Our Amazing Guiding Team!
Shadows of Africa
- Offices In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Member Of:
- ATTA, TATO & TTB
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $175 to $800 per person per day (USD, 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 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 :-)
AE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Serengeti, Manyara, Tarangire
Excellent. Natasha and Tim were very informative, helpful and friendly.
Mine was a totally customized package and they really ensured I enjoyed our trip. I will visit again.
https://www.facebook.com/Zookk/media_set?set=a.10151828931429365.1073741832.538664364&type=3
US
Email Don Basler | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great Photo Safari - Even better than expected
Matt and I want to thank you so much for the fantastic experience with Shadows of Africa in February. As this was our first photo safari we had many questions pre-travel and we very much appreciate your team, especially Jake, for being responsive and patient with our inquiries. Once on the ground in Tanzania our guide and driver, Richard, was on top of every detail, including his recognition of the camera equipment we brought and a trip enhancing suggestion to remove the two middle seats in the Land Cruiser. This gave us the room we needed for our tripod and other equipment. As you know, we requested a very specific 2-person photo safari experience. The Shadows of Africa team responded to that request from the beginning to the very end, even arranging for a place to shower and change on the way to the airport on the final day. This allowed us to have a full last day on Safari.
Natasha, special thanks to you for meeting us at the hotel to adjust our itinerary at the last minute in response to my request to spend an additional night in the Serengeti tent camp. It proved to be a good choice as we lost a half day to rain and the extra night was needed to have a complete experience. All of these details and so much more made our experience a positive memory we can cherish.
By the way, we got some great photos and video of the great migration, lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, hippos, etc. etc. Even some great bird shots. This is why we went to Tanzania and you, Jake, Richard and your whole team made it great. I can’t imagine any other tour company doing better, and the price was very reasonable. I would highly recommend Shadows of Africa to anyone considering such a safari.
Best wishes, Don & Matt Basler
Carolinas USA
HR
Email KruKop | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Maximum Africa Experience
The most important thing when you're booking a safari is to have an experienced driver - and this is the trademark of SoA. The right driver will take you places other drivers do not know of, he/she knows where to find animals and has special connections in local stores and camps. Also, they can choose the right chef for the trip, give you valuable information on the animals and be a pleasant companion. Natasha is one of few safari company owners who finished a demanding safari management program (which includes spending a month in a safari camp and handing vast amount of info about the local flora and fauna) so you can tell her your wishes and fully rely on the safari package she will tailor for you. Best drivers and best management - once you get there, you will appreciate it, as it is the only guarantee you will return back home with memories and experiences exceeding your expectations.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
"The trip of a lifetime was a safari with Shadows of Africa," says this cynical traveler.
Was this safari my best trip ever. This jaded, cynical, well-seasoned traveler says a resounding "absolutely!" It was in no small part due to Shadows of Africa. I'm so glad I booked it with them after researching a safari with several companies. I wanted a customized, 4 day intense experience with just a driver and me. Oh did I have one! Natasha, the owner of Shadows of Africa and Richard, the manager, planned and executed every requested detail perfectly. All went smoothly from beginning to end.
A guide-driver, can make or break a trip of this nature. I once had an adventure tour company. I know what to look for. Mine, Moody, was a gem. When we met there was an instant rapport. There was more beyond his prompt nature, extraordinary knowledge of English, flexibility and most importantly, convivial personality. Moody was a combination zoologist-environmentalist-animal lover as far as this retired anthropologist is concerned. He fielded any questions I had about my experiences in layman's language. It enabled me to mentally digest and understand all that I was seeing in the extraordinary natural world in which I was immersed. He had a sharp eye to spot the quasi-hidden animals and lead me to where they were up close. And oh, were they! I never expected to be able to see them in such away. That moved more than my intellect. It reached my soul.
We spent a night at a tented camp in the Serengeti with David, the Maasai manager. Lions, hyenas and elephants were nearby. No worry. It is safe. Here, thanks to booking this place for me, I learned more about the animals than just through seeing them. David could lecture on environmental or anthropological issues about the symbiotic relationship the Maasai have with wild animals as well as their cattle. All live in balance. How the modern world needs to learn how to do that and soon. Elst not do just the Maasai lose their culture, but the animals become extinct and we humans with them.
Thank you Shadows of Africa for helping me realize that more than ever we need to protect these creatures everywhere they still exist. You did it without preaching. It was done through showing me their world in as intimate way as possible. We destroyed their habitat. We need to expand it to save them. For now at least, those which remain are relatively safe at Lake Manyara, on the Serengeti plains and in the Ngorogoro crater. A lion and I gazed at each other at close distance in the crater while he rested. In my mind's eye he mouthed "save us."
There are safaris and there are safaris. You know with whom I'd do a repeat.
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best way to see Africa
From the very beginning, this was a great experience... Jake and the company put together a trip that matched our travel times as well as our budget... Once we got there, they took care of us every step of the way... Our guide (Richard) was the best..
If you are thinking about a trip like this.. let these people take care of everything for you.. You will have the best trip of your life...
SI
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Family safari
My husband and I waited for some years for our grils to grow up a little bit and to start travelling a little more again. So for our first holiday together with a 6 and 8 year old girls we had a lot of expectations, bit also fears and questions. Nataša from Shadows of Africa really made a difference. She did not just arranged the safari that was ok for children and still very interesting for us, and get us the perfect guide and person Tim, but arranged our whole holiday. We went to Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Olpopongi masai village and Zanzibar; Stone town and Kendwa beach. She booked all the right hotels for us and got us plane tickets and all transfers so we had no worries at all. All we had to do was enjoy! And we did, very much. I highly recomend them!
RO
Email STEFANIA AND FRIENDS | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best trip ever
Ten days have passed since we came back from Africa, and we are still under the spell!! Shadows of Africa took care of everything there, from the airport in Kilimanjaro and the hotels Natasha chose for us, to our driver and guide Charles, who had eyes of an eagle and impressed us all the time with his knowledge about animals. We visited Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti and we saw more animals and wildlife that we could imagine!! Thank you, Shadows, and cant't wait for our next safari with you, next year in Kenya and Tanzania!!
US
Email Michelle Harden | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best Safari Experience with Shadows of Africa
It's difficult to choose a tour operator for a safari if you don't have a referral. There are so many companies out there. We narrowed it down to Shadows of Africa because they were SO informative, so communicative, and helped us with some logistics with 4 of us coming from different countries and needing particular types of accommodations. Everything exceeded our expectations; we loved our driver, Moody and we had the experience of a lifetime. You feel surprised all along the way with lodges that are beautiful and food that is great and the warmth of the people and of course, most of all, we saw more animals and scenarios than we expected - and they can't probably control that, but we felt that Moody was an amazing guide, seeing things we would have totally missed. And being unplugged in nature for 6 days? Pure heaven. I will recommend this group to everyone. Thank you, Shadows of Africa. It was the best.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great customer care
I am expat resident in Arusha and havent been on safari for the time i am in Tanzania,Decided to visit the national parks in the region and booked last minute safari with Shadows of Africa. The customer care and fast response i got was a big surprise knowing how slow can things get here. Went for a 3 days safari and visited Manyara,Tarangire and Ngorongoro. I had an awesome experience,the driver was very kind and knew everything about the wildlife, took very good care for the group and made our safari very comfortable. I would like to recommend this agency and great customer care.