Our Amazing Guiding Team!
Shadows of Africa
- Located 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)
Reviews
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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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.
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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.
