Fulfilling our “Africa Dream” truly began with our first contact with Africa Dream Safaris. Knowing that the choice of Safari company would make or break our experience, we did a lot of research and communicated with several companies. From our first contact with our sales consultant at Africa Dream Safaris, we knew we had found the perfect fit. Over a period of several months, she got to know us and helped us plan a safari that was tailored exclusively to meet our needs.

At each point along the way, everything was meticulously planned and executed. When we arrived in Dar es Salaam and then in Arusha, feeling somewhat overwhelmed, there were our ADS reps, welcoming us with smiles, taking care of all the details, including giving us a cell phone in case we needed to contact them while on safari!

Our driver was attentive, professional and had the most amazing eyesight. Each day he made a point of showing us something different and we saw far more wildlife than we had ever dreamed of. Being on a private safari meant total flexibility – one day we spent over an hour watching 2 lion cubs play and tussle like kittens right beside our jeep. Another day we drove deep into the bush to find the elusive oryx. Although we were “in the back of beyond”, at all times we felt safe, and when we observed some of the other safari companies in operation, we were very glad we had chosen ADS.

Our accommodations were superb and fully met our expectations. A special memory was our 3 days at the Tented Migration Camp – a magical setting and wonderful hospitality.

There were so many golden moments –the wildebeest crossing the Mara River as the sun rose, a herd of elephant passing single file within arm’s length of our jeep, giraffes “necking”, sipping wine at sunset on our veranda at Swala as the zebra and antelope wandered past to gather at the water hole.

We cannot say enough about our experience. This was a trip of a lifetime, so, of course, we wanted everything to be perfect – and it was. To all the staff at ADS – Asante Sana! You greatly exceeded our expectations and made this truly an African Dream.

Diana Gammon and Donna Knox
September 2010

Wow…the absolute trip of a lifetime! All of our expectations were met and exceeded. From arrival to departure, from our amazing guide, airport staff and Arusha staff, everything went perfectly. We saw every animal that we hoped to see including the wildebeest crossing 1-hour after our plane set down. A cheetah kill and the rhinos. We saw an abundance of every animal imaginable because our guide was so experienced and only wanted to please us.

Our fairy book accommodations went from incredible to unbelievable and just kept getting better. Arriving at our destinations tired and hungry and being greeted by warm and caring staffs with wet cold towels to wipe our dirty warm faces was half the fun of the trip.

You arranged an amazing and very memorable trip that we will never forget. The warm and wonderful people of Tanzania and ADS will never be forgotten. Thank you for all your suggestions, emails and helping in arranging our safari. I will certainly recommend you and ADS to anyone who asks. Asante Sana.

Max Gottesman
September 2010

Max himself meeting with several members of the Maasai Tribe as they gather together in song.

I had the best and most amazing time that I’ve ever had in my entire life. I loved each and every minute of the trip and I felt so happy and content and peaceful the entire time I was there. I’m sure you hear some people say that it was “life-changing” and I have to agree that it certainly was that way for me. I hated to leave and I can’t wait to go back.

Thank you so much…to you and Africa Dream Safari’s for doing a wonderful job planning my trip of a life time!!! I have nothing but positive things to say about how great everything was. The people were lovely and everything went so smoothly….it was effortless for us and we just sat back and enjoyed every minute of every day. Our guide was very friendly and easy-going and we hit it off right away. He was fun and liked to joke around, which was great, but he was also good at doing his best to answer any questions that we had. He was a good guide and I enjoyed spending time with him every day.

On our very first day we were fortunate enough to witness the migration of the wildebeest and then we proceeded to see so many other animals that we thought that it couldn’t get any better than that!! But, every day we were amazed at how special each day was and how every day was the “best” day in it’s own special way. I loved Buffalo Springs and all of the wonderful people there. It was a gorgeous location and the tents and lodge were amazing….so beautiful! And I was so happy that we had a chance at doing the night drive…..that was special and different and, as an added bonus, we got to spend some more time with Sukato. When we went to his village the next day he invited us into his boma to meet his wife and new baby…….that was an amazing experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We took tons of pictures of the children and it brings a lot of joy just to look at them and see the smiles on their faces as we showed them their own pictures….they giggled and laughed….it was great!!!

I LOVED classic camping….I found it to be thrilling and wonderful and peaceful and all things good! On one of the nights there I heard a lion roar/grunt numerous times and that same night I unzipped my tent just enough to stick my head and shoulders out with my flashlight and, about 30 or 40 feet in front of me I saw 5 or 6 sets of hyena eyes starring back at me…..it was sooooooo exciting! The staff was great and we got a great tour of the chef’s kitchen…the food was delicious!

While in the Crater, we were fortunate enough to see (from a distance) 3 Black Rhinos…..that was very exciting! And, I was thrilled when, on our last day of Safari, we saw over 400 elephants……it was amazing! Overall, we saw lots of lions, about 5 leopards, and 2 cheetah. We saw so many animals every single day that I just couldn’t believe it. And, I couldn’t believe how close we got to them…..we were right beside so many of them….the lions, a leopard, hyena, ostrich, baboons, monkeys, elephants, zebra, wildebeest, etc, etc, etc……my mind is still trying to process all of it. It was the most amazing experience of my entire life and I felt so happy while I was there.

Denise Cross
September 2010

A young lion cub acting especially brave towards his older (and much bigger) brother.

 

The smiling faces of native Maasai children.

I was looking forward to seeing some wonderful African birds on our trip, and bought a book to “study up” beforehand. I am an intermediate “birder” and was so grateful to our guide for his knowledge of the birds of Tanzania. I saw 105 species I had never seen before! We had a private tour, and were able to stop (engine off/ no shaking – which we appreciated!) at every opportunity to look at the birds, take photos, and refer to our guidebooks. Obviously, we loved all the larger animals as well – but what a treat to see the beautiful small creatures of Africa. It added another dimension to our fantastic trip. My favorites: the Kori Bustard in mating form (neck puffed, tail up) and the Lilac-breasted roller. That’s what I loved about Africa Dream Safaris – the ability to “tailor” our trip to our interests!

Jackie Cooper
September 2008

We would like to thank you and all of the staff at Africa Dream Safaris for making our first African experience so wonderful. We were awestruck at every turn – each location brought new sights and adventures. We appreciated the meticulous attention to detail – from the planning stages, through the local staff in Tanzania who met us in Arusha and immediately made us feel welcome, and throughout our exceptional safari. We were especially interested in exploring the birdlife and our guide far exceeded our expectations by introducing us to over 140 new species of birds. We also enjoyed learning about the many kinds of plants and animals native to Tanzania and their relationship to the people and environment. At each of our overnight accommodations we were greeted warmly and treated to delicious meals, gorgeous scenery, and helpful staff. The opportunities to meet and visit with individuals from several different cultures made our experience truly authentic. The balloon safari and walking safaris provided us the chance to see the wildlife from a different perspective. We would highly recommend Africa Dream Safaris to anyone considering a trip to Northern Tanzania.

Jeff and Mary Pines
August-September 2008

The trip was like no other! From day one, from the moment we left the airport, we were amazed by where we were and by what we saw and by the amazing wonderful Tanzanians. Gosh, it was just over the top, all the way through. We have to acknowledge our guide….just amazing how full of information that young man is, and so patient, and almost having a 6th sense as to where the animals are. He has a wonderful sense of humor too. We saw amazing animals…..a leopard dangling on a tree branch, another leopard sleeping out in the open on a kopje with her 2 babies nearby, a black rhino, a teeny teeny baby elephant with mother, young male lions under a bush eating a water buffalo (that crunching sound will stay with us forever!), a pride of 10-11 lions sleeping under bushes after gorging themselves on a zebra (only the skeleton remained) and a water buffalo (half of it remained), a cheetah on a termite hill, a herd of wildebeest running through the dried lake at the Crater, the bazillions of wildebeest up at the Mara River, and all those birds everywhere. […] This trip has provided us with stories for a lifetime….we only hope we don’t tire out our audiences. Thank you so much for everything.

Colleen and Roland Baker
September 2008

The plane ride from Arusha to the Northern Serengeti was a scene we will never forget. Having that included with the trip was spectacular. We got to see a whole new perspective of Tanzania and visualize where we will soon explore. The second we landed, [our guide] greeted us with a big smile. We started driving and ended up seeing zebras, giraffes, baboons, buffalo, wildebeest, leopards and lions within two hours. We couldn’t believe it and we jokingly asked [our guide] “now what are we going to see, we weren’t expecting this all in one day, let alone our first day?” Not only did we see all the animals on our handy checklist that ADS provided us, we also saw how the ecosystem revolved on how the plant life was not only beautiful landscape but provided survival to the animals. Just watching the cycle of life with animals among animals and animals among the natural habitat of the land was intriguing. [Our guide] knew everything! We were impressed by his knowledge of everything around us. At the end of our trip we consider him a friend. He was so kind and accommodating.

I can’t say enough about the animals we saw…I could write pages and pages and that is why I highly recommend for whoever is even thinking of going with ADS, you will just have to find out for yourself. The pictures alone on the website and the pictures we took on our own are a testament to what you really see. […] Thank you so much for providing us a trip of a life time and memories that will always last. We look forward to another trip to Tanzania with ADS!

Linda and Mike G.
Aug/Sept 2008