A Tanzania Travelogue – Page 87 – Just another WordPress site

Quote of the Week: Christina Scharff

March 18, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

A dream come true! I will be the first to admit that I never expected to have such a fantastic trip. On our first day we saw more species of animals than we ever imagined would be possible for the entire trip. We were especially thrilled with seeing the leopard in the tree within a few hours of arriving in the Serengeti. The time we spent watching our first lion pride was exceptional, the little ones are so playful. Though it is hard to choose, I will have to admit the big cats (lions, leopards, cheetahs) were my favorite. Our sighting of fourteen of the black rhino in the Crater was a real treat. I still can’t believe the number of the animals we would see at one time; the herds of elephants, the rafts of hippos, the journeys of giraffes, the troops of baboons and monkeys, the dazzles of zebras, and of course the many wildebeest, I am still in awe. One afternoon we were in the midst of over 300 elephants. Our driver/guide was the best and could spot the animals so easily. He continually challenged us to find the animals ourselves and then helped us spot the many we couldn’t see as he counted them off for us. The facilities were all great but I especially enjoyed our first two nights at the Private Luxury Camp and our single night at the Plantation Lodge. Asante sana Africa Dream Safaris for making my dream come true.

Christina Scharff
March 2009

Quote of the Week: Anne and Eric Baugh

March 10, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

My wife Anne and I have been home reflecting on the most wonderful experience we have ever had. We spent 12 amazing days with George and Michele Ryan, visiting Arusha, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Understand, we normally spend our time like most people, working very hard at our jobs and hardly ever looking up to smell the roses. After I reintroduced myself to my wife on the plane I remember how excited we both were about the wonders we were soon to see. I have wanted to take this trip to Africa since I was 12. I am now sorry I waited 40 more years. After talking to [our ADS rep] for 10 minutes there was no turning back, we were going to Tanzania.

We, like everyone else who chooses ADS, were met as soon as we landed in Tanzania by an ADS person and we were coddled from that point until we got back on the plane to go home. After ADS took care of the visa and customs
process we retrieved our luggage. We walked to the front of the terminal and saw all the other tour companies waiting for their guest to clear the customs issues on their own. ADS was the only tour company that met their clients on the runway. We knew at that point we were in good hands.

[Our guide] was sent to us by the hand of God. [Our guide] was so many things to us on this trip. He taught us anthropology, archeology, architecture, geology, the big cats, wild life, birds, botany, tribal customs, scatology, politics, religion. He is a linguist, choir director; life coach, expert driver and he had too many other attributes to list them all here. I was a sniper in a former life and have good spotting ability but [Our guide] spotted a leopard at 250 yards through a five inch hole in the canopy of a tree while driving. It took me minutes to find the leopard with [our guide] pointing to it. I have the pictures to prove it. We saw more animals than some people I know who lived in Tanzania for three years. We saw every animal but the Rhino and wild dog on the first day in the Serengeti. [Our guide] taught us so much about life and the beautiful people of Tanzania that his memory will be with us for life. I will never forget [our guide] teaching us Swahili and the song “Jambo.” We have truly met a great man. [Our guide] required us to smell the roses.

The tents we stayed in were outstanding. The lodges were so beautiful. Our camp staff was always so happy to satisfy us. The food was so good and way too plentiful. Our chef even gave us the recipes to the meals we loved so much. I have traveled the world and have never had such great service as ADS provided. Saying “Goodbye” to the staff and at the airport was not easy but we knew we had made some new friends. Anne and I agree, we have been changed forever.

Anne and Eric Baugh
March 2009

Quote of the Week: Martin and Joan Kane

February 24, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

We wanted to thank you for planning and organizing one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. From the moment we stepped off the plane, we seemed to be treated with more care and with more enthusiasm than other visitors.

As you predicted, our guide was an absolute delight. He had an uncanny ability to spot animals seemingly invisible to us and to other guides (we were watching a leopard within hours of meeting him). Equally important, his cheerful personality was combined with seemingly unlimited knowledge of wildlife. We consider him a new and valued friend.

Every tent camp or lodge was excellent. Campfires, sundowners, gourmet dinners and wines, being escorted back to our tent in the dark by spear-carrying Maasai warriors, the sounds of cape buffalo and lions calling and scratching around our tent are just a few of our unforgettable experiences. Every day, we were game-driving at 6 am and we got to see just about everything possible.

Martin and Joan Kane
February 2009

Quote of the Week: Susan and Richard Hull

February 23, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

Wow – that was the most adventurous event of my life, bar none! The animals were fantastic – I think my favorite is the giraffe. And close encounters with the lions, both male and female (and cubs)…the buffalo munching on grass close to our tent at Kusini …thousands of wildebeest just parting in front of us on the road every day… many herds of impala with their babies and the lone ‘papa’ of the herd…elephants, majestic and quietly observing as they go about their business of eating trees…zebras, with their brown-striped babies…elands always keeping their distance from us…the cheetah so beautiful in the golden grass…the rhino like a small train on a slow run through all the other animals in the crater…and all the colorful birds.

It definitely delivered much more than I expected! We really enjoyed our guide’s company and knowledge of all the plants and animals. He was literally a walking encyclopedia though with a wonderful sense of humor. This was truly a trip of a lifetime.

Susan and Richard Hull
February 2009

Quote of the Week: Rene Townsend

February 19, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

Our family + plus two adoptees just returned from Tanzania & Zanzibar. We knew it would be great – but this was beyond great! We literally saw everything – including 4 different leopards in one day, and a cheetah mom with 3 babies and two “captures and lunches” within an hour. Every arrangement – from airport transports to lodges – was perfect. Our guide absolutely was the best; informative, personable, humorous, caring….well, I could go on and on. We remain in awe of his ability to drive any terrain AND spot animals that we had a hard time seeing with binoculars! He took us as close to every animal or bird as was safe and respectful of them. I’ve already told many people that if they are going to Tanzania, they have to use African Dream Safaris! Thanks for a great trip and years of wonderful memories.

Rene Townsend
February 2009

Quote of the Week: Paul Letourneau

February 18, 2009June 6, 2017 by Michael

Sari and Spencer Olson, Carol and I had an amazing experience on our safari with ADS. It was extraordinary to be in the midst of thousands of animals on the Serengeti Plains and to be able to get so close to the most beautiful cats, antelopes, and other animals. The trip was everything that you advertised and more […] I think that our outstanding guide was the most important part of the success of our trip. He excelled at about six jobs; driver, game spotter, mechanic (fixing two flat tires), host, concierge, and teacher. I don’t know how he was consistently able to drive along rough, unpaved roads and still look off to the horizon and recognize that a brown dot atop a pile of brown rocks was a lion.

Paul Letourneau
February 2009

Quote of the Week: Angela and Bob Forwood

Romantic Getaways

December 19, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

We had a GREAT time on our safari. I cannot think of a single thing that could have been better. [Our guide] was a fantastic guide and consummate professional. He was very flexible with the schedule and went out of his way to ensure we saw as much as we could. His knowledge of the animal, birds, and plants is just amazing. He is a walking encyclopedia! Thank you so much for the work you put into making our vacation and anniversary very special.

Angela and Bob Forwood
December 2008

Anniversary, December, Honeymoon, Romantic

Quote of the Week: Mark, Liz, Ian, Nicole, Stephanie and Lucas Neal

Family Vacations

December 12, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

Our family of 6 has traveled to Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Canada and several places in the US. The Trip to the Serengeti was above all expectations. Everything, and we mean, everything went well. From the staff that met us in Arusha, to the people that worked in the luxury tented lodge, to the fabulous guide that we had in the Serengeti, everything was fantastic. Within two hours of landing in the Serengeti, we saw The Migration, hippos, giraffes and lions. Our guide was able to provide excellent service to us as adults, as well as our children ages 11 to 17. He was extremely knowledgeable of the animal behavior and the culture of the habitants of the region, was accommodating, engaging, polite and always on time. It was definitely voted by our family as the best vacation yet.

Mark, Liz, Ian, Nicole, Stephanie and Lucas Neal
December 2008

Quote of the Week: Marcia Dudash and the Dudash Family

Family Vacations

December 10, 2008June 7, 2017 by Michael

I must say the safari my family went on in December 2008 was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The lodging we stayed in, from private camps to luxury hotels, the (incredibly) knowledgeable guide we had, and the scenery/wildlife we saw (and learned about), was more than ever imagined. I can tell you that is the truth from the memories and pictures we brought back. Words really cannot describe our experience! I’ve attached some of the incredible sights we saw, including one that was never mentioned in any tour book or website due the extremely rare nature of the animal… the Pangolin! [see attached photo] Thank you ADS for making this the most memorable vacation to date!

Marcia Dudash and the Dudash family
December 2008

Quote of the Week: Deidre Bridges and Family

Family Vacations

November 25, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

All of us had the absolute BEST time. ADS is AWESOME! We had complete confidence in everyone we met. The Tanzanian people are delightful – we would be wise to treat one another the way they treat people. [Our guide] was PERFECT for our family – the ideal mix of guide/teacher/humorist/skill and expertise. Everyone loved him. The animals are amazing. The scenery is amazing. How the raw strength and power of the larger animals [like lions] contrasted with their lazy afternoons of lounging and sleeping just boggles my mind. How can animals that dangerous look like you could just reach out and scratch them behind the ears so much of the time?? We saw every animal we hoped to see. [Our guide’s] love for the land and the animals was evident and quite touching. I don’t know what could have possibly made our trip any better. I just can’t thank you enough for everything.

Deidre Bridges and Family
November 2008

Quote of the Week: Sandra and Vahakn Hoogerwerf

November 17, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

We simply had a wonderful time in Tanzania. The trip exceeded our expectations perhaps because it is simply impossible to imagine such an amazing service by such wonderful people in the most beautiful environment one can imagine. […] In terms of the wildlife, we saw every animal we wanted to see. We saw over 50 lions, multiple cheetahs and leopards. We saw lion cubs and cheetah cubs. We saw a cheetah killing a Thompson gazelle. We saw rhinos, serval cats, ostriches and their little chicks, mating turtles, eland, genet cat, hyrax, hyenas and their cubs, an African hare, bat-eared foxes, kudu, many, many birds and many, many elephants, giraffes, the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra and much, much more. We saw a pack of 9 wild dogs and even saw a black mamba up close and personal!

Many past customers have commented on their guides and we can only echo the general sentiment on how amazing the guides are. Our guide was just such a pleasure to be traveling with. He has an amazing ability for spotting animals and predicting and explaining their behavior. We learned so much from him and he added a tremendous enjoyment to our safari. He has an incredible appreciation and love for the wildlife in his country. We loved how he would not only teach us about all creatures great and small but also about birds and plants and foot prints in the sand. Or how he would spot a small dung beetle pushing a big ball of dung. Or how he spotted a leopard sleeping in a bird’s nest in the top of a tree. He took such great care of us! He was such a big component of our trip and made it as much an unforgettable experience as the wildlife we saw. […]

We were a bit skeptical before we left about all those wonderful customer quotes but now we understand and we are joining the list of ADS supporters. ADS, you guys are great. Asante!!

Sandra and Vahakn Hoogerwerf
November 2008

Quote of the Week: Maurine Juarez

November 9, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

We loved our Tanzania Safari. The accommodations were wonderful, and we especially liked the tented camps. The African people in and outside the lodges were so gracious. We saw so many beautiful animals. This trip was an adventure of a life time and my heart will always be in Africa.

Maurine Juarez
November 2008

Quote of the Week: Abby King

October 30, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

I have dreamed of Africa since I was teenager and this experience was a lifetime highlight. I will never forget the feeling of standing up with my head through the roof of the Land Rover, hanging onto the roll bars until my arms were sore, looking at a landscape beautiful beyond description, with a front row seat to wildlife living out their daily existence thinking…this is it… I am really finally here. Thank you ADS for helping to make my dream a reality. Now the dream is of one day returning to this spectacular place.

Abby King
October 2008

Quote of the Week: Bill and Terri Long

October 10, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

We had high expectations for our private safari but we were overwhelmed by how much the trip exceeded our highest expectations. Every aspect of the trip was handled with great professionalism, from our arrival to our accommodations and most wonderfully by our driver guide. The wealth of knowledge and energy by our driver was truly amazing. We didn’t expect to spend our safari with a true “professor” and naturalist… we learned so much about the wildlife and culture of Tanzania. We are photography buffs and we had no idea that we would be treated to the amazing photographic opportunities we had. Many of our photos are National Geograghic quality. We could not have been more pleased with our trip. Anyone contemplating a safari would be wise to take advantage of the high level of expert advice and the quality personnel that is Africa Dream Safaris. It was truly our dream come true. Thanks to all your staff for their professional and caring service.

Bill and Terri Long
October 2008

Quote of the Week: Marsha and Tom Fisher

October 10, 2008June 6, 2017 by Michael

We wanted to let you know that we had a fantastic time on the safari! It was so much more than we ever expected. To see so many animals in one area was truly amazing. Our guide was wonderful. He knows how to find animals. We were constantly surprised to be driving down a dirt road, he would be talking to us about the animals, flora, or some information about Tanzania, when he would stop the Range Rover and say “look to the right about 100 feet, there is a pride of lions under those bushes”. We could not see them with our eyes until we looked very hard.

Your staff in Tanzania was great. We were well looked after. They really care. The accommodations were great. We really enjoyed the Private Luxury Camping. What an experience being the only ones at a site! We are so happy that we used your services, especially after watching the larger tour groups who probably saw less because they had to travel together. Thank you!

Marsha and Tom Fisher
October 2008