Safari Diary

  • Safari Lunches, Packed with Flavor

    Vika
    December 2, 2022

    “Safari lunchbox” has become a bit of a dirty word on the safari scene.

    Every good lodge cares about their travelers, and tries their hardest to create interesting meals for safari-goers, but it’s hard to avoid a bit of repetition out on the trail.

    Shadows Of Africa has a very talented professional chef in our team to prepare safari lunchboxes for you – and the contrast in quality… well, let’s just say: you will appreciate it!

    “Shadows of Africa provide hot lunch every day, which is not very often here! So for us it came as an additional bonus. As 80% of guests we saw at picnic places traveling with other companies have a sandwich box. So ask your company what kind of food they provide for lunch! - review from Natalie.”

    Satisfy your appetite with a hot meal, enjoy freshly-baked sweets, and wash it all down with a cup of hot, locally-produced coffee! You no longer have to settle for dry sandwiches and a packet of chips.

    What we appreciated much was the lunch which our guide had for us every day. It was cooked warm food of a very good quality which many of the other groups doing game rides did not have. As well we got some wine too. - review from Petra.”

    The lunches we had with Shadows of Africa were superior to others. We had cooked meals set out on a table cloth with plates and cutlery and everything. - review from Paul.”

    On top of that, our lunchboxes are totally plastic-free! So not only are there culinary advantages to our meals, but also environmental advantages too! Eating boring lunches and creating more waste, or enjoying delicious meals and caring for nature – the choice is easy.

    The picnic lunches were also a step above the other groups- Shadows of Africa made sure to go the extra mile with each detail. - review from Christianna.”

    We make sure to give travelers good quality, satisfying food, in big portion sizes, and with enough variety to keep your energy up for the whole safari trip. We want to make sure you enjoy the whole day out on the trail.

    And, as an added bonus, you will make the other safari groups jealous when your lunch is spread out on the table and your cup is filled with wine.

    What we found is that our meals, which were hot and prepared by the lodge that we had come from, were always met with longing stares from the clients with other guides. I’m sure their food was good, but Moody would set out our table full of hot food and wine and coffee and tea, and it just made our days that much better knowing that whenever we were hungry and needed a break for a bite to eat and something to drink, it was going to be every bit as good as the food we were getting at the lodges! - review from Mike.”

    Travel with Shadows Of Africa, and you will be well-fed!

    Customer reviews taken from Tripadvisor.com.

  • Six Ways an African Safari Will Change Your Life

    Vika
    October 10, 2022

    African nature is an incredibly powerful force. It leaves a profound impression on everyone who sets foot on these lands.

    The pure and exhilarating natural beauty of the African landscape and all of its inhabitants is not something you easily forget. The experiences you have here will live on in your memory, but also in your spirit.

    There are many ways an African safari can have a life-changing effect on you!

    #1: You’ll reconnect with Mother Nature 🌍

    You’ll get a glimpse at what it means to be truly wild. Seeing animals roam free as Mother Nature intended and without human interference is something special, and Africa may be the best place in the world to find that experience.

    The best way to open your eyes to the full wonder of this planet is to fully immerse yourself in its nature: feel the breeze on your skin as it blows across the savannah, your hair waving like the grass; watch the sun set behind the Kilimanjaro, birds flying overhead; fall asleep to the sounds of nocturnal animals singing out through the jungle; wake up to the smell of fresh morning dew on the greenery around you.

    Even simply standing in the broad plains, just being among everything that makes Africa so special is enough to feel changed. It reminds you of the fact that the human race is part of something much larger than itself.

    You’ll feel a kind of reset in your body, and this can have a profound effect on a person. An African safari is good for the mind, body, and spirit. It opens your eyes to the true wonder of this planet, and makes you feel more connected to everything around you.

    Elephants in the Great Ruaha River

    #2: You’ll learn to appreciate new things 🐘

    It is hard to fully grasp the size and majesty of the African landscape from watching nature documentaries. Nothing compares to being here in person. Seeing these scenes in real life will definitely exceed your expectations.

    You may come for the elephants, but you will leave with a deep appreciation for much more than that. These experiences will live in your memories and conversations for a lifetime.

    Whatever expectations you had going into your first African safari, when it comes time to plan your next adventure, you won’t settle for anything less than spectacular. Your local zoo will never be the same again. 😉

    #3: You’ll reassess your priorities 🌱

    See the world in a new way. You’ll ponder this planet and your place in it while bearing witness to its wonders.

    Stepping outside of your comfort zone always leaves you changed on a spiritual level. Whether it is realizing that the material things you once valued are not actually so important, or realizing that you need to make a change in the direction of your life, Africa has the power to make people really think about their lives on a profound level.

    The peace you find by slowing down to the pace of Africa, watching herds of animals calmly drinking from a watering hole in the early hours of the day, will be a welcome break from your life at home.

    You may just find that life makes sense again after your African safari…

    #4: You’ll address your fears 🐍

    Being in a totally new environment with totally new creatures can be a real shock to the psyche. The best place to address your fears is outside of your comfort zone.

    By spending time with unfamiliar animals and in unfamiliar environments, you will get more comfortable, and suddenly you’ll realize that you understand these things better.

    Your fear of snakes, spiders, or big cats will disappear when you see how they live, and you learn to appreciate their lives and their important place in the habitat. They won’t seem so scary any more after that!

    Overcoming these fears comes with a great feeling of accomplishment, and one that lasts forever!

    #5: You’ll contribute to wildlife conservation 🏞️

    Making a positive difference to the planet makes a positive difference in your life (since you also live on this planet!).

    Most safaris actively contribute to local conservation initiatives. The funds gained from these safaris go towards protecting the precious nature that we are lucky enough to enjoy on this continent. Many local communities rely on funding from international travelers to support conservation efforts.

    African safaris are good to help you understand the natural world and the role of humanity in protecting and maintaining it. Ethical ecotourism is a great way to support conservation efforts, all while giving you the trip of a lifetime!


    And finally…

    #6: You’ll want to come back 🧳

    You will never forget this experience. It’s something you can’t quite get anywhere else.

    You will miss the friends you make on safari, whether the local people or the wildlife. You will miss the African sun on your skin. You will miss the incredible experiences you had here. You will long to return, to revisit your experiences, but also to discover new ones.

    Unfortunately, you can’t see everything Africa has to offer in one trip, nor even in one lifetime. But the good news is: this means there will always be something new and exciting to greet you every time you return! There’s still so much to do and see!

    Africa is waiting for you!

    We know from traveler reviews that we have already helped many people have a life-changing experience in Africa.

    Everyone who is lucky enough to come to this great continent forms a connection to the land. It engages all the senses in ways that you cannot find elsewhere. The wild teaches us how to coexist with the world and everything in it.

    It affects everyone in a different way. The moment your food touches the ground for the first time, you feel something new and refreshing. As you experience life here, in all its many diverse beauties, that new feeling becomes clearer, and by the end of your trip you will understand something you didn’t before.

    That feeling is forever.

  • What Camera to Bring on Safari

    Giulia
    March 30, 2021

    If you are wondering what camera gear to pack for your safari experience, look no further! Here is the comprehensive list of all the camera equipment and accessories you will need for your safari.

    This photography gear list is brought to you by our resident photographer Giulia Cimarosti, safari specialist at Shadows of Africa and professional photographer. Guilia also leads groups on our special photographic safaris in Tanzania.
    Generally speaking, depending on the device you use you can expect different results. Let’s go through some options:

    Mobile Photography on Safari

    You don’t have to own super pricey, professional equipment, however, it’s quite safe to say that using a mobile phone to take photos during your safari won’t make good close-up images of the wildlife possible, no matter the phone’s model or quality.

    Mobile phones tend to have very poor zooming capabilities, however, they can be great for African sunsets, photographing a herd in the landscape, and of course to take the occasional short video for social media, when a curious cheetah decides to climb on the vehicle!

    Keep in mind though that during your safari you won’t always get very close to the animals, so the best way to frame the subject is to use a zoom-telephoto lens on an actual camera.

    Cameras and Lenses on Safari

    If you want to take really good photos on your safari, make sure you bring your DSLR camera! A digital single-lens reflex camera will allow you to use manual settings, adapting them to the lighting situation, the distance to the subject and the effects you want to achieve.

    Now you may be wondering what camera body is the best one, but the answer is not an easy one. There are cameras of all formats and brands, but they all have one thing in common: manual settings!

    The thing you need to concentrate on when thinking about the right photography gear for safari photography is what lens - or better, lenses - to bring.

    Zoom lenses

    The must-have kind of lens for safari photography is zoom or telephoto. This is the kind of lens that allows you to zoom into the subject, making it appear closer. There are countless zoom lenses on the market, but make sure your telephoto lens has a focal length of at least 200 mm.

    • Budget
      28-300 mm or 70-300 mm lenses are good budget options for beginners.
    • Medium
      A 150-600 mm lens will allow you to shoot almost anything in daylight, taking your photography to the next level with a reasonable investment.
    • Pro
      A 70-200 mm f/2,8 prime lens, although the focal length is not extreme, is an excellent lens that will not disappoint.
      There are other lenses such as 400 mm f/4 or even f/2,8 prime lenses which are top choices but at an extremely high price tag.

    If there is a lens worth an investment when planning to go on a photographic safari, it has to be the zoom!

    Medium and Wide Angle Lenses

    Although zoom lenses are the first ones that come to mind when thinking about safari photography, a wide-angle lens also goes a long way when it comes to shooting the animals in their habitat, dramatic African skies and sunsets, and large herds moving during the Great Migration. Make sure you pack a wide to medium lens too!

    • Budget
      The 18-55 mm “kit lens” that comes with most camera kits works perfectly for this kind of photo. As a budget option, any kit lens works perfectly, actually!

      Lenses in the 10-24 mm range are much wider - another good option that will allow you to take creative photographs during your safari.

    • Medium
      A 15-30 mm f/2,8 wide lens is a high-quality choice for the landscape.
    • Pro
      The 24-70 mm f/2,8 is a “classic”, very sharp lens that never disappoints, allowing you to shoot landscapes (or good quality files to stitch in panoramas later on) and zoom into the subject too.

    Bear in mind that a good wide-angle lens also allows you to take wonderful nocturnal photos of the clear skies of the savannah.

    Other accessories

    Now that you know what to use to shoot your safari photographs, let’s think about the accessories you shouldn’t forget:

    • Spare batteries. Although all our vehicles have charging stations to recharge your batteries during the game drives, having one or two extra batteries is always a good idea to keep shooting without a single worry!
    • Memory cards. Believe it or not, I can guarantee you will find yourself shooting dozens and dozens of photos of the same animal or scene. It’s easy when you have lions posing for you, or a hunting scene taking place. So pack extra memory cards!
    • Battery charger. There are regular battery chargers and also double battery chargers that work with USB and/or car power outlets. I like these, as you can charge 2 batteries at once.
    • Protection for your camera gear. The savannah is dusty, and dust is the real enemy of cameras and their sensors. Try to keep everything protected from dust except what you are using. Camera bags or pouches/cloths will work great.
    • Cleaning kit. A full kit includes the sensor cleaning kit and tools to remove dust and clean the camera. Try to keep everything clean by gently removing the dust every day after the game drives. Please note: the sensor tends to get dirty with all the dust of the safari, but at the same time cleaning the sensor is a very delicate task so don’t risk it if you are not sure how to do it!

    Are you ready to embark on your photographic safari adventure? Please let us know if you need more suggestions and information about what camera gear to pack for your safari. We look forward to having you travel with us!

  • Best Safari Experience in Tanzania

    AdminSoa
    August 21, 2019

    Something a little different – for the best safari experience in Tanzania

    Graeme and Veronica decided to plan their trip a little differently and concentrate on just the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, allowing a little more time in each place to get the best that they could. With Dickson as their guide, it worked perfectly!

    Staying at Tukaone Camp in the Serengeti, on the Mara River, nailed the wildebeest river crossing for them!

    Moving through to the west of Serengeti Robanda Camp allowed for easy access to the central area of Serengeti and sightings of the cats, including a lioness trying to hunt and a long photographic session with a pair of mating lions.

    A night on the Ngorongoro crater rim allowed for an excursion to the lesser visited, but stunning, Empakai crater, before ending the safari of a lifetime with a full day in the Ngorongoro crater.

    Tanzania can really offer the best of safari experiences. Whatever your plans are, we can make it work for you at Shadows of Africa!

  • What a Big Baby! What an Amazing Safari Experience!

    AdminSoa
    August 13, 2019

    Sightings like this in Ngorongoro just confirm that in Tanzania you are in the centre of the best safari experience in the world!

    With just two nights on safari, Damaris had chosen Bougainvillea’s two properties; their lodge in Karatu in easy access of the Ngorongoro Crater, and their Thorn Tree camp in Serengeti.

    Guided by Lomayani, they had the most incredible 3 day safari, sighting lion, leopard and leopard cub and cheetah in the Serengeti, and this wonderful large baby elephant demanded some milk from its mother, despite being too large to fit anywhere nearly underneath her!

    Two nights in the right place can be all that you need for the safari of a lifetime. Don’t make it complicated, just book with Shadows of Africa.

  • Lions Kill Wildebeest in the Serengeti National Park

    AdminSoa
    August 2, 2019

    What a spectacular safari for Rishi Bagaria and family!

    Two Lioness pulled down a Wildebeest right in front of them, in the middle of the Serengeti!

    Lions kill in the Serengeti

     

    Thirsty lions after a kill in Serengeti

     

    Rishi and his family started at the Maasai Amini lodge between Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru, moving onto their first wildlife encounters in Lake Manyara National Park before heading up and around the Ngorongoro Crater to the lovely Karibu Lions paw camp.

    They spent a day in the crater, returning to Lions paw again before dropping down into the Serengeti, where they spent two full days, overnighting at magnificently comfortable Ole Serai Turner Springs.

    Cheetah and cubs sighted in the Serengeti

     

  • Celebrating the Lion King

    AdminSoa
    July 24, 2019

    With so many reliving, or seeing for the first time, the fantastic story of the Lion King, it’s time to celebrate some of its characters.

    We reckon, from the landscapes, that the Lion King story was based in the Serengeti/Ngorongoro ecosystem and even in the famous Ol Karien Gorge.

    Why not come and experience Lion King country for yourself and see some of the films best characters really up close and personal with Shadows of Africa.

    The lions, obviously, are a must; Simba, Nala, Mufasa, Sarabi and Scar. Interestingly, and what you might not realise when watching them laze in the sun, is that male lions are highly competitive, and are well known to practice infanticide if they take over a pride of females that have young cubs, ensuring that their genes, and not another’s, are passed onto the next generation.

    And then there’s those terrible cackling hyena. Wonderful to see in the wild and additionally one of the most fascinating species, spotted hyena are the most social of all the carnivores. They are also matriarchal, meaning that the females are bigger and are more dominant than the males.

    Pumbaa, that plump joker, full of life and laughs, is everywhere when you’re on safari. Tossing his head and running along with his tail held high like an antenna behind him. Warthogs live in burrows in the ground and the mother usually push their piglets in first and then reverse in behind them, able to charge out and protect them from any signs of danger. They really do love to wallow in mud, cooling themselves down from the heat of the sun.

    We think the Lion King is fantastic, but the real thing is unforgettable!

     

     

  • A Very Special Place - Africa Amini Life

    AdminSoa
    July 15, 2019

    You’re coming on safari to Africa – so why not immerse yourself from day one, like Shelley Fritz did this month with Shadows of Africa!

    The perfect welcome to Tanzania – Afica Amini Life team The perfect welcome to Tanzania – Africa Amini Life team

     

    Blending into its environment – Africa Amini Life Blending into its environment – Africa Amini Life

     

    Africa Amini Life Maasai Lodge, located an easy drive from Kilimanjaro International Airport and situated midway between Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, is more than just a bed to rest your weary head. It’s an experience to set you up for the rest of your trip, to celebrate the end of a trip and one to remember for a lifetime.

    Your accommodation Your accommodation

     

    Created by mother and daughter medical doctor team, Christine Wallner and Cornelia Wallner-Frisee, as a closely linked part of their NGO Africa Amini Alama, the lodge incorporates a little bit of everything. European style facilities blend with nature and Maasai  earthern houses, solar provides power and hot water, home grown herbs and the extra special ingredients to an enticing choice of international and local cuisine, and activities include cooling off in the pool after spear throwing with a Maasai warrior.

    Africa Amini Swimming Pool

     

    Stories and dancing with the Maasai – an evening option at Amini Africa Life Stories and dancing with the Maasai – an evening option at Amini Africa Life

     

    Be assured that every dollar you spend on accommodation at this special place goes directly into Africa Amini Alama, its sister charitable organization, supporting educational, medical and social projects.

    Come and feel Africa with us. Book your safari now with Shadows of Africa.

     

  • The Ilchokuti’s of Ngorongoro Conservation Area

    AdminSoa
    July 10, 2019

    While you wonder at the incredible wildlife in the Ngorongoro crater and the beauty of its large landscape, at the lions with their golden eyes looking more massive than you had imagined, stop to consider those who live as their neighbors and how they manage to co-exist.

    Lions of Ngorongoro. Photo credit: Kope Lion Lions of Ngorongoro. Photo credit: Kope Lion

     

    Ngorongoro is unique in that it blends wildlife together with the Maasai, Datoga and Hadzabe tribes that live in the area. Of course, it’s not easy, especially when making a living for most is through pastoralism. For the lion of the crater highlands, together with other predators, livestock is an easy target and there’s plenty of great places to hide.

    Additionally, lion killing is traditionally seen as the ultimate show of bravery for the Maasai warriors, earning you a lifetime of respect and admiration.

    Working together with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority is the Korongoro People’s Lion Project, or Kope Lion as its more usually referred to. Kope Lion work together with twenty Ilchokuti, or Lion Guardians, well respected members of their community who track the lions on the ground daily to warn the herders where the lion are in their vicinity, preventing unnecessary conflict. They also assist to find lost livestock, and to repair and strengthen the fences protecting the livestock at night.

    Ilchokutis of Ngorongoro - tracking lion on the ground. Photo credit: Kopelion Ilchokutis of Ngorongoro - tracking lion on the ground. Photo credit: Kopelion
    Ilchokuti in the vast expanse of Ngorongoro. Photo credit: Kope Lion Ilchokuti in the vast expanse of Ngorongoro. Photo credit: Kope Lion

     

    Without killing the lion these warriors still earn their respect from their community, working bravely and tirelessly to protect their communities and the lion they share their history with.

    Building upon a 50-year study of the Ngorongoro lion population, Kope Lion measures and shares their knowledge and the impacts of their efforts on the lions’ population dynamics and tries to understand the human lion conflicts better to enable them to better mitigate.

    Kimani. Photo credit: Kope Lion Kimani. Photo credit: Kope Lion

     

    Ask your Shadows of Africa guide for more information on Kope Lion and while you watch them, appreciate a little while longer these magnificent beasts, their neighbours and the brave Ilchokuti.

    Book a trip to Ngorongoro Crater now through Shadows of Africa

     

     

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