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 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!
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!
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Email Tom | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had an awesome time!
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
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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！！
