Shadows of Africa
Shadows of Africa
5
Cultural ToursSafarisPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife ToursDay Trips
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
Shadows of Africa specializes in private safaris tailored to your every need. Whether you’re aspiring to get back to nature with a budget-friendly camping and trekking safari or you’re looking to spend your time in Africa in the lap of luxury, we’re with you every step of the way to plan the perfect itinerary. We pride ourselves on providing world class customer service and meeting our customers’ every need. Shadows of Africa is the perfect team to create your dream African safari.
Arusha, Tanzania
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Travellers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1 450 reviews
Excellent
1 394
Very good
43
Average
9
Poor
2
Terrible
2
JUADRI
4 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
We chose Shadows of Africa for a 8 day safari including a 1 day hike to the Kilimanjaro. While probably on the high side in terms of price, I am an advocate of “you get what you pay for” and in this case it was truly worth it for us: Highly professional from preparation (initial contact, itinerary customization, airport pick-up) to execution (Kili hike, game drives, lodges) as everything was well organized and according to expectations. Special appreciation for our safari guide Freddy who made this a special vacation - extremely kind, dedicated, funny and always spotting animals from far away with ease. Since we booked a private tour for 2 people we were also extremely flexible in doing early game drives which other bigger groups couldn’t.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeff&Katie
Oakland, CA16 contributions
Mar 2020
Our trip to Rwanda and Tanzania with Shadows Of Africa this spring was everything we imagined it would be and still wildly exceeded every expectation. We booked our trip through Inge only a month prior to leaving and with her help were able to curate every part of the trip to our liking. She was communicative throughout, answering every question we had before we left and during our time there.
Our trip started in Rwanda for several days with our amazing guide, Paul. The highlight of the trip was without a doubt the 6 hour hike through the brush in Volcanoes National Park to spend time observing a large family of gorillas. We returned to the capital city, Kigali to spend time learning more about the culture and history that makes Rwanda so unique. Paul made our time extremely special and personal, educating us on everything from Rwandan history, to the environmental and anti-poaching efforts put in place to protect the gorillas there.
For the second leg of our trip we flew to Tanzania and were picked up by our guide Loma (short for Lomayani) who immediately had to break some bad news that a flooded river was making it impossible to drive to our first lodge but he and Inge, during the time we were in the sky, had worked out a perfect alternative. Right off the bat we were benefitting from the utmost care and thoughtfulness of Shadows in making sure the trip went perfectly no matter what was thrown our way.
During our week-long safari we explored the western corridor, southern and central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire. Loma made it his mission to make it an unforgettable safari experience for us. His long distance animal spotting was unmatched and because of him we saw countless wildlife including all 5 of the Big 5! We even had one on one time with an elusive leopard because of Loma’s tireless efforts. But his interest and knowledge didn’t stop at just animals. He is also a keen birdwatcher, and by the end of the trip had converted us to novice bird watchers too. We loved our conversations with Loma not only about the wildlife and the parks, but also about local Tanzanian culture. He was our guide, professor, and now lifelong friend. Asante sana Loma!
Once again at the end of our trip, we benefited from the superior customer service and caring of Inge, Loma and Shadows as our final day of vacation was cut short due to the corona virus pandemic shutting down flights. Without the support and help of Inge and Loma we would not have kept our sanity while finding alternative flights home but more importantly squeezing every last amazing moment we could out of our trip.
We’ll remember our experience with Shadows for a lifetime…and have been dreaming of a return trip ever since we arrived safely back home. We would highly recommend Shadows of Africa, Inge, Paul, and Loma to anyone planning a trip to Rwanda and Tanzania.
Our trip started in Rwanda for several days with our amazing guide, Paul. The highlight of the trip was without a doubt the 6 hour hike through the brush in Volcanoes National Park to spend time observing a large family of gorillas. We returned to the capital city, Kigali to spend time learning more about the culture and history that makes Rwanda so unique. Paul made our time extremely special and personal, educating us on everything from Rwandan history, to the environmental and anti-poaching efforts put in place to protect the gorillas there.
For the second leg of our trip we flew to Tanzania and were picked up by our guide Loma (short for Lomayani) who immediately had to break some bad news that a flooded river was making it impossible to drive to our first lodge but he and Inge, during the time we were in the sky, had worked out a perfect alternative. Right off the bat we were benefitting from the utmost care and thoughtfulness of Shadows in making sure the trip went perfectly no matter what was thrown our way.
During our week-long safari we explored the western corridor, southern and central Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire. Loma made it his mission to make it an unforgettable safari experience for us. His long distance animal spotting was unmatched and because of him we saw countless wildlife including all 5 of the Big 5! We even had one on one time with an elusive leopard because of Loma’s tireless efforts. But his interest and knowledge didn’t stop at just animals. He is also a keen birdwatcher, and by the end of the trip had converted us to novice bird watchers too. We loved our conversations with Loma not only about the wildlife and the parks, but also about local Tanzanian culture. He was our guide, professor, and now lifelong friend. Asante sana Loma!
Once again at the end of our trip, we benefited from the superior customer service and caring of Inge, Loma and Shadows as our final day of vacation was cut short due to the corona virus pandemic shutting down flights. Without the support and help of Inge and Loma we would not have kept our sanity while finding alternative flights home but more importantly squeezing every last amazing moment we could out of our trip.
We’ll remember our experience with Shadows for a lifetime…and have been dreaming of a return trip ever since we arrived safely back home. We would highly recommend Shadows of Africa, Inge, Paul, and Loma to anyone planning a trip to Rwanda and Tanzania.
Written 19 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie V
3 contributions
Jan 2020
If I could give Shadows of Africa and our guides 10 stars, I absolutely would! I just returned from a 7 day safari and gorilla trekking excursion throughout Rwanda and Tanzania, and it was truly the trip of a lifetime! From the moment I contacted Jake at Shadows of Africa, he helped me put together the perfect itinerary for what I wanted to do, all within my price range. He was very responsive, and switched up our lodges and daily itinerary without any hesitation to make sure we had the perfect trip planned. When we arrived in Rwanda, we were greeted by Paul and Ken, who were absolutely amazing! So friendly, knowledgeable and happy to show us around - they made our trip so relaxing and enjoyable! Ken, our guide, went out of his way to make sure we did some cultural activities as well, and helped us prep for our gorilla trekking experience (which was more than incredible) - we had such a great time! When we arrived in Tanzania, we met with our guide Johnson. Johnson is truly one of the best safari guides out there! We went on day trips to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tangire National Park. Although we only had 4 days in Tanzania, we saw so many different animals, and it was due to Johnson's ability to spot them and find them as we drove along! We often found that other tour guides/companies would piggy back off of us because Johnson was amazing at spotting so many different animals, and he took the time to explain what each and every one of them were! I can't say enough about how wonderful our trip was and how seamless it was to work with Shadows of Africa and everyone on their team! Before we even left our trip, I was already thinking of what I want to do on my next safari. I highly recommend Shadows of Africa!! You won't be disappointed!
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brittany D
1 contribution
Dec 2019
I booked a private safari trip for approx. two weeks through Kenya and Tanzania via Shadows of Africa and can't recommend them more! Jake and Stacy in the US office are so knowledgeable and are always quick to respond. They created a great itinerary that hit all the major parks and highlights in both countries. Our guides (especially Ken in Kenya) made everything seamless and easy and you didn't have to worry about anything - just enjoy the safaris and the animals. We saw almost all of the big 5 (the leopards just hid too well!). We did a mix of budget and medium levels of accommodations and really enjoyed all the places we stayed. I would definitely recommend tacking on a balloon safari, even though it's expensive it's a super cool experience. Overall if you're going on safari, Shadows of Africa is a great company and you're sure to have a wonderful experience!
Written 3 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ohheyhihello
California60 contributions
Aug 2021
My friends and I booked a customized safari tour through Shadows after researching companies that organize trips across African countries. We were interested in going to Rwanda to see gorillas and then going to the Serengeti for the wildebeest migration, as well as Ngorongoro and Zanzibar. Jake and Stacy based in the US helped us create our preferred itinerary and took care of all the details regarding permits, accommodations, transfers and even covid testing. Our trip was originally scheduled for 2020 but was rebooked for 2021 due to the pandemic, and Jake & Stacy made this process very easy. We had excellent guides that enhanced our experience greatly - Paul in Rwanda and Loma in Tanzania. Paul taught us so much about Rwanda and we enjoyed our conversations with him. Loma was incredible at spotting animals. We were amazed by his ability to find them from afar, and we were impressed by his commitment to ensuring we had the best safari experience possible. The only snag we experienced during our trip was the process by which the safari truck is refueled - we spent an excessive amount of time at gas stations waiting for the main office to transfer funds to Loma so he could pump gas. Besides this, everything went smoothly and felt very well taken care of throughout our stay. We would not hesitate to recommend Shadows of Africa to others.
Written 19 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
oblomovista
Khartoum, Sudan39 contributions
Oct 2019 • Friends
Travelers usually think a safari is an unaffordable adventure; the truth is that it can be kind of cheap or really expensive. Either way, the whole experience is worth it! Most of the time I travel solo, but this time I traveled with a friend, the only way I could afford a luxury safari with Shadows of Africa.
Pampering, comfort and lots of fun await for you. Our easygoing guide Moody, always smiling and in a good mood, made sure we had an unforgettable experience. His out-of-this-world eyesight will not only help you to spot the most beautiful wildlife whenever possible, but he will also chill out with you to take in the local life and treat you like a friend.
I‘d only recommend the luxury safari to those who rather have early visits to the parks and spend the rest of the day in total relaxation at the beautiful lodges and camps. If you are in a more adventurous mood, ask for budget options without sacrificing comfort; you will be surprised. Inge will make your online booking smooth and easy.
If I still need to convince you, Tanzania is one of a kind country: discover the breathtaking views, meet kindhearted locals, taste fresh food, good coffee and wine, and feel safe and welcomed as a foreign visitor. You will not regret any cent spent!
Pampering, comfort and lots of fun await for you. Our easygoing guide Moody, always smiling and in a good mood, made sure we had an unforgettable experience. His out-of-this-world eyesight will not only help you to spot the most beautiful wildlife whenever possible, but he will also chill out with you to take in the local life and treat you like a friend.
I‘d only recommend the luxury safari to those who rather have early visits to the parks and spend the rest of the day in total relaxation at the beautiful lodges and camps. If you are in a more adventurous mood, ask for budget options without sacrificing comfort; you will be surprised. Inge will make your online booking smooth and easy.
If I still need to convince you, Tanzania is one of a kind country: discover the breathtaking views, meet kindhearted locals, taste fresh food, good coffee and wine, and feel safe and welcomed as a foreign visitor. You will not regret any cent spent!
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura K
United Kingdom4 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
We had the best holiday with Shadows of Africa in October 2020. We spent six days with our fantastic guide Loma in Tarangire, lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngrorongoro crater.
Our shadows of Africa holiday was the best! We booked this holiday super last minute (only a day or two before we were picked up!) but we felt like we had made the perfect choice in Shadows of Africa. The communication with Inge was excellent and we received a very extensive itinerary in advance. Inge was very helpful answering all our questions and adjusting the tour (by adding an extra day) to our liking.
On Friday we were picked up by Loma from Arusha airport. We drove to Tarangire early the next day. We spent a wonderful day there, Loma is super knowledgeable and very dedicated to making the experience perfect. He spotted so many leopards and cheetahs and other animals that we would have otherwise missed. He is also very friendly, personable and relaxed and in general great to be around!
From Tarangire we drove to Lake Manyara where we did a game drive the next day. Loma told us that the tree climbing lions are very rare so expectations for that were low and we were very surprised to actually find a lion in a tree overhanging the road! What a surprise!
The next morning we had a long drive to Serengeti across the Ngorongoro crater rim. We did a few hours of game drive in the afternoon before heading to the camp. The next day we started early (this was optional) and we had a fabulous day in the park. We saw a cheetah, leopards, a lion killing a warthog and a serval cat! It was a fantastic day! That night we stayed in the same lodge and we did another full day of game drive the next day! The final day we did a game drive in Ngorongoro crater.
It was a truly unforgettable holiday; definitely thanks to Loma and the planning of Shadows of Africa. We were lucky that all the park were very empty due to the Covid pandemic. We stayed in the luxury lodges that were all excellent and all nearly empty. We felt there was no reason to be worried of catching Covid at any stage. It was very safe. All lodges had appropriate measures in place and dining outside was always possible. I would highly recommended booking with SOA you will not regret it! We will never forget this holiday!
Our shadows of Africa holiday was the best! We booked this holiday super last minute (only a day or two before we were picked up!) but we felt like we had made the perfect choice in Shadows of Africa. The communication with Inge was excellent and we received a very extensive itinerary in advance. Inge was very helpful answering all our questions and adjusting the tour (by adding an extra day) to our liking.
On Friday we were picked up by Loma from Arusha airport. We drove to Tarangire early the next day. We spent a wonderful day there, Loma is super knowledgeable and very dedicated to making the experience perfect. He spotted so many leopards and cheetahs and other animals that we would have otherwise missed. He is also very friendly, personable and relaxed and in general great to be around!
From Tarangire we drove to Lake Manyara where we did a game drive the next day. Loma told us that the tree climbing lions are very rare so expectations for that were low and we were very surprised to actually find a lion in a tree overhanging the road! What a surprise!
The next morning we had a long drive to Serengeti across the Ngorongoro crater rim. We did a few hours of game drive in the afternoon before heading to the camp. The next day we started early (this was optional) and we had a fabulous day in the park. We saw a cheetah, leopards, a lion killing a warthog and a serval cat! It was a fantastic day! That night we stayed in the same lodge and we did another full day of game drive the next day! The final day we did a game drive in Ngorongoro crater.
It was a truly unforgettable holiday; definitely thanks to Loma and the planning of Shadows of Africa. We were lucky that all the park were very empty due to the Covid pandemic. We stayed in the luxury lodges that were all excellent and all nearly empty. We felt there was no reason to be worried of catching Covid at any stage. It was very safe. All lodges had appropriate measures in place and dining outside was always possible. I would highly recommended booking with SOA you will not regret it! We will never forget this holiday!
Written 31 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mil930
Montreal, Canada22 contributions
Feb 2020
The communication with the company during the booking of the safari was efficient and quick. We were three people and booked the 6 day safari to Tarangire, Serengeti, ngorongoro and the Empakai crater.
Our driver and guide Amani was very good, listening to our requirements about photography, effective spotting rare animals, and talking to many other drivers what they knew, to make sure we can see as much as possible, we had very very good experience with him.
Our driver and guide Amani was very good, listening to our requirements about photography, effective spotting rare animals, and talking to many other drivers what they knew, to make sure we can see as much as possible, we had very very good experience with him.
Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ilaria B
Milan, Italy1 contribution
Aug 2022 • Couples
After a careful review of all the safari companies and their offer, we choose Shadows of Africa for our three days safari in Tanzania’s northern circuit (Lake Manyara, Tarangire, Ngorongoro). It was the best choice we could have made. Everything was perfect from the planning of the trip side by side with Alona (Safari Specialist) to the game drives that our excellent guide Loma contribute to make special. If you happen to travel with Shadows of Africa, I would highly recommend to ask for Loma as a guide: he has been in the business for more than ten years and always find the best place to spot wild animals and share interesting stories about Maasai culture (he is actually born in a Maasai village), wild animals habits and Tanzania.
Regarding the lodge we spent 2 nights at Foresight Eco Lodge in Karatu: this lodge was brand new, staff was very friendly and always willing to go for the extra mile to make your stay unforgettable, rooms were clean and provided with all comfort (I would advice to bring your own hairdryer and bathroom set though) and food was delicious. We went in August and it was a little cold at night and early in the morning so I recommend bringing appropriate clothes.
We will come back for sure to see the wonders of serengeti and climb Kilimanjaro.
A presto!
Regarding the lodge we spent 2 nights at Foresight Eco Lodge in Karatu: this lodge was brand new, staff was very friendly and always willing to go for the extra mile to make your stay unforgettable, rooms were clean and provided with all comfort (I would advice to bring your own hairdryer and bathroom set though) and food was delicious. We went in August and it was a little cold at night and early in the morning so I recommend bringing appropriate clothes.
We will come back for sure to see the wonders of serengeti and climb Kilimanjaro.
A presto!
Written 13 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SabinaF
Ljubljana, Slovenia1 contribution
Sept 2020 • Couples
The journey has started with a very kind and helpful agent Marjeta. She has organized our safari trip and was super understanding when our flight was rescheduled and available for all the questions i had. Also the lodges where she made reservations for our overnight stays were incredible.
When we landed at the Kilimanjaro airport things got real.
Our guide was Sule - and we couldn’t get a better one! He has really tried to make our Africa experience unforgettable - and he succeeded! We could see that he is doing his job with a pleasure, he was explaining us everything with excitement and giving us answers to all of our questions. Every day we had a fresh lunch in a park, he has also made us coffee afterwards and was really making an effort for us to enjoy our holidays.
The nature, people, animals and the whole Tanzania is just amazing - we highly recommend you to visit this beautiful country and take a safari tour with Sule and Shadows of Africa.
Karibu!
Sabina and Zdravko
When we landed at the Kilimanjaro airport things got real.
Our guide was Sule - and we couldn’t get a better one! He has really tried to make our Africa experience unforgettable - and he succeeded! We could see that he is doing his job with a pleasure, he was explaining us everything with excitement and giving us answers to all of our questions. Every day we had a fresh lunch in a park, he has also made us coffee afterwards and was really making an effort for us to enjoy our holidays.
The nature, people, animals and the whole Tanzania is just amazing - we highly recommend you to visit this beautiful country and take a safari tour with Sule and Shadows of Africa.
Karibu!
Sabina and Zdravko
Written 20 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Me and one of the Safari specialists Inge have been exchanging emails back and forth for a while, we are very close to finalising our trip, yet all of sudden, the specialist just stopped replying to me, out of blue, its very disappointing and rude. Can you have someone get back to me? if not interested in taking us in as customers, at least let us know, rather than just stop replying in the middle of a email exchange.
Written 24 February 2020
Hey There! My family is wanting to do this Safari....Did you book Shadows of Africa on line? Thank you, Susan
Written 2 January 2020
I booked with Nerea through their office in Spain. I contact Shadows of Africa through their website initially and they directed me to Nerea who helped me plan my trip with them.
Written 6 February 2020
We are planing to visit Tanzania in February 2017 and we`d like to travel with your Travel Company. Our flight coming to Dar-es-salam, and we`ll have 5-6 days in continent, then going to Zanzibar. Is it possable to have transfer to Arusha then take a 3 day trip safary and back to ferry. What the lowest price fo 2 persons (safary and transfers)
We are a couple.
Sank you, best regards, Inga and Pavel
Written 9 September 2016
Hello Inga and Paul,
We would be happy to help you plan a safari in January.
Please click on our website and look at or contacts link and send me an email with your email address and what country you are from and I will direct you to the proper safari specialist!
Jake McCormick
North and South America Rep
800-559-1456
Written 10 September 2016
how much would it cost for a four day safari trip with accomidation included?
many thanks....
Written 25 July 2016
Hi Please contact me via email and I will be happy to answer all your questions. Pricing depends on a number of factors. The number of travelers, time of year, length of trip, time of year, etc.
Please click on our website for contact info!!
Jake Safari Specialist..
Written 26 July 2016
I'm planning a trip. I'm landing in Arusha & was wondering which safari is closer Ngorongoro or Serengeti.
Written 27 February 2015
Hello again. Please see previous answers to your question and feel free to check out our website and contact us directly via email
Jake
Your safari specialist
Written 28 February 2015
Is Ngorongoro or Serengeti closer to Kilimanjaro airport?
Written 27 February 2015
Hello,
My name is Jake from Shadows of Africa.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is closer to the Kilimanjaro airport, but we usually combine both the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti into our safaris so you can see both!!
feel free to click on and check our website listed on our Shadows of Africa TripAdvisor page for more info!!
Written 27 February 2015
If arriving at Kilimanjaro airport & only have time for one safari, which would be the closest Ngorongaro or Serengeti.
Thanks so much.
Written 27 February 2015
Hello,
My name is Jake from Shadows of Africa.
The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is closer to the Kilimanjaro airport, but we usually combine both the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti into our safaris so you can see both!!
feel free to click on and check our website listed on our Shadows of Africa TripAdvisor page for more info!!
Written 27 February 2015
Showing results 1-7 of 7
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.