Reviews

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Veda Ko   –  
Canada CA
Visited: January 2019 Reviewed: Feb 23, 2019

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.
5/5

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.

Robert Marshall   –  
Australia AU
Visited: February 2019 Reviewed: Feb 18, 2019

Email Robert Marshall  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

The staff on the ground were fanstastic and well organised and able to meet all requirements
5/5

Our tour guides Ameri and August were fantastic and were on top of anything we required without there help we would have not made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro also our team of porters and chef Paul were great and very accomedating.
DISAPPOINTING was the lack of follow up from Christopher Michael Walker Bush in providing what was agreed in writing and paid for up front but once again our guides came to the rescue but the most dissapointing thing WAS THE NON SUPPLY OF A PORTABLE TOILET AS AGREED and also the camp cots.If not for your professionalism of the ground staff the whole hike could have been very disappointing

Joel,Robert,Liam and Shane

Keith   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2018 Reviewed: Jan 9, 2019

Email Keith  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Shadows of Africa "hit it out of the park" for us! Expections were exceeded on every level!
5/5

If you are like me, you are experiencing some trepidation on making your choice for the best safari company to help you with your trip to Africa. Hopefully, our insight about our experience will make your trip memorable and enjoyable.
The Bottom Line:
We highly recommend Shadows of Africa as your safari tour provider to make your safari dreams come true!

The Details:
We wanted our African adventure to include the following:
1. An experience with the Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda
2. Spend several days in the Serengeti of Tanzania
3. Have time to “wind down” after out safari for a few days on Zanzibar

Shadows of Africa absolutely “hit it out of the park” for us! Our trip was customized specifically for me and my wife. They were quick to respond to all of our questions. They are professional, efficient and honest. Any issues we had were resolved promptly and fairly.

Your first interaction will be with a safari consultant who will answer any and all of your questions about the type of trip you desire. We had the pleasure of working with Jake and Stacy who are based in the U.S. on the West Coast. Any question we had was always answered promptly. Jake and Stacy will help with all your inquiries, your trip booking and follow up with you after the trip. Traveling to any foreign country can create anxiety for the traveler. Shadows of Africa removed all concerns we had about this journey. Coordination with flights, visas, in-country pick-ups, immigration / customs matters and hotel / camp accommodations all went smoothly.

Once the trip is booked Shadows of Africa will sent you a wealth of information. You will receive details about the countries you are visiting, hotels, camps, customs, pack lists, visas, clothing options and much, much more.

Our trip was excellent! Our visit with the mountain gorillas was fabulous. It exceeded our expectations on all levels. From just feet away, we were able to experience a large group of mountain gorillas. According to our park guide we saw 22 of the 24 gorillas the group we visited. The chance to interact with the Mountain Gorillas was an exceptional experience. We also visited the golden monkeys in the same region (separate day) and found them both enjoyable and interesting to observe.

The staff in each area we visited was amazing. Rwanda - Paul Ruganintwari was an excellent tour guide & driver in Rwanda. He is outgoing, friendly and made us feel very welcome. His pride for his country and his job was very evident. He gave us a history of Rwanda and an overview for our visit. He was never at a loss to provide us with information. When we asked – He had the answers!

We entered Tanzania via Kilimanjaro Airport. Our driver, Yusuph, picked us up and drove us to our first night's accommodation just outside Arusha. He was very friendly and helpful.

Our driver / guide for our Serengeti experience was Alex, He was great at his job. He shared lots of information about the animals and birds we saw. He carried animal and bird books to show us the various species we observed. In the park he had the ability to find game that we would have never have seen on our own. By the end of our trip we felt we saw every animal /bird the Serengeti had to offer, thanks to Alex. He was very patient with us. We never felt rushed. The spirit of “hakuna matata” prevailed throughout our journey.

The experience on safari was so much fun for us. The game runs, seeing all the animals and our evenings in camp made for so many wonderful memories.

Zanzibar - Once we made it through the hectic airport Mohamed, our driver / guide was there, waiting for us. He was very professional, had a pleasant personality and was helpful. He shared detailed information about Zanzibar and Stone Town as soon as we departed from the airport. We booked a couple of tours with him the following day as we made our way to the northern part of the island and the Royal Zanzibar Resort.

The best thing about Shadows of Africa is its people. They really care about you and your trip. They are committed to making your trip the best trip for you. We’ll be recommending Shadows of Africa to all our friends and family.

If we were to return to Africa in the future we’d most certainly use Shadows of Africa again!

Take the stress out of planning your safari experience. Turn the process over to the pros at Shadows of Africa. You’ll not be disappointed! Sit back, relax and get ready to enjoy the safari journey of your dreams!

Tom   –  
United States US
Visited: December 2018 Reviewed: Jan 8, 2019

Email Tom  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

We had an awesome time!
5/5

The diversity of the places we stayed over the course of the vacation gave us all a “True Taste of Africa” (just what we ordered

Gary & Cher   –  
United States US
Visited: July 2018 Reviewed: Dec 8, 2018

Email Gary & Cher  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

See everything you expect to on a Safari. Absolutely Spectacular
5/5

When most of us plan a trip to Africa, we see 2 sides of the coin. First, there are so many things I to see and to experience. Second, how can I do this and who can I trust?
The answer to the second question is Shadows of Africa, and in particular, ask for James Meimutie as your guide. This tour company handled every aspect of our trip, from the time we arrived at Kilamanjaro Airport for 5 days in the bush seeing more animals than I can count. Great accommodations, good food, comfy Landcruiser. We just sat back and enjoyed. The pre-trip communications were complete with lists for everything we needed to know. Things to bring, clothes to pack, cash to carry and in what currency, and local phrases that will help out while travelling. When we asked questions, we got timely responses. Payments were easy, and we were handled like royalty.
Your tour guide is crucial to having a great experience, and ours was James. He is a modern Masai, fluent in English as well as several Masai dialects. His first question was what are the most important things we wanted to see. He made sure to remember that, and when the opportunity arose, he shifted plans to put us in the most likely spot to see our dreams. Even though we were a late in the season for the wildebeest migration, he found herd crossing, and we sat for an hour in the middle of 10’s of thousands of wildebeest, just 20 yards away.
James saw to our every need. We saw lions, leopards, rhinos, water buffalos, elephants (the big 5), zebras, giraffe, hippos, antelopes, gazelles, impalas, baboons, crocodiles, and even a cheetah make a kill. We spent time with a Masai community, and were invited into their home. James knowledge of the local people and the animals is deep, allowing us not mis-step with folks we met, and knowing every animal we saw by name and habits.
When we go back, we will travel with Shadows of Africa and James Meimutie. If you want the trip of lifetime with every detail handled, you should, too.

Ken   –  
United States US
Visited: August 2018 Reviewed: Nov 21, 2018

Email Ken  |  65+ years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

A great tour company that is friendly, always willing to accommodate requests and responds promptly.
5/5

Jake and Stacy did a wonderful job setting up our two week safari to Kenya and Tanzania. They made suggestions for itinerary changes, cultural experiences including a wonderful visit to the Africa Maasai Lodge, a variety of accommodations, and ensured quality guides and transportation connections. They responded promptly to emails and all arrangements and payment went very smoothly. The tour visited Maasai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and Amboseli. The animals were plentiful and we saw the Big Five with up close experiences with lions, elephants and leopards. The guides were friendly, experienced and very informative. They saw to all of our needs and were amazing in their ability to find animals in the tall grasses. The accommodations were a mix of luxurious lodges and "rustic" tents which were a wonderful and interesting experience. We highly recommend Shadows of Africa for your safari experience!

Ioannis   –  
Greece GR
Visited: October 2018 Reviewed: Nov 5, 2018

Email Ioannis  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Communication far from clear, the tours were good.
4/5

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.

Ashley   –  
Australia AU
Visited: October 2018 Reviewed: Oct 22, 2018

Email Ashley  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Serengeti and Tanzania Safari
5/5

We booked a 6 night/ 7 day Safari through Tanzania and the Serengeti. Jake and Stacy did an amazing job at organising our Safari tour. They were very easy to communicate with and helped us every way possible to make our Safari trip amazing. We saw the “Big 5” animals plus many more and 3 Wildebeest migration water crossings. The accommodation ranged from structured tents and lodges, all beautifully presented. The food was amazing at all the accommodation sites. One of the highlights was the Hot Air Balloon over the Serengeti with the Champagne breakfast. Wonderful experience with a very organised and competent Hot AirBalloon crew. Despite the long drives reaching some of the destinations, we would all definitely do the Safari again.

Jamie   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2018 Reviewed: Oct 13, 2018

Email Jamie  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

An exceptional way to safari in Tanzania!
5/5

A great company that is very accommodating. Their staff is wonderful to work with and we would highly recommend this adventure!

Rachel Perteet   –  
United States US
Visited: September 2018 Reviewed: Sep 17, 2018

Email Rachel Perteet  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Professional, knowledgeable, flexible, confident
5/5

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.

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