Founder of Dancing Zebra Safari, Jessica Mathews
Dancing Zebra Safari
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- Africa Travel Association (ATA) & The International Ecotourism Society (T.I.E.S)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $12,142 to $43,363 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CA
Email Shawn Aaron | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An Excellent Trip to Tanzania
We went on safari to Tanzania with a side trip to Zanzibar, organized by Jessica and Dancing Zebras. The trip was fantastic. Everything was well organized, the safari camps we stayed at were excellent and the experience was everything we hoped it would be. I would highly recommend Dancing Zebras if you want to book an excellent African adventure.
Email Kathy and John | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dancing Zebra Safari Company: Simply The Best!
Words cannot describe the amazing 12 day Tanzanian Safari Jessica planned for us starting on 9/26/21. Our planning involved numerous phone calls, emails and zoom meetings. She guided us through the ever-changing COVID restrictions. Jessica took the time to get to know us, our interests and designed a unique Safari experience incorporating input from each of the four people in our group. Her recommendations were perfect!
Our adventure began with a flight into Kilimanjaro and a night’s stay at the lovely Hamerkop House where we were treated like royalty. Dinner and breakfast were amazing!
Early the next morning, we started our journey with Ian our guide. He is extremely knowledgeable, engaging, fun loving and most importantly, loves his job! Within minutes of meeting Ian, we were at ease knowing we had the ideal guide.
After leaving Arusha we spent two days at Tarangire National Park at Nykani Camp. The accommodations at this camp and all those that followed had incredibly comfortable beds. The warm bucket showers felt relaxing after a long day of game drives. It was quite an experience leaving up the canvas of our tents to listen to the animals throughout the night.
We saw impalas, zebras, lion and at one point counted more than 50 elephants. An hour was spent watching elephants frolicking in the river. Our group was surprised at how close we could observe. We learned about termite mounds as we watched 4 cheetahs sitting on one. Most mornings we headed out at 6 AM when the animals were most active and had a bush breakfast.
Our next stop was Lemala Ngorongoro Camp. We took a short hike (accompanied by a ranger) and was surprised to find a sundowner with drinks and snacks set up by staff at the rim of the crater. Accommodation, food and hospitality continued to be first rate!
Our journey continued to Central Serengeti for three night and then on to Northern Serengeti These were also Lemala Properties with great food, friendly staff and great campfires at night.
The four of us took our first balloon ride in Central Serengeti and we were glad we did.
Travelers, we don’t know how Ian planned it, but each day eclipsed the previous day’s experience! We experienced big cat sightings each day, along with herds of elephants, wildebeests, baboons, hippos and crocodiles. Additionally, we were fortunate enough to witness three crossings of the Wildebeest Migration. This was clearly one of the highlights of our trip. Also, so much was learned about the people and beautiful country of Tanzania.
This trip was well worth the money that was spent! Our advise to you is to follow the guides lead, while you relax and observe.
In closing, we cannot say enough about this company. We experienced a perfectly designed Safari and are deeply grateful to Jessica and Ian for all their planning and hard work.
Kathy and John
Email Elaine & Andy | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded our expectations! Thank you Jessica for a beautiful safari experience!
There is definitely a reason why every review here is 5 stars. Jessica listens to what you want in your safari and will tailor a trip to give you exactly what you desire. Where Dancing Zebra stands out from the rest, Jessica will come back with alternative options for you to consider, and explain what each option will offer you. Not like other companies that may want to give you a standard package tour. Thank you Jessica for all the time spent with us on the phone!
Our safari was specific to Tanzania, starting in Arusha and then to Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Central Serengeti and Northern Serengeti. We were fortunate to have Ian as our guide for the entire journey, and after just one day with him, we felt like we were traveling with a friend, not just a guide. Ian's passion for the wildlife was quite evident and he was enjoying the viewing of animals as much as we were. We enjoyed him telling us details about what we were seeing and why the animals were doing certain things. And his ability to spot animals far away is incredible. I'm seeing a dot on the horizon and he is telling me exactly what animal it is!!
The camps Jessica selected for us were perfect. We started at Nykani Camp in Tarangire and then to 3 Lamala camps in Ngorongoro (Lamala Tented Camp), Central Serengeti (Lamala Ewanjan) and Northern Serengeti (Lamala Mobile Tented Camp). They were all somewhat similar in appearance with excellent staff that was eager to please and very personable. We all felt like family. I hope that perhaps we will see them again in a future adventure.
If you are considering a safari, you need to look at Dancing Zebra. If you don't, you may be sorry later.
Email George & Ruth Lamberty | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime - Perfection
Dancing Zebra is owned by Jessica Matthews. She is simply the BEST for organizing a safari in Tanzania. She has all the right connections to get the best deals especially with the Lemala camps. This was our first safari and from what I have seen and heard, we were blessed. Everything was thought of and nothing was spared to make this trip memorable. We had two guides, the first one for days one and two were with Edson and the remaining six days were with Ian. Wow, both of them knew everything there was to know. The best part was they tried to stay away from the main routes so that you had an individual experience. Jessica picked the best. As far as seeing wildlife, we never would have expected to see so many animals. Again, attributed to the guides. The camps of Lemala were exceptional. We felt like kings. We fell in love with every single person we met in the camps. To me that is the experience. We even had a local meal prepared for us. Delicious! We would most definitely recommend Dancing Zebra Safari and when we decide to do another one there is not doubt we will come back again.
Email John Ortiz | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dancing Zebra Safari CO. exceeded our Safari Dreams and created memories & friendships for life
After attempting to plan a 5 person African Safari trip ourselves, we realized that we were in over our heads. At that point, a friend of a friend suggested Jessica Mathews of Dancing Zebra Safari Co. Wow! Jessica is a rock star!
At this point, everything starting coming together - locations, weather, times of year, guides, accommodations. My spouse worked to identify itineraries to see Gorillas and Sun Monkeys in Rwanda (very cool trip) over 3 days followed by 8 days in Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park.
The accommodations were all very good to stellar, and the guides were even better.
In Rwanda, our driver Frank Kanmugire shepherded us expertly to the hotel, and the indoctrination gatherings for the gorillas and, a day later, the monkeys. We were appropriately steered to an intermediate level gorilla climb with very good guide, and had an awe inspiring 60 minute visit. The sun monkey tour the next day was entertaining and playful, and much easier to access. In addition, Frank showed us around the market, found a vendor for emergency luggage repair, and helped us digest a chilling and sobering visit to the Rwanda Genocide Museum. Truly, an impressive country.
The Tanzania portion was non-stop animal discovery with periods of luxury in the Camps and lodges. Our guide, Ian Kiwelu, listened to our interests and tailored the day trips to satiate our interest in the many animals, birds, reptiles and flora. Ian gracefully shared joy and love for the outdoors. This included relentlessly helping us to track down a viewing of a leopard. So often, especially in the Serengeti, we would separate from the mass tours (as many as 40 cars watching 3 lions) to take the path less traveled. This is absolutely our style and brought great joy.
Kimchuguu Camp in Tarangire was very well run with good food, and easy to settle in; Plantation Lodge near Ngorongoro brought great food and some pampering including a pool; and Njozi Camp Serengeti was a diamond still being polished with its progressive inclusion of biologists and women on staff and very inviting nightly campfires.
Jessica and Ian included a visit to a traditional Maasai Boma provided a window into their lifestyle and ceremonies - a vivid reminder that Africa is so much more in addition to the animals.
5 Star experience!!
Email Alex and Chris | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Jessica Created our Perfect Honeymoon!
Where do I even begin?! I’m so glad Zicasso matched us up with Jessica! She was a joy to work with while planning our honeymoon. She worked with our budget to put together a trip that was exactly what we were looking for. She was so always so quick to respond and frequently checked in on us throughout this entire process. The thought of planning a big trip like this myself was so daunting, and Jessica made it so EASY. Our trip was the trip of a lifetime. This was my third time traveling to Africa and my second time on safari (South Africa was the first), so I had very high expectations going into this vacation. And this blew all of my expectations away. Not to mention, my husband is new to international travel so he was nervous about this whole experience ;) But since we’ve been home, he literally will not stop talking about what a great time he had! Our lodges, camp, and resort were all wonderful with great food, friendly staff, and we felt very comfortable. Our safari guide Ian was the absolute best! He had a sixth sense for spotting any type of game we wanted to find. He was so experienced and knowledgeable, and you can tell he is truly passionate about what he does. He was with us the entire time we were on safari, and he made sure everything went smoothly, kept track of our itinerary so we didn’t have to, and was also flexible when it came to our daily game drives. 10/10 recommend both Zicasso and Dancing Zebra. Couldn’t have done it without them!
Email John | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
This is my best safari experience.
My main goal of this safari was to see the river crossing of the great migration and Jessica delivered. From the time My wife and I arrived in Arusha to the time we left Nairobi, everything work out as expected or even better. On this trip, we stayed three nights in Northern Serengeti and three nights in North Mara Conservancy. The accommodations were different between the two areas but they were both excellent. The Mara Mara tented Lodge in Northern Serengeti is more of a luxury camp with noon light shower in the tent and the Offbeat Mara Camp in North Mara Conservancy gives guests the traditional safari experience with bucket shower in the tent. The staff were friendly and the service were great from both camps. The game drives were excellent. Our guide/driver Eddy in Serengeti and Malu in Mara were exceptional. They are experts in searching out for wildlife and are very knowledgable about the animals and birds in their area. With Eddy's planning, we saw the river crossing on day two and two more crossings on day three. We also did a safari walk and a night drive in North Mara Conservancy. Overall, we really enjoyed the safari experience and Jessica of Dancing Zebra Safari Co. did a great job in planning in detail and delivered.
Email Helen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A majestic and humbling experience combining Vic Falls with being a participant in the vast savannah
The tour packet was informative and professionally presented, the hotel accommodations and safari camps were comfortable and they provided scrumptious fare, and the flight connections ran extraordinarily smoothly. We especially loved the rustic flavor of Chobe Under Canvas and its fresh cuisine cooked over the fire and eaten under the glittery African night sky. Kudos to Jessica for her endless hours of preparation in making our Southern Africa trip magical and full of wonder at the marvels of the MAJESTIC WILD!
Email Neal | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unbelievable Safari Experience!
Our first safari experience! Dancing Zebra helped us prepare for our trip, providing comprehensive advice and guidelines for packing, visas, vaccinations, etc. All of our accommodations were first rate, with mosquito netting, safe drinking water, comfortable beds, private bathrooms, wifi connectivity, and helpful staff.
Our private guide, Ian, was knowledgeable, articulate and very helpful in suggesting daily itineraries. Since this was our first safari, he gave us options each day, with suggestions on how to maximize our viewing. He reminded us each day that this was our trip, and he wanted to ensure that we accomplished everything that we wanted to do. Ian showed his expertise daily in finding us to animals that we wanted to see and photograph, deftly maneuvering our car as close as possible for viewing, without disrupting the animals.
The touring vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser, is relatively new, dependable, and was always washed and ready to go each morning. Our family loved the pop-up roof that enabled all of us to get an unobstructed view.
Bottom line: there were no surprises or gotchas with any of the planning and itinerary--Dancing Zebra anticipated and took care of all the details. Our biggest surprise was left to the amazing animals and landscapes that comprised our memorable experience.
Email Therese | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Kenya Safari with the help of Dancing Zebra Co.
Jessica made the Safari part of our trip so easy. After a few calls and emails, we were set! We received our packages in the mail with instructions as to who would meet us at the airport, one night accommodations before the Safari began, and then we were off the following day to Governors Camp. An excellent camp which is open to the animals in the area. I had an elephant and her baby munching grass outside my tent the first night. Yes, there is 24-hour security outside of the tents, monitoring the area at all times!
We had an excellent driver for our three drives. We were able to see 4 if the big 5, only kissing the rhino. He was very knowledgeable about the area and also played a significant role in making our trip memorable. The food and accommodations at Governors Camp were excellent as well!
After 2 1/2 days, we were heading back to the Wilson Airport were we were again met by the local rep from Cheli and Peacock Safaris. We were hoping to take advantage of the unique gift shop at the Wilson Airport but due the later hour, they were closed. Our rep was able to make a call and we stopped at a very nice gift shop in Nairobi to pick up some final
souvenirs.
This was my first trip to Africa and Dancing Zebra Safari Co made it easy and memorable. Highly recommended!
