Year: 2009

Quote of the Week: Julie Wolfswinkel

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you. I’ve been absorbing the whole experience of the safari since I’ve arrived back in the states. It was almost surreal for me. I’ve spent hours looking at the photos I captured and then to realize I have some amazing pictures of the African wildlife. This was a dream come true for me. Sawa Sawa! I’ve tried planning this trip with others and for one reason or another they never came to be.

When I finally decided to book my safari, I was planning to travel alone. As I always say, don’t wait on someone else to make your dream come true. So I looked on the Internet and found Africa Dream Safaris! I searched their website and found they offered what I was looking for; a private vehicle with a driver/guide. I did not want to be on a bus with a group of people that had different interests than mine.

My guide in the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater was incredible. He really made special efforts to find the animals I wanted to see and never rushed me to leave. In fact one afternoon, we drove around some Kopjes with a pride of lion over an hour. No other vehicles were around so we pulled forward, then backed up, drove back around ….all to capture the perfect pictures. Amazing moments for 6 days!

The campsites were great. There is no doubt you are camping in the bush, but with all of the amenities, cocktails, incredible meals, short but welcomed hot showers, flushing toilet and a hot water bottle in your turned down bed, made camping a luxury.

Sitting around a campfire after a long days safari drive, with cocktails in hand, you have an opportunity to meet the other guests, from other parts of the world, that have chosen to stay at the same [lodge] as I had for a night or two. Talking up the day’s activities and sightings. Dinner was served family style. By the end of the day you were ready for a great meal before retiring for the evening, for the next morning was yet another adventure.

Seeing the leopards, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and other wildlife, the incredible meals and the company of other guests made for a rainbow of a day.

Africa Dream Safaris made my life long #1 bucketlist come true! I would like to recommend any single female use ADS for their safari dreams! Thank you for making my dream come true! I’ll have my very own ‘Coffee Table Book’ filled with incredible pictures I captured on my safari! Safari Njema!!!

Julie Wolfswinkel
December 2009

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Quote of the Week: Cindy and Greg Marvel

We had a fantastic time in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was all I could have ever dreamed of and more. We had great game viewing, and we can’t say enough about how much fun we had. Our guide was absolutely the best guide we have ever had on any of our safaris, or tours. He fit Cindy and I perfectly with his personality, knowledge of the animals, area, etc. We really had a good time with him and he worked so hard to give us the best experience we could have had. I hope you let him know, as we did what a great job we feel he did for us. We saw Wildebeest in both the Central and South Serengeti, with the movement towards the South. In fact we were in the Central area and have video about 15 minutes long of a steady stream of Wildebeest and Zebra at a small crossing. We stayed there about an hour or more and they never stopped moving by us. It was AMAZING to say the least. […] Thanks so much for all your help.

Cindy and Greg Marvel
December 2009

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Quote of the Week: Greg and Cindy Marvel

We had a fantastic time in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was all I could have ever dreamed of and more. We had great game viewing, and we can’t say enough about how much fun we had. Our guide was absolutely the best guide we have ever had on any of our safaris, or tours. He fit Cindy and I perfectly with his personality, knowledge of the animals, area, etc. We really had a good time with him and he worked so hard to give us the best experience we could have had. I hope you let him know, as we did what a great job we feel he did for us. We saw Wildebeest in both the Central and South Serengeti, with the movement towards the South. In fact we were in the Central area and have video about 15 minutes long of a steady stream of Wildebeest and Zebra at a small crossing. We stayed there about an hour or more and they never stopped moving by us. It was AMAZING to say the least. Kusini is still dry and the grass there was short, but the animals were moving through. It started to rain randomly in spots but nothing heavy while we were there. It was starting to green up though despite the short grass. Thanks so much for all your help. I will attach one of my best photos. Thanks again.

Greg and Cindy Marvel
December 2009

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Quote of the Week: Julie Wolfswinkel

Sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you. I’ve been absorbing the whole experience of the safari since I’ve arrived back in the states. It was almost surreal for me. I’ve spent hours looking at the photos I captured and then to realize I have some amazing pictures of the African wildlife. This was a dream come true for me. Sawa Sawa! I’ve tried planning this trip with others and for one reason or another they never came to be.

When I finally decided to book my safari, I was planning to travel alone. As I always say, don’t wait on someone else to make your dream come true. So I looked on the Internet and found Africa Dream Safaris! I searched their website and found they offered what I was looking for; a private vehicle with a driver/guide. I did not want to be on a bus with a group of people that had different interests than mine.

My guide in the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater was incredible. He really made special efforts to find the animals I wanted to see and never rushed me to leave. In fact one afternoon, we drove around some Kopjes with a pride of lion over an hour. No other vehicles were around so we pulled forward, then backed up, drove back around ….all to capture the perfect pictures. Amazing moments for 6 days!

The campsites were great. There is no doubt you are camping in the bush, but with all of the amenities, cocktails, incredible meals, short but welcomed hot showers, flushing toilet and a hot water bottle in your turned down bed, made camping a luxury.

Sitting around a campfire after a long days safari drive, with cocktails in hand, you have an opportunity to meet the other guests, from other parts of the world, that have chosen to stay at the same [lodge] as I had for a night or two. Talking up the day’s activities and sightings. Dinner was served family style. By the end of the day you were ready for a great meal before retiring for the evening, for the next morning was yet another adventure.

Seeing the leopards, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and other wildlife, the incredible meals and the company of other guests made for a rainbow of a day.

Africa Dream Safaris made my life long #1 bucketlist come true! I would like to recommend any single female use ADS for their safari dreams! Thank you for making my dream come true! I’ll have my very own ‘Coffee Table Book’ filled with incredible pictures I captured on my safari! Safari Njema!!!

Julie Wolfswinkel
December 2009

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Quote of the Week: Sandy and Victor Feld

I can’t believe that we’re home and our Safari is over. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for guiding us with your invaluable suggestions and expertise in planning our amazing trip. Vic and I seriously followed your packing suggestions, which were so helpful in making the journey easy and uncomplicated. As you know, going on Safari has been my life long dream and I’m so thrilled that we made the right choice to go with ADS. Everything went along without a hitch. Thank you so much for the birthday cake at the Crater. It was such a surprise and I shared it with all the guests in the lodge. Everywhere we stayed was fabulous, but there are no words to amply describe the Crater Lodge. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I was alive, because I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!

Needless to say our guide truly made each day exciting and fun and was the reason why our Safari was a success. He was always so up and happy and we couldn’t wait to see him to start our next adventure. Vic and I talk about him constantly and really miss him.

It’s hard to believe that our trip with so many components was an absolute dream. No stress, amazing people, the wondrous animals, the incredible Serengeti and our dear guide. It was truly my dream come true.

Thanks again for everything. I am so grateful to you and to all of the staff who made it possible.

Sandy and Victor Feld
December 2009

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Quote of the Week: Tony Martinez & Family

What a wonderful adventure! All ten family members said that their expectations had been exceeded, and I believe we set a high bar for our safari.

Our guides were friendly and full of knowledge. Each question was answered in such detail that we learned a great deal. Of course the wildlife was amazing. Our guides knew where to go to avoid crowds. By the end of our journey we had seen all the animals on our checklist, as well as many other interesting creatures that were not on our list. As we share our photos with friends at home many have commented that some look like postcards.

Our Africa Dream Safaris vehicles were clean and stocked with water and snacks each morning. Our accommodations were comfortable and accurately described. The Bilila Lodge was especially luxurious. As an added bonus the President of Tanzania was at the lodge at the same time we were.

Africa Dream Safaris enabled us to experience the beauty of the land, wildlife, and people of Tanzania. Thank you for making our dreams come true.

Tony Martinez & Family
December 2009

The President of Tanzania, who happened to be on safari at the same time.  You just never know who you might see out here!

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Quote of the Week: Sandy and Victor Feld

I can’t believe that we’re home and our Safari is over. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for guiding us with your invaluable suggestions and expertise in planning our amazing trip. Vic and I seriously followed your packing suggestions, which were so helpful in making the journey easy and uncomplicated. As you know, going on Safari has been my life long dream and I’m so thrilled that we made the right choice to go with ADS. Everything went along without a hitch. Thank you so much for the birthday cake at the Crater. It was such a surprise and I shared it with all the guests in the lodge. Everywhere we stayed was fabulous, but there are no words to amply describe the Crater Lodge. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I was alive, because I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!

Needless to say our guide truly made each day exciting and fun and was the reason why our Safari was a success. He was always so up and happy and we couldn’t wait to see him to start our next adventure. Vic and I talk about him constantly and really miss him.

It’s hard to believe that our trip with so many components was an absolute dream. No stress, amazing people, the wondrous animals, the incredible Serengeti and our dear guide. It was truly my dream come true.

Thanks again for everything. I am so grateful to you and to all of the staff who made it possible. Vic is going to write you and submit some pictures!! We wish you a happy, healthy new year.

Sandy and Victor Feld
December 2009

Cheetahs often look for high vantage points from which to scan their surroundings, and this cheetah felt comfortable enough in the presence of these clients to borrow their land rover for a quick scan of the plains. So yes, it is what it looks like…the cheetah is indeed standing right above them in this picture!

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Safari to Tanzania – November 2009

I’ve just returned from another research safari to Tanzania!  The purpose of my trip was two-fold.  First of all, I was in Tanzania with one of my co-workers for obvious business reasons… to visit our office in Arusha, meet with lodge managers, scout out new properties, inspect old properties, and take photos and notes to document any changes or renovations.  But I think it is equally important to mention that we were also in Tanzania to actually be “on safari”, as each experience “in the bush” strengthens our ability and resolve to help our clients experience this place firsthand.  For those of you that might be interested, I have attached a few favorite photos from this trip and included a brief account below!  A safari to this place, no matter how many times I visit, is nothing short of a magical experience.  I find that immersing oneself into the rhythms of nature in a place like the Serengeti has a purifying effect on the soul, and worries or problems that may have burdened the mind at home seem to dissolve effortlessly into the seemingly endless supply of space and time here. Once again, I am humbled by the very greatness of this wilderness.  It’s a feeling that transcends description, and once again I find myself tapping my fingers on my desk looking in vain for the right words to try.   In addition to finding peace of spirit here, there’s also the excitement of true adventure and the heart pounding anticipation of unknown events about to unfold!  What’s around the next corner?  A herd of charging elephants?  A family of tiny cheetah cubs?  A pride of hunting lions?  No need to tune in to the TV for the next National Geographic show, because a new wildlife documentary is unfolding right before your very eyes, and ANYTHING can happen!  The 2009 dry season had been a harsh one with very little rainfall, and prior to my arrival I had heard reports about how the landscape had become so very dry and tawny.  But as our plane skidded to a stop on the dirt runway of the Northern SerengetiI found a different scenario altogether.  Yes!  The rains had come!  Instead of the dusty lunar-like landscape I was expecting, I found the Serengeti washed in various shades of the color green and bursting with new life!  The air was brimming with the clean smell of damp earth.  The sun was shining but low tones of thunder still rumbled softly in distant thunderheads, heralding the official end of the dry season and the beginning of a time of plenty for the wildlife. We found our Tanzanian driver-guide waiting for us as we exited the plane sporting a huge smile and open arms, brimming with the very graciousness that is seemingly inherent to all Tanzanian people.  His vehicle was parked just a few meters away from the airstrip; suitcases in, top down, hop in!  We set off with the sun on our faces and smiles beaming, looking for our first adventure!  It didn’t take long!  Within 10 minutes of landing at the airstrip we found a pride of thirteen lions resting together in the cool morning air. Welcome to the Serengeti!  We were the only vehicle around.  The lions paused for a few moments as if posing for a family portrait, and no one in the vehicle spoke for fear of disturbing the pristine stillness of the moment; the only sound to be heard was the soft clicking of our cameras. This particular grouping was a motley crew of idle youngsters, most of them adolescents, with a few young males sporting the beginning scruffs of a mane.  We watched them gather together, rubbing shoulders in kinship, and amble off together in a loose grouping, undoubtedly looking for some form of cat-like mischief.  And the safari continued with a menagerie of highlights throughout the next several days, all special but far too numerous to mention them all here!  We had several leopard, lion and cheetah sightings on various occasions, along with countless encounters with the multitude of other wildlife that resides in countless numbers here including elephant, giraffe, zebra, hippos, gazelle, monkeys, hyena, Cape buffalo, and hundreds of birds. We saw the Great Migration on their southward journey, thousands of look-a-like wildebeest lined up in single file, marching from the woodlands to the plains in a series of long columns that stretched for miles.  Some of the migration stagnated in the greenest valleys, pooling into dense grazing herds that blackened the plains.  There are a few specific animal sightings that stand out in my mind, including a mother and father ostrich escorting their teeming family of tiny chicks along the road, a cape buffalo flushing out a leopard from his hiding place in the grass and running him up a tree, and a waterbuck chasing a cheetah (yes, in an ironic turn of events the waterbuck was indeed the one doing the chasing!)  One special evening in the Serengeti we found, not one, but TWO leopards in a tree; the setting was gorgeous as the sky was all purple twilight and a huge herd of migration were milling right below the tree where the leopards were perched.  Another special moment was during our last day in the Serengeti, when we drove out to Sametu Kopjes and found a pride of 20 lions, including the “Greek gods,” a famous coalition of 4 huge beautiful male lions in their prime, all golden and magnificent and just exuding royalty.  But my favorite moment of the safari was the evening we found a mother cheetah and her family of 4 tiny cubs; the mother had just killed a Thompson gazelle and was just starting to eat her dinner but the cubs were still too young to participate in the meal.  I felt privileged as the cheetah mother allowed us to share these intimate moments with her family, the tiny cubs crouching and pouncing in play among the frayed Serengeti grasses until their fringes gleamed gold in the dying light of sunset, and we were eventually forced to depart the scene to ensure we would make it to the lodge before dark.  Magical.  So now I’ve returned to the United States and I’m back to my beautiful job where I am privileged to help other people have this type of experience on their own safari – the only thing better than experiencing it for myself.  One thing is for sure, and it is the common denominator among all our staff and all our returning clients:  once you’ve gone to a place like Tanzania you will never be the same.  I truly feel a safari to this place is nothing short of a magical journey, and something that simply has to be experienced to be understood.  You’ll see!

Zebra Foal
Brothers
Leopard Lunch
Cheetah Afternoon
Lover's Spat
Lion Cub
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The rains have finally arrived in the Serengeti!

Over the last 10 days, thundershowers have been falling throughout the Serengeti ecosystem including the far southern plains around Ndutu. Over the last week we have seen long columns of wildebeest marching south through the Central Serengeti woodlands and flooding onto the plains. This is the southward migration in full glory!

The wildebeest have just edged onto the beginning of the plains with the onset of the rains. Massive herds can be found all throughout the Central Serengeti with the main concentrations at Moru Kopjes and Maasai Kopjes. These herds stretch as far south as Simba Kopjes but they have not made it (just yet) to the far southern and eastern plains around Ndutu and Gol Kopjes, respectively. If the rains continue, we have doubt that the wildebeest will continue their southward migration and move further south down the ecosystem to Ndutu and Gol by December.

In any event, large herds of both wildebeest and zebra along with their attendant predators can easily be seen at the moment in the central areas of the park. Game viewing is incredible at the moment with these large concentrations of herbivores filling the predator rich Seronera Valley of the Central Serengeti. Needless to say the large lion prides of the Seronera area are extremely content. Much of the prides have come together in this time of plenty and almost the entire Sametu pride (over 30 members) was seen all together including its 4 resident males names by the Serengeti Lion project the Greek Gods. What a sight

Please see below for 2 pictures just submitted from our very own Dawn Anderson and Sharon Lyon who just returned from safari. The first picture is of a herd of wildebeest with the beautiful Maasai Kopjes projecting out in the background. Look how green it is! The second picture is of a group of cubs from the large Sametu lion pride taken nearby the Sametu Kopjes (the center of this lion prides territory).

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Quote of the Week: Robert and Colette Sawyer

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

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Just returned from two weeks in Northern Tanzania

Its been an extremely dry year in Northern Serengeti in Tanzania Safari and the Mara River is at its lowest in recent history. The mega herds were located north of the Mara River while I was there but small groups of wildebeest were crossing (ie. walking) back and forth across the not-so-mighty Mara.

The river was so low in fact even the giraffes were attempting to cross the Mara this year.

The dry weather didnt seem to hinder ostrich romance, the males booming calls could be heard from miles away and we were an audience to one showy wing waving, head shaking dance performance which impressed a female.

We experienced a great leopard sighting around Lobo, a large male had recently killed a young zebra and was quietly feeding in the trees. In the Western Corridor rains had recently fallen enough to attract sizable wildebeest herds along the Grumeti to Kirawira. Around the Kirawira ranger post, we came upon three lions peacefully resting under a tree after a large wildebeest meal only to be rudely awakened and chased away by a group of trumpeting elephants.

Central Serengeti did not disappoint for large cats. The dry conditions around Seronera Valley only enhanced sightings of the large cats hunting during the day at predictable watering holes. Lions, cheetahs and leopards were seen daily.

Ngorongoro Crater floor was extremely hot, dusty and windy the day that we were there. Despite the temperature, we were able to spot a black rhino snoozing in the tall grass. A couple of other exciting sightings were a cheetah giving chase to a hare and a pair of falcons hunting birds at the hippo pool.

Tarangire also did not disappoint for large cats. Lions, cheetah and leopards were all seen in one day. Kudus were also spotted around Swala Camp. My personal highlight at Tarangire was witnessing a juvenile martial eagle hunt a baby impala. A herd of impalas were spread out grazing in the open when all of a sudden a martial eagle swooped down and grabbed a baby impala, lifted it 10 feet up into the air, lost its grip and dropped it. The impalas immediately grouped together, snorting and stomping and looking up into the sky for further danger, then as a group moved towards the brush for cover. The baby impala survived. It all unfolded so quickly and unexpectedly, we werent able to take any photographs. It was heart pounding to watch.

Each day we were on safari, dark clouds were slowly gathering in the east showing promise of rains to come, perhaps by now the much needed life-giving short rains have started heralding the southward migration.

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Quote of the Week: Eric Vermilya

As you said it would be, the trip was wonderful. Both [our guides] were great and Uli and I were amazed with the scope of their knowledge (and their eyesight). We both like to sit patiently and watch to see what develops and were very happy with both of our guides, in that they didn’t seem to mind at all. I can only imagine the frustration we would have felt if we were in a vehicle with a larger tour group.

A perfect example of how having a private tour paid off, was a leopard kill that we came across in Tarangire. There were numerous other vehicles parked along the side of the road with the kill was in one tree close to the road and the leopard in another about 500 feet behind it. It was clear the leopard wasn’t comfortable, but the leopard stayed put in the tree that was far away because vehicles came and went (with some of their passengers particularly noisy). However, after about 1 ½ hours we were the only vehicle left, and we sat there in silence for a while and eventually the leopard came down (funny — we saw it come down, lost sight of it and then all of a sudden it appeared at the base of the tree that had the kill in it). It climbed the tree and started feeding — and Uli got quite a few shots (however, the day was overcast and the light was bad).

Also I wanted to let you know that we probably sighted close to 100 lions, including a female & 4 cubs about 15-20 feet from us that we sat and watched for 2 hours with nobody else in sight. We also sighted a couple of more leopards, including a female and her cub that was testing out its climbing abilities on a fallen tree, several cheetahs, and a even a Serval out hunting in the middle of a very hot day (we were driving at high speed from the Serengeti to Ngorongoro and Uli just happened to spot it). [Our guide] tried to stop as quickly as possible, but he backed up, located it again and Uli got a couple of shots.

So thank you too, for representing such a great company. We’ll definitely send out a finished testimonial and some sample photos (out of the 2500 Uli took) when we get them all downloaded and are able go through them.

Eric Vermilya
October 2009

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Quote of the Week: Susan Gallagher

My Africa Dream Safari was truly the most memorable experience I’ve ever had in my life and I still dream about it a lot. It has become my ‘happy place’ when I need to escape from the everyday stresses of life. Everyone on the Africa Dream Safaris team was exceptional. Joy and Daudi, who met me when I landed in Tanzania, were friendly and helpful. My safari guide was the best. He was so knowledgeable about every animal, bird, reptile and tree that I not only saw a lot of wildlife, but I also learned a great deal from him. All of the accommodations were wonderful, from the lodge to the luxury tented camps to the private tent camp. The staff there were wonderful and thought of everything and I always felt safe. Besides all of the animals I got to see, I really loved the sense of humor of the people there. Thank you so much for taking such good care of me and helping me to create so many memories that will last a lifetime. I can’t wait to do it again!

Susan Gallagher
October 2009

 

 

 

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