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
JP
Email Wataru | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari !!
The guide CASTRO BONZO, the driver DICKSON JULIUS, Thank you very much.
We were really able to enjoy the nature of Africa. It was an exciting and fun trip. We could see BIG FIVE which we were looking forward to, and we were excited about the animals we saw close to. Since it was BABY season, we met many cute children of animals.
We had valuable experiences, to see wild animals, balloon safari, delicious meals, luxury tents. Thanks a lot.
ASANTE SANA
US
Email Dave Pryor | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
HIGHLY RECOMMENED TOUR WITH PROFESSIONAL STAFF
NOTE: The bottom line to a successful safari is your driver....period! His knowledge of off-road driving, translating local dialect, wildlife identification, and inside information on Africa is paramount to your safety and pleasure.
Our driver, Dickson Julius, was one of the best 4WD vehicle handlers I've ever met....and I personally know a LOT of good drivers, including F1 and NASCAR racing driver friends. His driving skills, stories, knowledge, and sharp sense of humor made our trip a remarkable experience that I'll never forget. Highly recommended! Be forewarned: This experience includes vehicle breakdowns, getting stuck, hot weather, and extreme terrain driving. It's as real as a safari gets and that's the beauty of and this trip.
The food overall on our safari was of good quality and served ample portions. All of the Massai warriors (who provided our protection) and staff we encountered were both friendly and professional. The days we spent "roughing it" in luxury tents (with functional toilets and showers) were stimulating in particular sort of way. There was just enough "grit" to get a realistic feel of camping while the calls of lions and hyenas lurking just outside your tent made your senses come alive. Anyone wanting to experience what it feels like living on the edge in the wild?....then this is for you. You will not regret it.
PT
Email Daniela Duque | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A lifetime experience
My boyfriend and I just returned from a 6 day safari with Shadows of Africa and it was the most amazing experience that we ever had. Our expectations were high but they were certainly exceeded.
We want to thank Marjeta that arranged everything perfectly and had been always so helpful and easy to correspond.
We also have to thank a lot Loma, our amazing driver who was so friendly and who did his best to give us the best safari experience ever. He is really experienced and always knows where to go and where to look to see the animals. And he has such good eyes that he can spot leopards in trees far far away. Also, Loma has so much knowledge to share about the animals and their behaviour, the land, the massai, etc.
We were so lucky that we saw the big five, lots of leopards, cheetahs, a crocodile, hyenas, gazelles, elephants, wildebeests, giraffes, zebras hippos, etc, etc. And we also managed to see scenes just like those of the National Geographic documentaries like lions hunting and lions stealing food from a leopard in a tree. It was so amazing!
All lodging facilities were above expectations and all the staff was so lovely.
From start to finish, everything on this trip was so good that made this holidays absolutely unforgettable.
We would definitely recommend booking with this company and asking for Loma has your driver!
Tanzania will always be always in our hearts!!
LV
Email Margarita | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great 3-day safari
Everything was great from the first day.
We choose 3-Day Northern Circuit Special with accommodation at Ngorongoro O'Ldeani Mountain Lodge (2nights). We were at Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and the real treat - the world-famous Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Our guide was ERICK MANYECK - a nice person who showed us the most beautiful places and listened to our desires and needs. Recommend! The car was comfortable. The journey was not overly tedious.
Everything was arranged perfectly from the company. Easy to understand plan. No hidden costs. Acceptable transfer rates from airport to hotel (arrived a day before the safari).
O'Ldeani Mountain Lodge was a paradise between safari trips, with 3 meals included (the lunch box that was given to the safari was very good).
A 3-day trip is the perfect to not get too tired.
Thanks, Shadows of Africa and Erick! :)
CN
Email Kevin | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Recommend Shadows of Africa to everyone!
Tanzania safari was amazing and beyond every expectation. Thank Chris who designed the best itinerary we could possibly have. Thank the driver Timo who are very experienced, professional, friendly and fun. During the safari, he knows where to look and always finds great staff ahead than other drivers. I don't know how he did it. He just simply good at it.
After my return, I recommended it to my colleague who wants to go safari in Tanzania. And she has already booked a tour with Shadows of Africa. I'm sure she will love it!
US
Email Vincent Longo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Most incredible experience - ever!
Just returned home from a 5 day unforgettable Safari experience and can't believe what an amazing time we had. The trip was absolutely incredible and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life as it exceeded every expectation and more. I can't thank Shadows of Africa enough specifically Jake McCormick, Safari Specialist, who helped plan an amazing adventure. Jake was very helpful from the start. He was easy to correspond with, was prompt in response, he pointed out things we overlooked and he made suggestions that he thought were fitting and he constantly updated and emailed detailed descriptions of our trip as we kept amending our itinerary. The best part about Jake was that he never pressured us to do anything as he fully answered all our questions in length and because of his professionalism and knowledge Jake laid the groundwork for an amazing journey so if you are reading this Jake, thank you again for all your help!
While Jake deserves so much credit for handling the logistics and the administrative stuff it was "Dickson" our assigned tour guide who carried out the journey of a lifetime but before meeting Dickson and prior to our arrival I have to admit we were little apprehensive because while everything looked great on paper unfortunately our overall research did reveal a few horror stories such as tourist being denied entry with Visa issues or tour companies ripping off tourist, so, here we were, half way around the world, a few bags in hand, a Tanzania guide book, terrible cell service and all we had was a piece of paper saying we booked a tour with Shadows of Africa and thankfully as promised we were greeted at the airport with a smile and transported to our first destination in Arusha and then the following day we met our tour guide Dickson.
After meeting Dickson we geared up and hit the road. Everything was going as planned. We were very happy. We took lots of pictures along the way and then settled into a 5 hour drive and within an hour we realized that the person driving the vehicle was going to become a very instrumental part of this experience and it turned out we were right. Dickson was a true professional. He's experienced in both game tracking and navigation which is important because you don't want to get lost in the middle of the Serengeti as some guides do. Dickson added his own touch by carefully explaining animals habits and tendencies which was both informative and educational. He was friendly with all the other drivers. All kinds of people took a liking to him which great to see. In the bush, he had a keen eye for spotting Lions and he was always well aware of his surroundings. It was really also great to see that Dickson truly respects the environment and it's habitat and as he is a true conservationist at heart. He's very observant, he's really smart. He takes a lot of pride being from Tanzanian and he really respects when people value and respect his land. Dickson is truly the real deal. Aside from all that the one thing that stands out the most is that Dickson made us feel safe and secure during this adventure because make no mistake a drive to the Serengeti and through the Serengeti is rough, rugged, dirty and raw. The terrain is unforgiving. A true professional is needed. Dickson was a pro. And with that I just want to thank Shadows Of Africa for putting so much responsibility and trust in someone like Dickson as he provided a safe and secure viewing experience. It was the ultimate. Thank you Shadows and thank you Dickson. I just wanna add one last thing, if you're looking for a band new safari vehicle that's air-conditioned and luxury oriented you need not apply but if you're looking for an authentic, vintage, rough around the edges, the real deal experience feel safe to put your faith in Shadows of Africa and request Dickson who's one cool cat.
US
Email Greg | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari Adventure w/ Shadows of Africa
I used Shadows for my first trip to Africa - a Serengeti safari - and had a truly epic experience. Jake and Stacy were incredibly helpful in designing a custom trip that tailored to our interests and budget, and were continuously helpful leading up the trip, responding quickly to my countless!!! questions by email.
Once on the ground in Arusha, our driver Tino picked us up on time and guided us safely through the night to our hotel.
The next morning, our guide (and now friend!) Alex picked us up and set us off on an amazing 6 day adventure. Alex is extremely knowledgeable, speaks great English, and has eyes of a hawk! Driving at 50mph on the dirt roads of the Serengeti, Alex would spot cats stalking in the grass hundreds of yards away (no exaggeration)! Nothing short of incredible! In addition, Alex is great company and my traveling partner and I loved hanging with him in the after hours. ALEX IS YOUR GUY!!!
All in, we saw 4 rhinos, 4 leopards (including one kill a warthog!!!), 10 cheetahs a wildebeest crossing, 75+ lions, and countless elephants, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, gazelle, hyenas etc.
We spent the final few days in Zanzibar relaxing on the beach. Our guide there, Muhammad, was again very knowledgeable, reliable and great to be around. He helped setup a custom day of snorkeling and a fresh fish lunch on the beach, and gave us a super tour around Stone Town.
Victor is the local boots on the ground, and was a key asset to making our adventure seamless. We were in a pinch while in the bush, and somehow Victor was able to help hundreds of miles away. Thanks again Victor!!
The experience was incredible, and Shadows was an essential piece of that puzzle. Will be using them again for my next African adventure, and would recommend to anyone looking to make the journey!!!
US
Email Gabriel Stacy | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Safari!!!!!
This was my first safari experience and it was amazing! Absolutely top notch. I came across Shadows via a friend that had traveled with them in Kenya and Tanzania previously and raved about their experiences. I contacted Jake who responded promptly even though he was in the bush in Africa! We spoke numerous times of the phone and Jake designed a bespoke itinerary that perfectly matched our interests.
Preparing for a safari was pretty daunting, but Jake sent along numerous materials that were extremely helpful from what to pack to pictures of our guides and drivers. Upon landing in Tanzania, we were greeted by Tino and everything went smoothly from there.
We were picked up by Alex, our Unbelievable, guide early the next morning and we set out on our adventure. If you use Shadows in Tanzania, you absolutely need to have Alex as your guide. Request him, trust me. He is able to see animals that with his naked eye that we'd need binoculars and a minute of direction to see. We saw the big 5 nearly within the first day. Saw 4 rhinos, 80+ lions, 10+ cheetahs, 6+ leopards, and we were lucky enough to witness a leopard kill a warthog. Oh and we saw a wildebeest crossing at the Mara River. If that weren't enough, Alex was amazing to talk to, super smart and well informed on all animals. He's an absolute must get.
Additionally, while on the ground in Tanzania we had a constant resource in Victor, the man on the ground in the country. He was always available no matter what time of day and is outstanding!!
Finally, we left the Serengeti and headed to Zanzibar to relax after the safari. Muhammad was our guide on the island and went out of his way to make our experience special.
Use Shadows of Africa!! They Are Fantastic!
SG
Email Jasmine | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Simply Amazing!
We booked our Safari trip with a Singapore tour operator and Shadow of Africa is the African partner tour operator.
Both our Kenya and Tanzania safaris were simply amazing and beyond expectations. Everything was almost perfect. The lodgings, the food, game drives and the spectacular wildebeest crossings were fantastic and better that we could expect !!
We were lucky to view all big 5, many wildlife and the wonderful wildebeests and zebras crossing Masai Mara river. Our guides, Amos at Kenya and Loma at Tanzania were very knowledgable, kind, friendly and professional. The lodgings and meals were also decent.
Thank you, Shadows of Africa for providing a wonderful, safe experience and helped us to realise our dream holiday. All the best!
Safe and wonderful!
This is a review written for our wonderful guide, Dickson.
My family and I value safety before all things. Dickson was one of the safest drivers we had ever encountered. He always drove carefully and paid extra attention to my mum who had a bad back. He also made sure the car was safe to drive at all times. Our car never broke down during our journey and it saved us a lot of time and trouble.
Dickson was also highly knowledgeable about animals. He was always able to explain the interesting facts about the animals to us, which made our trip a lot more insightful. He was experienced in finding the animals and we were able to see a great deal.
We also appreciate Dickson’s politeness and kindness (he brought my power bank which I forgot in the car to our hotel the day after we said goodbye and even gave us a lift to the town centre to run some errands). We really enjoyed our safari trip with Dickson from Shadows of Africa and we won’t hesitate to recommend our guide and his company to anyone who intends to go on a safe and enjoyable safari trip.