My husband George is prone to sudden and unusual ideas, but this latest one – an African safari – seemed extreme even for George. Until recently, our vacations were typically spent in a pool in Mexico or driving across a handful of states in a motor home. I had some trepidation about Africa at first but couldn’t have put my finger on what there was to be afraid of! Dawn at Africa Dream Safaris was so responsive to our questions, and was so clear that ADS is a “class act”, that any concerns were quickly replaced by excited anticipation.

ADS had every base covered from the moment we booked our trip. In the months leading up to our departure date, Dawn continued to be a great source of help and information. The ADS handbook and website were great resources as well. I was impressed by the fact that every picture that appears in ADS materials and on the website was taken on an actual ADS safari.

When the day finally came and our ride to the airport pulled in the driveway, my phone rang with a message that our first flight was cancelled. The only way to reschedule our air was to postpone the trip for an entire day. One call to ADS (which I later realized was at an absurdly early hour at their California office) resulted in an efficient flip flop of our itinerary to accommodate the later arrival yet still be able to see all the areas we’d planned.

Of all the incredible moments and sights, one of my favorites was our first giraffe. He was close to the road, yet hidden at first in some tree cover. When Elson pointed him out and we saw him, I think we both audibly gasped. Exotic, beautiful, and almost dinosaur-like in his hugeness. For the rest of the week, I just adored the giraffes and how they would casually appraise us for a few minutes before they loped away in their clumsy yet strangely elegant way.

We observed lions numerous times during the week. We watched to our hearts content a mother lion and three cubs. She dozed while they played, she snarled at them when they annoyed her. From just a couple feet away, we watched a male lion keenly watch a lone baby wildebeest as it traversed a dry lakebed. Interested, but not interested enough to bother himself with the wildebeest, after several minutes he walked off roaring and grunting.

For two full days near Ndutu and in the southern Serengeti, we were a part of the wildebeest migration. The vast numbers of the wildebeest and zebras are astonishing, and it is amazing to be among them, to be surrounded on all sides, stretching nearly as far as the eye can see in all directions. We watched two male Grants gazelles lock horns, with the dominant one pushing the other one at least 50 yards. We also saw hyena, elephant, jackal, mongoose, warthog, hippo, cheetah with cubs, leopard, topi (I loved these guys with their tall yellow boots). It seemed everywhere you looked was something surprising or delightful.

Through all of this, Elson volunteered his incredible knowledge of all these animals, what they were doing, and why. I don’t think we asked him a single question he didn’t know the answer to. He noticed I enjoyed keeping track of all the different birds we saw, and he was even able to identify all of them. He also answered questions about the local and African culture. Throughout the week, he was often in radio contact with other guides and if there was a leopard in a certain place or a particular thing of interest, he would know where it was.

The lodging was excellent. The food was very good, and every lodge accommodated our requests for early breakfast so we could leave for our game drives before dawn. Box lunches were good as well. Because they don’t know your personal tastes, each one contained more items and options than a person could possibly eat. We made sure we saved our extras for the park rangers or the Maasai children who would run from the fields with outstretched hands.

I understand April is viewed as the slow season due to the rains but it seemed a wonderful time of year to go. Everything was green, flowers were in bloom, and many of the animals had young offspring.

We’ve been home a month now and we are still in awe of how amazing this trip was. We own a restaurant/bar, and one of the TVs runs a continuous slide show of the photos we took. The customers love it! Countless people have thanked us for sharing them and they are just incredulous over how close we were to these animals, as well as how many different animals we saw. Many people have asked whether we ever felt we were in danger; again, I suppose that is because until you’ve been there, Africa seems so far, so foreign. In answer to that question, there wasn’t a single moment on the trip that we felt even mildly uncomfortable. However, I am very glad we had ADS guides as there is no way I would have wanted to try to negotiate the streets of Arusha and other towns on our own.

Another question we hear from friends and customers is “Where are you going to go next?” I simply can’t answer that because I don’t know how we could ever top this trip. It was that special.

Susan and George VanKersen
Traverse City, Michigan
April 2012

Our recent safari was fantastic, but I realized soon that seeing the animals was only part of the experience. As important for us was the service and attention to safety that Africa Dream Safaris provided us. Our questions and inquiries in the planning stages were immediately answered; we were met as we got off the plane for help in navigating the chaotic Visa process after we’d spent 24 hours traveling; we were given a cell phone to use in the event of an emergency; and the skill, professionalism and warm personality of our guide inspired confidence for the entire trip.

Our guide was phenomenal. So many times, he anticipated the movement of the animals and positioned our vehicle for maximum viewing. We had front row seats when others were struggling to see. He could spot animals when we could only see grass. We created our own roads in search of elusive animals and we were never disappointed. And with his guidance, we were able to see the big 5 within 3 days – now that was exciting! And every time he would say “hakuna matata” I would remind myself that he wasn’t quoting The Lion King, The Lion King had quoted him!

This was an incredible adventure and we booked the trip based on recommendations from friends who had gone last year. If we were to do another safari, it would only be with ADS because of how they took care of us, how flexible everyone was and the value of the experience. Thank you Africa Dream Safaris.

It’s the vacation you need if you want to:

• spot the “big 5” – leopards, rhinos, lions, cape buffalos, elephants in just 3 days;
• witness tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebra, in a single line that extends to forever, creating a shadow where the earth meets the sky;
• laugh at a pool of 200 hippos enjoying their early morning play;
• smile as the giraffes munch on the trees next to your tent;
• chuckle when mama elephant gives her calf a gentle nudge to get back in line;
• admire the gentle and swift leaps of the Thompson gazelle and the Grant gazelle and be able to tell the difference;
• marvel at the “step in time” movements of flamingos as they search for food;
• escort a lioness to a nearby rock as she takes the road and forces you to the side;
• witness mother leopards and cheetahs teaching their young cubs the art of survival;
• study how an ostrich body can be supported by such scrawny legs;
• watch in amazement at the effortless synchronized swimming of pelicans;
• giggle like a 12 year old the first time you spot the blue balled monkeys – they are brilliant blue, trust me;
• observe the taunts of lion cubs as they play with each other, mother watching from a distance

Probably as memorable as the sights were the sounds we heard. The loud crunch of teeth on bones and laughing cackle of hyenas as they completely and recklessly devoured a fresh kill; the mating roars of both the male and female lions – 3 times in 20 minutes, 20 feet from the truck; the movement of tiny legs as the dung beetles rolled their new home; the muffled hoof beats of running wildebeests as they crossed the road in front of us; the flap of the vulture’s wings as they challenged hyenas for carcass remains; the gentle swish of water as the giant crocodile took an early morning glide; the snorts, grunts and groans from the warthogs, wildebeests, and hippos, but my favorite – the zebra that mimicked a pesky barking dog; the rhythmic breathing and munching of the elephants who nibbled on the grass alongside our tent in the middle of the night, and the knock knock of their tusks along our tent posts. (Not to be confused with my own, irregular, trembling breathing and cursing. I remember saying “I never thought I would go like this”.)

We traversed the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania with their “vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests” in a one and a half ton, 7 passenger Land Rover with the canvas top rolled back for maximum viewing. We stood and looked out over the top whenever we could, and I became one with my hat very early on. There were just two of us on our own private safari, and I’m glad it was just us – it would have made “nature breaks” all the more challenging. We traveled light – just 3 changes of clothes in our carry-on luggage; we had laundry mid-trip. Foolishly, in about hour 6 of the first day, I asked if I could just get out and take a little walk to stretch my legs. Clearly, I’d already lost my mind – no, I couldn’t go out for a little walk – I was in one of the world’s largest playgrounds for some of the world’s largest and fiercest animals. So for the next nine days, I took my walk between the other 6 seats in the vehicle.

As much as this was about spotting and watching the movements of magnificent animals, it was also a huge lesson about culture for me. Included in the safari was a visit to a Maasai village or boma. I’ve long had a distant fascination with these nomadic people, and I was really excited for this. The homes are made of grass and cow dung and the beds are suspended animal skins. Young women are the builders. The village we visited had about 15 homes, all in a circle, all with their openings facing south to protect against strong winds. The herd of cattle and goats are brought into the middle of the boma for safe keeping.

But their practices are very difficult for me to comprehend – their diet consists primarily of milk, meat and blood; they circumcise both boys and girls in their mid/late teens; they drink of the same pond where they and the animals bathe and play. English and math are the only 2 subjects taught in the pre-school we visited, with the boys and girls separated on different sides of the room. When the cattle have exhausted the grazing opportunities on the surrounding land, the Maasai leave and find another area to make home for a while.

Prior to the official start of our safari, we met with Jennifer, originally from East Lansing. Kathy knows her parents from church and Jennifer has now started an NGO (nonprofit) in Arusha to help teach women how to make beaded sandals. If all goes as planned, these women will now earn and manage their own money so they won’t have to turn their children over to an orphanage for care. In addition, as part of the NGO, a preschool with 58 children was starting the week we were there. The sights, sounds and smells Jennifer exposed us to will have a lasting impression upon me forever. http://shiningalight.org/ is the website for her NGO.

Pam and Kathy
Lancing, Michigan
April 2011