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
Email Rachel Perteet | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, knowledgeable, flexible, confident
A trip to Africa was dream of mine since I learned of Mt. Kilamanjaro in a National Geographic magazine as a child. After much research (and talking with MANY safari companies), we chose Shadows of Africa and couldn't be happier that we did. From the beginning, we appreciated Jake and Stacey's quick and thorough communication. They listened to our desires and made recommendations based on what we wanted and their experience. They were always very open to the changes we wanted to make and gave us options to make the trip just we wanted. I am normally a "budget" traveler but wanted to really enjoy the "extras" in my dream trip. We chose to do a private tour for 2 weeks (this was the right amount of time for us) and really enjoyed how customized it was.
We started in Uganda to see the gorillas. I would never have known to visit Uganda otherwise and we were so happy that we started our trip there. I can't say enough good things about our guide Patrick. He made us feel like his friends from the very beginning. He was knowledgeable, funny, attentive, and seemed genuinely excited to show us his country and the animals in it. We felt completely safe and welcomed by everyone we met. Though seeing the gorillas (within a few feet!) was the most incredible part of our trip, Patrick truly was the gem of our Uganda trip. We were up and out early every day to see as much as we could. Patrick gave us options to take it slower if we wanted but we loved his willingness to spend our days exploring. We headed to Tanzania next and this was my feeling as we left...
"Looking out the small window as the warm plane takes speed and height over the bumpy Entebbe runway, I am struck with an acute mix of sorrow and gratitude. I am overwhelmed to say goodbye to a place I never knew I wanted to visit and came to deeply love in a span of six days. This spectacularly beautiful, rough, chaotic, welcoming, exquisitely unique, corner of Eastern Africa will forever be embedded in my memories. As we rise through the clouds and the patch of Lake Victoria disappears, a brightness grows steadily as my mind wanders back to the hours my eyes were opened to see Uganda."
Go to Uganda. :)
Tanzania was everything you think of when you see pictures of Africa. SOOOO many animals. The herds were huge! The landscape was breathtaking and I spent so much time feeling like I was in a movie and this couldn't be real. My pictures could not do it justice. The Serengeti is stunningly beautiful. We stayed in the park and were able to see the stars of the southern hemisphere. It was an unexpected joy. We spent the last two days in Kenya in Maisa Mara and enjoyed a hot air balloon ride. It was a great experience to see the animals and landscape from that view.
The lodges and camps that Jake and Stacey chose for us (we did a mix of mid-range and luxury and asked for a mix of"tents" and lodges) throughout the trip were wonderful. We did not spend a lot of time at our lodging as we wanted to be out on game drives as much as possible but each one was unique and comfortable. Some of the nicest accommodations I have ever had were on this trip.
Overall, our trip was more than we could have possibly imagined. We were very pleased with Jake and Stacey's planning and the comfort and ease they gave us as we planned such an unforgettable trip. With any trip, things can happen you don't expect and we were always pleased with their handling of our questions and concerns. You won't be sorry that you took a trip to Africa. I said it was the trip of a lifetime but now its hard for me to grasp that going back wouldn't be in my future.
Thank you to everyone at Shadows of Africa for taking such great care to show us the trip we could never have imagined.
Email Dave Pryor | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
HIGHLY RECOMMENED TOUR WITH PROFESSIONAL STAFF
NOTE: The bottom line to a successful safari is your driver....period! His knowledge of off-road driving, translating local dialect, wildlife identification, and inside information on Africa is paramount to your safety and pleasure.
Our driver, Dickson Julius, was one of the best 4WD vehicle handlers I've ever met....and I personally know a LOT of good drivers, including F1 and NASCAR racing driver friends. His driving skills, stories, knowledge, and sharp sense of humor made our trip a remarkable experience that I'll never forget. Highly recommended! Be forewarned: This experience includes vehicle breakdowns, getting stuck, hot weather, and extreme terrain driving. It's as real as a safari gets and that's the beauty of and this trip.
The food overall on our safari was of good quality and served ample portions. All of the Massai warriors (who provided our protection) and staff we encountered were both friendly and professional. The days we spent "roughing it" in luxury tents (with functional toilets and showers) were stimulating in particular sort of way. There was just enough "grit" to get a realistic feel of camping while the calls of lions and hyenas lurking just outside your tent made your senses come alive. Anyone wanting to experience what it feels like living on the edge in the wild?....then this is for you. You will not regret it.
Email Yue and Marius | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing Safari with Shadows of Africa!
After comparing quotes and accommodation offers from a number of safari operators, we decided to book a 6-day safari with Shadows of Africa to visit the Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater parks. The sixth day was actually not a safari day but was spent at the remote but amazing Maasai Amini Life Lodge (north-east of Arusha), which we can highly recommend.
Apart from a short trip to Kruger Park, this was our first real African safari experience and it did not disappoint us for a single second. We only have positive feedback on both Shadows of Africa. Everything was perfectly organised from the very beginning, and Marjeta in the European office who prepared our itinerary is very helpful and responsive. The company was upfront about the fact that it might be difficult to see the migration of Wildebeest in Northern Serengeti as most of the animals were in Kenya already, so we were offered the option to change from the Ang'ata North to the Ang'ata Central camp, which we could decide upon once we are in Serengeti.
Our guide Bashiru really made the difference to our safari. He is extremely knowledgeable about wildlife, and more importantly, he knows where to spot them and has eagle eyes to see small animals from miles away. In addition, Bashiru has a great sense of humour and we really enjoyed discussing everything with him. In terms of organisation, Bashiru was really focused on our needs. He always discussed plans and timings with us and was open to all of our requests. Following the discussion with Bashiru, we decided to exercise the option to change our day 3 camp from Ang'ata North to Ang'ata Central in order to focus on game drive rather than covering large distances within the Serengeti.
Despite the driving distances to cover to visit all three parks, we do not regret our choice of visiting three parks in five days. Each of the three parks has totally different landscapes and sceneries on offer and cannot really be compared with each other.
All accommodations we selected from Shadows' offering were amazing in their own right. We enjoyed the wonderful and luxurious Acacia Farm Lodge in Karatu on the way from Tarangire to the Serengeti, but also loved the glamorous camping in Mbuzi Mawe and the Ang'ata camps where we could even have a hot shower upon request. All the camps have extremely friendly staff and provide delicious food. The thrill of sleeping in a tent while the animals are roaming around the campsite added an extra dimension to our safari.
All in all, Shadows of Africa made our safari in Tanzania an unforgettable experience which really exceeded our expectation. We would definitely go with them again if we come back to see more wild life.
Email Marie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Shadows of Africa-An Excellent Choiice
We booked 15 days in Kenya and Tanzania with Jake from Shadows of Africa. He was so easy to work with and gave us many choices of accommodations and parks to visit and then we made the decisions as to where and what we wanted. Jake was always available to answer question about visas, immunizations, accommodations and all the other questions we had. We reviewed the guides/drivers and selected Ken in Kenya and Timothy in Tanzania and could not have been happier with their expertise. Both had great personalities and could spot the animals from far away. They always got us in the right spot for the best picture and we seemed to be the first vehicle at many of the "hot" sights. We had a good vehicle-very clean-even with all the dust and the guides found bathrooms, if needed, even in the middle of the Serengeti. We saw the Big 5 in both countries and many other animals and beautiful birds. We visited the Hadzabe, Dakoota and Maasai tribes for an inside look at how the tribes live and work. We stayed in tent camps, lodges and a Maasai lodge made with sticks, cow dung and straw roof and loved every night. The tent camps allow the animal noises to be heard and nothing like lying in bed and hearing hyenas or lions in the distance. I would choose Shadows of Africa for a great adventure in Africa again.
Email Jeff | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Look no further for your safari.
On a friends recommendation my wife and myself chose Shadows for our three day safari to Tarangire, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. Very helpful advice from Victor and Natasha. Our guide for the trip Mussa was a wealth of knowledge, and having twelve years experience he knew the parks and animals behaviours very well. On our trip, at the end of the wet season when the grasses and vegetation are lush, we did not see leopards, but thanks to Mussa we saw every animal and bird we hoped to see including two black rhino! When our camera charger was damaged during the journey to Dar Mussa made sure it was not a problem, he looked after us wonderfully.
We were collected from Arusha bus station, Victor and Mussa helped us buy our tickets for the return trip to Dar. Our over night stay at a hotel McElly's was comfortable and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful.
The Country Lodge at Karatu were we stayed after each day, lived up to its name. Lovely gardens, great showers with hot water and good food. Phoebe and the rest of the staff were also extremely friendly and very attentive.
As to the safaris themselves it's difficult to choose a favourite place. Each one was wonderful in its own way and more than lived up to our expectations. You will not be disappointed! Regarding cost it was probably mid price range, we felt the quality of accommodation and care we received was excellent.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Thrilling Trip for Young and Old!
While planning a 3-month multi-country trip with my granddaughter, beginning in January, I felt at a loss at where to begin to find a wildlife safari to kick off our trip. Turning to TripAdvisor, I began to read top reviews for Shadows of Africa, so decided to contact them first, expecting to wait a few days for an answer as it was a weekend. The response came within hours from Stacy (in California) and that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship! From then on, all questions and concerns were addressed almost immediately.
Our timing was critical as we needed to be at our first volunteer program within a certain time frame, I wanted to arrive two days early to reduce jet lag, and I wanted to know what would happen after we arrived at an unfamiliar airport. I needn’t have been concerned about any of these things. Stacy assured me that everything could be handled nicely, and she was so right! She made arrangements for us at a clean, comfortable hotel, an airport pickup and drop-off, and made provisions for our extra luggage while we would be on safari. Knowing all that beforehand eliminated a lot of potential travel stress.
As we were checking into the hotel after a morning arrival, we met not only Richard, who would be our guide/driver, but also Natasha, the owner of Shadows of Africa. What a wonderful and personal welcome! We headed to our room shortly after for some much-needed sleep. Richard would be meeting us the following morning for a day tour of Arusha. Stacy had mentioned a possible visit to an orphanage that the company supports, but we hadn’t expected to have the extra day of attention. Richard gave us time at a museum, then strolled the streets of Arusha with us so that we could get a feel for local activity. Even though it took him an hour and a half to drive home, due to Arusha traffic, he wanted us to have a full day. The day included a visit, not only to the orphanage, but also to Natasha’s home for another visit with her. She assured us that we could keep our extra luggage there, which helped us immensely. We felt we were in the hands of friends more than a commercial outfit.
From the time we met Richard, through our day tour, then our 4-day safari, I constantly peppered Richard with questions, not only about the parks, but about life, customs, behaviors, current events, and even personal opinions. Richard always responded graciously, even when felt I was being a nuisance and apologized. Our days were full of wonder as we saw all the beautiful animals, even being within a stone’s toss of 27 elephants crossing in front of us and stared in awe at two magnificent male lions within whispering distance. We saw everything we could have possibly seen. But just as important to me was the chance to exchange thoughts and opinions with Richard, an outstanding host (guide/driver)! The only negative note to the experience was that Godi, our cook, thought we didn’t like his cooking. We could never convince him that our appetites couldn’t handle his overly-generous portions of wonderfully-prepared food.
I have already recommended Shadows of Africa to one of the volunteers at our next destination, and I will continue to do so, every chance I get.
Email Kylie Sustar | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari! Well worth booking with Shadows of Africa!
A friend and I enjoyed a spectacular safari with Shadows of Africa in January 2014.
Honestly, we were a little concerned before arriving in Tanzania as we had booked purely based on online reviews, however we soon realised we'd hit the jackpot!
We opted for the 5 day camping/lodge private safari as we were really keen to experience sleeping in the national parks. It was truly amazing!! It was very exciting to be woken up at 3am to the sounds of a wild buffalo chomping grass by our tent! A male (huge!) elephant also walked through our campsite twice to have a drink from the large water tanks!! Nothing quite like being that close to such a magnificent creature!
The safari trunks are well cared for. As are the staff. They seem very happy with their employment conditions and are mostly long serving staff. Our safari driver was great! Lots of knowledge and always happy to go put of his way to give us the beat experience. We also had a personal chef cook all our meals which were all wonderful! He even made us chapati on request and was happy to take us for African cooking tutorials :-)
The company is run by Natasha, who is the most wonderful hostess! She went above and beyond to ensure we were experiencing the best Tanzania has to offer. She checked in on us (by phone or in person) everyday. She was even so kind as to organise for us to be dropped off at a local orphanage for a little extra experience for no extra charge!
While Natasha is a very modest lady I must boast that she is extremely generous. Natasha funds a local orphanage which cares for 50 children. The money she raises from her safari company helps feed, cloth and shelter these children AND (if this isn't enough) she also pays to send them all to a private school to give them the best chance in fulfilling their dreams!
Shadows of Africa is a wonderful company. You are not only guaranteed a fantastic experience, but the money you pay is being injected back into the community to help the generations of tomorrow have a bright future.
Hope this helps! Happy travels :-)
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Outstanding Safari Experience
What can I say? Shadows of Africa knocked it out of the ballpark. Even though I was booked into the "standard" package, most of the amenities and camps would fall into the luxury category IMHO. Our guide Timo really knew his stuff providing info such as life span, mating habits, predators, average height and weight and even unique anecdotes about everything from the smallest bird to biggest of the Big 5. He's a great animal spotter too -- there were times when we were scratching our heads thinking, "How did he manage to see THAT?"
Owner Natasha checked in daily via phone to make sure we were happy. Overall 10 out of 10. Would definitely book with them again.
HK
Email Toby Chan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best over all travel agent in Africa
This is the real review from my true heart and want to share with all of you. I planned the Africa trips before one an a half years ago, I study and discuss with a lot of travel agents. Finally, i choose Shadows of Africa to plan my 13 days on Kenya and Tanzania trips. The staffs of Shadows all respond very quick and will give you useful and professional idea to you. We are very enjoy the trip. All the staff and guides from Shadow are very professionals, helpful, kindly and funny. Our trips is running smooth. (just have one communication problem but also fixed quickly). Thank you Megan😘, you are so helpful and give me awesome advice. We are so lucky to travelling with Shadows of Africa💯.
All the Safari guides are professional and politely . They all take good care of us. Driving skill are very professional, comfortable and safety. Knowledge of wildlife is professional. They know what we want, and know how to let us take a good photos and videos in safe and very close distance. Thank you Alex😊, Frank❤️💋 and Moses😍.
Especially Frank. He is so funny😘， easy going😜 and kindly. Sometime he will give you big surprise🤣🤣. He had an eagle eyes, can see 3km distance Rhino and leopard without binoculars . He let us collect Africa Big 5 (few times) and 5 times river crossing in our Tanzania safari . Frank is perfect guide i never seen before. Thank you so much. I think if you want to have great safari in Tanzania, Frank is your guides looking for. 💯💯💯💯💯
We want to say thank you to all professionals staffs from Shadows of Africa. Hope all the best to all of you.❤️❤️🌍🌍. We are so honestly to said that, if you are planning to travel in Africa, Shadows is best choice to you. 💯💯💯💯💯💯
Email jokemaster | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
7 Day Safari trip with Charles - BEST TRIP EVER - 5 Stars - 10/10 - August 2020
We researched and decided to make a last-minute safari trip to Tanzania after reading about the COVID restriction. We contacted numerous safari tour operators, and Shadows of Africa immediately stood out with their quick response and budget-friendly options. Our main point of contact before arriving in Tanzania was Lies. Lies was very quick to respond through Whatsapp and helped cater the trip to our preferences. Typically planning a safari takes months in advance, but Lies got everything set up in the span of 2-3 days!
We literally finalized the trip and paid our final bill on the same day we flew to Tanzania (a 24-hour flight). We were crossing our fingers and hoping everything would go well the moment we arrived at the airport since there was no way to contact while we were in the air.
We finally arrived at Kilimanjaro airport, showed our COVID results, paid for Visa, picked up our luggage, and then headed out to the arrival lobby.
Charles, our safari specialist, was holding up a sign with our names. Once we went to him, we were immediately greeted and brought to our epic safari truck. He helped us load the luggage, provided us with masks, gave us hand sanitizer, and wiped down the car's seats and door handles. We were exhausted from the trip, but little did we know that we were about to embark on the safari experience of a lifetime.
Our itinerary was as follows: Arusha, Tarangire, Masai Village, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater.
We are not going to go into the details of each day of our trip. But having Charles as our guide in Tanzania made the experience that much more memorable and unique. We have never met a guide who is more knowledgeable, hard-working, and has a passion for wildlife like Charles. The way he drove us around each park and showcased each animal to us was terrific. We had a goal of seeing the big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and African buffalo) and Charles went above and beyond and made sure we saw each animal. Charles even drove 100 kilometers deep into Serengeti just to show us cheetahs. Charles was so dedicated to making sure we saw all the wildlife, and we were so happy.
You know you have a great Safari tour guide when all the tour guides on the road are asking Charles for guidance on where to spot the animals. Charles can spot wildlife many miles away without binoculars, and we were always amazed. Charles's positive attitude is infectious and puts a smile on your face. He was social and friendly and conversed with us on the long drives.
Each day was an exciting new experience and allowed us to see so many of Tanzania wildlife. On our first day in the Serengeti, we were heading back to the camp after an exciting day time game drive. But we got lost because the original camp closed down due to no tourism. What should have been a scary experience, because it got pitch dark in the Serengeti turned into one of the most exciting adventures on the trip. We experienced a nighttime game drive, and Charles was pointing out all the animals as we were driving at night. I wished we would get lost every night!
Overall, we have ZERO complaints about the trip. We had such a fantastic experience. The parks were so empty because of COVID, so we really felt like we were the only ones and could see all the animals without interruption. Lies professionally handled our booking, and Charles expertly guided us throughout Tanzania.
If you decide to do a Safari, we wholeheartedly recommend Shadows of Africa and ask for Charles!
