The Amazing Shadows of Africa Guiding Team!
Shadows of Africa
- Located 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)
Reviews
CA
Email Laura N | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic Safari and Kilimanjaro Climb
I can't say enough about how great our trip to Tanzania with Shadows of Africa was. From start to finish, everything was handled professionally. Our trip began with a five-day safari in Lake Manyara National Park, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater with guide Siriko and cook Silvanos. Siriko was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We still can't believe how he managed to locate those leopards! His easy laugh and laid-back attitude made the experience very enjoyable.
The second part of our trip was the highlight, hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro in seven days via the Machame Route. Our head guide August has been guiding up the mountain for close to 20 years and his experience and calm demeanour inspired our trust. Assistant guide Amiri was equally capable and supportive, often setting the pace for our little group. Our guides and team of 12 porters, cook and server worked hard to make our lives easier.
Last but not definitely not least, we have to mention Natasha and the office staff in Arusha, who welcomed us back, allowed us to hang out at the offices and use the Wifi and loaned us a driver and vehicle for our last day before our evening flight back to Europe. Our trip was nearly over--they didn't have to be so accommodating, but they made us feel like family friends.
We would highly recommend Shadows of Africa for a safari and/or Kilimanjaro hike.
US
Email Anne-Marie | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Best trip ever !!
My husband and I just got back from a 10 day Safari In Tanzania. Shadow's of Africa was the company we used and we couldn't be happier. They were very professional and always there for us when we had questions. This was our first Safari and definitely not the last and I would book with them again, they were so helpful in finding something that was good for us , making us feel so comfortable through the whole process. We enjoyed everything about our trip, we saw amazing wildlife and a lot of it , our guide was fantastic,the food was good everywhere and the lodges were all amazing. We had been wanting to do A Safari for a long time and this was above all expectations. Don't wait and book ur trip !!
NL
Email Aniek | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing experience!!
Before booking with Shadows of Africa I have looked at several different safari companies to compare what they had to offer so I could make my decision. The reason for choosing Shadows of Africa was their always quick response, they were one of the lowest in pricing but had amazing reviews, not a negative thing to find. And I do not regret my decision at al! We had such an amazing experience!! We only had time for a 4 day safari to see Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara, but we have seen so much and it didn't at all feel like long distances of driving.
Our guide Edwin was very experienced, any question we had he could answer it right away. Every animal and bird he could name and he did his best to find all of the big 5 for us, and he did! Not only the big 5 but so many other animals zebras, hippos, giraffe, hyena, jackal, many different birds and other small animals and as a highlight of our trip 5 cheetahs! A mom with her 4 cubs eating away on a thomson gazelle they had just killed. And we were the first ones there!
All in all an awesome safari with a very reliable company! We would recommend them to everyone and definitely use it ourselves again when we will have the possibility to visit Tanzania again!
US
Email Steven K | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible, all-inclusive trip!
A group of friends and myself booked through this company for a two part vacation; climbing Kilimanjaro and exploring the Serengeti. I thought it was going to be very hectic and confusing, and I packed a lot of what-if items just in case...
I could not have been more wrong!
They took care of absolutely everything. Every meal, every stop, every attraction was well thought out. Our guides for Kilimanjaro, Amir and Hussien were very, very knowledgeable and professional. We picked their brains the whole hike, and there was not a single question they could not answer. The porters worked incredibly hard for us too. By the end of the climb, they all felt like family.
The Serengeti was equally amazing! our driver #Ritchard# was impressive in his ability to find every animal we were looking for, and he knew everything about them! We saw all of the Big 5! And we got very close to almost every creature we came across (except the rhinos, they're tricky) All of our accommodations were spectacular, from luxury tents in the Serengeti (buffaloes relaxing outside my tent!) to the Serena Crater Lodge (amazing place, awesome entertainment!)
At first I thought the trip was a little pricey (around $2,300) but when I found out what other tourists we met were paying (some of them upwards of 5k!) I soon realized we got the best deal for what we paid for. Again, absolutely amazing and I would do it again in a heart beat.
US
Email PatBethMego | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Magnificent Megafauna
We had only six days to experience a the most exotic wildlife spectacle on Earth -- the Serengeti of Africa -- and we needed a tour company that would help us make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We chose Shadows of Africa because they were easily the most responsive of the many tour companies to our email inquiries, they offered us many options, and we felt more secure sending a large payment to an office inside the US. We booked our ticket to Arusha and Shadows of Africa arranged the rest. Our budget allowed a mix of mid-range and high-range sleeping options, and they were all exactly as advertised (no surprises is nice). The tour ran on schedule, but there was also plenty of latitude to make some last minute changes. Our tour guide spoke good English and was very knowledgeable about the travel logistics and the ecology of this amazing ecosystem. We were quite pleased with the experience and am comfortable recommending Shadows of Africa to host your experience.
IE
Email John W | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent safari holiday
My experience of dealing with Shadows Of Africa from start to finish was easy and stress free. From the initial consultation with Elijah over email to the drop off at Nairobi airport by our most excellent safari guide Ken, it was nothing but a pleasure.
The holiday we were delivered fit our budget nicely and delivered serious bang for our buck, from the 4 day safari to the coastal resort stay afterwards.
The safari itself which was the focal point of the holiday was amazing. We saw everything we could have hoped for and would go back in a heartbeat. I'd have no trouble recommending Shadows of Africa to anyone
US
Email Ken Meuchel | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari experience in Tanzania
In short, our safari was a visual extravaganza accompanied by sensory saturation...the trip of a lifetime!
Thanks to my son's suggestion, we went on a father-son safari to Tanzania...something I had long dreamed about but never thought would actually happen. It was a truly amazing experience from top to bottom. Shadows of Africa is a top-notch company that accommodated our every need and was very responsive to our numerous questions and requests. (Thanks Jake & Stacy!) I highly recommend using them for your safari adventure in East Africa.
We quickly bonded with Edwin, our driver-cum-guide, who was terrific in every respect. He made the trip with his affability, local knowledge, driving skills and ability to spot animals we would have never noticed in passing. A real pleasure.
We were fortunate to see the Big 5 plus large numbers of other exotic critters such as giraffes, zebras, ostriches, hippos, hyenas, jackals, warthogs, crocs, baboons, monkeys, mongooses, 13 antelope and many bird species. Also witnessed the spectacular Mara River crossing; the wonders of the vast Serengeti; a lioness stalking/killing a male gazelle & holding it down so 4 younger family members could chow down; a few dozen vultures feasting on a fresh roadside zebra carcass; 18 lions sauntering off into high grass; 2 mature leopards sharing the same tree (mating season); an elephant family taking a river mud bath; a cluster of 16 adolescent ostriches; marching columns of wildebeest/zebras/buffalo; and lots of baby animals. Many of the animals were on or near the road making for great photo ops.
During our 10-day safari in late September, we stayed at several unique lodges and 2 tented camps which added greatly to our enjoyment. The staffs were welcoming, friendly, efficient and helpful. The food, especially the tasty hot soup for every dinner, was a special treat. Assante!
I really enjoyed visiting 3 local tribes and being exposed to the fascinating local culture. Our specialist guides for the day trips were outstanding.
After returning home, I made a lengthy list of my memorable experiences to savor in the future. Thank you Shadows of Africa!!!
Email Ness and Jon | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
9 day custom tour in Tanzania, excelent!
We spent 9 days in Tanzania with Shadows of Africa.
It was a great experience right from the first emails customising our itinerary, to Shadows organising our connecting flights, to meeting Richard (our awesome guide) at Serengeti North in a very good quality vehicle through to Richard dropping us off at Kilimanjaro Airport.
Shadows were happy to customise our itinerary, organising all our permits and accomodation, everything went without a hiccup.
Our guide was extremely knowledgable about the flora and fauna of the area including seasonality and interactions.
He always seemed to know where to go to get good interactions, we were keen to be out at first and last light and take a break or move during the heat of the day and he was more than happy to accomodate this as well as being very good at positioning the vehicle to get good photo opportunities.
We deliberately chose to not make unrealistic requests for specific encounters and to trust in Richard's ability and skills, all expectations were exceeded.
We met a competent guide at the start of our trip and said goodbye to a friend.
Highly recommend a competent, value for money tour operator.
friendly, professional and fun
Management were responsive, informative, friendly and easy to deal with. Sense of family with everyone knowing exactly what was happening. This carried through to our driver /guide Edwin who was a gem and could spot a REAL brown spot (lion, cheetah,..) amidst a sea of other just spots :-)
Food, especially in tented camp was really tasty. Thank you
Email Martin Fisher | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful way to experience Africa.
Our trip to Africa was an amazing and visually uplifting experience with Shadows of Africa. We researched where we wanted to travel to and Shadows created a fantastic trip catering to all our needs. Our Guides Peter, in Kenya and Ritchard in Tanzania were fantastic, spotting animals from outstanding distances and hidden beneath bushes, their knowledge of all wildlife was extensive. The accommodation was fantastic and we were greeted with a cool towel and fruit juice every place we stayed. The tented camps are a fantastic way to spend a night in the teaming game parks. We experienced the Big Five from fantastic vantage points. I would really encourage anyone thinking of traveling to Africa to contact Shadows of Africa.