Tag: Michigan

ADS is the best!

ADS is the best! I know this sounds contrite but the way they handled every aspect of our 12 days, was just outstanding! We booked with much excitement and as time got closer to the “big trip” our apprehensiveness rose. There was no reason to be apprehensive, because Dawn at African Dream Safaris had planned every detail to work out beautifully! Arrival in Arusha, being met right after coming off the plane, and being whisked though the passport/visa lines, was quick and efficient and impressive. Mt. Meru Hotel was fantastic and very hospitable and a great choice for beginning and ending our safari.

The animals were fantastic, to say the least, but our driver, Omary seems to know exactly where to find them just by watching the birds in the air or the trees, or listening to the sounds of the zebra’s barking when they fear the lions in the area. We had a small rain storm come though daily, so we also want to comment on the muddy roads or paths that we traveled. Omary was a very careful driver and never got us stuck. He also was very attentive in cleaning the vehicle inside and out each night, so we started our adventure each morning in a nice, clean vehicle.

We watched some drivers zoom by us and we appreciated his controlled speed and attentiveness so we didn’t miss the hidden animals. It made the trip more relaxing and we still had the option of telling him when to move on or stay longer. We can’t say enough about Omary’s knowledge and experience in the area of game driving.

All the accommodations we stayed in were wonderful, but the very best was the “Kusini Tented Lodge”. The staff, food and accommodations were fantastic. We especially loved the wonderful evening drinks and social on the “welcome rocks”. The overstuffed bean bags to rest upon and appetizers being served while watching the sunset after a day of seafaring, was just fantastic. We loved the high standards that managers, Deb and Chris, from the UK, provide to all their guests. Each meal was served on beautiful white china from England and the food was just outstanding! We wished we would have had a 3rd night to enjoy there before moving on to the Ngorongoro Crater. Our 2nd favorite lodge, was without a doubt the “Manor at Ngorongoro”, which has wonderfully appointed individual guest cottages and beautiful horse stables. We also wished we could of added a day there to tour the coffee plantations by horseback.

We can honestly say without a doubt, this was a fantastic adventure! You hear so often the negatives of the world but Africa Dream Safaris was truly a wonderful organization to travel with in every way!!
Thanks again to Dawn of ADS , Omary our driver and the rest of the camp staffs for a fantastic memory making trip.

Jean and Don Erickson
Stevensville, Michigan
Safari Dates: December 30, 2012 to January 8, 2013

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We Left Our Hearts In Africa

The trip and experience of a lifetime is how we have been describing our recent safari in gorgeous Tanzania with Africa Dream Safaris. Each day was a new adventure with Anglebert our driver/ guide. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable about the animals and birds, the history and culture of Tanzania, but he was also skilled at reading animal behavior and predicting what they might do next, affording us opportunity for wonderful viewing and photography.

Our safari with ADS started on Nov. 1, 2012 in the Northern Serengeti after a short flight from Arusha. Even from the air we could we could see herds of zebra, wildebeest, elephants, and Cape buffalo. Within hours of meeting Angelbert at the Kogatende airstrip we were fortunate to see a herd of wildebeest crossing the Mara River as a lioness waited in the thickets on the other side. We found her later in a thicket with one of her kills.

Our first two nights stay were at Buffalo Springs tented camp where we received a warm welcome. The staff made us feel at home and protected, and we loved waking up each morning to a “ good morning” with coffee and hot chocolate being brought to our tent before we left for an early morning game drive. The “tents” here were very deluxe. Ours had a leather loveseat and chair, a king size, beautifully furnished bed, and a tiled bathroom complete with all the amenities.

The next morning we went to a Masai Boma where we were given a guided tour of the Boma and were instructed in Masai culture. Our time there ended with the men and women dancing and singing for us. That evening we took a night game drive starting in the late afternoon.

The wildlife was particularly abundant here. We saw a herd of 24 giraffe, a pride of 22 lions, Thompson gazelle, Topi, Eland, Reedbuck, Water Buck, Elephant, Mongoose, Baboon, Vervet monkey and a large herd of Cape buffalo, which thankfully were on the other side of a narrow deep ravine, as they looked ready to charge our vehicle. We also saw our first Serval Cat, and a pack of five Wild Dogs.

We chose to take a walking safari at Buffalo Springs too. It was a little unnerving walking in places where we had seen wild game even though we had two Masai warriors with us in addition to our guide Moses. He was very knowledgeable in the animals, plants and birds we came across. We even got to watch a pair of Dung Beetles rolling their dung ball and then burying it. While game driving here we came upon two poachers late in the afternoon who had killed an eland. Angelbert reported it to the park rangers, who came promptly to check it out.

November 4 we game drove in the Loliondo and Lobo Valley area. One of our first sightings of the morning was a leopard who walked out from under a small bridge we were crossing. Later that morning we saw Cheetah, Ostrich, and Bat Eared Fox. We visited the Retima Hippo Pool, and though we had seen hippos in the rivers we had been near, we had never imagined or seen such a huge number of Hippos in one place. It was fascinating to watch them and the area lent itself to great photo opportunities. Later as we ate our boxed lunches Angelbert introduced us to Tangeweezi, a soft drink that tasted like a combination of Mountain Dew and Ginger ale. We really enjoyed it.

Our next two nights we stayed at Seronera Sametu tented camp. Jonas, one of the staff, greeted us each time we arrived at camp with hot moist towels, fresh mango juice, and his beautiful smile. Once again our tent accommodations were amazing and comfortable. Had it not been for mosquito netting around our bed and the sounds of lions, and hyena in the night, we would have thought we were in a resort hotel somewhere.

The next morning we ate our breakfast in the Land Rover as we watched a mother cheetah and her 5-month-old cubs eating their breakfast of gazelle. Throughout the day we toured many of the kopjes. We climbed one to see the Masai drawings on the rocks. Later at Lake Magati we saw innumerable flamingo. We later saw a large herd of wildebeest thundering across the plain and stopped a while to watch them. Angelbert positioned us so that they were running at us. For added entertainment, two young impala bucks fought each other nearby.

We had planned to go back to camp early today as we were both quite tired, but we were so glad we didn’t when we saw two male cheetahs that had spotted each other from afar. As they approached each other they recognized that they were brothers and nuzzled each other. Shortly after, Angelbert spotted 3 female lion stalking a herd of wildebeest. One charged too soon and the wildebeest got away. We followed one of the lionesses as she tiredly walked the road next to our Land Rover and stopped to drink heavily from a rain puddle.

Jonas’ lion stories at supper that night we pretty frightening and as he walked us to our tent that night we could hear lions!

November 6 we started our game drive today at 6:30am and headed for the Southern Serengeti. In early light we saw a cheetah take down a gazelle. Angelbert was so adept at observing and interpreting animal behavior. We had been watching a herd of zebra going down to a lake to drink. He noticed that the stallion of the herd suddenly held his head high. Sure enough, there were four lions hiding in a thicket near the water’s edge. It was fascinating to sit close by and see all this.

Later, after Angelbert spotted a leopard tortoise, he saw a male cheetah. Over the period of about an hour we were able to get within a few feet of this male cheetah. We watched him mark his territory, take a nap, walk to another set of low rock, climb up and look out over the plain. This rock was about the same height and size of our Land Rover. The cheetah hardly even looked at us as Angelbert backed our Land Rover up against the rock, had us pop our heads out the top and took our picture with the cheetah a mere 6-8 feet away. Just before we stopped for a picnic lunch we saw a pride of lions napping on and in the shade of Gol Kopjes. We were again able to get within several feet of the black maned male.

Our next two nights were at the Ngorongoro Serena Lodge. This lodge is amazing in its construction of local stone, and its location on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater. Our room looked out over the crater. While completely different in the type of lodging we had experienced in the other camps, we really enjoyed our stay here. Our room was large and comfortable, and we could get internet access at the bar which allowed us to update our family and friends at home about our amazing experience so far, and that we had not made it on the menu of the local predators so far. (This had been a concern of our 90 years plus parents).

We enjoyed the nightly entertainment before dinner, which featured local acrobats, a music/ dance group and a performance by the local Masai in their brightly colored clothing and beaded jewelry. The sunsets and sunrises over the crater were breathtaking! We enjoyed our game drives in the crater each day. The crater floor is abundant in wildlife.

In addition to lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, warthog, wildebeest, zebra, impala, gazelle, baboon, flamingo, ostrich, and hyena, we saw black backed jackal. We saw the black rhino from a distance, and even though Angelbert worked hard all day to get a closer sighting, they were not cooperating that day. As in other parts of Tanzania we were able to see a large variety of beautiful birds. The end of our second day in the crater ended with a Cape buffalo kill by two lion.

Nov. 8 we headed out of the Ngorongoro Crater area and toward Taranguire National Park. Along the way were took a short tour of a local Masai market where goats and sheep as well as clothing, fruits and vegetables were being sold. We also stopped briefly at a local arts and crafts market so that we could purchase a few souvenirs. Later we stopped at FAME (Foundation for African Medicine and Education). We were very impressed with the work here by Dr. Frank and his wife. They are certainly providing much needed medical care for the local people in a beautiful new facility. We admire ADS for supporting this work.

After eating our boxed lunches at the entrance of Tarangire National Park we began our game drive. While the temperatures so far on our safari had been temperate, we noticed that it was warmer and more humid here. We also experienced Tsetse flies for the first time. This was the one experience of our whole trip that I could have done without. They seemed to find me especially tasty. While we still saw a large variety of animals here, the numbers were down due to the rains coming early this year and many animals having already left the park.

We did have many close encounters with elephants, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We also enjoyed seeing the enormous Baobab trees and the giant termite mounds. Our final two nights we stayed at Kikoti Tented Camp. These “tents” are up on stilts and also beautifully decorated. Ours faced the evening sunsets, which were absolutely gorgeous. We were able to take time here to sit around the campfire at night and share safari experiences with other travelers. The local Masai sang, danced and jumped for us and then had us join in. They also demonstrated how to build a fire by rubbing two sticks together. The night before we were to depart, the staff presented us with a “Good Bye” cake and sang Hakuna Matata to us.

November 10 found us regretting we had to leave beautiful Tanzania with its warm, friendly people, beautiful landscape and amazing animals. Anglebert drove us back to Arusha for our flight home, and after a few hours to shower, pack and rest at the Mount Meru Hotel, he brought us to the airport and even waited there to make sure we had to problems with our departure.

We highly recommend Angelbert as a driver/ guide. How he stays so patient and happy through what were usually 10-12 hour days, drove safely on difficult roads, and still managed to spot the animals was unbelievable! He was so kind and helpful, and has an amazing knowledge of the animals, birds, history, and culture of Tanzania.

We also highly recommend Sharon Lyons who was so helpful in planning our trip, making us aware of all necessary paperwork, and changes, and answering our questions. Africa Dream Safaris helped us plan the safari of our dreams and then made it happen. We are recommending you to all who will listen. We definitely left a part of our hearts in Africa and hope to return one day.

Doug and Jan Van Drie
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Safari Dates: November 1, 2012 to November 10, 2012

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ADS Guest Spots Rare Gerenuk Antelope On Safari

We have been procrastinating writing about our September 2012 adventure with ADS as it is impossible to put the most EXTRAODINARY trip ever into words. There are not powerful enough words to describe how all your senses are overwhelmed during a safari. However, we will try.

After much research we chose ADS which turned out to be the best choice for a truly wonderful adventure. Dawn Anderson was remarkable from start to finish in planning our adventure for the two couples in our party. It really makes a difference to have a company with offices here in the United States and offices in Tanzania. Dawn was only a phone call away during all the planning and preparation. She never made you feel like any question was out of the ordinary. She was even able to pull off a last minute request for a driver (Russell who was also excellent) to take us to visit a medical doctor and his family our church sponsors. While travelling to and from the small village we saw many animals in the wild including the very rare Gerenuk which even Russell had never seen!

After flying to the Northern Serengeti we were greeted by the fantastic guide: Raphael Mollel. There cannot be a more skilled, patient, intelligent, professional and gentle guide! He surprised you day after day with all the animals he could spot, his knowledge of wildlife and just plain fun to be around. His command of the English language is phenomenal. He was able to give us ring side seats at the Mara River crossing of wildebeest’s and zebra’s, close up views of the “big five”, “ugly five”, beautiful birds, varieties of unique trees, many natural instincts that all animals engage in, a monkey joining for a couple minutes in our vehicle, Mesa rituals and historical facts, his life experiences living in Tanzania and other laughs and experiences too funny and embarrassing to mention here!

Each member of the ADS team from our airport arrival, help in filling out legal paperwork, the instructions from the “Meet and Greet Teams”, along with those mentioned above are professional and a cut above the rest. Having a small group of four along with a personalized itinerary was perfect. During our two weeks on safari we meet other travelers with other safari companies and none compare in our minds to ADS. They are the “BEST”.

Bob and Cindy Sandberg
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Safari Dates: September 7, 2012 to September 16, 2012

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We May Never Go To Another Zoo!

The trip to Tanzania was truly the trip of a life time, more than we anticipated or expected. To see animals up close and personal is a thrill, to the point we may never go to another zoo and for sure another circus. In addition, every person we met felt they absolutely had the best guide, which is a tribute to African Dream Safari. African Dream Safari answered all of our questions prior to the trip and we know from descriptions from another couple who lost their passport, took care of them. It was a great experience.

Dick and Diane Cromwell
Grand Haven, Michigan
Safari Dates: September 7th, 2012 to September 16th, 2012

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Our 2nd Safari with ADS

This was our second african safari with ADS and we thought our first trip could never be topped…we were wrong. Our trip was during the dry season in August because our priority was to see the great migration river crossing. Our guide Reggie was simply awesome and his keen sense of animals was incredible. His anticipation of where animals might be and his awareness of events that may occur was amazing. We started each day at 6 AM and didn’t return to our lodge/tent camping until 6 PM daily. We kept count of all the lions we saw and ended with 99 different lions.

Our 9-day safari only had 2 nights in a lodge with the rest in various tented camping sites. Tented accommodations were incredible and luxurious. Dinners were amazing and we threw our diets out the window. Bonfires for Happy Hour every night, spectacular sunsets and sleeping with the sounds of lions, wildebeest and zebras in our ears was magical.

Seeing the wildebeest migration make THREE separate crossings during the first two days across the Mara Mara River was exhilarating. Crocodiles closed in to stop two of the crossings midstream, but not before we heard the thundering sound and saw the wild chaos of thousands of wildebeest stampeding. WOW !!!

We patiently watched a pride of 9 lions stalk a warthog before it ran away in haste. We followed the pride as it came upon a herd of wildebeest, waited as the females surrounded the herd and just when we thought a chase was in order…a jackal appeared from the middle of the wildebeest herd. It sensed danger and came forward within a few feet of the lead lion lying low in the grass. It barked loudly and was chased away by the lead lion, but by doing so, the wildebeest scampered off in haste.

Many cute moments included seeing lion cubs up close playing with their mother and poking their heads up through the tall grass. Baby elephants are adorable as they hug close to their mothers and imitate many of their mom’s mannerisms. And then watching them slide down a river embankment on their knees was a treat.

A real rare treat was seeing 3 different leopards with one very, very close on the ground. Seeing them in the trees while their “kill” stashed in the branches above was special. Beautiful cats with pretty faces.

A couple real-close encounters with animals were quite thrilling. We came across 2 elderly male lions in a remote area that nuzzled on our vehicle and used it as shade…that’s close. Another moment was a herd of elephants where one large female came so close that when she raised her trunk, I actually had to step back because I thought for sure she was going to touch me through the open roof.

I haven’t forgotten the other animals we saw…majestic giraffes as the flow across the plains, the elusive black rhino, playful Tommie gazelles, bashful hyenas, cheetah brothers just hanging out after a kill and many, many more.

We also brought various school supplies with us from the U.S. and Reggie brought us to a remote schoolhouse to donate them. The teachers were very appreciative and shared with us the daily school routine. The students were excited on seeing us and were not shy on getting their pictures taken.

The people of Tanzania were kind, friendly and very gracious hosts everywhere we went. We will miss them and the treasure of a vacation that Africa Dream Safaris provided us.

Steve, Jody, Matthew J.
Northville, Michigan
August 2012

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I had some trepidation about Africa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Susan and George VanKersen
Traverse City, Michigan
April 2012

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Trip of a Lifetime!

When booking the “trip of a lifetime” you can’t help but fear the worst…What if the trip doesn’t live up to your heightened expectations? I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t slightly nervous that the trip wouldn’t live up to the hype. Well, ADS certainly did not disappoint.

Our fears were alleviated after spending our first afternoon and the next morning in the Serengeti. My father said, “Well, if you told me I had to go home right now, I would feel like I got my money’s worth.” While a bold statement, we all agreed. We had already seen so much in such a short time: hippos, leopards, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, impala, birds, baboons, lions and cheetahs, many with young, as well as amazing scenery. And this was just the beginning of eight amazing (usually 12 hour) days spent in Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

ADS had everything covered from when we arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport until we were safely delivered to Dar Es Salam Airport thirteen days later for our trip home. From making the arrangements for our accommodations and airfare in Tanzania to arranging for our drivers in Arusha, Zanzibar, Dar Es Salaam and on safari, everything was absolutely flawless. Sharon answered any questions we had and even arranged for our tour of Stone Town, a last minute request.

Arnold, our driver, could not have been more personable, knowledgeable, or accommodating. He walked the fine line between making sure that we had the perfect photo opportunities / viewing experience and making sure that we respected the wildlife in their natural habitat. We often said that it seemed Arnold knew where the animals were going to be before the animals themselves knew. Thank you, Arnold. You are fantastic!

Before our trip, as we looked at the many amazing photos on the Travelogue posts from returning ADS clients, one question we had was, “Do you really get that close to the animals?” We found the answer to be a resounding “Yes, you do!”

On safari we were able to watch many animals up close: moms with their young, animals nursing and playing, hunting and eating, and even giraffes fighting. We also enjoyed the opportunity to visit a Maasai Village, where we were warmly welcomed.

We’ve been home for a month now and continue to relive our incredible adventure as we sort through the thousands of photos we took. We are still talking about our amazing trip and Arnold, our wonderful driver/guide. Thank you Africa Dream Safaris for our “Trip of a Lifetime”!

Asante Sana

Kevin Watson – Royal Oak, Michigan
Roger and Edie Watson – Berkley, Michigan
March 2012

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Ron, Pam, Don & Angie

Our safari certainly was an African Dream Safari. The preparation we received from ADS ensured our visit would be comfortable and worry free. We were impressed by the guidance we received with regard, how to pack, what to bring, tipping advice, emergency contacts, and a “did you remember to . . .” checklist just before our departure day. ” The staff at ADS was always easily accessible and available to answer any questions we had regarding our trip. All of the ADS staff from planning to completion were extremely warm and friendly and focused on meeting our needs. Even after arriving 20 hours late, a smiling ADS representative was at the airport to greet us and quickly processed us through our entry into Tanzania.

The next day, after a fascinating flight to the Serengeti, we were greeted by our driver-guide, Ellson. Ellson’s knowledge of the East Africa animals was exceptional. Not only was he knowledgeable, he knew exactly where we might find them; and we did! On our adventure, Ellson helped us identify more than 120 different species of animals and birds. We came home with many exceptional photographs including the rare Serval cat and African wild dogs.

The food and accommodations throughout our trip far exceeded our expectations. Our group most enjoyed our “Private Luxury Camp”. The camp was set up in a beautiful, very peaceful location. We could watch herds of cape buffalo and gazelles in the distance from our “front porch.” At night, we could hear the hyenas laughing and one visited our campsite. On the second day of our stay there, we had our very own “camp giraffe.” This Private Camp is our most memorable part of this great vacation.

We were very happy we choose your company and highly recommend it to others. Your attention to detail and concern for us having the best experience possible was demonstrated by the entire Africa Dream Safari staff. We can’t thank you enough for the trip of a lifetime.

Asante Sana and warm regards,

Ron, Pam, Don and Angie
Midland, Michigan
February 2012

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My African Adventure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pam and Kathy
Lancing, Michigan
April 2011

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