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:
- $4,329 to $25,972 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
SG
Email Joshua Yeo | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Virgin Safari Experience with Shadows
Planner: Chris Walker
Local Staff: Ben / Joyce
Guide / Driver: Jackson (with Nick being the driver who transferred us from the airport to our first accommodations)
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TLDR:
Pros - (1) Staff was responsive and did their best to accede to our requests. (2) Actual safari experience was great with Jackson being an experienced guide (17 years under his belt), ability to spot animals and knowledgable enough to answer all the questions that we had about the culture, wildlife and Tanzania.
Cons - (1) Could have better advised us on certain locations / activities that we have decided on (i.e. weather conditions, things to pack for certain activities and plausible experience with the location / activity). (2) Last minute changes which we have agreed to but would have been a better experience if this was avoided altogether (nitpicking here but just to explain why it was not a 10/10 experience).
Overall - 9/10
Our Itinerary - Arusha - Taranguire National Park - Lake Manyara National Park - Ngorongoro Conservation Area / Crater - Lake Natron - Northern Serengeti
Period and duration that we went for - September (Dry Season, mornings and nights can be cold but day time will be hot) - 8 days
Full Review:
Just a day or two before our trip, we were informed that there will be some changes to our accommodations due to availability which we have agreed to. Though this did not affect the entire experience but could have been avoided.
Our virgin Africa safari trip finally happened after 9 months of planning and anticipation. Our first interaction with Shadows of Africa ("SOA") was with Chris who was really helpful and responsive to all the queries and requests that we had. After going through all the quotes from the different agencies and the suggested itineraries based on what we were looking for, we found SOA's offerings and pricing to be the most ideal.
When we first arrived at the airport, just having this trip as our virgin trip to Africa, an unknown place for us, we were relieved when we saw Nick holding up a sign that indicated that he was there to pick us up to bring us to our first accommodation. Overall, the transfer experience here was great as Nick was able to engage us throughout our ride and shared many interesting facts about Tanzania and the people in Arusha.
Fast forward, in terms of our accommodations, we really like Olerai Lodge (which we later found out to be owned by SOA), Acacia Farm Lodge and Mara Luxury Tented Camp. We found the other 2 accommodations (Rift Valley & Lake Natron) which were offered by Africa Safari Group to be sufficient but we were not blown away by the aesthetics, food variety and reliability of electricity.
For our experience at each location, our advice will be to skip Lake Natron altogether given the experience of the activities there, accommodation options and most importantly weather (hot throughout the year). If you are really pressed for time, you could consider just doing Northern Serengeti for the great migration and wildlife (you will pretty much see everything here except the Rhinos which is more likely to be found at Ngorongoro Crater). Even though we really like Ngorongo Crater and Lake Manyara National Park
Just highlighting here that we could have been better advised by Chris for Lake Natron, to make sure that we would have the best experience.
Activities wise, we have visited the tribe (Hazadbe) and had a Masaai guide to bring us to Lake Natron and the waterfalls. In our opinion, we feel that these activities even though it was not all bad, can be skipped once again if you are pressed for time.
In terms of communication, on the actual day for the start of our safari adventure (Day 2), we felt that communication could have been done better as we were left stranded for quite awhile before being informed that we will be transported to the office for our briefing.
For transport, if your budget allows for it, we would recommend taking the domestic flight options for a better travel experience especially after many days of safari in which you would have to wake up quite early every day for.
All in all, even though it just fell short of a perfect experience, we definitely enjoyed our virgin safari experience with SOA and would recommend it for others to try.
HK
Email Adrien | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Shadow of Africa is a good and responsible agency and their guides also give us an unforgettable exp
The Shadow of Africa provided us a great experience for the whole trip. Starting from the planning, their staff, Karen ,drafted our itinerary based on our needs and budget. She also provided many useful information, including the latest situation of Kenya and Masa Marai before trip which eased our concerns.
During the travel, we met two guides, Johnson and Edwin, in Kenya and Tanzania respectively. Both of them are professional and knowledgeable to share their fruitful information to us during the safari. They are very friendly to us. Under their guiding, we have collected all the big 5 and witness the crossing during our journey!
However, we wanted to express that the condition of the safari vehicles could be improved. The sockets in one of the car were found not working while the other safari car has a technical issue that it need to be repaired 3 times throughout our journey in Tanzania. One episode also costed our time of safari for 2-3hour. We provided our feedback to the staff of their company. Their representative conducted an evaluation with us to listen to our feedback at the end of the whole trip (which we really appreciated) and they also apologised for the car issue to us.
To conclude, Shadow of Africa is a good and responsible agency and their guides also give us an unforgettable experience for our first safari trip. Despite of some technical issues of the vehicle, it is still a really good choice for your safari trip.
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.
IE
Email John W | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari holiday
My experience of dealing with Shadows Of Africa from start to finish was easy and stress free. From the initial consultation with Elijah over email to the drop off at Nairobi airport by our most excellent safari guide Ken, it was nothing but a pleasure.
The holiday we were delivered fit our budget nicely and delivered serious bang for our buck, from the 4 day safari to the coastal resort stay afterwards.
The safari itself which was the focal point of the holiday was amazing. We saw everything we could have hoped for and would go back in a heartbeat. I'd have no trouble recommending Shadows of Africa to anyone
KR
Email Joon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceptional Six-Night Private Safari in Tanzania
We had a six-night private tour, beginning with one night at Ikumbi Lodge, two nights at Tamu Tamu Serengeti Camp, two nights at Africa Safari South Serengeti Ndutu, and the final night at Four Points Arusha.
Overall, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience with cute animals, amazing nature, and kind people. Among everything, two things stood out the most about Shadows of Africa.
First and foremost, our guide, Mr. Edwin, is well-experienced, skilled, and very knowledgeable. He efficiently identified the locations where specific animals would appear, enabling us to witness numerous rare animals and unforgettable moments in the wilderness. He also explained many interesting animal behaviors to us — personally, my favorite was the “zebra-hugging.” Most importantly, Mr. Edwin is a genuinely good person. You can easily see that he is a friend to everyone along the way! By the end of our trip, we had also become good friends. When we visit Tanzania next time, we will surely ask him to be our guide again.
Second, although we had little information about the food quality beforehand, during the trip we learned that the meals we had were far better than those provided by other companies. We even had a fun moment when a client from a different company joined our lunch table to try our food. Indeed, except for the two days when we stayed at Africa Safari South Serengeti Ndutu, where the food was somewhat underwhelming, we enjoyed our meals very much.
Overall, this journey exceeded our expectations in every way. From the breathtaking wildlife encounters to the professionalism and warmth of the team, Shadows of Africa delivered an unforgettable safari experience. We are truly grateful for the memories we created and would highly recommend them to anyone planning a trip to Tanzania.
Email Sarah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Laura was consistently thorough and kept us well informed through the entire process.
It was so reassuring to know that Laura had every aspect of this trip planned down to the last detail. We could not have asked for a better experience. Communication and planning was excellent throughout the whole process, just one little mishap in regard to our WhatsApp group being directed to the wrong person so information was not received at one point leading to a bit of confusion. Other than that everything was meticulous. The accommodation and food was absolutely superb. Drives were often long on bumpy dusty roads but to us this only added to the experience of Africa and always gave us plenty to look at along the way. Our driver, Edwin was brilliant and all of us formed a great friendship with him during our time on Safari. We highly recommend him as a driver/guide. We would definitely use Shadows of Africa again for any future trips here.
SI
Email Adrijana | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Exceeded expectations
Shadows of Africa provided a completely seamless and exceptionally well-organized journey from start to finish. Every detail was carefully planned, communication was clear and prompt, and everything was tailored to our wishes and needs. Throughout the entire trip, we felt we were in safe and highly professional hands.
The organization of the whole itinerary, accommodations, and safaris was outstanding. Everything ran smoothly and effortlessly, with great attention to detail. The guides and partners they work with are extremely experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate about what they do, which made our experience even more special.
Shadows of Africa doesn’t just offer trips — they create unforgettable, personalized experiences. Because of their professionalism, reliability, and genuine care for their clients, we highly recommend them to anyone looking for a stress-free, top-quality safari and travel experience in Africa.
Email Sue Callaghan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceeded our Expectations!
We were two couples from Australia, keen photographers, travelling for 15 days through Kenya and Tanzania. Right from the beginning, Chris (who has now left SofA) tailored a tour to our liking, with responses and communication prompt and easy to understand. After a rest day in Nairobi, Philip picked us up for our first few days in Kenya, travelling to Lake Naivasha, then three wonderful days in Maasai Mara. The vehicle had all we wanted, the accommodation and meals were beyond my expectation, and the animal sightings were incredible! We then crossed the border to Tanzania where we met our next guide/driver, Zamo. Another three nights in the Serengeti where we stayed at the Melia Serengeti Lodge (I highly recommend!) with safaris each day, seeing leopards, wilderbeest, zebras, cheetah, lions, impala, black backed jackal, gazelle, birds.....you name it! From here we travelled to the world famous Ngorongoro Crater for a day and night, seeing elephants, black rhino, cerval cat, flamingoes, hyenas, grey crowned cranes etc. Another two nights at Lake Manyara and safari through Tarangire reserve with heaps of elephants and the boabab trees. Lake Eyasi was a real surprise, and we spent a day with the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes which was really interesting. Another night in Arusha, then back across the border to Philip, and on to 3 days in Amboseli. As amatuer photograpers, we were over the moon to get shots of elephant in front of Mt Kilimanjaro, leopard in a tree, lion in a tree, cerval cat, grey crowned cranes, and this was mainly in part to the expertise and knowledge of Zamo and Philip! We had great service, the locals were really friendly and helpful, the Lodges and food were exceptional, we saw so much, and I believe the cost was real value for money. I would not hesitate to recommend Shadows of Africa!
BE
Email Gloria | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We highly recommend Shadows of Africa!
Shadows of Africa organized our 2.5-week Tanzania trip perfectly, combining safari, Mt. Meru trek, and Zanzibar. Communication was clear and flexible, logistics seamless, and guides outstanding. Our safari through Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro was unforgettable—special thanks to Dennis for his expertise and care. Wildlife sightings exceeded expectations, and accommodations ranged from basic to exceptional (Pamoja Serengeti a true highlight). The Mt. Meru trek was tough but rewarding, with excellent guidance from Amiri and his team. Zanzibar offered relaxation, though street and beach harassment detracted somewhat. Overall, the trip exceeded expectations, and we highly recommend Shadows of Africa.
Email Geoff Burton | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Simply Outstanding
Visiting the gorillas in Rwanda has been a longstanding bucket-list trip for my wife and me. We decided that this was to be the year and so we asked Shadows of Africa to design a tour for us to go to Rwanda but also to add on a safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.
We were lucky to have been assigned Karin Maki as our consultant as she was so helpful and patient with our wishlist and frequent changes of itinerary. We really felt that her entire focus was on making sure that we got what we wanted. She was responsive to our questions within a few hours and kept in touch with us while we were on our trip to check that everything was going as planned.
Karin’s planning was meticulous but it was matched by the Shadows of Africa team’s execution. It was outstanding - everyone turned up every day at exactly the time they were supposed to, everyone was smiling, patient and keen to ensure that we were happy with our safari.
In Rwanda our driver was Jeanisse and she got us to the mountains and back with absolutely no drama even though the roads were occasionally tricky with many slow moving vehicles. She also arranged a couple of surprises for us to celebrate our wedding anniversary which we very much appreciated.
In Tanzania, after a briefing by Dennis to welcome us, we met our driver Eugen. When he picked us up to take us to the Serengeti he asked us what we particularly wanted to see. We told him that we really wanted to see the big cats and within 3 hours of entering the Serengeti we had seen lion, serval, leopard and cheetah twice - once on a kill. We were totally blown away by that experience and it simply underlines how the team at Shadows of Africa were absolutely dedicated to making this trip the best we have ever had.
Eugen was very responsive to any requests we had and was flexible in the starting times each day depending on how we felt. One day he organized a morning drive with a stop for coffee on the plains and in the afternoon we repeated the experience but this time with a glass of wine while we watched the sunset - absolutely magical. Eugen knew the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater so well and with him as a guide we saw pretty much everything we wanted to - and more.
My wife and I have travelled the world over the past 40 years or so and we’ve experienced some fabulous trips and destinations but this ranks as one of our best ever trips and that’s entirely due to the Shadows of Africa team - they were all just fantastic.