doubt the supreme facilitator of our amazing experience. We cannot say enough wonderful things about him from the gentle way about him to his very keen understanding of the ecosystems we experienced. He was truly a blessing on this trip and we hated to say goodbye to him…

[Our itinerary] was a perfect balance of game drives and relaxation time so that all could experience the full pleasure of this amazing continent. We all knew this was to be the trip of a lifetime and yet, none of us were prepared for just how impactful this adventure would be. It’s been over a week and we still cannot stop talking about the trip nor finding a few moments to look at the pictures we took. I could go on forever talking about our experiences but let me leave you with one thought: every one of us walks away from this journey an ambassador for Tanzania, Africa, and Africa Dream Safaris. It was truly the trip of a lifetime and one I hope we can repeat some day.

Jon Baird
June 2008

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Quote of the Week: Al and Allison Scheflow

We absolutely loved our entire safari. We had the BEST guide. How did we get so lucky? He knew where to find everything. The accommodations were outstanding. Al didn’t want to leave Kirawira, the view was spectacular. Marcia celebrated her birthday there and the entire staff came and sang at the table. Everyone was talking about how beautiful the song and singing were. We were only about 5 minutes into our safari when [our guide] said “see the elephant?” What??? Already?? and it just didn’t stop. We saw everything: rhino, cheetah, leopard, plenty of lions, hippo, giraffe etc. […] The service was over the top. Those guys were so friendly and warm […] Asante sana, tena. We will be back!

Al and Allison Scheflow
June 2008

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Quote of the Week: Andy Marino

The Serengeti in Tanzania is one of the purest, untouched environments left on earth! The abundance and variety of wildlife (Gina was thrilled with all the baby animals), observing their behavior in their natural habitat up-close and personal, the clean air filled with unfamiliar animal sounds, the sweeping landscapes of acacia and baobab trees, the early morning light as it filters across the Serengeti plains, the total absence of mankind (except, of course, for the mighty Maasai people) – all this was brought to life by our Maasai guide with Africa Dream Safaris. This, my friends, was the life-changing trip of a lifetime for Andy, Gina, Karen, and Barbara!

In addition to the wildlife, our lodging experience was also phenomenal. The hospitality shown to us by the ADS team at the private camp was sincere and exceptional. We’ll never forget our African dinner under the stars with the camp staff singing the Jambo song as they brought us our dinner. We’ve traveled extensively, and the Presidential Suite at the Mbalageti Lodge has to have the most stunning scenic view of any lodging anywhere in the world (no exaggeration). The Swala Lodge is at the “end of the earth” with impala roaming through camp. The couple who manages the camp makes you feel welcomed and serve cocktails and appetizers around the campfire before dinner (the food here is superb). Throughout our experience, ADS was responsive and provided personal service both at home and in Tanzania. Your safari experience is only as good as your guide and we strongly believe that a private ADS safari with your own personal guide (who you will bond with) is the ONLY way to see the wildlife in Tanzania …and provides for the best possible experience at so many different levels.

Andy Marino
June 2008

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Quote of the Week: Sam and Don Kaeser

I don’t think there are enough correct words in the English language to aptly describe our trip. It was the most amazing, exciting, exhilarating vacation we’ve ever experienced. Correction, it was not a vacation, it was an adventure! Tanzania is a beautiful, beautiful country. And the Tanzanian people are wonderful. I am having a difficult time putting it down in words, but we were so overwhelmed by everything we saw and the places we stayed. On our way to the Mbalageti Lodge we saw a HUGE herd of wildebeest take off running through the tall grass. There must have been hundreds of thousands! The sound of them running through the tall grass was amazing. It took our breath away. We saw every animal we could think of and some we never knew existed. To see these animals in their own environment is something we will never forget.

Sam and Don Kaeser
May 2008

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Quote of the Week: Chris Scislowicz

As this was our third safari to Africa, and our second to northern Tanzania, our expectations were remarkably high and yet ADS [Africa Dream Safaris] managed to meet or exceed all of them. The structure of your safari itineraries, specifically geared to maximize wildlife viewing opportunities, is what initially attracted me to ADS. I must say the safari did not disappoint. The vast quantity of wildlife we encountered on this safari easily outnumbered the other two combined. From eating breakfast in the midst of the famous wildebeest migration to the 80+ lions we encountered on our trip, the safari was nonstop excitement. Yet as remarkable as all of those sightings were, I am not sure anything will ever top having a young cheetah jump on the hood of our safari vehicle. It was straight out of Big Cat Diaries, and as a lifelong cheetah lover, it was a truly magical experience. […] Please accept my sincere thanks for all of your team’s efforts in planning and executing a remarkable experience that my family will never forget.

Chris Scislowicz
May 2008

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