District of Columbia – A Tanzania Travelogue

To say we really enjoyed Tanzania and our safari is an understatement!!!

Thanks for organizing such a memorable safari experience for us. Everything went as planned which is a nice compliment to everyone who is involved in your operation. Now that we have completed our safari, we can really appreciate all the logistics that have to occur to make a great trip happen. Plus the local Arusha staff did a great job taking care of us too. Also, the small ADS book you sent was very helpful, as were the animal checklists at the back!

Arnold was an amazing tour guide, and a really nice guy. Besides being a guide, he did an outstanding job being a driver, mechanic, finding animals, organizing our picnics, and keeping the vehicle so clean. Did he mention we got a flat tire right in front of 8 lions? He really went above and beyond to fix that tire for us.

We saw many, many animals and will send you some pics once everything settles down. Arnold always got us a ‘front row seat’ so to speak, meaning we have some great pics and memories of animals up close.

We met the friendly and helpful local people who couldn’t do enough for us. We met some wonderful people who dedicated themselves to helping the students of St. Jude’s School. We saw animals, more animals, and even more animals. We were in awe of the animals’ lives and interactions with one another. We visited an amazing Masai Village. The scenery throughout Tanzania was beautiful, especially at sunrise and sunset.

We crossed rivers and streams, mountains, craters and valleys, and kopjes and plains. The migration story was fascinating and we saw and learned about the circle of life. Our stays at the tents and lodges were relaxing and indulgent. Each of these elements alone were fascinating and worth a trip half way around the world, but the real safari magic happened when all of these pieces came together to create one of the most memorable experiences we’ve had in our lives. Thank you, Africa Dream Safaris!!!!

This was a life-changing experience for sure, and what an awesome time all of us had there.

Thanks again for everything, including the Masai blanket and the spectacular farewell cake and dance/ceremony at the hotel on our last night in the bush. If we know anyone else who is interested in a safari we will be sure to give them your contact info.

Asante sana,

Peter M. and Gary L.
Washington D.C.
Safari Dates: September 29, 2014 to October 9, 2014

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District of Columbia, Guest Review, October, September

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We had been planning our safari with Sharon for over a year, and our expectations were very high – but the safari was better than we had even dreamed!

In the first two days, we saw more animals than we thought we would see the entire trip, and it just kept getting better. We saw leopards (and their cubs) sleeping in trees. We got to know at least a dozen cheetahs, thanks to our guide Pokea’s ability to spot cheetah ears in the tall grass from at least half a mile away! We hung out with dozens of lions, and even spent an hour watching two of them mate (and then mate again…and again…and again!). We fell in love with the zebras and wildebeest, especially after we witnessed two baby wildebeest and one baby zebra being born, and then up and walking within 15 minutes! We loved the hippos, and the elephants, and our favorites – the warthogs! Oh, and the hyenas, the jackals, the gazelles…we even saw seven black rhinos on our last day, in the Crater.

Our accommodations were wonderful. We spent the first two nights at the private luxury camp and spent our first night on safari listening to lions and hyenas walk outside our tent! The staff was so welcoming and pampered us beyond belief, including the delicious lunch boxes. Then we spent three nights at Lake Masek tented lodge, in a gorgeous private “tent” with hardwood floors, a cast iron tub, and mosquito netted beds. The last two nights were at the Crater Lodge – wow! This is probably the most amazing lodging we will ever stay at in our entire lives! It was luxurious and opulent without being over the top, and we even were greeted by the resident buffalo herd on our last night walking back from dinner.

Having a private safari made all the difference. We left when we wanted (as early as possible!), stayed out to eat lunch with the animals, and spent as much time watching things as we wanted. Other vehicles would sometimes stop by our spot for 5 minutes and then speed off – but we got to really enjoy getting to know the animals and didn’t have to follow anyone else’s agenda. We think our guide, Pokea, must be the best ADS guide – he was expert at spotting animals, answered every single questions we had about them (there were a lot!), and seemed to know exactly what we wanted to see or do at every moment. We never had to worry for a minute on safari that everything wasn’t completely taken care of, from the moment we were greeted at the airport to the moment Pokea dropped us off.

We would go on safari with ADS again without hesitation and only wish that we were still on safari!

Amber H. (Washington, D.C.) and Kirsten G. (San Francisco, CA)
Safari dates: March 5-12, 2013