Tag: North Carolina

Lions and Rhinos and Pythons OH MY!

May 21, 2012June 6, 2017 by Michael

Dream vacation – understatement! Life changing – most certainly! ADS was the perfect choice for my mother and I. Can’t thank Omary enough for sharing his country and 15 years of knowledge with us. His eagle eyes (without the help of glasses) managed to spot a python – only the second one he’s seen in his 15 year career.

He also spotted two rhinos in the crater. Added fun at no additional charge was our up close & personal encounter with the resident leopard that has managed to elude the gals that run Soroi Serengeti. Carol graciously gave us the honor of naming him. We chose Tar Heel after our home state of North Carolina.

We tried to race over to Gary & Grant’s campsite to catch a glimpse of the 20+ lion pride that visited them one morning. Unfortunately that was the only day I was running 15 minutes behind & we lost out. That same evening, our campsite was visited by a huge herd of mostly bull elephants. They woke me around 1am & stayed for hours. Omary swore they were only curious. He was awake as well to ensure they didn’t step on his little tent. I had never been so happy to see daylight & the sound of that generator in my life.

The lack of sleep had definitely taken a toll on mother. By the time Kevin came to give us our morning wake up call, she had a story made up about lions visiting us that not even Gary & Grant would believe. Needless to say we got no pictures but did have the bags under our eyes as proof.

On our last day we had the pleasure of meeting Pam who gave us a tour of F.A.M.E. We stopped for a quick bit of shopping after that & met fellow ADSers Debbie & Barry. There Barry insisted on purchasing the shop owners display wooden elephant. This would be his carryon over the next week as they were off to Paris after Tanzania. Hope ya’ll made it back in one piece! It was also on our last day in Lake Manyara National Park that I saw the most amazing sign that summarized my time in Africa just beautifully:

Remove nothing from the park except:
Nourishment for the soul;
Consolation for the heart;
Inspiration for the mind.

Kimberly Green and Donna Kelly
Charlotte, North Carolina
May 2012

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May, North Carolina

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Not a Bus Tour

Bucket List

April 1, 2012June 6, 2017 by Michael

Traveling is important to Chuck and me. We have been on many trips for business/pleasure, taken tours and have been on our own mostly overseas. Last year we took a bus tour to Budapest, Krakow and Berlin. All was great – the tour director, the interesting places and our fellow travelers. However, my desire to travel to Africa was very personal. I didn’t want to only visit there, I wanted to experience an adventure. And, I didn’t want to be subjected to others’ interpretation.

I wanted up close and personal and to share it with Chuck whose values are the same as mine. It would be our life-changing getaway because the beauty of Africa demands your full attention. We determined that Tanzania – the Serengeti – was our place of choice because it is pristine and has the plentiful wildlife that we wanted to see. The last several years I have been investigating the many tours available and weighing the pros and cons.

After reading about Africa Dream Safaris, it appeared to be what we were looking for. I had an immediate reply to my inquiry from Sharon Lyon. From that time on, Sharon guided and prepared us for our journey. By the time we left the U.S., we were confident that the careful preparations would ensure us a safe and satisfying trip. The trip far exceeded our expectations. It was thrilling.

Our guide Omari was extremely knowledgeable about all areas of travel and about the animals, their location and behavior. Omari was available to us the beginning of the day whether we were later than the suggested hour or earlier. And, each day he was in no hurry to end the game drive. We learned so much from him and saw unforgettable sights.

Our beautiful pictures reflect the pleasure of seeing Africa for the first time and a wonderful memory. Unlike last year, the pictures are not dictated by, nor do they depend on which side of the bus you are travelling. Our guide maneuvered the vehicle so that we had the best views. He was patient and a most pleasant travel mate. Thanks to the professional and caring staff at ADS, we had the best time of our lives.

Chuck Chandek and Janey Madding
Cornelius, North Carolina
April 2012

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April, North Carolina

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Tracy Parham

Bucket List

December 29, 2011June 6, 2017 by Michael

The safari through African Dream Safari’s was the trip of a lifetime. We did not really know what to expect and could not imagine that we would really see such beautiful creatures and depicted in the online and booklet pictures. To our amazing delight, the sights and experiences we had surpassed everything in the brochures. In a “short” 5 day safari trip in the northern and central Serengeti, we saw a huge variety of birds, animals and plant life including leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, elephants, and lions.

The most memorable experience was catching a lion pride of 10+ lions that had caught a buffalo earlier in the day. We saw vultures huddling in a tree and hyenas lurking nearby and knew something was up. Underneath in the bush were about 8 male lions and 2-3 females with their fresh kill. It was amazing to watch them coordinate the effort. Many were exhausted by their efforts to get to the meat. Others were sleeping (with one eye closed!) nearby rolling side to side with their swollen bellies. Gorgeous animals. We came back to them during our night drive and continued to watch them as the sun set.

Another surprise was the amazing number of babies. We traveled in early December for a special birthday celebration which turned out to be ideal. The weather was not too hot, there was plenty of green everywhere, it was not too crowded (especially in the North), and babies were everywhere! Baby lions lounging in the trees, baby baboons being cared for by adults, baby spider monkeys playing in the grasses, and the cutest baby elephants. One was surely only a day or two old walking gingerly and eating leaves. He was barely dry.

Our driver was wonderful and very knowledgeable. He said we were lucky to have seen so much in such a short time but we are sure it was also due to Vincent’s experience and persistence. We hated to leave him to go on to Zanzibar! He and the staff at the various luxury tents were wonderful. We had such 1:1 treatment and the food was great. Vincent managed to get a special birthday cake made and all the staff sang and danced for our special event.

Other highlights included the Maasai boma, the hot air balloon trip, and the snorkeling in the Indian Ocean. We traveled very light (one backpack for 10 days total) and had everything we needed. If you want to have an experience of a life time and see how others really do live, then this is the trip for you.

Tracy Parham
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
December 2011