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
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Email Chris Hatfield | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip of a lifetime! Exceeded our expectations in every way possible!
My wife and I spent two years planning this trip, so we looked at every tour service out there. Nearly all of them had great reviews, but we were able to narrow it down to a few that we reached out to for more information.
What set Shadows of Africa apart from the very beginning was how thorough and thoughtful their responses were to all of our (sometimes silly) questions. We often didn’t even know what to ask, but we wanted to be as prepared as possible for this trip, so we sent many emails to Shadows, and without exception got the answers to all of our questions and many more!
Our contact, Inge, spent literally months helping us make decisions about how to create the best possible itinerary based on exactly what we were hoping to do and see. She was so patient with us, as we made change after change to our trip. Dates, lodging, where and how to see the most spectacular wildlife Africa has to offer, we would approach Inge with questions about what we could add (like the hot air balloon safari that was one of the absolute highlights of the trip) or how to change our route to ensure staying at a certain location (like the Melia Serengeti Lodge…another highlight). Inge told us that Shadows of Africa understands that for many people, like us, this is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and she and the company will do everything within their power to make sure it’s perfect.
By the time we headed to Africa, thanks to Inge, we were perfectly prepared for everything in store for us. We had no idea that our already-high expectations were going to be exceeded every single day.
I imagine no two trips are alike, as with a safari, you plan your trip around where the animals move to during very specific times of the year. So, there’s no point outlining which route we chose for the particular dates we were in Tanzania, but we visited the following locations (sometimes more than once):
• Lake Manyara National Park
• Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area
• North Serengeti National Park
• Central Serengeti National Park
• Southern Serengeti National Park
• Arusha
Every location was wildly different and wildly…wild. If you’re even considering a trip to Tanzania, you know the appeal already. Lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, hippos, rhinos, every type of gazelle you can imagine, etc., etc., etc. All in one of the most beautiful and unique countries on Earth. What we were not prepared for was the sheer amount of all of this wildlife and beauty. Around every corner, down every road. Something in every part of every park that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. And it just doesn’t end. And that’s to say nothing of the experience of visiting Tanzania. It is a completely sensory experience that words and even photos don’t begin to do justice. Speaking with the locals, eating the foods, driving the roads, and hearing and seeing everything Tanzanian culture entails can only be experienced in the flesh. We had friends and family who had been before, and they all said essentially the same thing. “It changes you.”
The last thing I want to say is that our trip would have been outstanding regardless of who we were lucky enough to have as a guide. But our guide, Moody Kabongo, may have been the best part of our entire time in Tanzania. From the time Moody picked us up at the airport until the time he dropped back off to head home, we were smiling and laughing. I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever met a person with the kind of infectious charisma Moody brings to every conversation. Every single place we visited; everyone knew Moody. I’m sure all of the guides are knowledgeable and friendly. You couldn’t last long in that business without those skills. But Moody is something special. If you’ve ever been around someone who seems to effortlessly be instant friends with everyone they encounter, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
It’s hard to imagine this trip without having Moody as our guide. He was a huge part of what made our time in Africa so completely perfect, so when you go to Tanzania, first…get in touch with Inge at Shadows of Africa, and second (and I cannot stress this enough), tell Inge you want Moody.
What was great:
• Communicating with Inge from beginning to end
• The truck! We had everything we needed, including TONS of space to move around to get the perfect view of all the wildlife.
• The accommodations. Every place we stayed, at every price point, was breathtaking.
• The food! Both at lodges/tent camps, and even more importantly, while we were out on game drives, the food was absolutely incredible. This is one thing Shadows of Africa does better than any other tour operator (now that we’ve been and eaten with and around other guide services), and it’s really not even close. Every meal we had was a) delicious and b) ridiculously elaborate. When guides are out on game drives during the day, they pack lunches for their clients, and usually will all get together and eat in picnic areas out in the bush. This is fun for everyone, because the guides (and their guests) get a chance to talk and have a good time over lunch before getting back out to the wildlife. What we found is that our meals, which were hot and prepared by the lodge that we had come from, were always met with longing stares from the clients with other guides. I’m sure their food was good, but Moody would set out our table full of hot food and wine and coffee and tea, and it just made our days that much better knowing that whenever we were hungry and needed a break for a bite to eat and something to drink, it was going to be every bit as good as the food we were getting at the lodges!
• The value. These trips cost a good deal of money. They involve traveling across the world, staying in (often) luxurious lodges and eating world class food, all while having a driver with you every step of the way that takes care of every need you might have. We saved a lot of money to go on this trip, and all I can tell you is that we’d do it again in a second. I never once found myself thinking we should have found a way to cut a corner here or there. We got every dime’s worth out of this trip, thanks entirely to Shadows of Africa making everything easy on us. All we ever had to worry about was running out of memory card space on our cameras.
What we would do differently:
• Now that we’ve done it, the only thing we would change is somehow figuring out how to do more. Adding another day or two. Visiting one or two more parks. That’s it. I only wish that we had found a way to do more. But we’ll be back!
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Email Jeff Perry | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
If I could rate 100 I would
Superb in every manner. This was a complicated vacation for my 80 year old father that was put together without any issues. All credit to the shadows of Africa team and Lies. I plan a lot of scuba travel but this was very different adding in my father. I needed help and guidance and did not want to go through the American travel agencies that just slam you into want they want and who they like. It took a bit of time but Lies was always there for emails and questions ans we hammered it out over a few weeks. She put in a tremendous amount of time and I felt like she genuinely cares about my father and us having rhe best possible itinerary. She helped guide me to places and what to avoid during the planning. Her knowledge and ability to match what we needed with a price point was just stellar. Now that we are back we we very pleased with every accommodation that we booked. Our tour was 9 days starting in Arusha for 1 night to rest. Then off to tarangire for 2 nights. 1 night on lake Manyara. 1 night in ngorogoro. 2 nights in central Serengeti and 2 nights in northern Serengeti. I will recommend every location and lodge we stayed at. It was the perfect blend. We saw everything we came to see and had the greatest guide possible. I know everyone loves their guide but Loma is the best. He was so polite and genuine and took great interest in my father and wanted to please him. He truly made the trip even more special. He is a friend for life and you would be blessed to have him tour his country with you. He consistently put us in the right pace for the action and is just an overall great human being. He’s a tremendous asset to Shadows. I highly suggest you ask for him if you go. Addition ( forgot to add Assad to my review. He was just as intrumental getting us to the airport rapidly to finalize our covid tests. We had an 11:45 pm fight and wondered last minute if the covid testing center closed. They did at 8 pm. What could have been a disaster was avoided thanks to his connections at the airport and willingness to go the extra mile Many thanks Assad :))
I can assure you no details will be overlooked if you book with Lies and Shadows. They are super professional and care about every detail. Literally nothing was a problem at all.
I can’t recommend this company any higher then I do. Book with them and go now. It will be the best decision in your life.
Thank you Loma, Lies and everyone who made this journey for my father the most meaningful and spectacular event of his life. You are all truly amazing and I am forever grateful.
See you again for sure
Jeff
LU
Email Walter | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Amazing experience
We had the absolute best time with our guide Edwin in Tanzania!
The planning was perfect, we never had to worry our selves about anything and could be certain that our tour will be excellent.
Everything was perfect, but our guide made our experience unforgettable. He is one of the most friendly people that I have ever met, always had a smile on his face, helped us with everything and last but not least has a great understanding of Tanzania, the area, the people, the wildlife.
We really enjoyed our experience with Shadows of Africa and our guide Edwin.
We would 100% without a doubt recommend them to any body.
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Email Ruth and Alan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Shadows of Africa provided us with a fantastic and marvelous adventure!
My husband planned our trip to Africa with Jake. Jake was available, helpful and knowledgeable about everything we wanted to know about and do in Africa. We went to Rwanda first where we did a gorilla trek and visited the golden monkeys. Our experience there with Kenneth as our guide/driver was absolutely phenomenal in every way. Then we flew to Tanzania where we visited Tarangire, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater. Assad was our first contact in Tanzania. He held up a sign for us at the airport and delivered us to our first hotel. He was creative, responsible and nice to us. Then we met Dickson, who was an amazing guide/driver. He was enthusiastic, experienced and capable. He explained so many aspects of animal life to us, and told us all kinds of things about the people and culture in Africa. He was passionate about his work, and could even sometimes predict animal behavior. We were able to see lions, zebras, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, gazelles, jackals, hippos, several antelope species, warthogs, buffalo, wildebeests, hyenas, a crocodile, dung beetles, turtles, a snake called a puff adder, chameleons, ostriches, flamingos and many other bird species, a monitor lizard, and more. At the end of our trip, we spent one night at the Maasai Lodge in Arusha. This was a very interesting and valuable part of our trip! We highly highly recommend the Shadows of Africa organization and the people who helped us. They were available, caring and professional. Everything went well and they communicated extremely well. The food was delicious and all of the accommodations worked out well.
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Email KariB | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly recommended!!!
Our trip to Africa was an amazing experience, and Shadows of Africa made it happen. We spent 7 days in central and Northern Tanzania, touring through the Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti. We saw hundreds animals daily, with many animals right next to our jeep. We slept in a different lodge or tent camp each night, and we were well taken care of. Gerald Killian was our tour guide for this week, and he was friendly, knowledgeable , accommodating, and was invested in our good experience. After our safari, Shadows of Africa arranged a flight to Zanzibar and we enjoyed Stone Town and an all inclusive resort for a little R and R.
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Email Evin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A+ Mt. Kilimanjaro Guided Hike on Marangu Route
The entire Shadows of Africa experience was amazing! From easy trip booking with Alex to finishing the Marangu Route trek, our tiem with Shadows of Africa was fantastic. Our guides Amiri and Mkumbo demonstrated their professional guide experience through their vast knowledge of Mt. Kilimanjaro history, the mountain environment, and natural wildlife. They gave us confidence the entire way that we would summit safely and they made the experience very fun and enjoyable. Our group would all highly recommend Shadows of Africa and particularly Amiri and Mkumbo to others wanting to trek Mt. Kilimanjaro! 5 stars!
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Email Rebecca | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The best tour operator, ever.
My husband and I had the most beautiful trip 3 in Tanzania and Zanzibar with Shadows of Africa. Our tour operator, Karen, was able to understand all our needs and accomplished them over any expectations! We have spent two weeks in Tanzania mainland, starting from Mount Kilimangiaro (day hike with our amazing guide Amir and overnight at the beautiful Simba farm lodge), then we move to Arusha and Arusha National park (overnight at the amazing Olerai lodge) where we had the most exciting walking safari. We visited olpopongi masai village and then we have started our safari tour, together with Charles, our amazing safari guide that accompanied us all the way through. He was super professional, available and discrete. He became a unique friend! We have visited Tarangire national park (a quite small park with lots of wild animals), Serengeti national park (wide and amazing) and finally the Ngorongoro crater (unbelievable!!). Charles allowed us to see all the big 5s, gnu migration and so more. We have really enjoyed every moment, living the nature and the culture at 360⁰C. We have finally moved to 1 week relax in Zanzibar where we had the most beautiful spice tour and safari Blue (kwale island) with our expert and friendly guide Mohamed. We spent three days in matemwe (zanzibar queen, beautiful resort) and three days in jambiani (blue moon, excellent hotel with direct and private access to the magnificent sea). We strongly suggest everyone, staring from our family and friends, to visit Tanzania and particularly to rely on Shadows of Africa for the tour organization. Everything was terrific, trekking, safari, accomodations and food. More than we have ever imagined. We will come back in Tanzania with Shadows. For sure.
CA
Email Alan Brookstone | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Shadows of Africa is a highly responsive company with experienced guides. Met our expectations 100%
In January 2023, my wife and I embarked upon a long-planned trip to Kenya and Tanzania with Shadows of Africa. Alona helped us plan the trip and created an amazing introduction video that sold me on Shadows of Africa. We wanted to travel mid-range and the camps and hotels selected were perfect for our needs. Our guides, Peter, Edwin and Ken were knowledgeable, experienced and were responsible for the amazing game viewings that we had. I have only good things to say about Shadows of Africa - highly recommend!
SI
Email Andrej | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Highly recommended, the best safari with Shadows of Africa
Our trip to Tanzania was an amazing experience thanks to "Shadows of Africa" tour operator. We spent some days in safari ( Lake Manyara NP, Ngorongoro crater, Tarangire NP... Special thanx to our Toyota "super driver" Zamoo. He was realy amazing, he knows everything about National Parks and animals and we saw a lot, a lot of them. Thanx also to local guide in Zanzibar.
I and my wife we will remember this trip forever.
Thank you once again!
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Email Haspush | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
They are so responsible and amzing to make your dream come true
Beginning to end: Amazing Trip. 11 day's Masai Mara & Serengeti: And in late July we added Equator. Just 2 of us, my husband and I.
Alona: Did all the travel plans day by day. Any questions I had answered very quickly, and some advice. I don't think I have booked anything without her help.
Smooth transfer from NBO to our hotel Mr. Elijah: Took time for us and gave all the details about our trip.
Mr. Steve: Mr. Moody: and Mr. George: Our safari driver & guide, they are such amazing people with nothing in their mind but to help you to enjoy your safari. My husband has a problem with his eyes and all 3 of them hold my husband's hand & guide him. And also guide me and my husband getting in & out of the van. Let me tell you they go out of their way to help you. ( we thank you for all the help)
All the details on transportation, hotel, bush camp tent, and for our vegetarian diet was taken care of.
MANAGEMENT of SHADOWS of AFRICA IS A KEY TO OUR AMAZING SAFARI EXPERIENCE. GO FOR IT YOU WON'T REGRET