Dancing Zebra Safari
- Located In:
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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 Tammy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Beyond our Expectations!
Zicasso found the perfect travel specialist for our Tanzanian safari. We were introduced to our safari travel designer. She planned a custom trip for my daughter and I, and every detail was thoughtful and flawless! She was very communicative and easy to talk to, returned calls and emails quickly. It was the most relaxing trip I have ever experienced since our travel designer planned every detail based on extensive conversations of our hopes and wishes of what we hoped to see and experience. It was a truly magical vacation! Our 8 day trip to Tanzania was well beyond our expectations!! We stayed in amazing, elegant lodges and spent 3 nights in a Serengeti tented camp. We had a private guide for the entire trip who took us on daily game drives based on what we wanted to see. We experienced the Tanzanian culture and the Massai, and saw and studied oh-so many animals in their natural habitats onlya few feet away from our Land Cruiser. We soaked in the beauty and natural wonders of the Seregenti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. Everything about this trip was relaxed, well organized, and stress-free. It truly was a trip of a lifetime that we will treasure forever!
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Email Collette and Mike | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had a wonderful safari, better than we expected!
We first saw this company as a sponsor of "Nature" on PBS. The owner was available by phone in the U.S. which made communication very easy. Jessica was very caring and made sure all our questions were answered as needed. Together we designed our custom tour so that we could travel a little slower, allowing us to relax as well as time to do some bird watching. A nice mix of accommodations; surprisingly luxurious resorts, a tented cabin, and a mobile camp in Serengeti. We were offered cultural experiences, and we chose the walk through a village near Karatu and a couple of walks by different guides local to each area. Our driver and guide, Yunus, was very knowledgeable about animals and birds, and loved nature. He went the extra mile to make sure we saw all the critters we had mentioned and many more. As a driver he was always very safe. The owner, kept in touch with our guide throughout the safari, checking to make sure all was well. Finally our scenic flight from Serengeti to Arusha topped off our stay. In summary, we will always have very fond memories of our wonderful safari with Dancing Zebra.
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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.
CA
Email Priya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Reliable, really understood our trip goals, put together the best itinerary, friendly, available
My husband and I used Dancing Zebra Safari to plan an 8 day itinerary in Tanzania. They were INCREDIBLE! The Safari itself was a dream come true - when the wildlife, people, and accommodations. More over, Jessica really understood what we wanted from our trip and planned an incredible itinerary. Through back and forth I felt she really created the perfect trip for us! She was also very accessible leading up to the trip with any questions we had and dealt with a flight delay so smoothly! Also the guide, Thomson was a HUGE highlight - he was so knowledgeable and it was a pleasure to spend so much time with him! We will be recommending Dancing Zebra to lots of friends and family :)
Epic Experience
This was by far the most epic and memorable experience we have ever had. From the planning to executing flawlessly on the itinerary, it exceeded our wildest dreams. From the airport pick up to drop off, they took care of all our needs. We literally worried about nothing! The amenities were five star and the food were delicious. The staff at all the camps were friendly and went above and beyond. Our guide Edson was not only a blast to hang out with but also found us the best animals to see. We are still in awe of this incredible trip. You cannot go wrong choosing Dancing Zebra Safari!
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Email Michelle & Randy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our guide was so well acquainted and formally educated in the wildlife, their habitats and behaviors
Our Africa safari was the trip of a lifetime! We celebrated retirement and while we had traveled extensively during our careers, a safari trip to Africa required special attention and we could not have managed without Jessica’s expertise at Dancing Zebra. Jessica’s many trips to Tanzania gave us great confidence and we relied on her suggestions when planning. She was organized and timely when responding to our many questions. Jessica checked in with us during the trip, which was unexpected but really nice. We also appreciated that the general managers and staff at the different lodges knew Jessica and were connected to her while we were traveling. Jessica prepped us on packing, tipping, visas, the food and the culture. It was all so well organized and exceeded our expectations!
Our safari guide Thomson was awesome. We spent 12 days together and he was so knowledgeable and patient with all the pictures and videos we took. He knew every animal, their habitat and behaviors. Thomson knew where to take us to see the Big 5 and made certain we experienced everything we came to Tanzania to see! We learned so much from him and left with a feeling of awe and education. We even learned a little Swahili from Thomson! he knew when to offer information and when to stay silent and allow us to just take it in. He was very easy to be with.
One of the many highlights of the trip was visiting Rwanda. We visited the genocide museum, the Dian Fossey Research and Conservation Center (watch Gorillas in the Mist) on the Ellen DeGeneres campus and trekked up a mountain to see and “visit” with a family of gorillas! Here too, the guides, porters and trackers were so experienced and knowledgeable. It was a visit that we’ll relive and remember forever! Jessica worked with us on planning all of it and we’d highly recommend Dancing Zebra if you’re thinking about a safari!
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Email KC | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Seamless and smooth safari!
We used Dancing Zebra to book an 8-day Elewana SkySafari in Tanzania. It was truly a well-planned, seamless, VIP experience. I particularly liked The Manor at Ngorongoro, which is an elegant property reminiscent of the posh Air Force Officer's Clubs of the 1930's. The game drives were outstanding, with plentiful up-close wildlife. Dancing Zebra kept us informed every step of the way, including a check-in mid-trip to ensure all was well. I would not hesitate to recommend or call upon Dancing Zebra or SkySafari for their outstanding vacation product!
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Email Sam | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime with the most knowledgable and thoughtful guides
I visited Tanzania and Rwanda with Dancing Zebra last month and had the best trip of my life. My itinerary was:
- 1 day to rest and recuperate on a golf course in Arusha
- 1 day/night in the Ngorongoro crater
- 5 days / 4 nights in the Serengeti
- 1 day/night in Kigali
- 2 days / 2 nights at the Virunga Lodge
Our safari guide, Ian, is an animal whisperer. We were first on the scene to every interesting animal siting in the Serengeti. Although he said he couldn't promise anything, when we asked to see a leopard he found two over the course of an hour. He got us up close and personal with some lions feuding over a kill, hippos jostling for dominance, and baby elephants following their mom.
The accommodations were incredible. The staff were so kind, friendly, and thoughtful and made us feel comfortable throughout the trip. The food was great and the location was incredible, particularly for the lodge in the Serengeti and the lodge in the Virugna moutains.
I felt like we spent the right amount of time in each location. If you needed to cut time off your trip, you could do one less day in the Serengeti and skip the day in Kigali.
Thank you to the Dancing Zebra for giving me the experience of a life time! I've already shared the itinerary with friends who want to take the trip after seeing my pictures and it was a no brainer to tell them to leave it all to Dancing Zebra to plan it perfectly.
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Email Shazia | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic experience
Since the very first email from Jessica M, I have always been amazed at the level of service provided by her and her team. Be it planning & understanding our needs (large group of 8 - with 4 kids), planning our itinerary (which perfectly aligned with what we hoped to get from this trip), providing easy and timely updates, travel and packing tips, and follow up service during and after our trip-- Dancing Zebra Safari is A+
We had around a week in Kenya, and the places we visited were thoughtfully chosen to give us the best experience. Every hotel/camp we stayed at was luxurious, with fantastic service. The trip was completely planned for us- we even had staff come to us inside the airport to help. We showed up knowing we were in good hands. I cannot wait to go back!
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Email Tracy | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime
I traveled to Tanzania for safari in Ngorongoro Crater and the Eastern Serengeti and to Rwanda for the Gorilla Trek in May 2023. I made the trip with my twenty something son and future daughter-in-law. I cannot say enough good things about Jessica Mathews and her team at Dancing Zebra Safari. From initial planning through the end of our trip, Jessica made everything easy and seamless. Her knowledge of these countries and the contacts she has made in Africa allowed us to see the best there is to offer. I followed her recommendation to travel from mid to end of May just before the high season to avoid the crowds and am so glad we did. We had hours on the Serengeti without another tour in sight.
Our private guide in Tanzania, Ian, was wonderful and extremely knowledgeable about the Serengeti, the many animals to be seen and where the animals would be at any give time of day. As a result, we were able to view all of the animals residing in the park multiple times including lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes, hyena, cheetah, endangered rhino, hippopotamus, wildebeest and even the elusive leopard. Without the summer crowds we were also able to view the animals close up, sometimes within only a couple of feet. It was truly magical.
Wanting the truest experience as possible, we stayed in a beautiful camp in the bush of the Serengeti, accompanied by a local lion pride. We came to understand that the lions were not much interested in us and had never attacked camp residents but we were accompanied throughout the camp by a Masai warrior just in case. :)
We then proceeded to Rwanda to see the gorillas. Rwanda is a beautiful country, very lush and tropical. Our private guide, Frank was terrific and as with Ian, was with us daily to make sure all was well and that we got where we needed to go. We hiked approximately two hours to see the gorillas - shorter hikes are available - and upon reaching the gorillas sat amidst a family of about 10, including a nursing baby. It was beautiful to spend time with these amazing, surprising gentle souls while they interacted with each other and on occasion with us. For anyone, who dreams of this experience - as I have for so many years - I strongly recommend taking the trip.
More general information - accommodations were lovely, opulent and beautifully decorated, consistent with the environment. In each location, we each had our own dwelling, consisting a large bedroom, bathroom, sitting area and balcony and in one case, even a private soaking pool. Meals were taken in a communal dining area and the food was quite good and plentiful. Staff at all of the accommodations were welcoming, friendly and professional, ensuring all of our needs and desires were promptly attended to.
This was a bucket list trip for me and it exceeded my expectations in every way. Thank you Jessica, Ian and all of the Dancing Zebra Safari staff for making this dream come true. xoxo
