Life begins at 70. What better way to celebrate than to go on African Safari, something I’ve wanted to do since I was a child. Africa Dream Safaris fit into our lives perfectly. You said you would give us an experience tailored to our tastes and you did.

Everyday was a new adventure and as free from the maddening crowds as possible. Our guide said if we were willing to get up early, we could drive far enough to avoid the safari companies who didn’t stray far from the lodges. We had many personal and private encounters with the beautiful country and its exotic animals. We became educated daily because our guide was so knowledgeable.

One of our exceptional experiences was during a lunch stop. We were sitting among the trees overlooking a huge expanse of land. There were many elephants within about a half mile of us. We watched as one elephant family came toward us and then wandered off in another direction. Then came another group who went to the side and behind us toward the river. Several other elephant families went in other directions. The last group was headed across to the left of us, then changed and crossed to the right within 20 yards of us. Our guide said to be very still and very quiet and be ready to head for the truck of need be. As long as we respected the elephants’ space, they passed peacefully. Seeing them free and able to choose their own path was so wonderful.

Later in the day we watched a pride of young lions playing after they’d eaten. Two were rolling around when along came another, awkwardly falling on top of the other two, playing like kittens.

One day we watch four female lions as they stalked some zebras. It was as if they had strategized ahead of time. We observed them for about and hour and a half…one establishing her position, the next lion separately establishing her spot, the third independently finding her spot and then the fourth. Only one lion moved at a time. It was so fascinating.

Joyce Mitchell
November 2010

I really do not know where to start. Our exciting safari started from the moment we stepped off the small plane at the “Seronera Air strip”. We were met by our drive and guide who showed us the way to our magic carpet. Within ten minutes of leaving the air strip, our guide pointed out a leopard pulling an antelope into a tree (see figure 7157). At that point I had not taken out the cameras yet. So the only pictures I took were after the leopard had the kill up in the tree. After leaving the leopard to rest and eat its lunch, we rode about five miles further and our guide point out a young male lion finishing off a wildebeest, with seven to eight hyenas in waiting (see figure 7471). It is very hard to kick out three or four of our best photos. One of the photos I like best really does not show much action, but figure 7832 was taken of an elephant in the wild. However, I know there was not a bridge within miles of us, but yet the sign was there! The picture of the Serengeti says it all. In figure 7847, you see elephants, wildebeest, zebra, and baboons.

My wife and I were very pleased with the food and service at each of the places that we spent the evening. Really it was beyond our expectations! Again our driver and guide was outstanding. Our guide proved the old saying about eating carrots, he must have eaten six to seven each day when he was young. Our guide was able to point out game that I had a hard time seeing through the camera zoom lens. Our only regret was that we did not do this sooner. We were within six feet of wild elephants. No zoo bars or ditches between us and them. At no time did we feel that we were in any danger, even when a male baboon came into the tent at Mbuzi Mawe Tented Lodge. I just shouted at him and he departed the same way he came in. This was also true when a young male lion walked right up to our land cruiser and laid down in the shade behind the cruiser.

We would recommend anyone who is thinking about doing such a trip to use your company.

Essie and Gary Casper
November 2010

We feel so very fortunate to have chosen Africa Dream Safaris as our travel company. From the moment we got off the plane till we left we were taken care of.

In Arusha, we chose to spend an extra day acclimating to the time change and relaxing before our adventure began. We wouldn’t have thought of doing so if our ADS Agent had not suggested it. It was a much needed respite from the long flight over. Our accommodations were absolutely perfect. The Mountain Village Lodge provided a tranquil atmosphere and allowed us to get a good nights rest before heading out into the Serengeti.

I can’t say enough about how great our Guide was to us. So knowledgeable. So patient. So Kind. So friendly. So accommodating. There was not one request he would not fulfill for us. If we wanted to spend more time at one place we would (we spent three hours one day watching a Leopard lay next to her kill and hoping she would take it up into the tree – which she didn’t but we spent three hours watching her). Our Guide has great respect for Africa and an integrity that you did not see in other drivers with other safari companies. We appreciated his character and felt very fortunate to have him with us. He showed us a side of Africa we probably would have missed if he had not been with us.

Our accommodations were everything we hoped they would be and something for everyone. We did a mix of lodges and tents and that was perfect for us (once again, at the suggestion of our agent). One night a Cape Buffalo came next to our tent while we were sleeping. You could hear it pulling the grass from the dirt, chewing, swallowing and then breathing heavily. I felt like I was living a moment from Jurassic Park. My mother had never traveled outside the USA before so we were concerned the accommodations might be too rustic for her. Not so. She absolutely enjoyed each place we stayed and raved about how nice everything was. (If my mom can ʻdoʼ Africa then everyone can. Trust me on this one!)

Being in Africa and seeing all the other safari tour companies made us appreciate Africa Dream Safaris. We were on no time table – like other companies. We were our own private vehicle and didn’t have to jockey for seating. We could go where we wanted, when we wanted and how we wanted (you have no idea how much of a comfort this is till you are in Africa.). There is a respect Africa Dream Safaris has for the land, the people and the environment you did not see with other travel companies.

Regarding the photos: The first – we came across these lion cubs (three of them) in a tree. Their mother is up higher in the tree. This cub seemed to be quite content to stay in the ‘V’ of the tree. So cute. I even got video of them trying to navigate the branches. Our Guide said they were about 3-6 months old. The 2nd photo – and you might have to really look is of two leopards – one in the tree, the other down on the ground with an elephant in the background. Our Guide said it was very unusual to see two leopards together. We saw, in total, 7 Leopards on our safari. The third – self explanatory…a mother and her elephant.

I could go on and on about how wonderful Africa Dream Safaris was to us but you’ll know exactly what I am talking about when you travel with ADS and experience first hand the fabulous service, attention to detail and care they put in to making your journey a once-in-a-lifetime memorable adventure.

Pam North, Renee North and Amie Jew
November 2010

What an experience. Your selection of a guide I believe made the safari trip. His knowledge and professionalism completed the whole safari experience. As you know we started the safari in the Northern Serengeti with an Air Excel flight only to be greeted by our guide and a herd of elephants. From that moment my camera was on nonstop picture taking. Our stay at Migration Tented Lodge met all of our expectations. In fact all the accommodations were all that we had expected. During the trip we were constantly impressed with [our guide’s] ability to spot the animals and describe the specific animal behavior. Because of that, we where able to leave the trip with some one-of-a-kind photos […] Thanks for all your help with the planning for this trip!

Robert and Colette Sawyer
November 2009

We simply had a wonderful time in Tanzania. The trip exceeded our expectations perhaps because it is simply impossible to imagine such an amazing service by such wonderful people in the most beautiful environment one can imagine. […] In terms of the wildlife, we saw every animal we wanted to see. We saw over 50 lions, multiple cheetahs and leopards. We saw lion cubs and cheetah cubs. We saw a cheetah killing a Thompson gazelle. We saw rhinos, serval cats, ostriches and their little chicks, mating turtles, eland, genet cat, hyrax, hyenas and their cubs, an African hare, bat-eared foxes, kudu, many, many birds and many, many elephants, giraffes, the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra and much, much more. We saw a pack of 9 wild dogs and even saw a black mamba up close and personal!

Many past customers have commented on their guides and we can only echo the general sentiment on how amazing the guides are. Our guide was just such a pleasure to be traveling with. He has an amazing ability for spotting animals and predicting and explaining their behavior. We learned so much from him and he added a tremendous enjoyment to our safari. He has an incredible appreciation and love for the wildlife in his country. We loved how he would not only teach us about all creatures great and small but also about birds and plants and foot prints in the sand. Or how he would spot a small dung beetle pushing a big ball of dung. Or how he spotted a leopard sleeping in a bird’s nest in the top of a tree. He took such great care of us! He was such a big component of our trip and made it as much an unforgettable experience as the wildlife we saw. […]

We were a bit skeptical before we left about all those wonderful customer quotes but now we understand and we are joining the list of ADS supporters. ADS, you guys are great. Asante!!

Sandra and Vahakn Hoogerwerf
November 2008

We loved our Tanzania Safari. The accommodations were wonderful, and we especially liked the tented camps. The African people in and outside the lodges were so gracious. We saw so many beautiful animals. This trip was an adventure of a life time and my heart will always be in Africa.

Maurine Juarez
November 2008