The Amazing Shadows of Africa Guiding Team!
Shadows of Africa
- Offices In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $4,292 to $25,754 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
CA
Email Veda Ko | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing once in a lifetime trip with knowledgeable coordinators and staff to help along the way.
This is my first safari and when I started my research it was difficult to decide which company was best suitable. I wasn’t sure how many days was ideal, or what a realistic budget would be, but after e-mailing and obtaining prices from a few companies I decided to book with Shadows. I choose a luxury tent experience (options were tent, luxury tent, or hotel). After the experience, I think what we paid (~$3,200 USD pp, ~$500 USD/day) was reasonable for 7 nights and 6 safari days.
COMMUNICATION: From the beginning, I worked with Jake and he was nothing but professional, responsive, and very helpful in all aspects of the planning process. As our trip came closer, he would touch base via e-mail to see if we have any questions, and to ensure that we were planning and packing accordingly.
During the planning, I was very confused about how many days I should go for and wasn’t sure what parks I should go to. Communicating via e-mail was nice but I wanted a more instant response and to talk to a live person as I wasn’t understanding the breakdown of the safari trip. I was able to speak with Jake and get a understand of what a safari trip was like, and this helped me with my expectations greatly.
Prior to arriving, my partner and I also got into a bit of a tangle in Rwanda and was afraid that the same situation would happen when arriving in Tanzania, JRO. I had reached out to our coordinator in Tanzania, Natasha, and cc’d the group. Our concern was addressed and taken care of. Airport pick-up and drop-off were also stress-free.
THE EXPERIENCE: Knowing what I know now, I would say for my partner and me, 30 y/o active couple, 4 to 5 safari days would have been ideal. The rides are long and bumpy. Our guide, Loma, was amazing; laid back, always on the lookout for animals, and had suggestions when we asked/were curious about other things/experiences during our safari. We were lucky and got to see all the animals we wanted to up close, except for the rhino that was far in the distance.
For the 6 days, we went to Arusha National Park, where we did a hike and a kayak ride. The hike was nice as we came across some giraffes and got some fun photos, but I would skip the kayaking experience. Lake Manyara National Park, which I personally didn’t enjoy because I felt like I didn’t get a lot out of that day. There are flamingos there, but we aren’t allowed to go up close to them or get out of the car. The next 3 days were spent in the Serengeti (south, east, centre and west). Jake had recommended more time to spend here as the park was very big and that the animals roam around. Yes, the animals move around freely, and you can be driving for hours not seeing anything new or fascinating, but we also came across some neat things. We were lucky enough to see vultures surrounding three hyenas eating a zebra, family of elephants up close, lions (literally behave like cats), etc. Ngorongoro Crater, we were hoping to see rhinos up close but instead, they were far in the distance…. But we did get to see hippos.
Whenever we were having our picnic lunch around others, my partner and I noticed that our meals were nicely prepared with a lot of options, not to mention tasty. We were very happy with the food. The overnight experiences were also nice. Overall, we enjoyed our lodges/big tents as they were all very comfortable. For all the reasons I have mentioned, I would 100% recommend this safari company.
GR
Email Ioannis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Communication far from clear, the tours were good.
Our tour started half-an-hour late, and when the driver arrived he didn't know our names, nor our itinerary we had paid for (therefore we changed the order of the parks).
Charles is a good and professional driver, and he was friendly and helpful.
What our driver obviously was not informed about by the company, was that we had agreed (before paying) that we could be in the parks for as long as we wanted. We were disappointed that this did not happen.
Email Pat | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful! We saw so many animals! We saw animals hunting, mating and taking care of their young! A+
A trip to Tanzania was number 1 on my bucket list. To make this dream happen, I contacted “Shadows of Africa” to help me put this trip together. I could not picked a better company! The trip was wonderful in every way.
I did my homework before I contacted “Shadows of Africa” and had a general vision of what I would like the trip to be like, parks to visit, timeline, and accommodations. Jake McCormick and Stacy Breen, the Safari Specialists, with “Shadows of Africa” listened to my vision, and did their best to make it happen. They answered all my questions in a timely manor. They made good suggestions to make the most of our trip. The accommodations they lined up were wonderful. A good, balance between tented camps and lodges, all well run, that added to our safari experience. Shadows of Africa has a USA office in addition to an office in Tanzania.
My boyfriend and I usually like to travel independently. In Tanzania, the two of us traveled with our Shadows of Africa guide and driver Dickson Julius in a Toyota Land Cruiser, modified for safari travel. What a fantastic guide and driver he was! Dickson strived everyday to make our trip memorable. We just didn’t see animals. We saw animals doing thing like hunting, mating, or caring for their young. Dickson could read the movements of the animals, and knew when “something special” was going to happen. We saw so many birds and animals! Elephants, leopards, cheetahs, lions, impalas oryxes, jackals, hyenas, warthogs, rhinos, zebras, and MANY more. Dickson was a master at navigating the terrain. One evening, while we were in the Serengeti, we had a heavy rain storm, so the next day the roads were sloppy. That didn’t stop Dickson. He knew those conditions would be the best to see the hippos. When we saw the hippos that day, they were active in the water, with their mouths open, enjoying the infusion of fresh rainwater. Dickson was able to drive the Land Cruiser to places I never thought we could get to. But, he also knew where not to go. There was a river in Tarangire National park, that he decided not to cross at the first crossing. So we crossed it at a different location, further up river. Later in that day, we can back to the first crossing and there was another land cruiser stuck badly at that crossing where Dickson knew not to cross. I would love to go back to Tanzania, and without a doubt, I will use Shadows of Africa and hope to get Dickson as our driver.
Our trip consisted of 1 day in Arusha to overnight after arriving from USA, 2 days at Tarangire NP, 1 day at Lake Manyara NP, 2 days in the Serengeti NP- Ndutu Region, 2 days in the Serengeti NP- Central region, 1 day Ngorongoro Crater, 1 day Lake Eyasi, 1 day near Mt. Kilimanjaro and airport to fly home. Our trip was late February and Early March.
LV
Email Margarita | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great 3-day safari
Everything was great from the first day.
We choose 3-Day Northern Circuit Special with accommodation at Ngorongoro O'Ldeani Mountain Lodge (2nights). We were at Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and the real treat - the world-famous Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Our guide was ERICK MANYECK - a nice person who showed us the most beautiful places and listened to our desires and needs. Recommend! The car was comfortable. The journey was not overly tedious.
Everything was arranged perfectly from the company. Easy to understand plan. No hidden costs. Acceptable transfer rates from airport to hotel (arrived a day before the safari).
O'Ldeani Mountain Lodge was a paradise between safari trips, with 3 meals included (the lunch box that was given to the safari was very good).
A 3-day trip is the perfect to not get too tired.
Thanks, Shadows of Africa and Erick! :)
Email Vincent Longo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Most incredible experience - ever!
Just returned home from a 5 day unforgettable Safari experience and can't believe what an amazing time we had. The trip was absolutely incredible and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life as it exceeded every expectation and more. I can't thank Shadows of Africa enough specifically Jake McCormick, Safari Specialist, who helped plan an amazing adventure. Jake was very helpful from the start. He was easy to correspond with, was prompt in response, he pointed out things we overlooked and he made suggestions that he thought were fitting and he constantly updated and emailed detailed descriptions of our trip as we kept amending our itinerary. The best part about Jake was that he never pressured us to do anything as he fully answered all our questions in length and because of his professionalism and knowledge Jake laid the groundwork for an amazing journey so if you are reading this Jake, thank you again for all your help!
While Jake deserves so much credit for handling the logistics and the administrative stuff it was "Dickson" our assigned tour guide who carried out the journey of a lifetime but before meeting Dickson and prior to our arrival I have to admit we were little apprehensive because while everything looked great on paper unfortunately our overall research did reveal a few horror stories such as tourist being denied entry with Visa issues or tour companies ripping off tourist, so, here we were, half way around the world, a few bags in hand, a Tanzania guide book, terrible cell service and all we had was a piece of paper saying we booked a tour with Shadows of Africa and thankfully as promised we were greeted at the airport with a smile and transported to our first destination in Arusha and then the following day we met our tour guide Dickson.
After meeting Dickson we geared up and hit the road. Everything was going as planned. We were very happy. We took lots of pictures along the way and then settled into a 5 hour drive and within an hour we realized that the person driving the vehicle was going to become a very instrumental part of this experience and it turned out we were right. Dickson was a true professional. He's experienced in both game tracking and navigation which is important because you don't want to get lost in the middle of the Serengeti as some guides do. Dickson added his own touch by carefully explaining animals habits and tendencies which was both informative and educational. He was friendly with all the other drivers. All kinds of people took a liking to him which great to see. In the bush, he had a keen eye for spotting Lions and he was always well aware of his surroundings. It was really also great to see that Dickson truly respects the environment and it's habitat and as he is a true conservationist at heart. He's very observant, he's really smart. He takes a lot of pride being from Tanzanian and he really respects when people value and respect his land. Dickson is truly the real deal. Aside from all that the one thing that stands out the most is that Dickson made us feel safe and secure during this adventure because make no mistake a drive to the Serengeti and through the Serengeti is rough, rugged, dirty and raw. The terrain is unforgiving. A true professional is needed. Dickson was a pro. And with that I just want to thank Shadows Of Africa for putting so much responsibility and trust in someone like Dickson as he provided a safe and secure viewing experience. It was the ultimate. Thank you Shadows and thank you Dickson. I just wanna add one last thing, if you're looking for a band new safari vehicle that's air-conditioned and luxury oriented you need not apply but if you're looking for an authentic, vintage, rough around the edges, the real deal experience feel safe to put your faith in Shadows of Africa and request Dickson who's one cool cat.
FR
Email PieroNath | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very professional teams, Amazing planning, Amazing safari
We had a quite precise idea of what we wanted to do (Serengeti including wildebeest river migration, Tarangire, Ngorongoro), within 6 days.
We contacted ourselves around 20 agencies by email to ask for quotation.
Why we chose Shadows of Africa :
- Amazing reactivity all through the planning process
- One of the only 2 agencies that proposed to call us within short delay of time
- The platform is the best practice we saw for trip planning: user friendly, nice to look at, detailed and precise
- Very easy, friendly and clear discussions while arranging the trip
We also really appreciated to meet with the team before in the office, and got face to face explanations about what to bring with us, what we will see and few recommendations (our planning contact was Marjeta who has been very professional).
About the safari :
The experience has been better than expected.
We are very happy we chose to start by the North Serengeti, then go back, so the hotel got better and better all through the trip. and we had the chance to see many different type of landscapes.
Special mention to the Maramboi Tented Camp where everything was very good and surprising (staff, service, rooms, swimming pool, happy hour, food, animals very near, nice walk near the lake).
Alex (our driver) has been very good, safe and responsive to any our questions or inquiries.
It has been an amazing experience.
The price definitely worth it, and we appreciate the work done to meet all our requirements within affordable budget.
We will definitely recommend Shadows of Africa to our friends who expect to make a Tanzanian safari.
CA
Email Laura N | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari and Kilimanjaro Climb
I can't say enough about how great our trip to Tanzania with Shadows of Africa was. From start to finish, everything was handled professionally. Our trip began with a five-day safari in Lake Manyara National Park, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater with guide Siriko and cook Silvanos. Siriko was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We still can't believe how he managed to locate those leopards! His easy laugh and laid-back attitude made the experience very enjoyable.
The second part of our trip was the highlight, hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro in seven days via the Machame Route. Our head guide August has been guiding up the mountain for close to 20 years and his experience and calm demeanour inspired our trust. Assistant guide Amiri was equally capable and supportive, often setting the pace for our little group. Our guides and team of 12 porters, cook and server worked hard to make our lives easier.
Last but not definitely not least, we have to mention Natasha and the office staff in Arusha, who welcomed us back, allowed us to hang out at the offices and use the Wifi and loaned us a driver and vehicle for our last day before our evening flight back to Europe. Our trip was nearly over--they didn't have to be so accommodating, but they made us feel like family friends.
We would highly recommend Shadows of Africa for a safari and/or Kilimanjaro hike.
NL
Email Aniek | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!!
Before booking with Shadows of Africa I have looked at several different safari companies to compare what they had to offer so I could make my decision. The reason for choosing Shadows of Africa was their always quick response, they were one of the lowest in pricing but had amazing reviews, not a negative thing to find. And I do not regret my decision at al! We had such an amazing experience!! We only had time for a 4 day safari to see Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, but we have seen so much and it didn't at all feel like long distances of driving.
Our guide Edwin was very experienced, any question we had he could answer it right away. Every animal and bird he could name and he did his best to find all of the big 5 for us, and he did! Not only the big 5 but so many other animals zebras, hippos, giraffe, hyena, jackal, many different birds and other small animals and as a highlight of our trip 5 cheetahs! A mom with her 4 cubs eating away on a thomson gazelle they had just killed. And we were the first ones there!
All in all an awesome safari with a very reliable company! We would recommend them to everyone and definitely use it ourselves again when we will have the possibility to visit Tanzania again!
Email Ken Meuchel | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari experience in Tanzania
In short, our safari was a visual extravaganza accompanied by sensory saturation...the trip of a lifetime!
Thanks to my son's suggestion, we went on a father-son safari to Tanzania...something I had long dreamed about but never thought would actually happen. It was a truly amazing experience from top to bottom. Shadows of Africa is a top-notch company that accommodated our every need and was very responsive to our numerous questions and requests. (Thanks Jake & Stacy!) I highly recommend using them for your safari adventure in East Africa.
We quickly bonded with Edwin, our driver-cum-guide, who was terrific in every respect. He made the trip with his affability, local knowledge, driving skills and ability to spot animals we would have never noticed in passing. A real pleasure.
We were fortunate to see the Big 5 plus large numbers of other exotic critters such as giraffes, zebras, ostriches, hippos, hyenas, jackals, warthogs, crocs, baboons, monkeys, mongooses, 13 antelope and many bird species. Also witnessed the spectacular Mara River crossing; the wonders of the vast Serengeti; a lioness stalking/killing a male gazelle & holding it down so 4 younger family members could chow down; a few dozen vultures feasting on a fresh roadside zebra carcass; 18 lions sauntering off into high grass; 2 mature leopards sharing the same tree (mating season); an elephant family taking a river mud bath; a cluster of 16 adolescent ostriches; marching columns of wildebeest/zebras/buffalo; and lots of baby animals. Many of the animals were on or near the road making for great photo ops.
During our 10-day safari in late September, we stayed at several unique lodges and 2 tented camps which added greatly to our enjoyment. The staffs were welcoming, friendly, efficient and helpful. The food, especially the tasty hot soup for every dinner, was a special treat. Assante!
I really enjoyed visiting 3 local tribes and being exposed to the fascinating local culture. Our specialist guides for the day trips were outstanding.
After returning home, I made a lengthy list of my memorable experiences to savor in the future. Thank you Shadows of Africa!!!
Email Loretta | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fun, friendly, accommodating, knowledgeable, flexible!
From the time we met Stacey and Jake at the Washington, DC travel and adventure show, to the final good-bye at the airport, the Shadows of Africa staff was warm, welcoming, friendly, and willing to answer any question we had! We traveled with six children ranging in age from 22-7, and everyone had an unforgettable time! We chose Shadows of Africa because they could customize our tour, and because we would be by ourselves in the safari jeeps. The personal service, itinerary customization, knowledge of the drivers/guides, and food exceeded our expectations!! Loved seeing how the primitive tribes are still living today, all of the treasured wildlife, and the spectacular scenery.