Greetings from Arusha, Tanzania. I have just finished my most recent safari with two guests Katherine and Karen who are from Chicago Illinois, USA. While in the bush we had a wonderful time together with some spectacular wildlife viewing especially with great migration crossing the Mara River and for the predators including lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena.
Wow, from our very first Wildebeest Crossing on the Mara River in the Serengeti to our last day in Tarangire National Park that included a rare pack of 12 African Wild Dogs, our trip could not have gone better or exceeded our expectations more than it even did!
Every one of the 10 days included sighting of one or more of the big three cats (Lion, Leopard, Cheetah). In fact, three days in a row we were able to experience up close and personal sightings of ALL three of them and even one day a Serval cat as well!
We scored our “Big Five” on day three with a fascinating visit with a black rhino and her baby within 15-20 feet. To listen to the baby talk was a real treat. We watched a Tommy give birth, a Lion “event” (you will just have to ask your guide!), giraffes fighting, a Lion kill, 2 Leopards together, and a herd of Hippo rescue a Wildebeest from a giant Croc!
All told we sighted over 40 mammal species (and countless beautifully colored birds) – what a great safari! We chose to stay out all day, everyday, but returning to camp at night was like coming home. Gracious welcomes, cold libations, hot showers and wonderful accommodations were the norm.
Our three tented camps (Mara River, Seronera Sametu, and Lions Paw) were all well appointed and set on wonderful locations. An added bonus was the animal noises that served as lullabies every night.
Our two lodges (Migration and Maramboi) were true luxury, with one overlooking a hippo pool with resident giraffe “jeri”, while the other provided a beautiful view of Lake Manyara (only interrupted by the passing of multiple zebra, ostrich, and other animals!).
All of these wonderful days could not have been possible without Ema (Immanuel), a wonderfully talented, knowledgeable, conversant and truly delightful person/guide/driver to spend our days with.
Karabu – African Dream Safaris!
Scott and Peg P.
Livonia, New York
Safari Dates: September 30, 2016 to October 10, 2016
This is our second trip to Tanzania with African Dream Safaris in the last 3 years. There is no other company I would go on a safari with than ADS. Having the proper guide is the most important aspect that makes the difference between having a good safari experience and having a great safari experience.
Once again, we had a great safari experience due to our ADS guide. The ADS guides are superior to any other guides in their local knowledge and desire to make their clients have a “once in a lifetime” experience. Our ADS guide continuously put us in the proper position to maximize our animal viewing opportunities. Isn’t that why we go on a safari?
Brad C.
San Juan Capistrano, California
Safari Dates: September 21, 2016 to October 2, 2016
Thank you to all the staff at ADS and especially our guide Roman, for such a wonderful trip to Africa. It was a stellar and obstacle free adventure in Tanzania. Within the first hours of arriving in the Northern Serengeti, all our expectations had been exceeded.
The amount of wildlife within easy viewing was staggering, and to see great herds of Wildebeests mixed with Gazelles, Zebras, Warthogs, Baboons and sated Lions – it is unimaginable. We viewed the Great Migration crossing several times and each time we saw more details and activity.
Our guide Roman spotted the wildlife quickly, and he did so much more – he taught us how to look, the preferred terrain, predatory behaviors, grouping and bonding relationships, whether the animal was healthy or just ate, and their all-telling poop! We all participated in the great hunt and each day was electric and richer in what we saw and understood.
Roman answered our barrage of questions on flora, fauna, geology and history; no question seemed out of his universe. We trusted Roman’s patience and were rewarded by seeing cheetah, lion and jackal kills throughout the week. He also positioned the jeep for best photography light and composition.
Both guides Roman and Francis treated our group to a coffee break each morning with gorgeous, smooth freshly pressed Kilimanjaro coffee. We were so spoiled by the private jeeps, cushioned seats, shaded canopy, big binoculars, drinks, ample box lunches, the luxury tents and dinners.
We were constantly aware of how well designed the ADS safari was; as we passed the other safari tour operators we saw tired, sun-exposed, dusty people crammed into jeeps, few binoculars, sullen faces, sitting down with little spark, and their guides were not conversant.
The African Dream Safari experience was home-style comfort, lively, inquisitive and non-stop wildlife viewing. Thank you again and again!!
Bonita and Drake L.
Plantation, Florida
September 7, 2016 to September 14, 2016
After being included in a friends 50th birthday Bucket List Safari in Tanzania, we reviewed the ADS website and the Handbook they mailed to us. Of course, that set our expectations very high and we are happy to report that every expectation was exceeded. Every minute was memorable, amazing, and an exciting adventure. It is hard to imagine how the experience could have been any better.
We had the most wonderful driver-guide, Russell, who appeared to know the animals and requested that they show up for our game drive! They appeared on cue so we could enjoy and photograph them. Surely, what seemed like telepathy was actually experience and hard work combined. While driving us safely for almost a thousand miles he surveyed the landscape constantly and found sights that were invisible to us.
The crossing of the Mara River by hundreds of Wildebeest with a few Zebra friends was astounding, and Russel knew just when it was going to happen. We had over 60 lion sightings, some with their cubs. There was a “honeymooning” lion couple that serenaded us very near our tent one night – we didn’t get much sleep but it sounded as if they had a great time! We loved seeing all the zebras, the wonderful giraffes, the wallowing hippos, and the magnificent and seemingly gentle elephants. A leopard seen with its fresh kill one day, was seen the next in the same tree devouring it with bone crushing sound effects. You are that close to the animals!
The tent camps were great – comfortable, had every amenity imaginable, and were fun. The staff at each treated us like royalty, always friendly and helpful. Meals at the camp and the box breakfasts and lunches were all excellent.
In addition to the animals, a highlight was going to a Maasai Village, enjoying their singing and dancing, seeing their homes, watching young students in a small school learn English, and visiting with the chief’s son who gave us a tour.
We have special memories of all the people we met during our Africa Dream Safari, as well as our fun-loving traveling companions.
We are so grateful to the staff members at ADS who helped put this memorable trip together: Dawn handled every detail and made our trip “perfect”; Joseph and Mathias in Arusha, and Michael Wishner in California all contributed to making this a “once in a lifetime” experience for us
If you want the very best safari experience, Africa Dream Safaris will not disappoint you!
Bob and Jayne V.
Meford, Oregon
Safari Dates: September 8, 2016 to September 18, 2016
A special thanks to returning guests Barry and Sandy C. from Titusville, Florida who submitted this extraordinary video recap of their safari. Barry and Sandy traveled with ADS on a 10 night Hemingway safari itinerary from September 5, 2016 to September 15, 2016. They explored the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire with their guide Claude. Some of the highlights include:
4:00 minutes – Wildebeest crossing the Mara River
7:30 minutes – A rare sighting of a mother and calf rhino in the North Serengeti
20:45 minutes – Two baby leopard cubs in the Central Serengeti
21:15 minutes – The mother leopard tackling a gazelle in the Central Serengeti
33:25 minutes – Lions hunting wildebeest in the Ngorongoro Crater
This was an amazing trip. I am lucky enough to be able to travel all over the world several times a year. This safari will go to the top of the list as one of my best trips ever. Our ADS guide, Roman, was terrific. He watched out for us and was a world of info regarding the animals and their behavior. He seemed to have a sixth sense as to when to sit and wait, “something is going to happen here”, which made the experience so much better. The hotels and lodges were all wonderful, the people warm and friendly, the food tasty and abundant. The vehicles perfect for picture taking and comfort.
As for the game drives, to be among these amazing animals, in their world, is both a privilege and humbling. When you see them in their natural habitat, you are amazed at how perfectly they fit into their environment. You understand why they look like they do and the logic behind their behavior. To see the herds of elephants, hippos, prides of lions, zebras, giraffes, wilder beast, all the herd animals, all the different types of cats, monkeys and birds, in their environment was thrilling. We never knew what would happen next, and every moment was an adventure.
ADS does a wonderful job of providing a quality safari. It will be a fond memory for the rest of my days.
Asana sana,
Millie C.
Plantation, Florida
For my 50th birthday I decided to check off the one item on my bucket list, an African Safari. After much research I decided on Africa Dream Safaris. The best decision I could have made. From my initial contact with Dawn to the final farewell with Mateas we were always safe and very well taken care of. Dawn’s professionalism is second to none. Even when we decided to add two more people at the last minute it was not a problem, at least on our end.
Words cannot begin to describe the experience we had on our safari tour, and pictures cannot capture the spectacular sights we saw. Although our expectations for the adventure were very high going into the trip, the reality greatly exceeded those lofty expectations.
For the last 18 months, we have been reading of others experiences in Tanzania with Africa Dream Safaris. Now, we have the opportunity to add our input.
We returned from Tanzania on the 16th of September after eleven days on safari.
To say we had the time of a lifetime is to be conservative. Everything about the trip (except the plane engine that wouldn’t start on our outbound trip to the Netherlands) was perfect.
We’d particularly like to acknowledge all of the efforts of Sharon (Simba Lady). If no one else is, we’re sure she is glad we’re back – and the questions will stop. Another ADS employee that gets all of the thanks possible is our guide, Ellison. He found incredible opportunities for us, while keeping the most interesting roads imaginable manageable. In all seriousness, he made the trip.
The best gauge of how well the trip went – during the last three days, we actually got fussy about the pictures we took OF LIONS.
We’ve included a few of our favorite pictures, we hope you’ll enjoy seeing them as much as we enjoyed experiencing them.
Bev, Mike, Christine, Jack F.
Naperville, Illinois
Safari Dates: September 5, 2015 to September 15, 2015
We returned from our second ADS safari just over a month ago and I am just starting to organize and sort our many photos for a photo book to share with family and friends. While the trip seems so long ago, the pictures bring it all back.
I wondered if it would be much of the same (our first safari was in February 2012), but it wasn’t. The only same was our wonderful guide, Francis. He is truly an amazing spotter and driver. This trip was during a different season, we visited different areas and were joined by friends Mike and Ellen.
The tent camps and service were absolutely top-notch. Each one provided more than we expected; great staff, wonderful food and comfortable accommodations. We spent two nights at each of the camps: Mara River Camp, Migration Tented Lodge, Seronera Sametu Camp, Lion’s Paw Tented Camp and Swala Tented Lodge. We were very well taken care of and lacked nothing. At two of the camps, we were the only four visitors. Talk about service!
We saw new animal sightings each and every day. Last trip more cheetahs; this trip more leopards. We were in awe each and every day and are now thinking of a third trip in May when the wild flowers are in bloom and the birds most active.
If you have the chance, take the hot air balloon ride. It provides such a different and peaceful perspective and is so worth the cost and early wake-up call.
When our flight home was changed just a week before our scheduled return, the ADS team seamlessly secured another night for us in Zanzibar and changed our flight to Dar es Salaam. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.
Thank you Dawn, our very patient, knowledgeable and available travel planner, Francis, our truly amazing guide (again) and all the camp, lodge and ground staff that took such wonderful care of us. We honestly appreciate you all and hope to see you again.
Asante Sana,
Buck and Angela L.
Juneau, Alaska
Safari Dates: August 31, 2015 to September 16, 2015
We recently took our son and daughter-in-law to Tanzania on a safari with ADS. It turned out to be the trip of a life time! We saw so many animals. Of the 2 million wildebeest in Tanzania I think we saw 1.5 million of them. We saw more lions than we could keep track of. We were even fortunate enough to see the very rare African wild dogs and of course we saw many elephants, giraffe, zebras, warthogs, antelope, hippos, monkeys, baboons, cheetahs and leopards.
We have worked with ADS for 3 safaris and have never been disappointed. ADS works with you from when you are on the ground until you depart. They will assist with unique needs, and always have safe drivers and the best guides.
Study in advance, learn about the differences between your lodging choices, learn a little language, and ENJOY! And maybe leave your fancy camera at home…just take in everything you see.
Mary Y. and Maury S.
Lexington, Texas
Safari Dates: September 16, 2015 to September 23, 2015
Without a hint of change in his behavior in more than 30 minutes, the Wildebeest on point, without warning, leaps into the Mara River, working his way across, ever cautious of the hazards lurking beneath the murky water. It was the beginning for thousands of Wildebeest that would follow his lead over the next 12 minutes.
They crossed with great haste, swimming through the neck high water, with their hoofs slipping and sliding on the large boulders which littered the river, only slowing when they met firm ground on the far side of the Mara River. They created their own “river”, which flowed perpendicular to the Mara River, a truly wondrous sight to behold.
The Black Rhino lay sleeping, while a small herd of 5 elephants browsed 200 yards in the distance. The Elephant’s grazing path, from Acacia tree to Acacia tree, was leading them directly towards the slumbering Rhino. Many minutes passed, and the Elephant closed their distance to the Rhino…it was only a matter of time before the Rhino would detect them.
At 50 yards, the Rhino sensed their presence and rose to her feet, facing menacingly in the Elephant’s direction. As quickly as she rose to her feet, a small, heretofore unseen 6 week old baby Rhino appeared on her far side. Discretion being the better part of valor, the Rhino mother and her “tiny” offspring, gave way to the approaching Elephants, and briskly moved to the western horizon, avoiding a conflict which could have resulted in injury to her baby. A most unique find, and totally unexpected.
A mature Eland lies neck deep in a small stream trapped by a pride of Lion. It appears to have a broken, right front leg…its hind quarters are severely raked by lion claws, but it is determined to avoid the pride of 7 Lion which surround it. Periodically, it would would shift its position, in the hope of extracting itself from its dire predicament, but the pride would quickly counter, with a blocking move of their own. Although the Eland was extremely determined to live, its fate was sealed by the Lion the following day, as they were never going to relinquish such a plentiful bounty.
Most people on Safari would have been ecstatic to have experienced any one of the first three events I described above, during the course of their entire Safari. This was our 4th Safari with ADS, and our expectations were very high. Needless to say, we were not disappointed!
All of the happenings I described above, occurred on our first Safari day in the northern Serengeti…yes, the first day. What may appear as completely serendipitous events, could not have been witnessed without exceptional pre-Safari planning, and a Safari guide with a great deal of knowledge and experience of the African bush. These are attributes we have come to expect, and thoroughly appreciate, when using ADS for our Safari adventures.
Our primary goal of this Safari, was to partake in a Mara a River crossing. We witnessed two additional crossings, each possessing its own uniqueness and mayhem, as crocodiles attacked Wildebeest, as they jostled their way through the muddied waters.
Our first Wildebeest river crossing experience, was eerily calculated by our outstanding guide Arnold, predicting their movements throughout the morning as the Wildebeest browsed the Mara River grasses. We were only 1 of 3 vehicles which witnessed the thousands of Wildebeest which surged across the Mara that mid-day, a first time experience for us, which is deeply etched into our memories.
Exciting events continued to unfold for us throughout our 13 day Safari:
– 2 juvenile Green Mambas weaving their way through the thorns of an Acacia tree
– Numerous tree climbing Lions
– A pride of 10 Lions hunting a zebra mid-day, devouring it in 20 minutes
– A Cheetah mother, and 2 yearling cub stumbling upon some resting Lion, almost meeting an untimely end to their young lives
– A mother Leopard and her young cub lounging on a very large Kopje
– Martial Eagles predartory attack on Guinea Fowl and a newborn Thompson’s Gazelle
– 3 adorable newborn Lion cubs, experiencing their first weeks in the wilds of the Serengeti
– Encountering 4 new species of animals, including the Oryx, an almost mystical creature for this part of Tanzania.
My professional, wildlife photography portfolio, has practically doubled from this Safari alone, a further testament to ADS’s commitment to the wildlife/nature photographer, and their specific technical needs.
All of our Lodge accommodations, from the Hatari Lodge in Arusha Park, to our standout favorite from our 4 Safaris, Swala, were outstanding. We can highly recommend the walking safari at Swala as well, which is truly an adventure all unto itself! From the Maasai Warriors which guard the tented lodges during the night, to the incredible dynamic vistas which expand before you on a daily basis, Tanzania is a truly an exotic and magical country which begs to be explored.
Asante Sana Arnold, and to all of the ADS staff for making our 4th Safari, the most memorable yet. (yet) as in we are already planning our 5th Safari with ADS. 🙂
Peter and Jody A.
Alpharetta, Georgia
Safari Dates: August 27, 2015 to September 9, 2015
Africa Dream Safaris was delighted to host Philip Briggs and his wife Ariadne Van Zandbergen for a 15-day safari. Philip was in Tanzania doing research for the latest editions of the Bradt Tanzania Travel Guides. Philip Briggs is the author of the prestigious and well-respected BRADT Travel Guides. Philip’s published works include Bradt Guides to Tanzania, Northern Tanzania Safaris, and East African Wildlife, as well as many several other books about Africa. Many loyal fans follow Philip’s travel advice and recommendations very closely when planning their own dream safari vacations. And rightfully so…Philip has traveled extensively in Tanzania for many years and offers an unparalleled perspective from which to judge any African Safari company. So, needless to say we were thrilled when he came back with a glowing review for Africa Dream Safaris!
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