Tag: July

No More Going To The Zoo For Me!

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Posted on by Michael

This was one of our most memorable vacations ever. We would like to thank Dawn first for custom planning this wonderful safari for us. It was great dealing with her because she has basically first-hand experience of all the places that we eventually visited. The entire tour was perfectly organized and every place we stayed was very comfortable and unique with picturesque surroundings, pleasant staff and sumptuous food.

Obviously the highlight of the trip was seeing the animals, and we were not disappointed at all. We pretty much saw all the animals in the first 2 days, and the credit goes to our great guide/driver named Malaki who had this knack of ‘finding’ animals. Malaki was a gem – very pleasant and extremely knowledgeable and as a matter of fact, we started calling him “Professor”!

We could see all the BIG 5 – lion, buffalo, elephant, leopard and rhino! It wasn’t just seeing the animals, we had the opportunity to study their behavior and to see how beautifully they co-exist. It is so much fun seeing them so happy, healthy and playful in their OWN natural surroundings. No more going to the zoo for me!

Furthermore we were fortunate to witness the incredible and magnificent migration – truly a once in a lifetime experience! This is a vacation every one of us should take and I would highly recommend African Dream Safaris without any hesitation! Special thanks to Dawn who made this happen!

Go with ADS and you will be saying – “Hakuna Matata” throughout your trip!

Arvind and Rekha P.
Canfield, Ohio
Safari Dates: July 23, 2014 to July 31, 2014

PS. Here are our shots of the BIG 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo in respective order!

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An Amazing African Adventure!

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Posted on by Michael

Three years ago, my brother-in-law went with his father on a safari with ADS. After seeing his pictures and hearing about their incredible experience with ADS, a Tanzania safari became the top item on my father’s bucket list. So in celebration of a milestone birthday for him this year, my father and I planned our own safari with ADS, could not have been happier with the experience!

Dawn Anderson was our safari consultant, and she did a wonderful job working through the details to customize a trip that was perfect for us. Our final itinerary was an eight-day safari starting in the northern Serengeti, with stops in the central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Oldupai Gorge and Lake Manyara National Park. Throughout our journey, we had the pleasure of staying in lodges and camps, and loved the different experiences that both provided.

The luxurious accommodations provided by Lemala Kuria Hills and Migration Tented Lodge were a welcome reprieve after a dusty day in the bush; but the peacefulness and prime location for viewing animals provided by the tented camps at Lemala Mara River Camp, Seronera Sametu Camp, and Ngorongoro Lion’s Paw Camp could not be beat.

From hearing the hippos singing in the night at Migration Tented Lodge, to having a lion join us for breakfast at the Seronera Sametu Camp, each location provided a unique and unforgettable experience! The great locations of each camp were further supplemented by the very hospitable staff, which greeted us with huge smiles and accommodated every request to ensure a comfortable stay.

Each day on safari consisted of a game drive in a different part of the park, led by our knowledgeable and friendly driver-guide, Immanuel Kichao (Imma). Simply put, Imma was the reason we had such an incredible experience on our safari. Imma was not only more than capable of giving detailed answers to every question we asked, but he navigated the bumpy Serengeti roads like the professional that he is, ensuring that my father and I were comfortable throughout the trip.

His knowledge and experience in tracking animals translated into some breathtaking moments. Though there were far too many to list succinctly in a blog post, the highlights include watching a seemingly never-ending wildebeest stampede; lion cubs playing with each other and their mothers, then going to eat the buffalo killed for breakfast minutes later; close viewing of a leopard and a black rhino with her cub; two cheetah eating their gazelle kill; and loads of run-ins with zebras, giraffes, hippos and elephants.

While seeing the animals was certainly the highlight of the trip, I also enjoyed driving through the villages on the way back to Arusha, which included a stop at the Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME). FAME is a hospital in the village of Karatu that provides high quality, low cost medical care to the local villagers and members of the Masai tribe. It was both inspiring and humbling to see the tireless efforts of the staff and volunteers to increase access to quality medical care for those living outside of the large cities. I am really glad we took the time to visit FAME, and appreciate that ADS provides exposure to the local culture and community efforts.

We cannot thank Dawn, Imma and ADS enough for putting together such a memorable safari. We will be talking about this trip for years to come!

Asante sana!

Joseph and Lindsay V.
Montgomery, New Jersey
Travel dates: July 26-August 5, 2014

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A.D.S. is in a word AMAZING!

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Posted on by Michael

A month ago Jim and I departed for the adventure of a life time arranged by Sharon Lyon of Africa Dreams Safaris.

There is no way we can truly put into words how worry free and amazing our experience in Tanzania was. Every minute detail of our trip from the initial planning to departing from Tanzania for home was meticulously taken care of for us by Sharon and Africa Dreams Safari staff, our amazing “Animal Whisperer” Guide Russell and the wonderful Management and Staffs at the Mount Meru Hotel, Swala Lodge, Bushtops Tented Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, our Private Luxury Camp and Singita Sabora.

Our itinerary was perfectly planned and we were lucky enough to see and experience all of the animals, birds and sights we had imagined, dreamed of and hoped for as well as things we could never have anticipated.

We cannot say enough good things about our impressive Guide Russell who took special care of our every omfort, preference and need without our even asking him. In every way, in our opinion, he went above and beyond being our personal safari guide. His knowledge of the animals, birds, reptiles, topography, cultures and the country was astounding. Any animal we wished to see he was determined to find for us and always did. We saw every mammal, reptile and bird we had on our list and some we never before knew of that were fascinating and beautiful. His personality was wonderful and we felt very sad to leave him at the airport when we departed Tanzania.

There were so many highlights to our trip that when friends ask what was most outstanding we find it difficult to share only one thing.

Some of the “standout” moments of our safari were:

– Witnessing the wildebeest crossing the Mara River which was a sight and experience of a lifetime we will never forget.

– Encountering a zebra with a totally white mane was unique.

– Watching a glorious sunrise in the Ngorongoro crater which almost made us cry.

– Having a lioness pass in front of us while we were sitting and eating lunch on the Serengeti plain was an unforgettable life experience we never expected.

– Anton, our Guide at Singita Sabora, finding Cheetah brothers under a tree to welcome us to the Lodge.

– Seeing the animals living in their natural habitat and being able to study and photograph them at our leisure.

– Returning every evening to beautiful accommodations to be greeted and cared for by professional and friendly staffs.

– Eating bountiful, delicious picnics in the Bush and elegant, delicious dinner meals at each lodge were sensational experiences for us.

– Special unexpected touches and surprises such as an unplanned wine tasting at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge with local entertainment and a tub for 2 filled with roses and bubble bath after dinner.

– Birthday cake to celebrate Jim’s special day accompanied by singing and dancing presented by the staff at Swala Lodge

– Champagne with a special cake and singing at our Private Luxury Tented Camp.

– A rose petal path from the entrance of our tent leading to a chilling bottle of champagne in an antique silver bucket on our last night at Sabora.

All the thoughtful surprises made us feel very special and enhanced what was an already amazing trip well worth the 24 plus hours of air travel to get to Tanzania.

In total, we want to express our immense “asante sana” to ADS, Sharon, Russell, Anton Grace, Panteleo, Kadevu, Nico, Chris, Mina, T-Man and the many others in both the foreground and background that worked so diligently to provide us an unforgettable adventure of a Lifetime.

ADS is in a word AMAZING! We cannot wait to do it again and hope all of our friends will someday take this special journey with ADS on a private safari to amazing Tanzania.

Cherril and Jim S.
Wainiha Kauai, Hawaii
Safari Dates: June 26 through July 8, 2014

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We Would Highly Recommend ADS To Any Family

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Posted on by Michael

Our family booked the 9-day package with Africa Dream Safaris and arrived in Tanzania in late July, 2013. Prior to booking with Africa Dream Safaris, we researched many safari outfitters and chose ADS and we were SO glad we did. What a great experience!

Our main concern from the beginning was safety since we were taking our children (ages 18, 14, 11). It truly was one of the best experiences we ever had and it far exceeded our expectations. We met so many people from around the world. Highlights included seeing the Big 5, visiting the Masasi tribe, taking the night drive from the Buffalo Luxury Camp, and taking the hot air balloon over Central Serengeti.

We would highly recommend Africa Dream Safaris to any family. It was safe, dependable, professional, and truly amazing and we loved our guide.

Kevin & Lynn M. & Family
Westminster, Colorado
Safari Dates: July 24, 2013 to August 2, 2013

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Africa Has A Way Of Getting Into Your Heart And Soul.

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Posted on by Michael

Amazing trip! Dawn was awesome to work with. She was very patient and answered all of my questions, which were many! She made sure it was our vacation and met all my requests. I really wanted to be in Africa during the full moon and wanted specific tented camps during our stay.

Dawn worked really hard to get everything booked just as I wanted. The first night on our safari we ate dinner under the full moon! It was perfect! We loved everything about our safari. Our guide was awesome and taught us so much about the environment, the animals and the people of Africa.

Our guide Ally told us at the beginning that Africa has a way of getting into your heart and soul. He was absolutely right! We were very sad to see our trip end but we walked away with incredible memories and a vacation of a life time.

One of my most favorite memories was the first morning of our safari waking up to hot coffee being served to our tent. We went outside on the deck to drink the coffee and as soon as we sat down a beautiful giraffe came strolling by right in front of us as if he was saying good morning and welcome to Africa! We had many special moments.

We were fortunate enough to see a lion kill a gazelle. We saw the entire thing from the hunting to the stalking to the kill. It was fascinating. I could not get over the patience of the lion during this process and how she searched for the perfect tree after she caught the gazelle to lay down and begin her feast. We also saw a lion family, the father, mother and two cubes. It was neat watching the family interact, the cubs playing with their mother and the mother taking the cubs to her freshly killed wildebeest to let them eat.

I could not get over the massive amounts of animals we encountered during our safari and how the different animals coexist with each other. You would see zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, gazelles, topies, cape buffalo and hartebeest (and some I am sure I forgot) all in one view. What an incredible sight!

We witnessed part of the great migration as thousand of wildebeest moved in search of green grasses. That was truly amazing. We really enjoyed watching the monkeys and baboons with their babies on their backs, they were very funny. On an early morning drive we saw a bunch of hippos in a single line running down a rapid flowing stream making all their hippo noises! Then watched how they got very territorial with their space as the stream opened up to a pool of water.

One of the places we stayed (Four Seasons Bilila) had a huge watering hole right in front of the swimming pool. Each day herds of elephants would come up and drink out of the watering hole. It was fun watching the baby elephants squeeze in between all the huge elephants to be able to get their small trunks close enough to the water to get a drink. We counted 28 elephants around the watering hole one night as we watched the sun go down.

I cannot forget to mention all the amazing birds in Africa. Some of the birds were extremely large and most of them were very colorful. The visit to the Maasai village was fascinating. They welcomed us with open arms, gave us a tour through one of their homes and performed a special dance with their jumping and rhythmic vocals.

All the tented camps were exactly as described and pictured on the internet. We really enjoyed getting to meet the local people who worked at the camps. Each camp brought a different experience and varying degrees of animals roaming the camps. The quiet mornings were so peaceful and the sunsets were like no other.

We always felt safe and our guide was there every step of the way. I researched a lot of safari outfitters and chose Africa Dream Safaris as a result of my interactions with Dawn and the positive testimonies from other ADS travelers. It truly was a “dream” vacation one we will always cherish. Thanks Dawn for putting together a wonderful trip.

Terrie and John M.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Safari Dates: July 20, 2013 to August 2, 2013

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Simba In The Serengeti

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Posted on by Michael

This truly was our dream come true from the animals, to the hotel rooms, to the people that greeted us with a smile. Every single animal on our check sheet we got to happily mark off from the wild dog to the black rhino!

One of my favorite moments was going on the back roads outside of the Serengeti, after a meet and greet with the local village one of the villagers was talking to us about the Wild Dog den up in the mountain. Next thing you know we convinced him to ride with us up the mountain to show us the dog den as soon as we made it to the top of the hill he told us to turn off our engine. Sure enough within a minute a wild dog walked right up to us, then dog clan joined him. It was so amazing to just listen to the animals and watch them interact. Speaking of watching animals interact my favorite thing to do was to pull up next to a family of elephants and just watch them, the babies would run around chasing birds and would often fall down after running in circles it was so entertaining.

Every detail of this trip was so well planned out thanks to Lynn and Africa Dream Safaris. On our anniversary night the cooks came out and danced around our dinner table singing us songs and brought us a cake. It truly was the best way to celebrate our anniversary!

During this trip we were expecting to see 1 or 2 lions on our week long safari but after 3 days and counting over 50 lions we finally gave up counting! We were amazed by the mass amount of animals we found.

We were so happy about all the different animals we learned about on our trip and how informative our guide was he had such a great span of knowledge of every animal out there.
We really hope to go again soon, we already miss the animals and staff.

Taneal and Neil C.
Tulalip, Washington
July 25 to August 3, 2013

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We Ended Up Seeing Two Wildebeest Crossings

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Posted on by Michael

Equipped with Sharon’s visionary plan and our driver guild Petro’s extended experiences and great talent with animals, we have just completed our unforgettable African dream safari.

Our trip started from the North Serengeti. Someone told my husband that the chance of seeing the wildebeest crossing Mara river was 15%. We wanted to see it badly. However, we understood perfectly that nothing was guaranteed and a safari trip was supposed to be a surprised one. Petro knew where to take us and how to approach the potential crossing spot and the best time to get closer therefore not to disturb the animals. We ended up seeing two crossings. Second one with more wildebeests and lasted more than ten minutes and very exciting.

Around the Buffalo Spring area, we visited a Maasai village, had a guided nature walk and a night game drive. All the activities were fun and rewarding.

In the central Serengeti area, we saw the chases and hunts by lions, a mama leopard, and a cheetah. Some failed and some succeeded.

In the Ngorongoro Crater, we saw more hyenas than elsewhere. All the animals here seemed braver than those in the Serengeti National park. It is a good chance to take close up pictures of them.
Tarangire guaranteed us with more elephants and lions.

Over all, we have seen all the animals and most of their actions we wanted to see. We saw 65 lions, 5 leopards, 9 cheetahs, a family of African hunting dogs, and countless of a lot of other commonly seen animals and beautiful birds. I believe the land in Tanzania is magical. It became a habit of trying to spy an animal and animal seeing has continued in our dreams. The beauty of the land, people, and animals of Tanzania has printed in our hearts.

Ann W.
Fremont, California
Safari Dates: July 25, 2013 to August 5, 2013

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Rhino Saved From A Pride Of Hungry Lions

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Posted on by Michael

Where do I begin? After months of research, I finally chose ADS as our safari company. I had been on safari twenty five years ago and had some ideas about the kind of safari I wanted. Lynn completely “got” my vision and planned our itinerary and accommodations accordingly. Planning was a breeze!

We were completely taken care of from landing in Kilimanjaro to our final flight out to Cape Town. The staff was very professional.

I thought since I had been on safari before, I knew what to expect. I was so wrong. Our first day we saw hippos, zebras, elephants and so much more! Our guide Pokea not only showed us the stunning wildlife, he talked about the flora and fauna as well. We saw more animals in the first couple of days than I saw on my entire safari twenty five years ago-including many that I had never seen before.

One of the many things we really liked about our guide was his deep respect for the animals. The only time he disturbed the wildlife was when he actually saved a rhino from being eaten by a pride of hungry lions. Very exciting! He was so skilled at finding the animals, it was uncanny. He was the perfect fit for our family even down to his sense of humor. Our night drive was highlighted by 100 cape buffalo crossing in front of our car, a rare bush Hyrax and a Carical.

The accommodations were all lovely, Lion’s Paw was everyone’s favorite. Amazing location, attentive staff, Water Buck and Zebra in the bushes and the Tropical Boo Boo bird with its many voices. The ‘treehouses’ at Kokoti were such fun.

I will definitely be recommending ADS to all of my friends, they gave our family the trip of our dreams and memories that will last a lifetime.

Thank you!!
Jim and Tori O.
Rosie (Age 15) and Alice (Age 13) O.
San Rafael, California
Safari Dates: July 22, 2013 to August 1, 2013

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Within 15 minutes We Were Watching Five Lions A Cape Buffalo

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Posted on by Michael

We have been back for two weeks from our Tanzania Safari. As you can well imagine, none of our group of eleven wanted to come home at the end of our week stay.

You did a fantastic job Sharon, of planning our trip. We started with the Ngorongoro Crater and working our way up to the northern Serengeti and flew back to Arusha on our last day.

Our Drivers, Francis and Ema, meet us at the Kilimanjaro Airport and took us to the Mount Meru hotel our first night. We had a easy time getting through customs with the help of the Arusha office crew.

Our second day drive to Ngorongoro went very well and we did a game drive en route. The highlight of day two was going down into the crater. We parked along a river bank and within 15 minutes we were watching five lions consume the last of a Cape Buffalo they had captured. It was interesting to watch the surrounding area to see the Hyenas and Jackals who were gathering and waiting their turn with the Buffalo. We returned to the same sight the next day and there must have been 35 Hyenas gathered around, but only one of them had a small scrap from yesterdays kill.

The Sopa Lodge on the lip of the crater was a perfect transition into our safari experience. As we drove into the Central Serengti we had a real treat. Our driver, Francis, spotted a Black Rhino that was wandering out of the protected area of the National park. This is not good because given the chance, poachers waiting just outside the park and would have killed the Rhino. Francis radioed a relative of his who worked for the conservation department, and reported this situation. Within a half hour, a truck load of Park Rangers arrived and began to herd the Rhino back towards the park. It was very exciting to follow the drama as it unfolded. Things would go fine for awhile, and then the Rhino would get dissatisfied with the whole thing and he would stop and spin around to have a face off with the truck. We could have followed them all afternoon, but had to leave so we could reach our lodging at the Seronera Sametu Camp.

The Sametu Camp was more than anyone expected. The consensus was, we want to stay here forever. Sleeping in the middle of the Serengeti is an experience everyone should try just once in their lifetime. The next morning we did a morning game drive and were rewarded with a Cheetah and her cubs, playing in the track.

Going north to the Buffalo Springs Lodge was an adventure. Stopped at the Hippo pool. Seeing 150 Hippos lounging in the mud is quite a site.

Got to Buffalo Spring and guess what? Every one wanted to “STAY HERE FOREVER”. The setting is beautiful, and the food was great!

The Wildebeest migration was amazing. There must have been a million of them in small herds, and one long line of wildebeest, streached from left to right for as far as you could see in either direction.

We departed the Lobo Airstrip and flew back to Arusha in a Cessna Caravan. Being a recently retired pilot and riding right seat up front was a special treat for me.

We returned to Amsterdam with so many special memories. Your group does an amazing job. You truly did create a Dream Safari.

Asante Sana,

Hank & Judy H.
Carrollton, Texas
July 22, 2013 to July 29, 2013

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We Saw 84 Lions, 9 Cheetahs and 7 Leopards!

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Posted on by Michael

We’re still enjoying our safari ‘high’ and are very excited to share our adventure with you!

The trip you planned for us was a fabulous overview of all of Tanzania. We started at the Ngorongoro Crater, turned south to beautiful Tarangire, traveled through the central Serengeti, headed north to track the wildebeest herds along the Mara River and concluded our adventure in the Lobo game reserve.

After our group of ten arrived at the Ndutu airstrip, we were met by our guides Arnold Mushi and Thomson Maleki who were fabulous! They were always eager to find exciting animal encounters, eternally patient with our unceasing photography demands and full of detailed information about any animal/bird/reptile we saw. Arnold would frequently shout out, “How is everybody??” and we would enthusiastically respond! The bar was set extremely high right off the bat as we saw not only a lioness hunting warthog, but a group of ten lion cubs who came down to the water to drink right in front of us! Absolutely magical!!

Though a few of our days were long and we covered many km, when we arrived at each camp there were smiling faces, eucalyptus-scented cloths to wipe away the trail dust and a chilled beverage to refresh us! Each camp was more amazing than the last. Our ‘tent’ accommodations were absolutely top notch with all the comforts of home. Our favorites were Lion’s Paw at the Ngoronogoro Crater and Swala.

At Lion’s Paw, our sundowner was the perfect place to watch a beautiful sunset before we enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by Jonas and his staff before we snuggled into our beds in the chilly air. The hot water bottles awaiting us were the perfect touch!

At Swala, we were delighted to have front row seats for a controlled burn of the grass during dinner and lions roaring virtually in our ears at night. We thoroughly enjoyed watching the crazy antics of an African Harrier Hawk as he hung upside down in a nearby tree. Chris and his crew were spectacular hosts.

Our stay at Seronera Sametu was highlighted by a ‘close encounter’ with a lioness who was stalking buffalo near camp. She popped up out of the tall grass and gave my husband and one of the camp guards quite a start! Very exciting!!

Our trek to LeMala Mara was chock full of African wildlife; the hippos crowding the hippo pools of the Mara River and seeing a lion family devour a freshly killed wildebeest were truly memorable sights.

Our final days were spent at the beautiful Buffalo Luxury camp. My daughter, a budding artist, loved that they had drawing supplies available in the lounge so she could put some of the amazing animals we saw down on paper. Our host, Chris, took us on a wonderful walking safari and even organized a hilltop sundowner for our last evening. The food was spectacular (loved those loaf-sized dinner rolls) and they even baked a birthday cake to help celebrate a special birthday for Kathi. Another truly memorable experience was the opportunity to visit a nearby Maasai village and learn about their lifestyle. They welcomed us warmly and we thoroughly enjoyed their melodic singing, jumping and dancing!

Our animal encounters were amazing! All in all we saw 84 lions, 9 cheetahs and 7 leopards along with countless elephants, giraffe, hippo, monkeys, wildebeest, Tomi’s and many beautiful birds. As a group, we took over 10,000 photos! Despite what we thought Africa would be like, it was so much MORE than we expected and the fabulous planning and attention to every detail sets Africa Dream Safaris apart. It was truly the trip of a lifetime!

As Arnold would say, “Every day is a good day… in the bush!!”

Thank you Sharon for putting together our adventure, we sincerely hope it is not too long before we can return to the magic of Africa.

Asante Sana!!

Chris, Mark, Mason & Kylie (Naperville, Illinois)
Mark, Kathi, Liz & Robby (Avondale, Pennsylvania)
Bob & Ruth Ann (Scottsdale, Arizona)
Safari Dates: July 14, 2013 to July 29, 2013

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We Witnessed Close-Up The Many Wonders Of The Serengeti

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Posted on by Michael

From the warm greeting at Kilimanjaro Airport to the waves goodbye at the Lobo Airstrip eight days later, we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our Africa Dream Safari experience. Our guide, Michael, couldn’t have been more pleasant and knowledgeable. His instincts expertly positioned us to witness close-up the many wonders of the Serengeti, and his information and insights were fun and fascinating. The accommodations were all first-rate and the friendly service was greatly appreciated.

Our first morning at the Ngorongoro Crater was so exciting, I feared the trip could only go downhill from there. To our delight, each day in the Central and Northern Serengeti brought new and different experiences.

That first full day on safari, we were awakened at 6 am when coffee was delivered to our luxury tent at Lion’s Paw, and after a hot and tasty breakfast, we drove to the Crater floor. Within the hour, Michael spotted hyenas trailing a water buffalo and her calf and suggested we follow. To our amazement, we witnessed the killing not only of the calf by the hyenas, but the subsequent attack on the mother by four lionesses. Two kills before 8:30 on the first morning! Micheal said we were lucky, but the next day when he positioned us perfectly to see a leopard ambush a gazelle, I realized just how lucky we were to have him as our private guide.

Dawn Anderson couldn’t have been more helpful and the safari she designed for us was everything we hoped it would be. We had been referred to Dawn and ADS by close friends, and we have already recommended ADS to other friends.

Asante sana, ADS Team. Here are just a few of our favorite photos.

Bill B. and Lisa W.
Walnut Creek, California
July 22, 2013 to July 29, 2013

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At First We Were Scared, But…

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Posted on by Michael

We had the most amazing safari imaginable!  It wouldn’t have been the same without our guide Anglebert (pictured above with a friendly cheetah we encountered).  His timing was just right and he captured every opportunity to see and experience the animals in their natural habitats.

He enticed a cheetah to visit us in our car after eating its kill.  At first we were scared, but then he explained that it wouldn’t hurt us.  He knew how to manipulate the car just right and give the cheetah every opportunity to jump on.  At first, it sat on the hood, looking at us through the front windshield as it showed us its teeth. Then, it began eating the antenna and canvass top.  As it became more comfortable, he began exploring the entire car.  As he began walking to the back, over the top, it almost slipped in.  It came within inches of touching us and our guide.  He stayed for about half an hour and it was one of the most exciting parts of our journey.

As we traveled through the Serengeti, we saw many animals enjoying their kills, lion’s mating, baby leopards in their den, a black rhino, and elephants standing right next to us.  Another highlight was that we were lucky enough to see three river crossings as the wildebeests migrated across the Mara River.  Our game drives lasted from early morning to dusk, which allowed us the best times to see the animals.

We kept a list of every kind of animal we saw, and were amazed the Anglebert could identify every kind of bird, insect, and animal.  He was respectful, thoughtful, and considerate of our needs.  He even spoke with many of the chef’s at the different camps and provided us special meals.

Through the combined efforts of Dawn, at ADS and Anglebert as our guide, the trip was fantastic and unforgettable!

Marla G. and Lauren R.
West Bloomfield, Michigan
July 5, 2013 to July 12, 2013

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Small Wonders

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Posted on by Michael

Our safari turned out to be a different experience for everyone of our family members. For me; personally, our safari was a collection of small wonders and a big finale. I found wonder in being surprised by animals that had become almost too familiar to us as the days went by.

Antelopes were a plentiful sight. Just when I thought I had seen enough of them they turned up at the center of a wonderful moment. I was under their spell as they hesitated before jumping over a small creek; puzzled over another group as they surrounded our moving vehicle in a sudden stampede; and surprised at the sound they make (a loud hiss/growl) when they warned each other about the close presence of a predator.

I heard baboons “barking” to warn a heard of wildebeests and zebras about coming near the watering hole where three lions awaited. I saw hippos doing 360 turns; their bellies and stumpy feet floating above water as they rolled over. I locked eyes with a servile cat for a long time as he confused my moving swatter with perhaps a tasty bird. We played hide and seek with a bush baby during our night game drive.

The big finale was a close encounter with a black rhino. Unbeknownst to us, Claude (our wonderful guide) had dreamt about the black rhino the night before our encounter. It was our last day on safari and we descended the crater at 6 am. Claude kept saying that if we were going to see it, the area we were driving around was the spot. We had looked for a while and I was feeling my eyes were going to pop out as I pressed them against the binoculars to “see better”. Then I spotted it amongst a close herd of buffalos and zebras. We were the only vehicle around. The rhino crossed the road twice right in front and behind our vehicle, strutted in circles and stopped several times to look right into our camera. This was our moment. Only ours!

Did we see the big five? The ugly ones and the small ones? Of course we did. For me; however, it was the small wonders like the ones I described above that stayed with me the most.

I savored every minute of our 12 hour drives with Claude. He was our wild life teacher and our window into Tanzania’s people, economic aspirations, and culture. I came back to the tented camps every day with my face covered in dust and with a feeling of having conquered the world. Every animal sighting felt like an accomplishment. Every little one of their movements filled me with joy.

Here are a few pictures. Erick reminds me they are not our best pictures. I say he is right but they are the best reminders of my small wonders.

Thank you Lynn, Claude and ADS for making possible my collection of small wonders!

Ana and Erick C.
Alec and Adrian C.
McLean, Virginia
Safari Dates: June 27, 2013 to July 4, 2013

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A Fantastic Family Safari

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Posted on by Michael

Sharon, the animal encounters were amazing. We started seeing zebras before our entrance into Tarangire National Park. The pictures that we took do not do the safari justice. We experienced a lion and lioness mating and saw a deep cut on the lion’s hind leg from a former battle as he walked away from his mate. A lioness was resting at the side of the road to where we thought she was full from breakfast, but in fact was pregnant and ready to deliver any day. The ostriches were flapping their wings across the Serengeti to call their mate we then experienced them mating as well. Baby lion and cheetah cubs were playing at the side of the road while towers of giraffes were munching on the treetops.

One of the highlights of the trip was on an early morning game drive. We observed a cheetah surveying 3 gazelles for her tasty snack. The cheetah bolted like lightning speed and conquered the gazelle in a matter of minutes. We were fortunate to stumble upon this great feat along with the vultures picking up the pieces once the cheetah left the area.

Another highlight was the buffalo confrontation. While on a walking tour, a buffalo came out of the bushes unexpectedly. Our guide threw his walking stick at his head to steer him in another direction while the African warrior shot 3-4 rifle shots at the buffalo to scare him away. The buffalo was literally 30-40 feet away from our group and we could clearly see the magnitude of this animal up close and personal.

While we watched the elephant parade, an enormous elephant blocked our path in the road. We waiting patiently, but the big guy wasn’t going to let us drive down “his” road. Our guide drove around the elephant as we weren’t going to tangle with this huge elephant. But to see that large beast up front was incredible as you can see the wrinkles in his hoofs and eyelashes on his eyes.

The birds and trees were truly something that you have to experience firsthand. The colors and shapes are pictures of artwork. We purchased a large African mask from the Cultural Heritage Center in Arusha and had it shipped back to USA. It arrived safely in North Carolina about 3 weeks after our departure and it hangs beautifully on our wall to treasure for years to come.

The visit to the Maasai tribe was an experience like no other. The African people are so very genuine and we felt welcomed at every place that we explored. Sharon, & Africa Dream Safaris did a fantastic job with our animal observations and our experiences were very memorable and will be treasured for many years to come!

David and Mary D. and children
Cecilia (age 13) and Henry (age 6)
Burgew, North Carolina
Safari start date: July 7, 2013

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Spectacular, Serene, Superb, Magical!

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Posted on by Michael

Lynn: My wife and I just got back from our safari last night. Your company made our safari adventure, truly a trip of a life time. And although we never return to the same place twice in our travels, we are already considering returning. Everything met or exceeded our expectations.

And I cannot say enough about the professionalism shown by your guide Russell (who actually became “our guide” for the 7 days of safari). Although there is definitely danger out in the bush, we never once felt unsafe. He also made the other challenges of the bush enjoyable and inspiring. And while the number of animals and their environment presented all kinds of questions from our group, Russell knew the answers and provided additional insights that were not only educational and informative, but also pleasurable. He made our safari an adventure that we already cherish.

We asked out group to describe the safari in one word and here are the words suggested: Spectacular, Serene, Superb, Magical. Thank you again for putting us in such good hands while we were in Africa.

Patrick and Nancy S.
Pewaukee, Wisconsin
Safari Dates: June 25, 2013 to July 1, 2013

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