AMAZING is all I can say, this was definitely a trip of a lifetime, Bruce and I have talked about going to Africa for over 30 years, but deep down we thought it was only a dream. So 18 months ago I decided “A Trip of a Lifetime” would be the perfect gift to celebrate my husband’s retirement and our 30th Wedding Anniversary.

After reading many guide books and web sites and reviewing all our options, our daughter found the web site for “Private Safaris” with Africa Dream Safaris; It was exactly what I was looking for.

The trip was well beyond all expectations and more than we could have ever imagined. ADS made sure every aspect of our safari was taken care of. From the very first email that was sent to ADS 18 months ago until the evening we boarded the flight home ADS looked after every small detail including having a pillow in the jeep because I have a bad back.

The entire ADS staff is first rate, thank you to our amazing Rep who answered all my endless questions and managed to put all my concerns at ease, the Arusha staff who met us on the tarmac at the airport and took us to the primary school to deliver school supplies and of course to our amazing guide we had the pleasure of spending 12 incredible days with. He was so knowledgeable of the country, animals, flora, etc and had the unbelievable ability to spot animals with the naked eye when we couldn’t see them with binoculars. He had a great sense of humour, we shared alot of laughs. The lodges and the food was above anything we could have imagined and it was so nice to have the vehicle to ourselves, and the ability to set our own schedule. We were out game driving when other companies were still having breakfast.

We would not hesitate to recommend ADS; we were extremely impressed with their professionalism, thoroughness and thoughtfulness of their entire staff

Asante Sana Africa Dream Safaris for making our dream come true.

Bruce and Fay Hatton
November 2010

What, we asked, would best celebrate our 50th anniversary? It came down to France or Africa. Africa, thank goodness, won. And won big. Neither of us can imagine a better adventure, a better time, a better guide, a better people than we found in Tanzania. Everything we were promised came true and then some. If we could, we’d do it all over again.

Highlights? How about a guard elephant running off lions to protect the rest of the wandering herd. Or thinking that the Land Cruiser gear box had gone out when the loud noise was made by another elephant chasing US off. Or the Cape Buffalo who kept chasing lions away from his water hole. After 40 lions we gave up counting.

But it was raw nature that most fascinated. Four lions formed a coalition to grab a wildebeest (without question the homeliest mammal alive). Creeping up toward center and both flanks, one then made a mad dash — all four legs off the ground, dust and birds flying — and missed! Slinking away, all was over for a time.

But not for cheetahs. The pictures tell the story. We came upon a nest with four cubs, and went off road to watch them. There is Mom 20 yards away, and we are in the middle! No worry, we move…and watch. There is a herd of gazelles a couple hundred yards off. Mom gathers the brood, and they follow her as she creeps toward the gazelles. It’s a teaching moment. All of a sudden she explodes — they can hit 70 miles an hour — and so do the gazelles. And so does the land cruiser, with ‘ol Jim holding onto the rear rails photographing for dear life as we bounce along following her. Our guide returns us, and there is Mom with a young gazelle in her jaws. Putting it down, she starts chirping, calling her cubs back. One by one they return and go to the nest. Mom must rest before the meal. And at that point we let them be. But what mixed emotions. We cheer for Mom feeding her cubs. But there is the mother gazelle off in the distance looking back in apparent sadness.

More lions. Strolling with the vehicle, mating, sleeping. Oh my the elegance of the giraffes! And more and more and more zebras, a thousand stretching out to the horizon, rolling in dust, walking in the river, mixing with the wildebeests and gazelles. Baboons are coming at us, watch out! Here is a yawning crocodile, there in the pool hippos are fighting. Eagles fly overhead. We see lions eating the remains of an eland, with the hyenas waiting for their share and the vultures waiting way in back to clean it all up. And we can’t leave out the flowers and the grasses of every description.

Accommodations at night were fantastic. Imagine! You open the door of your lodge and there is a tall Maasai with staff waiting to escort you. And there is a crew of five at our luxury tent with kitchen, chef, and bar — in the middle of the vast African hills. We sleep in a quiet tent with shower and bathroom after watching a glorious African sunset.

We conclude with visiting an actual Maasai village replete with dancers and an elder who invites us into a hut to tell us about his culture. We visit the bottom of the Ngorongoro Crater with its flamingos and rhinos. We watch the Maasai herding their cattle. Even here there are elephants. And then we visit the awesome cradle of humankind, the Olduvai Gorge in the Great Rift Valley.

Relaxing? Up at 5:30 to hit the road (“road”?) at 6, we get to watch all the animals and birds at their best. We are in and out of the vehicle for 10-12 hours, and the time goes by like magic. Our wonderfully knowledgeable guide who could not do enough for us, says hey there is a lion — or you name it — half a mile off, and we follow it. Then later there is time to relax over a fine dinner prepared and served by caring people. Thank you, Africa Dream, thank you Africa!

Jim and Maxine Kaler
May 2010

It’s tough to even begin to describe the magic of Tanzania and the Serengeti plains. We are by no means morning people, but it was well worth it to wake up before dawn each day to watch the sunrise over the plains during early morning game drives. Everywhere, we were surrounded by breathtaking views. A herd of zebras sprinting across the plains, a family of elephants easily tearing down a feast of trees, a lioness and her six cubs playing at dusk, a cheetah slowly stalking a gazelle, a hyena dragging a wildebeest carcass away from vultures, hippos play-fighting in a pond, a leopard napping in an acacia tree, a pride with twelve lions peeping their heads up through the tall grass, and the elusive black rhino walking in the distance were just some of the incredible moments of our honeymoon safari.

Our safari with ADS was a truly unique experience; we could not have asked for a more special honeymoon. We really appreciated our guide Joshua, who was extremely knowledgeable and taught us so much. Both of us are biologists and learned a great deal from him. Momentarily, we thought about how awesome it would be to move to Tanzania to enroll in the field studies at the college he attended. We saw even more than we’d hoped for and were able to get up close to observe animals engaging in their daily activities – things that may have been routine for them but fascinating and dramatic to us. We were happy just to watch them do what they normally do.

The entire safari experience was wonderful from start to finish. Serengeti Migration Camp is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever stayed and private camping in the bush was definitely a highlight of our travels. What a romantic and unforgettable honeymoon!

Christine & Robin Cadiz
July 2010

A herd of zebra quenching their thirst at a water hole.

A pride of 12 lions resting in the grass (can you count all twelve?)

Two baboons taking comfort in each other’s company.