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:
- $250 to $1,500 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 Kimberly | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Be very careful booking with this company.
I rarely write negative reviews, but I feel obligated to share our experience with Shadows of Africa.
My 15-year-old son and I booked a safari and Zanzibar vacation with the expectation of a premium, well-planned experience. We communicated our expectations clearly before booking and trusted that the itinerary would reflect what was promised. Unfortunately, that was not our experience.
With the exception of our final safari stay at Tembo Tembo Camp and our outstanding guide, Gerald, this trip was a tremendous disappointment.
At our first lodge, we were forgotten at dinner. No one came to pick us up, so my son and I went without dinner that evening. The room was also not clean. At another lodge, the accommodations were so cold that we left within minutes because they were simply not suitable. Throughout the trip, when we reached out to our travel advisor for help, we felt our concerns were not taken seriously and were not resolved.
Our current resort in Zanzibar has been the biggest disappointment. In our opinion, it is far below the standard that was represented to us. The property is unclean, the food has been poor, and it does not reflect the quality of vacation we believed we had purchased.
My son and I travel internationally many times each year, including to developing countries, so our disappointment is not based on unrealistic expectations. It is based on the gap between what we were promised and what was delivered.
The one bright spot of our trip was Gerald, our safari guide. He was professional, knowledgeable, kind, and truly exceptional. Tembo Tembo Camp was also excellent and demonstrated the level of quality we expected throughout the trip.
I sincerely hope Shadows of Africa takes this feedback seriously. We invested a significant amount of money in this vacation and expected much better planning, accommodations, communication, and customer service. Unfortunately, based on our experience, I cannot recommend the company.
Reply from Shadows of Africa
Posted on Jul 1, 2026Dear Kimberly,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, both here and directly with our team. As we mentioned to you personally, we are genuinely sorry that your trip was not the experience you had hoped for. We know this was a special journey for you and your son, and we regret that parts of it did not meet your expectations.
We're pleased that Gerald and your stay at Tamu Tamu Camp reflected the level of quality and service we aim to deliver on every trip, and we've passed your kind words on to him directly.
For the benefit of future travelers, we'd like to provide some additional context. Your trip was booked within our mid-range accommodation category. During the planning process, you received photos, detailed descriptions, and direct website links for each suggested property. For your Zanzibar stay, your travel consultant presented four different accommodation options, allowing you to choose the one that best matched your preferences. You selected Turaco Nungwi (4-star) from those options. The safari lodges—Sangaiwe Tarangire and Angata Ngorongoro—were chosen from our recommended options. All three accommodations have received a 2026 TripAdvisor Award of Excellence. We mention this simply to help future guests understand that your experience is not representative of the feedback these properties typically receive.
Regarding the temperature at Angata Ngorongoro, this is unfortunately something we cannot control, as it is a result of the crater's high elevation and climate rather than the lodge itself. That said, we appreciate that this can come as a surprise to guests, and we will make this information much more prominent in our pre-arrival communications so travelers can pack and prepare accordingly.
We would also like to highlight that our team is available 24/7 to assist when unexpected situations arise. When you decided to leave Angata Ngorongoro, we arranged alternative accommodation within 20 minutes. Our records show that our team responded promptly throughout your journey to provide assistance whenever concerns were raised.
We recognize that travel experiences are subjective, and while we respect your perspective, it does differs significantly from the experience reported by the vast majority of our guests. We strongly believe there is always something to learn from guest feedback, and we will be reviewing your comments with our team to further identify opportunities to improve our communication, pre-arrival information, and processes, helping to ensure all future guests have the best possible experience.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Feedback—whether positive or critical—helps us continue to improve, and we wish you and your son all the very best in your future travels.
Warm regards,
The Shadows of Africa Team