Tag: May

Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is the worst of all – Brian Jackman, freelance writer

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Posted on by Michael

This was the year we said, “let’s do something different, visit someplace unlike any other place we have been”. Africa easily met that mandate, but where? By a stroke of luck my sister- via a ‘friend of a friend’ – was put in touch with someone who was eager to share her recent safari experience. And that is how we first learned of Dawn Anderson, ADS tour expert extraordinaire. Fifteen months later we are holding boarding passes: destination Kilimanjaro!

From our arrival in Kilimanjaro to our departure 10 days later Dawn put together a seamless itinerary which included the West and Central Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Mathias and Timon picked us up at the airport and delivered us to the Mt. Meru hotel providing lively banter along the way about all things Africa. They were friendly and helpful as they provided us with the all necessary details regarding our following morning bush flight from Arusha to the West Serengeti.

Upon landing at the Grumeti Airstrip we were greeted by Claude, ADS driver/guide extraordinaire. Little did we know we hit the lottery in drawing Claude to guide us through our ‘trip of a lifetime’. Within the first 90 minutes we saw UP CLOSE impalas, hippos, crocs, and a cheetah. By our trip’s end we saw the Big 5, some of the Little 5, and animals we never expected to see. We were fortunate to have elephants, lions and zebras cross in front of our vehicle several times. We even saw the hard to spot serval cat.

Claude exceeded our expectations daily in spotting animals at Hubble telescopic ranges much to our amazement and delight. He not only knew the wildlife from antelope to zebras, he demonstrated Audubon-esque knowledge of Tanzanian birds including their nesting and feeding habits.

Accommodations at all our lodges – Mbalageti, Lemala Seronera, and Lions Paw were top notch. The food far exceeded our expectations (soup recipes, please!) and there are not enough superlatives to aptly describe the friendliness of the staff at each camp. All were genuinely caring and attentive.

Having been bitten by the safari bug, we can’t truly describe our safari as a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip as we are already discussing our next safari. But, if you are looking for a unique, forever memorable experience a safari is the answer. ADS actually can deliver your dreams.

Bernie and Gary R., San Jose, California
Barbara and Tony P., Red Bluff, California
Safari Dates: May 18-27, 2015

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If The Garden of Eden Existed, This Must Have Been It.

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Posted on by Michael


Dear Mama Simba,

All who know you in Tanzania speak of you with such adulation and appreciation, and now we join their ranks. We so appreciate the nderstanding and thoroughness with which you listened to my fearful concerns and romantic hopes and then surpassed all expectation in going beyond fulfilling every wish.

We enjoyed talking with both Mattius and Timon on the ride from the airport and hearing of their families and backgrounds. Thank you and Africa Dream for the surprise Masai blanket and beaded bracelet gifts which welcomed us to the Moru Hotel. It took nearly a week for me to learn I was wearing the Tanzanian flag in the design, but it only helped me appreciate it more. We plan to hang it on the Christmas tree every year as a colorful reminder of Tanzania.

Thanks for booking us with Liz, Jeff, Terry, and James for our flight to the Grameti Airfield. It was great fun to run into each other through the rest of the week. Their email addresses have yet to surface in the unpacking, but we hoped to keep in touch.

Thanks for choosing PoKea for our knowledgeable, thorough, experienced, thoughtful guide. He had an uncanny ability to find camouflaged animals and knew so many birds I gave up trying to keep track after about thirty. We had total confidence in his driving on muddy, rutty, almost impossible roads. At each lodge he insured that all our requests were met…that we had a room with a view (always glorious) and that we were close to security. We laughed when he doubted I could walk the half block up the hill to a lookout at the Serengeti ranger station…since I wanted to be close to the main building at lodges he assumed I was disabled. On our first fabulous Grameti game drive he found seventeen animals/reptiles and fourteen beautiful birds. What an amazing beginning!

Bob and I were blown away by the surprise private dinner at Mbalageti complete with personal beautiful bonfire, 14 flaming torches, bottle of wine, three attendants, and delicious dinner. What a wonderful romantic night! Thank you!

What an enchanting room you arranged for us there, with its glorious gnarly wood railing to the porch overlooking endless green and frolicking baboons, its spacious stone-walled bathroom with footed tub, and two four-poster mosquito net ensconced beds.

Maybe the best guidance you provided was in suggesting we go mid May after the rains and before the crowds (although sadly that could have been all through June this year). Whew, we missed the rain by a few days and entered a Serengeti lush with beautiful green and even wildflowers. Sincerely, Sharon, we felt we had come to the Cradle of Civilization and that if the Garden of Eden existed, this must have been it with amazing numbers of God’s creatures roaming freely as far as the eye could see. It was awe-inspiring and humbling to be there at that verdant time.

Returning to this, I see that I need to be more brief. All three Serena Lodges were fabulous with unique and exceptional design and architecture, delightful balconies with glorious views, delicious and bountiful food, and two offered wonderful African dancers, singers, and drummers. You made us feel like royalty with the generous fruit baskets, welcoming bottles of wine and champagne and the totally unexpected cuddly hot water bottles warming our Ngorongoro bed. We are great water drinkers as well, and so appreciated being able to bring in extra water bottles from the Land Cruiser in case we ran out in the room. African Dream really helped us not rack up lots of extra charges at each lodge. At each Serena Lodge we were provided rooms with absolutely prime locations near in to the main activities.

At Lake Masek Tented Lodge (Bob’s favorite) we were one of only three parties of guests and yet, rather than have us walk a few feet to the buffet, they dished up a private buffet on a huge tray and brought it to the table for only PaKea and us. Every host obviously went to the greatest lengths to make us feel like the most important guests in attendance. We woke up for the sunrise there, for the many pairs of Fishers lovebirds, and for incredibly lovely bird sounds we will treasure forever. We felt the closest to nature there.

Our final night at Lake Manyara Serena brought the biggest surprise as the clapping, singing, dancing entire kitchen staff wove their way to surround our table, bringing your wonderful farewell cake. John Massa treated us like King and Queen and helped us provide PoKea with a similar night when he can bring back his wife. My next email will concern John and his family.

Sharon, we cannot thank you enough for the phenomenal trip you designed for us. We are still working on the hundreds of photos we were able to take so freely by having our own private vehicle and exceptional guide. You have earned your Mama Simba title and all the respect and admiration it bestows. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mama Simba!

Sincerely,

Jan and Bob F.
Palo Alto, California
Safari Dates: May 21, 2015 to June 1, 2015

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An Awesome Dream Come True

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Posted on by Michael

I knew the night we stepped off the plane in Tanzanian we had the right safari company ” Africa Dream Safaris “. From the moment they met us at the airport to the day they dropped us back off there it was just an awesome dream come true. From setting up our trip with Sharon to the meet and greet team of Mathias & Timan in Tanzanian to Mr. Emanuel our guide in the field they all were the very best. If your looking to do a safari, look no more, they are the best in so many ways.

Start to finish top notch but that being said I have to tell you if you’re going I hope you are lucky enough to get Emanuel as your guide not only did we see the BIG 5 we saw so much more and we got a great education along the way. This young man was so kind in looking after my mom who by the way turned 86 on our trip to teaching us not only about the animals but to also teach us about his home land of Africa and the ways of its people.

Every time we turned the corner it was something new and a whole new education for both of us. I know now that dreams do come true and Africa Dreams Safaris made ours. I will return someday and I hope to see my new friends or should I say new family again. From the deepest parts of our hearts and souls we thank you all.

Ric and Mollye H.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Safari Dates: May 2, 2015 to May 11, 2015

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We Saw Fantastic Wildlife Including The Great Migration

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Posted on by Michael

From landing at Kilimanjaro in the early morning hours, until we left 13 days later, Africa Dream Safaris gave us a fantastic experience of Tanzania and the Serengeti. We saw more game than we had any right to expect, and enjoyed staying at some of the most amazing hotels and lodges.

We had a limited window of dates to make this trip work for the whole family, and were concerned about the ‘wet season’ – but Dawn reassured us that it would still be a full safari experience, and she was right!

I think we saw a little rain twice – but we saw so much fantastic wildlife, including the beginning of the great migration, while travelling from the western corridor, through central Serengeti, and concluding in Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. We also enjoyed exclusive use of some of the fantastic accommodations – we were the only guests! So we were very happy to be among the few not put off by the ‘wet season’!

All the ADS staff were very friendly and helpful in Arusha, and our driver-guide Russell was fantastic, pointing out for us not only the large game that everyone comes to see, but also with almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the many beautiful bird species, as well as the plants and trees.

The Mbalageti Lodge, the Ewanjan Tented Camp, and the Crater Lodge were all fantastic in their own unusual, eclectic or secluded ways, and the Four Seasons Bilila, while a more conventional hotel experience, was also phenomenal.

We all loved the trip, and already have in our minds the possibility of a return in a different season to experience the wonders of the Serengeti again.

David, Sheryle, Robert, Charlotte and Lawrence S.
Safari Dates: April 30, 2015 to May 13, 2015
Toronto, Canada

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Globe Trotting Texans – Africa the Most Beautiful Place on Earth – Guest Travel Blog

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Posted on by Michael

I participated in a 10-day safari with ya’ll last May and since I write a travel blog I have posted the first part of an eight part series on the blog. I just wanted to give you the heads up because I absolutely loved this experience and had a fantastic time with African Dream Safaris and would recommend it to anyone. So if you need to refer anyone to my site feel free! Here is the link to the first post about Africa posted today! http://www.globetrottingtexans.com/2015/04/africa-the-most-beautiful-place-on-earth-africa-trip-part-2/

Thank you,

Courtney K.
San Antonio, Texas

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Best Graduation Present Imaginable!

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Posted on by Michael

Ever since I was young, my favorite animal has always been a cheetah and it has been a lifelong dream of mine to finally see some out in the wild. This sparked the idea of a safari as my graduate school graduation present and I could not be happier with this trip! From the moment we arrived in Africa we felt safe and welcomed by the ADS workers and the transition into new countries could not be easier.

From the moment we met with our driver, Claude, we knew he would be great and able to help us find everything we wanted to see. On our first day in the Serengeti we saw multiple lions and even a cheetah less than 20 feet from our vehicle! These were on top of the wild number of wildebeests we saw taking part in the great migration which is an amazing sight to see. (We saw so many other animals too, it just isn’t possible to name them all!)

Once we entered into the Central Serengeti, it seemed like lions were everywhere! We saw lions hunting, eating, sleeping and even playing with their young cubs. Lion cubs are probably at the top of the list of cutest animals you will ever see. Not only did we see lions but also numerous leopards as well- one walked not even 5 feet away from us (slightly frightening but absolutely amazing!) Our driver Claude knew I wanted to see as many cheetahs as possible so he went out of his way to make sure they were spotted- we saw 4 in one day which is very rare for such an elusive animal!

Although I have always been fascinated by the big cats, we saw so many other amazing animals as well- countless giraffes, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and any other animal you can imagine seeing in the Serengeti. It was definitely an amazing experience and something i believe everyone should get to do at least once (as for me- I think I may come back!)

Kristin E., Rita R., and Patricia A.
Safari Dates: May 24, 2014 to June 3, 2014
Medord, New Jersey

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To Anyone Wanting The Adventure Of A Lifetime!

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Posted on by Michael

Our safari was the adventure of a lifetime!! Everything about our trip was perfect – from Dawn’s assistance in creating our itinerary, to being greeted at the airport by Faith and being delivered to the airport on our departure. The safari was expertly designed to make sure the four of us had the best possible experience.

We began our adventure with three nights at the Mount Meru Resort. This allowed us time to visit the Cultural Center in Arusha and to recover somewhat from our 20 plus hour plane rides from California. Our actual safari began with a short flight from Arusha to the Grumeti airstrip where we were met by our guide Russell. He brought box lunches for us and we were off on our first game drive. We saw lions, giraffes and of course wildebeests during our first hour!

We spent two nights at the Kirawira Tented Lodge where the facilities and service were wonderful. It was the perfect way to ease into tent camps with our tiled shower, beautiful hard wood floors and of course the flush toilet. During the days we went on game drives and saw all of the “big five” except rhinos which we did see toward the end of our trip.

We also took a balloon ride and were able to see herds of wildebeests as well as gazelles and elephants. Russell suggested that we change the day and location of our balloon trip so we would see more animals and he made all the arrangements. This was one advantage of a private safari!

We spent a total of five nights between two ADS tented camps – Seronera Sametu Camp and Lion’s Paw Tented Camp. Again the service and facilities were excellent. We did have to request hot water for our shower but is was hot and there was plenty of it. There was no hair dryer at these camps so my hair had to air dry – at least it was clean and my husband said I looked fine! It was much cooler at Lion’s Paw and I had to borrow a jacket from the other couple.

In addition to wildlife, we saw the Kopjes (large rocks), Maasai paintings and climbed up Gong Rock for a beautiful panorama of the Serengeti. We also visited Olduvai Gorge and museum and had a short lecture by a museum guide. Before we left to go to the Ngorongoro Crater, we decided to add on a visit to a Maasai village. Once again, Russell made the arrangements for us. The village was very interesting and worth the visit. However, it was commercialized and the Maasai really wanted to sell us expensive beaded items. We visited their school and the children sang the ABC song in English for us.

We spent our last two nights at The Manor at Ngorongoro. This was absolutely beautiful. The rooms were like duplexes and had fabulous views of the grounds. One afternoon the maid drew a bubble bath for two with flower petals on top and she also started our fireplace each night. However, we did not relax as planned. Instead, we chose to visit FAME which is a rural medical clinic and to visit the Hadzabe people and the Datonga tribe.

We paid a fee for a local guide and he accompanied us to Hadzabe and Datonga living areas. These groups of people have agreed to have tourists visit them and to share some of their culture with us. In exchange, they receive some help from the government based on their needs. The Hadzabe really seemed to enjoy watching us try to start a fire with sticks and to shoot with a bow and arrow. They also shared some tubers with us and even offered to share smoking their pipe with marijuana in it. It was quite an experience!!

This was a wonderful experience for the four of us. Our guide Russell was the best. He taught us a lot about the animals and their habits and ensured that we had the best views for picture taking. He also arranged to minimize the need to use “the bushes” and we were often able to use regular bathrooms that were cleaner than a lot of our rest stops.

All the tented facilities were outstanding and provided excellent service. We were even surprised by hot water bottles in our bed at Lion’s Paw Camp. One night we had buffalos outside our tent hitting against the supports and chewing grass. That added some excitement to our night! We were careful about the water but did not worry about the food at the camps. None of us got major diarrhea and we only got a few bites by mosquitoes or tsetse flies.

We would definitely recommend African Dream Safaris to anyone wanting the adventure of a lifetime!!!

Barbara and Ralph Handly
Fresno, California
Safari Dates: May 26, 2014 to June 6, 2014

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My Family’s Amazing Safari To Tanzania.

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Posted on by Michael

I have been dreaming of going on an African Safari for most of my life. It took me almost 50 years to make that dream into a reality, and now I can hardly believe it is over.

I feel so blessed that this adventure was shared with my husband Lance, and my two daughters Chelsea (15) and Haley (11). We are all crazy animal lovers and all interested in learning about new cultures. This trip could not have been any more ideal for our family. I have to say that Dawn helped us to plan the perfect itinerary and we loved every minute of it!

Our adventure started in Arusha where we had the incredible opportunity to visit the St. Jude school. We spent the day visiting classes, eating lunch with the children, playing games, and learning all about this wonderful school which provides an opportunity for the most impoverished students to get a superior education. At the end of the day, we rode the bus home with a young student- Jennifa and visited her home.

We were overwhelmed as all of her friends, family and neighbors greeted us with songs and cheering. We were invited into her humble home for tea and snacks and talked with her parents (through and English translator). We were almost in tears when we left and we all hugged and cried as we told them we would like to sponsor their daughter in school this year.

The next day we flew off into the Serengeti on a small plane. We landed in the Grumeti air strip and were greeted by Petro our cheerful Safari Guide. He gave both my girls the biggest hug and said that we would have a great time together. Immediately upon leaving the airstrip we saw hundreds of wildebeasts and dozens of baboons. We were so excited to start our journey deep into the Serengeti.

On the ride to our first lodge- we saw giraffes, zebras and dozens of other animals. It felt like a dream. We arrived at the Mbalageti Tented lodge and were greeted with fresh juice and cold cloths to wipe our faces. We could not get over our luxury accommodations. Our family tent was like a small palace with an expansive deck looking out into the wilderness. We cooled off in the pool and took a nap before dinner. The buffets were all fabulous and it was fun to chat with other guests about their safari experiences.

The next day we got to see our first lion pride and spotted a beautiful leopard and even a cheetah. We spent time watching the hippos at the Retina pool. It was mating season so we saw two male hippos fighting, we even saw some pink babies and watched the hippos wallowing and grunting in the mud.

The Four Seasons Lodge, our next stop was like stepping into a travel magazine. We had fun at the beautiful pool where we could watch the elephants come drink at the watering hole. At one point- there were 37 elephants surrounding the area and even a one week old elephant baby that had been born on the property the week before. The staff there (and in all the lodges) were so kind and helpful. One morning a baboon visited us on our balcony. Haley thought that was so funny!

We continued our game drives and could not wait to see what the day would bring. The great migration of wildebeests and zebras was amazing to watch throughout. Petro, of course was so knowledgeable about the animals and we admired his respect and love for them. Lance and I chatted with him about Tanzanian culture, history and life. We all became great friends. He called Haley, my youngest the Safari boss and he teased Chelsea about her music. We learned about his family as well and I even got to speak with his wife on the phone.

We headed off to the Ngorongoro Crater and stopped at a Masaai village for a couple of hours which was truly a highlight for me. We were greeted by a the chief’s son (who spoke English.) We danced together, toured the village and got to see the boma huts where they live. We learned about their life and even visit the small school made of sticks. The children were so interested in us and we showed them pictures on our camera. We sang to them and gave each one a high five. It was AMAZING! I think it gave Chelsea and Haley a new appreciation of our life in the States.

We headed down into the crater and were hoping to see the elusive rhino. We lucked out and were able to find one (a bit in the distance) and watched him for some time. The Lion’s Paw tented camp on top of the crater was magical. We felt like we were in Avatar with all the lush trees. There were only 6 tents and we happened to be the only ones staying there that night. We were treated like royalty. We got to eat dinner together with Petro and visited with the staff at Lion’s Paw.

The next morning, as we headed into the crater we were fortunate to come upon a male lion lying in the road. We were in awe of this majestic creature. A few hundred yards away- his harem of 6 lionesses were planning their attack on a small herd of zebra. We watched them spread out and slowly, slowly creep along in the tall grass until they were close enough to charge. It was so exciting to watch!! The zebra were faster than we imagined and got away! Phew…

After a few more hours surveying the crater, seeing hyenas, mammoth elephants, hundreds of flamingos in the salty lake and dozens of other birds. We decided to make our way to Gibbs Farm. This was our last stop and it was a wonderful retreat for 3 nights after a week of game drives. We spent our time in Gibbs Farm sitting out on the lawn chairs, picking vegetables in the 9 acre garden, drinking coffee and relaxing. We also had a chance to tour the small nearby town and visit an orphanage. It was a great way to end our Safari experience. The last night the staff brought us a cake and sang to us in Swahili.

I feel so sad that it’s all over now, But these memories will last a lifetime. Thank you so much to African Dream Safari especially to Dawn for planning this fabulous trip for us to Petro for guiding us through the Serengeti with care and fun, to all the fabulous staff at the lodges who made us feel like special guests and the Tanzanian people for sharing your beautiful country with us and especially for your warm smiles!

Stephanie, Lance, Chelsea and Haley E.
Tucson, Arizona
May 27, 2014 to June 5, 2014

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I chose ADS after researching several other outfits…it was the best choice I made.

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Posted on by Michael

Our family had the opportunity to take this trip come up with fairly short notice, fortunately Sharon and the ADS team were equal to the challenge – putting together a 2 week safari with only 5 weeks’ notice.

From the lodging to the guide we were assigned, everything worked. From the time we landed until we left the ADS team did everything they could to ensure we felt safe and comfortable. They were even able to accommodate us traveling with a 10 year old.

I chose ADS after researching several other outfits, and by far, it was the best choice I made. Highpoints included over 100 lions, 11 cheetahs, 3 leopards, and 3 black rhinos. Other groups we talked did not see a fraction of what we did. Our son was treated as an equal decision maker by everyone we interacted with, and they made sure this experience will be remembered his entire life.

Thank you, ADS! You exceeded our dreams and expectations!

Dale, Deelaina & Garrett M.
Boerne, Texas
Safari Dates: May 25, 2014 to June 5, 2014

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We Had An Exceptional Experience With ADS.

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Posted on by Michael

We began planning our May 2014 African safari over a year in advance. Dawn was extremely helpful in recommending an itinerary that would maximize our opportunities to see the many aspects of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater that we wanted to see. Additionally she did a marvelous job of arranging for us to stay in a variety of lodging facilities from a mobile tented campsite in Sametu to the luxurious Four Seasons Resort in Bilila.

The ultimate success of our safari was largely due to our incredible guide “Rafae”. His knowledge of animals and their behaviors, birds, plants and the Maasi culture made for an outstanding learning experience that each of us will always remember. We had an exceptional experience with African Dream Safaris. We enthusiastically recommend them to anyone considering a safari in Tanzania.

Dennis and Jane T.
Rockford, Illinois
Safari dates: May 23, 2014 to June 01, 2014

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This Trip Was A True Bucket List Experience.

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Posted on by Michael

We were almost off to a false start on our safari when Turkish Airlines inexplicably canceled the second leg of our arrival flight to Kilimanjaro.  Fortunately, thanks to Dawn/ADS, they were able to reschedule the entire trip – albeit 2 days later flying KLM Airlines.  Otherwise, we would have had to cancel our trip.  How lucky we were to still be able to go and have such an incredible experience.

Every destination on our safari in Tanzania was unique unto itself.  The Singita Sabora Camp in the Grumeti Game Reserves was a real luxury tent camping surprise.  We were surrounded by wildebeests that never stopped “talking to us”.  While there our every need was attended to.  Edward, our Singita guide, did an outstanding job showing us the wildlife of the Grumetu Game Reserve.

After this we were picked up by our ADS guide, Thomson Malekia who escorted us for the next seven days in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater.  My wife and I have had naturalist guides in the Galapagas Islands and trekking guides in Machu Picchu and the Andes, but none surpassed the skills and capabilities of Thomson.  He was patient with us and all the animals and consequently we saw many more than we might have because they just kept coming into view.

Our accommodations at each of our destinations were unique and comfortable. The food was phenomenal and the hospitality extended us could not have been improved upon.  Thomson had an almost have a sixth sense as to where all the different animals would be and we safely saw them all up close and personal.

One afternoon we spent more than an hour in the middle of nowhere with a family of 5 cheetahs and just us! We watched them run and play and took incredible pictures of the entire family.  We saw the illusive leopards sleeping in trees, a stalking lion taking down a Thomson Gazelle for her pride, elephants with colossal tusks eating the crater flowers and the endangered black rhinos grazing on the crater plains.

Every evening we watched incredible Serengeti sunsets and the dawns were memorable as well – especially the sunrise viewed from the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater as all the animals were awakening.

On our final day when returning to Arusha, we stopped at the F.A.M.E. Hospital in Karatu,Tanzania which was established by Dr. Frank and others for the Tanzanian people where there is only one doctor for every 30,000 inhabitants.  As a physician, I was impressed with the quality of care they were providing their patients with such limited resources.  However, they had modern medical equipment and were connected through the internet for medical specialty consultations from most anywhere for their patients.

In summary, this trip was a true bucket list experience for us and we thank ADS for making it all possible! THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME!

Dr. William and Daphne M.
San Diego, California
Safari Dates: May 14, 2014 to May 24, 2014

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We Enjoyed Meeting Wonderful People, Workers And Travelers Alike.

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Posted on by Michael

We send thanks and congratulations for a job well done. The 8 day itinerary and the execution by your staff gave us an unbelievable experience and the knowledge that our money was well spent.

Faith met us at the Kilimanjaro airport with a smile on her face and a professional, calming manor. She got us to and through Arusha and managed a quick check in to the hotel – all this with a new baby due in 2 or 3 weeks.

Our driver-guide Ally met us as we got off the plane at Grumeti airstrip. The rest is history! Ally is certainly one of the smartest and personable men we have ever known. His love of the land and its creatures was admirable and contagious. His actions left no doubt he took his responsibilities as a teacher and a protector seriously and joyfully. He taught us patience is indeed a virtue. Animal’s actions are predictable – to the expert – we learned to relax and enjoy the fact that something grand was going to be seen. Many of our best pictures and videos are a direct result of Ally’s patience.

We enjoyed meeting wonderful people, workers and travelers alike. Many shared their joy of the visit to Africa and many shared their hope and expectation of a better life ahead. The wide spread use of the English language was a surprise to us. Parents sacrifice to send the children to school. They know education is a key to the better life.

The late May date was perfect – comfortable weather and good road conditions. Your equipment was good and Ally cleaned it every day. The camps were comfortable, clean and exciting. The food was very good – yes, very good.

Carl & Barbara M.
Avon, Indiana
Safari Dates: May 15, 2014 to May 22, 2014

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I Cannot Imagine A Trip Being Better Planned Or Executed

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Posted on by Michael

From beginning to end, we had a wonderful experience with Africa Dream Safaris. Dawn Anderson helped plan the ideal itinerary for us, which took into account our need to observe the Jewish Sabbath as well as to eat only fish and vegetarian foods. Things started off beautifully when Faith picked us up as we deplaned and whisked us through Immigration before taking us to the Arusha hotel.

Our first full day in Tanzania started off very rainy, but as soon as the plane cleared the Ngorongoro area, we were treated to a stunning view of the Serengeti plains. John, our driver guide, met us at the Grumeti airstrip. He proved to be an informative, interesting guide who was attuned to our interests.

I am an avid amateur photographer, and John helped position our vehicle for great photo opportunities for the wildlife, birds, and scenery. We also enjoyed talking with him about the Tanzanian people and culture, the animals and birds we saw, and a variety of wide-ranging topics. He is an exceptionally intelligent and nice young man, and we were glad to get to know him.

Our accommodations were all very comfortable, albeit quite different. We stayed at the Mbalageti Tented Lodge for our first two days in the Serengeti and enjoyed the spectacular views and delicious on-site meals. The wildebeest migration was underway, so we saw thousands of wildebeest as well as their zebra tag-alongs and the crocodiles waiting in the Grumeti River.

We then spent two nights at the Four Seasons Lodge with a luxurious room overlooking the watering hole. I’d planned to spend much of the Sabbath reading, but we were so intrigued by the behaviors of the wildlife visiting the watering hole (elephants, cape buffalo, antelope, zebras, giraffes) and interested in talking with the on-site naturalist in the Discovery Center that I didn’t even open the book I’d brought!

We then journeyed to the Seronera Sametu Camp and enjoyed the personal attention of the staff as well as delicious food. And there was great wildlife viewing there too: we saw lions and many elephant and heard hyenas and cape buffalo at night. During the time in the Central Serengeti, we saw cheetahs and leopards in addition to many lions, elephants, zebras, antelopes, hippos and warthogs. Owing to the time of the year, there were many baby animals to see.

Leaving the Central Serengeti, we journeyed to the Ngorongoro Crater which felt like the Garden of Eden with its stunning scenery and many birds and animals, especially with the yellow and purple wildflowers in bloom. We stayed at the Lion’s Paw Tented Camp which had beautiful views, great cuisine (especially the soup and the mushroom stroganoff), and superb location.

Because we were staying on the crater rim, we were able to be in the crater early in the morning and saw a pride of lions including three very playful cubs. By the time other tourists were down in the crater and we saw the lions again, they were all taking their catnaps! We also were able to see many different animals with their young (zebras, wildebeest, cape buffalo, elands, hyenas), courting birds, four of the rhinoceroses that live in the crater, and huge “retired” bull elephants.

We ended the trip at the Manor at Ngorogoro, one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in, and a visit to Lake Manyara. While many people were dismissive of Lake Manyara, we enjoyed seeing the tropical rain forest and the different birds and animals there. In a classic example of it being a small world, we ran into a church mission group there and it turned out that the pastor leading the trip was the son of one of my father’s colleagues and his wife had been a college friend of my husband’s late first wife.

All in all, our safari was a spectacular experience and we are so glad we took the trip with Africa Dream Safaris. I cannot imagine a trip being better planned or executed, service more attentive, or a better guide than we had in John.

Now all that remains is to organize the 6,000 photographs that Lenn and I took into commemorative books so that we can share our experience more fully with our family and friends. Thank you!

Roberta and Lenn G.
Nashville, Tennessee
Safari Dates: May 13, 2014 to May 22, 2014

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Tanzania Is The Place To Go!

TRAVEL TIPS + UPDATES

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Posted on by Michael

We had an incredible experience with African Dream Safaris. Tanzania is the place to go and ADS was superb. Now that we are “experienced” safari explorers, we believe the most important aspects of all are: have a great camera (the Nikon P600 outperformed all others on our trip), choose the right time of the year, have the best guides, have comfortable vehicles, and have great lodging to come home to each evening.

We got lucky and chose the camera after our group discussed options – and ADS took care of the rest. The guides/drivers were outstanding: good English skills and great knowledge. Perhaps most important, they were always concerned about our safety. We noticed the competence of the drivers at a few key moments. Excellent all around!

John & Susan R.
Provo, Utah
Safari Dates: May 11, 2014 to May 23, 2014

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A Lifelong Dream Of Mine

Family Vacations

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Posted on by Michael

Planning a trip to Africa for a safari has been a lifelong dream of mine, but it wasn’t until last summer I was able to convince my 20 year old daughter to join me. We looked at lots of different tour companies and finally decided that a private safari was the best choice for us. We wanted to be able to make our own agenda each day, stay at a variety of different lodges and camps of our choosing, and have a guide and vehicle to ourselves.

We had a limited window of time in May to make this trip happen and everyone at ADS did  heir best to squeeze as much in to our trip as possible. Many thanks to Sharon who planned a wonderful itinerary and was patient throughout the process as we bombarded her with questions.

We cannot say enough good things about the ADS staff in Africa. We were met immediately after we walked off the plane in Kilimanjaro and whisked through the Visa process. From there we travelled to Arusha for a short overnight stay at Mount Meru Hotel.

The next morning we were picked up early by the ADS staff and taken to the airfield to fly to the Western Serengeti. I must admit, my daughter and I were both a bit apprehensive about this flight, but once we were up in the air and able to enjoy the beautiful landscape of Africa, our fears subsided.

We met our fabulous guide Peter at the Grumeti airstrip. Within a few minutes of leaving the airstrip, we began spotting animals – gazelles, wildebeests, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, baboons, and many others. Peter made sure we were always in the perfect spot to observe these amazing sights as well as get great pictures. We even got a chance to see the migration of the wildebeests which was an awesome sight. There must have been thousands of them.

We were constantly marveling at Peter’s ability to spot animals. He spotted a Columbus Monkey is a densely forested area more than 100 yards away. Every time we asked him how he did it, he would laughingly reply, “I keep telling you, this is my office.” He openly share his vast knowledge of the behaviors of the animals which we found not only educational, but fascinating.

We spent our first two nights at the Kirawira Tented Lodge and could not have been more pleased. The staff was phenomenal, always making sure we had everything we needed, even arranging for my daughter to visit with the on-site doctor when she was not feeling so well. They all made us feel “at-home” and amongst friends. As two women traveling alone, we were a bit concerned about our safety, but at Kirawira and all of the other places we stayed throughout our journey, we always felt safe and secure.

Our guide made sure we were ready to start our game drives early so we would have the best chance to get the most out of our day. On our first morning drive while at Kirawira, we were greeted by a giraffe in the middle of the road. We hadn’t even had time to get our cameras ready for the day, but not to worry. There were plenty more giraffes for us to see that day.

On our third day, we drove to the Central Serengeti area where we began to see several different prides of lions, leopards, cheetah, and herds of elephants. A few of the prides we saw were in secluded areas where we were the only people around. We discovered that the main reason was because most of the other safari tour companies have mileage limits so they won’t drive to some of these “out of the way” places. One more advantage of using ADS is that they have unlimited mileage.

We ended our trip with two nights at the beautiful Ngorogoro Crater Lodge where we were treated to an amazing view from our room along with service that was impeccable! Our only regret is that we didn’t have more time to spend there. While in the Crater, our guide located the elusive Black Rhino making our mission to see the Big Five complete.

On our last day, we began our journey back to Arusha where we would have to say goodbye to our newest extended family member, Peter. It was bittersweet, but we were comforted by the fact that we will be coming back to see him someday soon. Next time, we will bring the rest of the family.

On our way to the airport, the ADS staff stopped so we could take a picture standing in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We could now safely say that we had seen it all!

Lynn and Nicole P.
Centreville, Virginia
Safari Dates: May 15 to May 25, 2014

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