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:
- $550 to $2,000 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
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Email Christina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari and Beach Honeymoon
We booked our safari and beach combination honeymoon through Dancing Zebra Safari and had an amazing experience! In order to arrive at our final itinerary, we had multiple discussions with Jessica to ensure the safari covered what we were interested in seeing and that the overall honeymoon would be tailored to our preferences, budget, and expectations.
Through her guidance and expertise, we decided to go to Tanzania for a Northern Serengeti safari followed by a visit to Zanzibar - and from that point forward, Jessica took care of everything. She is a prompt communicator - always quick to answer any question no matter how big or small. She made me feel at ease on multiple occasions when I was anxious about our first safari (there's so much to learn!) in addition to planning my wedding.
We had the most wonderful experience. Our safari camp was spectacular. Because of their relationship with Jessica, they gave us the best accommodations available on the property. They welcomed us with sparkling wine, arranged a surprise private sunset happy hour on our 2nd to last night, and a surprise dinner under the stars on our last evening. Everyone at the camp was so warm and friendly - we really felt so welcomed our entire stay. The tent was luxurious with a wonderful view - we even saw animals from our room on multiple occasions. Our guide was hired through the camp and he was absolutely outstanding- the perfect combination of knowledgable, friendly, and accommodating. He made every day so fun and informative, and was critical to our experience. My husband is very knowledgeable about the Serengeti and the animals there (which is why we were so eager to go on a safari) - and so enjoyed chatting with our guide about their shared love of the animal kingdom. We were sad to leave camp, but excited to embark on the 2nd part of the trip.
We went to Zanzibar to get to explore more of beautiful Tanzania. Our resort was opulent, the staff was friendly, the food was excellent (my husband is a chef and raved!), the beach was stunning, the villa was incredible - it was the perfect way to relax after our days on safari.
Jessica took care of all aspects of our trip except for our international flights from NYC to Tanzania. This included accommodations, drivers/transfers, and domestic flights. She provided extensive information on how to prepare for the safari, suggested packing lists, information guides, etc. Everything went flawlessly - she was clearly communicating with the staff at our camp/resort to ensure that we were well taken care of.
We are already dreaming about our next safari trip - and would highly recommend Dancing Zebra Safari to anyone who is considering going on the trip of a lifetime.
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Email Mel & Eileen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dancing Zebra Safari arranges the most perfect safari you could ever imagine!
This was our 3rd trip to Tanzania arranged by Jessica Matthews of Dancing Zebra Safari. Each of our trips has been amazing, and every detail was arranged to perfection. The camps and lodges that we stayed at were outstanding. Each one would definitely receive 5 Stars for comfort, beauty, and service by the staff. The meals at the accommodations were extremely delicious and prepared by excellent chefs. Jessica also provides wonderful guides for your safari. Our guide, Ian, had the eyes of an eagle, and he always made sure that we had a VIP position for viewing the amazing wildlife, usually before other 4x4s arrived. There could be no better company for planning your trip! If we are ever fortunate enough to go again, we will definitely use Jessica and Dancing Zebra to plan our trip.
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Email Chuanxiang chi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip
We have a group of 22 people who visited Tanzania for 9 days which originated by Dancing Zabra Safari company (Jessica with her team).
We had a wonderful time and experience and life time memories.
The trip was well organized and the hotels we stayed in were very nice and all the staff in the hotels were friendly and helpful.
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Email Ron & Karen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
In spite of our large group of 14 and our complex itinerary everything went off without a hitch!
Our Dancing Zebre Safari representative, Jessica Mathews, was able to coordinate the various arrival dates, times and activities seamlessly. The 4 facilities where we stayed were very well run by their camp managers and staff. The food and services provided were all better than anticipated.
For our safety Maasi Warriors would escort you to and from your lodge. At our last camp we were able to explore the area without an escort while it was light. For those uncomfortable walking alone a Maasi Warrior would accompany them. Our driver/guides Frank, Hassan, and Miraji, are well educated and able to explain and answer questions about the many different animals, birds, insects, vegetation, trees, and landscape surrounding you. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was professional, personable and polite! My only wish would be that the vehicles not follow so close to one another to reduce the dust intake for those with respiratory (asthma, COPD) issues or those wearing contact lenses. Not a big deal but several mentioned their concern.
Bottom line-It was the "trip of a lifetime"! Jessica did a wonderful job for our group of 14! Wouldn't hesitate to use again, or recommend Dancing Zebra Safari
Thank you so much Jessica
Ron & Karen G
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Email Debbie B | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Jessica planned an amazing trip for our group.
Jessica helped us plan a custom safari for our group of 14 adults. The itinerary she created for us was perfect. Each of the lodges she selected were unique and comfortable with amazing views. The staff and food at each lodge was outstanding. The guides she selected for us were experienced and friendly. Each day they found new animals and birds for us to view. They readily shared their knowledge with us. Many thanks to Jessica for creating a trip of a lifetime for all of us. It is a trip we will remember forever.
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Email Keith and Sandie T. | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very helpful and knowledgeable and easy to work with
Jessica went above and beyond trying to organize a custom trip for 14 people. She stayed in communication with us often on during the trip and after
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Email Steve | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Another thrilling safari with Dancing Zebra!
This was our seventh trip with Dancing Zebra Safari Co, and we have two more trips already booked for 2025! We basically give Jessica Mathews, the owner of Dancing Zebra, an idea of where we want to go, and in a short time, she comes up with a fully detailed itinerary! We usually approve the first draft. She is simply the best at safari planning! This year was all Tanzania, and also, this was a honeymoon trip for us, so Jessica made sure the camps knew that so they could give us special treats, which we really appreciated!
After visiting a Maasai village, which was an adventure in itself, we started our safari at Ngorongoro Crater, which was having something of a “super-bloom” of yellow flowers, which added quite a lot of vibrant color to the landscape. We saw all the animals there, including a rare rhino sighting! The Craters Edge lodge where we stayed was superb. Then it was off to the Serengeti, and back with the big herds of the great migration. We saw thousands of wildebeests and zebras every day, along with the lions and other predators that welcome the herds into their territory. Our first afternoon we saw 8 lions in a tree, which is something I have never seen before, in my 10 trips to Africa! Next morning we saw 11 lions walking down the road, which is another thing I have never seen. We also saw a lion kill, and three mornings in a row, we saw cheetah kills. This is about the most thrilling thing you can see on safari, especially when you see these fast cats open up at top speed.
We stayed at the top notch Lemala camps of Ewanjan and Nanyukie in central and eastern Serengeti, which were excellent as always. Our intrepid safari guide/driver, Ian, seems to have a map in his head of every dirt road, large or small. That’s why he says, “the Serengeti is my back yard” He gave directions to probably 6 other drivers who were a little lost. With Ian, we never get lost!
Altogether, this was a great trip, right at the top along with our other Dancing Zebra trips! All the detailed planning by Jessica really pays off. Next May, it’s off to South Africa and Namibia!
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Email Nora | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Dancing Safari is a boutique tour operator that arranges unique travel experiences.
Dancing Safari arranged a unique African experience for our group of 6 people. We stayed at a fabulous new property on the edge of the Ngorongoro crater that gave us the advantage of being the first group in the crater in the morning where we saw elephants, zebra, flamingos, lions, hippos, Cape buffalo, wildebeest etc. It was magical. Our tour operator arranged for us to have a catered lunch at the bottom with delicious food and full bar. It was an incredible experience! We traveled to the Serengeti and drove into the midst of the great migration of wildebeest and zebras. We also saw leopards and huge crocodiles in addition to the other animals and many baby lions. Our trip was capped with a flight to Rwanda where we stayed in a beautiful lodge near the trails to see the mountain gorillas. We saw an entire family for one hour after a hike up through the jungle. Our trackers and guides were experienced and helpful. It was a trip of a lifetime!
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Email Kathy Umlauf | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable, listens, make sure all runs smoothly and develops a tailor made plan
Jessica Mathews, the owner of Dancing Zebras, planned an amazing trip for us to Tanzania, Rwanda and Zanzibar. The accommodations she recommended were all 5 star lodges. Fantastic environments, impeccable service and delicious food. The 2 local tour guides were so passionate about showing us their countries (Tanzania and Rwanda) and were great about answering all our questions and meeting our needs.
The way she divided up the trip was perfect. She encouraged us to do a low key week at the end of our vacation and sent us to The Kilindi Resort in Zanzibar and it was paradise. Just what we needed.
Highlights include seeing The Great Migration (wildebeest, zebras and gazelles journey to Kenya -over 2 million animals go yearly), hundreds of flamingos flying in unison and landing (Ngorongoro Crater), 3 lioness up in an Acacia Tree, a male lion guarding 4 cubs, 2 leopard sightings, watching a family of elephants walk by our lodge room, having a gorilla swipe my shoulder and watching an entire gorilla family interact for an hour, and hiking to a bamboo forest watching golden monkeys swing from tree to tree. We learned so much about the history and culture of these areas through the guides, interaction with staff and drivers and driving and walking through so many diverse areas. The local people were all so kind and welcoming.
It was a trip of a life time and Jessica made it all happen.
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Email David H. | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jessica has a great attention to detail that really showed in every aspect of my trip.
My very first safari trip was AMAZING! It was for 10 nights and 11 days. From the moment of planning, everything was seamless. Jessica laid out an itinerary that was so detailed. All I had to do was make sure I didn't miss my plane. I was able to ease into my journey with a two night stay in a suite at Hamerkop House, a beautiful home on a very nice golf course. Chef Mesuli prepared an incredible lunch, and later, dinner which was delicious! The next day, I was able to play a little golf after breakfast. I have to say the meals provided were so tasty at EVERY stop. I kept looking forward to the next one WHILE I was eating! The third day was the first leg of the safari trip with a long but enjoyable ride to the Ngorongoro Crater with a stop at a Maasai Boma village as well as a banana plantation where the locals prepared a very nice and delicious traditional Tanzanian meal. We finally made it to a very nice luxury lodge called Wilderness Craters Edge for a two night stay. Jeremy, the manager, and his staff was there to greet us with refreshing towels and a nice drink. The accommodations were top notch and far exceeded my expectations. The next two nights were at a tented camp in Central Serengeti called Lemala Ewanjan Tented Camp which was nice but definitely seemed more like a camp. Actual tents (very nice tents) that zipped up. The bed was really comfortable and I actually heard the lions in the early morning so I didn't need an alarm clock. The same red carpet treatment from the staff, too. We made our way to Eastern Serengeti for two nights at Lemala Nanyukie Tented Lodge. This place was really nice. The managers, Andrea and Rebecca felt like family after only two days! Every staff member there was a reflection of them.
The safari itself was life changing! I went into each day not knowing what to expect and every one of the days was a completely different experience. So many different animals and witnessing the ecosystem of wildlife unfold will stay with me forever. The days were long but went by quickly. The natural beauty kept me engaged. Seeing actual lions, zebras, elephants, a rhino, giraffes, cheetahs, gazelles and so much more wildlife in their habitat. The plains, hills and skies were the perfect backdrop to all of it. My safari guide, Bosco, was friendly, funny and knowledgeable. I learned so much from him and he made my coffee perfect every time! You're the best, Bosco! The last night at each stop included a nice sundowner at a perfect location to watch the sunset with appetizers and a nice glass of wine (or drink of your choice). I'd like to give a special thank you to all of the chefs who prepared such delicious food and the service from staff that made me feel like a celebrity. Ian, who was my guide for a day. The Hamerkop House staff: Chef Mesuli, Omary, Edmass, Sheddy, Saidi, and Posco. Thank you Ema for picking me up and taking me to the airport! I can't say enough about the detailed planning and 5 star accommodations from Dancing Zebra Safari Co. and Lemala Camps. Thank you, Jessica, for making my vacation one of the best and most memorable!
If you're considering a safari trip, I highly recommend Dancing Zebra Safari Co. to make it a reality!
