In February, Adelman Discoveries’ Marvin McDaniel led a group of 14 intrepid travelers on a trip to Tanzania and Rwanda in East Africa.

Marvin has been planning and guiding extraordinary tours for the last five decades. After leaving the Navy in 1974, he joined his parents’ travel agency, which he bought from them nine years later. Marvin sold his business in 2003 and has spent the last 20 years designing unique vacation experiences that allow travelers to deeply experience the culture, history and beauty of the destinations they visit. Since entering the travel business 50 years ago, Marvin has traveled to over 100 countries and sailed on over 100 cruises.

Tanzania

The 10-night luxury tour of Tanzania included game drives in the Tarangire National Park; multiple days of safaris, where tour participants were treated to sightings of buffalo, elephants, giraffes, impalas, gazelles, lions, leopards, monkeys, baboons, and hundreds of species of birds; and a trip to the Serengeti National Park to take in the awe-inspiring migration of over one million wildebeest. The adventurers were also thrilled to have the opportunity to float over the Serengeti plains in a hot air balloon.

“During the time we visited Tanzania”, said Marvin, “the wildebeest and zebra herds were on their way going north into Kenya—millions of them. This is known as the Great Migration.” The Great Migration is the largest herd movement of animals on the planet, where more than two million animals migrate in an ever-moving circle across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.

“Lions, cheetahs and leopards were in the area, and they would kill these animals for their food,” said Marvin.

A typical day for the group included driving in 8-seater safari vehicles driven by knowledgeable guides who were always on the lookout for animals.

“Driving in the Serengeti was not on proven roads but literally throughout the landscape wherever there were animals,” said Marvin. “The drivers watched for signs like buzzards flying or maybe safari vehicles congregating, which meant there were probably lions, cheetahs or leopards.”

During the trip, guests enjoyed a range of accommodations from deluxe hotels to both rustic and lavish tented safari camps. Though some of the lodgings were a bit sparse, the food was prepared by professional chefs and was always excellent.

Rwanda

Guests were also able to participate in an optional 4-night / 5-day pre-tour trip to Rwanda. The tour included a moving visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center to learn about the Rwandan genocide of 1994, a tour of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund center, and treks for gorillas and the rare and brightly colored golden monkeys.

According to Marvin, a visit to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is a must. The actress and comedian is an avid supporter of gorilla conservation. The campus, which opened in February of 2022 and is located near the entrance to Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, is a center for tourism, science and education.

The highlight of the pre-tour was the search for the magnificent gorillas. Gorillas are protected in Africa, so before hiking into the forest in search of these amazing animals, the tour participants learned the etiquette of gorilla trekking. The mountains where the troops of gorillas live span the three counties of Rwanda, Uganda and Republic of the Congo.

“I was surprised at the landscape where we trekked for gorillas and saw the golden monkeys,” said Marvin. “The elevation was 8,200 feet and the hike was similar to hiking in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. I was expecting to run into snakes, but at that height there were no snakes and minimal insects.”

Marvin was also pleasantly surprised by Rwanda itself. The country is very clean and progressive, with many new buildings, hotels and retail centers being built.

“Rwanda was exceptionally clean,” said Marvin. “The country dedicates one day a month that everyone is cleaning something in their community. During the trip, I regularly saw hundreds of residents sweeping the streets.”

Marvin’s next planned adventure is a trip to the Galapagos Islands and Peru and will include an Amazon River cruise. For more information on Marvin’s South America trip or your next vacation, contact Adelman Vacations at 800-749-7116 or 417-888-4488, or visit our website at www.adelmanvacations.com.