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
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.
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
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!!
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 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.
SV
Email Margarita | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our First Experience in Africa
All transfer and accommodations were excellent, we went to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar, our entire experience was magnificent, excellent hotels and our contact Jake and our driver Mussa was amazing!!!
Definitely we recommend Shadow of Africa.
US
Email Brian | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Nothing but praise for Shadows of Africa
I have nothing but praise for Shadows of Africa. Our safari with Shadows of Africa was flawlessly planned and executed. In all respects, it surpassed our high expectations.
Credit for the success of our safari must go to the capable professionals that planned and conducted our tour of Tanzania. Jake and Stacy answered our emails promptly, asked the right questions, and assembled an itinerary that conformed to all of our requests. The accommodations they booked took us from beautiful lodges and deluxe rooms to tented camps without a glitch or disappointment. Our meals were good, and often excellent. We received excellent service, which was usually delivered with a smile. All of our nights were delightful. We savored magical, panoramic views and intimate wildlife encounters while enjoying the amenities of modern life.
Our Shadows tour guide, Bashiru, was exceptional. He planned our game drives and used his remarkable talents to provide us with magnificent wildlife viewing. By working hard and remaining personable throughout the many hours we spent together, Bashiru allowed us to enjoy every moment of our safari to the fullest extent possible.
I will always feel indebted to Shadows of Africa for giving us 10 spectacular days in Tanzania, and I am happy to recommend Shadows of Africa to those who read this post. They earned my high praise.