We had a group ranging from age 8 to 80 and every single one of us in our family had a trip we will never forget. I wanted to commend your entire company for an amazing safari experience. The entire thing was planned and executed flawlessly from your incredible staff picking us up at the airport after a long journey and sparing us the two-hour wait in customs to the transport to the airport at the end.
Check! A word I was to hear many times spoken by our wonderful guide, Deda, from African Dream Safaris as we spotted animals and birds. A group of our close friends traveled to Tanzania for a 9 day safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. My friend Nancy and I came armed with pamphlets and books of the wildlife to document our sightings. Deda joined in by shouting “Check” as we marked off the animals in our list. Deda and Wilfred shared their expertise of the habits of the wild animals, and as a result of their patience and knowledge, our group was able to witness nature in action daily.
When we returned from our Africa Dream Safaris vacation in July 2018, we tried with great difficulty to explain to our friends and family the magic of our experience. We describe it with this analogy: “When you see a wildebeest at the zoo, you think to yourself, “Wildebeest…boring….let’s go see the elephants!” However, on Safari, it feels as though you have been transported back in time when you see thousands upon thousands of those very animals running straight toward your vehicle!
I’m not sure where to even start other than we had a fantastic safari. First of all, the tented camps and tented lodges were much nicer than we envisioned. The workers at all of our lodges, which many were local Masai, were incredibly friendly and always happy to help in any way. That also seemed to be true of all the Tanzanian people we dealt with from the hotels to the cultural center to F.A.M.E to the meet and greet staff and to any locals we met on safari.
When I booked this trip, I asked for Photography all the time and you did not disappoint! We were met at immigration and avoided a 2 ½ hour line and the following morning we were met by an individual named Precious. Sincerely she is Precious. She was the personification of a modern African women, smart, erudite and gracious.
From the moment we arrived in Arusha and were greeted by Joseph and Matthius, our trip was flawless, liberally sprinkled with surprises around every turn that would delight even the most seasoned traveler, and just simply, the most epic adventure.
My sister and I just returned home from our first African Safari and thanks to ADS it was an incredible experience! Never having traveled outside of the United States, we were a little apprehensive as we prepared to embark on this adventure. Early on in our trip, we soon realized there was no reason for concern. The invaluable advice from ADS and the numerous blogs had us more than prepared.
I have to say that planning this trip we were a little overwhelmed. Where to go, who to go with, where to stay, etc. Once we decided on the great migration and Tanzania it only got slightly easier! My wife and I have dreamed of exploring Africa since we were kids, this trip needed to fulfill a lot of expectations. Throw on top of this Kelly’s mother-in-law was going and needed some extra care, as well as 3 eager kids. After what seemed an endless research project, we ran into Africa Dream Safari. From the initial contact, we were very impressed.
My husband and I just returned from the trip of a lifetime! Through Africa Dream Safaris we traveled from Arusha to the Northern Serengeti, through the Central Serengeti to Ngorogoro Crater and onto Manyara National Park and Tarangire National Park. We stayed in tent camps, lodges and hotels. The itinerary unfolded seamlessly.
A special thanks to Allie and Ed who just returned home from safari and submitted this picture stitch using google photo. The images were taken in the Central Serengeti with a Canon Rebel on sports mode. When on this setting, you can hold the shutter release down and the camera shoots at 3 frames per second until you let it up.
Allie & Ed – Safari Guests
The wildlife in Tanzania is absolutely breathtaking but the wonderful team at ADS really created the unforgettable trip. Michael helped us plan an amazing adventure and from the day we landed until the day we unfortunately had to depart we were in incredible hands. Mathias and Joseph met us at the airport and since we had an extra day we spent an afternoon with Joseph experiencing his personal insider tour of Arusha.
In the bush Ellison was our guide and friend. He bonded with our kids, was fabulous at finding animals, had an encyclopedic knowledge of the plants, animals and geography, and truly exuded a personal passion for the Serengeti. He also took us to places where we were the only people for miles around – just us, the unending plain, and the cheetahs.
There’s no way to describe having lunch surrounded by thousands upon thousands of migrating wildebeest. The only way to go is a private ADS safari and a guide like Ellison made for a truly memorable, once in a lifetime adventure.
This was also a wonderful family adventure. Our kids are 12 and 14 which are perfect ages to experience Tanzania. Cell phones were put away (and wifi access isn’t great) and replaced by cameras. Our family took 8,000 pictures!, most of which were taken by our kids.
The lodges were all terrific and unique – like the Mbalageti Lodge where the electricity turns off in the evening and your tented room is lit by candles. Or the family tent at Seronera Sametu Camp where you hear the sounds of nearby lions at night. Or having an elephant walk by your balcony when you’re having lunch at Ngorongoro.
Each lodge was unique and each new lodge became our kids’ favorite. One of the most memorable experiences for our kids was the visit to a Masai village where the cultural contrast really resonated (especially when they saw children their age tending herds alongside the roads).
Our trip was at the end of June, when the migration was in full swing in the west Serengeti and most of the baby animals are around 4 months old. We saw baby cheetahs, lions, hyenas, warthogs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, gazelle, elephants…and every day, when we thought we couldn’t possibly have a new experience, we discovered something incredible and unexpected.
Thank you ADS!!!
The West Family
San Francisco, California
Safari Dates: June 22, 2016 to July 3, 2016
Five years ago, my wife and I went on our first African safari with ADS. It was truly a trip of a lifetime! It was during that trip that we said to each other, We need to bring our grandchildren back here when they get old enough, and see this through their eyes! Well, our two oldest grandchildren are 13 and 15, and we felt this was the year to fulfill that wish.
Its hard to believe that our amazing safari has come to an end, but we have wonderful memories that we will hold onto until we can do it again…until that time, here is our review of Africa Dream Safaris.
Africa Dream Safaris put together a fabulous trip that made our Tanzania experience awesome from start to finish. Every detail was attended to, from the moment we landed at the airport in Kilimanjaro. The lodgings, the food, the service, and our guide all exceeded the expectations we had (and we had very high expectations)!
Our itinerary was arranged to ensure that we would experience the full range of wildlife inhabiting the Serengeti, and we did not miss a thing. We also learned so much about the animals, the land, and the people from our very knowledgeable guide, Michael.
At every camp and hotel, the warm and welcoming people went out of their way to make our stay special, including several private, romantic dinners in honor of our 36th anniversary. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, we rate ADS 5+! We look forward to the next time we will travel with ADS.
Thank you again for all your help in making our Safari a reality.
Linda and Barry P.
New York, NY
Safari Dates: July 11, 2016 to July 20, 2016
Our driver-guide Francis was fantastic. I have never seen anyone with better eyesight. In addition, he was so conscientious, always looking to get us in the correct position for the best photo angles, with sunlight and background considerations. Plus, getting to the best locations at the best times is a real skill of his.
We will recommend ADS & Francis to any friends of ours for a safari adventure. No question. Should we make the trip again ourselves, which would be a wish of ours, we would only want Francis, although I am sure you have many skilled guides.
Michael C. and Family
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
Safari Dates: July 21, 2016 to July 28, 2016
I have been a documentary junkie since a very young age. Watching images of lions, wildebeest, and antelope has been a passion since childhood. We found ADS through our friends, and contacted Sharon Lyon, with whose guidance and expertise we created an extravagant two week adventure chasing the wildebeest migration around the Serengeti.
Starting in Arusha and moving to Sametu camp in the Seronera region we immediately learned how bountiful the Serengeti could be. We saw four of the big five animals within 3 hours of arriving in the bush. Our fantastic guide, Wilfred, couldn’t have been more perfect! Right off the bat, we were treated to lions climbing a tree, a Leopard in a tree with a kill, multiple lions, cubs, antelope, elephants, giraffe’s, and of course the hippo’s.
We headed north through Mbalageti, through to the Migration Camp, witnessing tens of thousands of migrating Wildebeest, zebra, and antelope along the way. Watching an overland crossing of a mountain by a herd of Wildebeest, we were primed for what was to come.
At Bushtop, a magnificent luxury camp near the Mara river, we found the great herds ready to cross the river, and were lucky enough to see 3 huge river crossings in two days. Quite a difference from a documentary when you can feel, smell, and hear every last movement.
Finishing up at the magnificent Crater Lodge at Ngorongoro National Park, we couldn’t believe how magnificent and wonderful everything was. We can’t say enough about ADS, from the planning to the execution. Everything was perfect. And…it’s true about their guides! They are the absolute best. Wilfred, and all the ADS team, thank you!
Mark, Mariana, Marcy and Dana L.
New York, New York
Safari Dates: June 21, 2016 to July 6, 2016
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