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 Gary & Cher | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
See everything you expect to on a Safari. Absolutely Spectacular
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.
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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.
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!
GR
Email Ioannis | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Communication far from clear, the tours were good.
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.
Email Ashley | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Serengeti and Tanzania Safari
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.
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Email Jamie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An exceptional way to safari in Tanzania!
A great company that is very accommodating. Their staff is wonderful to work with and we would highly recommend this adventure!
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Email Rachel Perteet | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, knowledgeable, flexible, confident
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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Email Pat | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful! We saw so many animals! We saw animals hunting, mating and taking care of their young! A+
A trip to Tanzania was number 1 on my bucket list. To make this dream happen, I contacted “Shadows of Africa” to help me put this trip together. I could not picked a better company! The trip was wonderful in every way.
I did my homework before I contacted “Shadows of Africa” and had a general vision of what I would like the trip to be like, parks to visit, timeline, and accommodations. Jake McCormick and Stacy Breen, the Safari Specialists, with “Shadows of Africa” listened to my vision, and did their best to make it happen. They answered all my questions in a timely manor. They made good suggestions to make the most of our trip. The accommodations they lined up were wonderful. A good, balance between tented camps and lodges, all well run, that added to our safari experience. Shadows of Africa has a USA office in addition to an office in Tanzania.
My boyfriend and I usually like to travel independently. In Tanzania, the two of us traveled with our Shadows of Africa guide and driver Dickson Julius in a Toyota Land Cruiser, modified for safari travel. What a fantastic guide and driver he was! Dickson strived everyday to make our trip memorable. We just didn’t see animals. We saw animals doing thing like hunting, mating, or caring for their young. Dickson could read the movements of the animals, and knew when “something special” was going to happen. We saw so many birds and animals! Elephants, leopards, cheetahs, lions, impalas oryxes, jackals, hyenas, warthogs, rhinos, zebras, and MANY more. Dickson was a master at navigating the terrain. One evening, while we were in the Serengeti, we had a heavy rain storm, so the next day the roads were sloppy. That didn’t stop Dickson. He knew those conditions would be the best to see the hippos. When we saw the hippos that day, they were active in the water, with their mouths open, enjoying the infusion of fresh rainwater. Dickson was able to drive the Land Cruiser to places I never thought we could get to. But, he also knew where not to go. There was a river in Tarangire National park, that he decided not to cross at the first crossing. So we crossed it at a different location, further up river. Later in that day, we can back to the first crossing and there was another land cruiser stuck badly at that crossing where Dickson knew not to cross. I would love to go back to Tanzania, and without a doubt, I will use Shadows of Africa and hope to get Dickson as our driver.
Our trip consisted of 1 day in Arusha to overnight after arriving from USA, 2 days at Tarangire NP, 1 day at Lake Manyara NP, 2 days in the Serengeti NP- Ndutu Region, 2 days in the Serengeti NP- Central region, 1 day Ngorongoro Crater, 1 day Lake Eyasi, 1 day near Mt. Kilimanjaro and airport to fly home. Our trip was late February and Early March.
CN
Email Yanmin | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Hakuna Matata !!!
The tour was so amazing. Our operator Chris planned the best vacation for me and my wife!
And most importantly, our guide Alex is sooooo.. wonderful!
We spent 9 days together. With his skills, knowledge and experience,
we were led into this great savannah which is far more beautiful and miraculous than we can ever imagine.
The wild animals, the view, the people, the accomodation, the food, the whole trip was perfect.
We will definitely recommend Chris and Alex to our friends as the best operator and guide for safari in Tanzania！！
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Email Ashley and Konstantin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exciting and Relaxing 5 day Safari in Tanzania
My husband and I recently returned from a 5 day, 4 night Safari in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater June 29th – July 2. Our Safari started in Serengeti after we flew from Kilimanjaro Airport to Seronera airport. We were happy we chose to fly instead of drive because this allowed us time for a game drive on the first day (and avoided extra bumps and dust while driving) and we loved the atmosphere of the Seronera airport. We were picked up by our driver Dickson who was friendly and extremely knowledgeable. He provided great recommendations but tailored the trip around our needs and how we wanted to spend our vacation (for example starting a little later in the morning because we needed some extra sleep after 2 days of flying).
The driver is an important part of your Safari experience. His knowledge of the parks and roads is what will ensure an eventful but safe experience. Dickson had several years of experience, so he knew the roads, the animal habits, and how to avoid potential issues with the vehicle while navigating the rough terrain.
In Serengeti, we stayed in the Kati Kati camp and were very pleased with the accommodations, food, and service. The camp feels isolated and rustic, but has all the comforts one needs. In Ngorongoro, we stayed in the Ngorongoro Wildlife lodge which had great views of the park; the food here was not as good as Kati Kati. We enjoyed both accommodations but preferred the Kati Kati Tented camp.
While in Serengeti, we did the Hot Air Balloon safari and highly recommend the activity. It was expensive, but probably the highlight of our trip. We got to see plenty of animals from the balloon and enjoyed a terrific breakfast afterwards. Overall, everything went smoothly and as planned and we recommend using Shadows of Africa for a Safari in Tanzania.
Best. Adventure. Ever.
Great company, amazing people. We traveled to Tanzania, and stayed at the Ngorogoro Crater and in the Serengeti.
Trip planning from initial outset with Jake and Stacy at SOA was so stress free and fun. They happily provided solid recommendations and answered each and every question (no matter how trivial); their replies came within the day if not immediately. As an unexpected bonus, they created an interactive online trip itinerary, with a map of our trip, descriptions of the camps/accommodations, and general info on the areas we would visit, among other things. Each and every time we changed plans, they updated the itinerary. Without prompting, Jake and Stacy sent loads of information on travel reqs/visa/vaccinations, packing, and also on the areas, animals, and culture. And they were so friendly while doing it! Their advice and answers made it all fun, and we felt very prepared at each step while there. Jake and Stacy also happily connected us with their representative in Zanzibar, who was happy to book transfers and a tour for us, although we had arranged the flight/hotel to Zanzibar on our own (also great service there!).
As for the safari itself, our guide, Loma, deserves a separately devoted paragraph, with super special appreciation and recognition. Loma was a perfect fit for us, he was so fun and friendly, and our trip would not have been the same without him! He picked us up from the airport in a happy mood, and even after spending 5 days in the car with us (many 12+ days) and away from his home, we became friends and were promising to return to visit his family and kids. Having grown up in the area, Loma is very knowledgeable about the areas (seriously impressed that anyone can navigate the Serengeti without a map!), the culture and people (he had an answer every time we asked what or why), the vegetation/plants, and definitely the animals (even the birds!). He knew the specific habitats and behaviors of each animal, and made very good on his promise for us to see each of the Big 5 -- twice! He also tracked the ever-elusive cheetahs! Loma allowed us to get some very great photos. He was also very attentive in general, and made sure that we were always comfortable and doing well, even when we got to the camps. He got up and out early with us and made sure that we experienced every bit possible, but remained totally flexible to whatever we wanted (shopping included!). On the last day, he even arranged a trip to the local village at Mto wa Mbu to see the banana plantation, meet the local tribes, and shop their art and carvings. Loma went above and beyond to make our trip extra special. It really felt as though he was enjoying his time on safari with us, and I hope that he enjoyed it as much as we did.
The jeep was comfortable and clean, and appeared no different than any of the other jeeps that we passed, except perhaps even a bit nicer than most. It has a roof which easily pops, binoculars, a power strip, and a cooler where we sometimes packed wine for lunch. There were only 2 of us, and we had plenty of room to move around.
SOA offered 5 star service from our initial inquiry all the way through. I would return and use this company (and guide!) time after time.