Founder of Dancing Zebra Safari, Jessica Mathews
Dancing Zebra Safari
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2016)
- Member Of:
- Africa Travel Association (ATA) & The International Ecotourism Society (T.I.E.S)
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $12,151 to $43,397 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Janet Ghio | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The tour was exceptional as were accommodations & guides because Jessica pays attention to details.
There were 5 of us who are good friends on our trip to Africa. The planning of Dancing Zebra (Jessica Mathews) was above and beyond our expectations. She offered good suggestions and listened to what we wanted to experience. We had 2 birders with us; all of our guides knew everything about the wildlife (including birds), their habitats, and shared with us their history, culture, and life experiences in their country. We laughed, we learned, and had an amazing experience. The accommodations were all exceptional as was the food. The service at each accommodations was so helpful. We always had the same waiter. When we were on safari, our lunch or breakfast (or both), was served on a table with a table cloth and chairs and each meal was delicious. We had private eating experiences as well: a private lunch while on safari with the staff from our accommodations preparing the bbq and amazing wines and a full bar, a farewell dinner with a bonfire and traditional Tanzanian food, a sunset appetizer with wine and other beverages in the bush. We did walking a walking safari, a night safari, a Chobe River boat safari, and, of course, we were in the Land Cruiser looking for animals, birds, and enjoying the African beauty. We saw the Big 5 and pretty much everything we wanted to see, as well as animals (birds included) that I knew nothing about. All of the details included in the planning by Jessica made for an experience that was so special. The staff at the various locations and our guides were warm and fun and had a wealth of information to share with us. We spent 11 nights in Tanzaniza, 3 nights in Zimbabwe (traveling to Botswana for a day to Chobe National Park), and 5 nights in Cape Town, South Africa. I am so happy we planned this trip with Dancing Zebra as recommended by our friends. I travel a lot and this was one of the best trips I have ever experienced.
Email Lisa | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing adventure!
We recently returned from an amazing safari adventure in Tanzania, followed up by a few relaxing days on Zanzibar island. We had contemplated this trip for years but the long flight made it seem daunting. Friends of ours had worked with Jessica Mathews at Dancing Zebra Safari company in the past and highly recommended her, so I decided to give her a call. After a few meetings of discussing options and listening to Jessica’s recommendations (she’s very knowledgeable of the country), we decided on Northern Serengeti for abundant wildlife and then Eastern Serengeti as big cats (especially cheetahs) were high on our ‘really hope to see’ list. We decided on October as it would be less crowded as the Great Migration was nearing completion. We added on Ngorngoro Caldera as we had heard it was a special experience. Jessica arranged a number of extra activities for us including a balloon safari that added special moments for us. Jessica spoke highly of Lemala Camps and their guides, and we stayed at Lemala Kuria Hills (North), Lemala Nanyukie (East) and Lemala Osonjoi Lodge (Ngorongoro). The camps were amazing. They felt luxurious and you’d never know they run on solar power! Running water and the ability to take a hot bath in your tent was wonderful. The camps locations were incredible too - right in the Savannah with animals always nearby or traveling through. The staff at all three were fabulous. Friendly, helpful, kind, always smiling and it didn’t feel forced, it felt as if they all loved what they did, they were a family, and their camaraderie was infectious (special shoutout to Godwill, Jamu, Matthias, Wright, Abdul, Jafhet, Michael and Josephat). Oh and the food was wonderful too, including a delicious bush barbecue lunch in Ngorongoro! The staff at the camps communicate so people seemed to already know us when we arrived at the next camp. The local travel agency Jessica worked with was on top of all of our bush flights and transfers so we just needed to show up. Additionally, before we started our big Serengeti safari adventure, we spent two days in Arusha where we had landed after our flight. We had an issue (misunderstanding on my part) at our hotel and I texted Jessica - she and the local agents handled it with the hotel seamlessly. We spent two days in Arusha and Jessica had arranged some activities for us, and each driver/guide we had knew exactly what our itinerary was and just simply made it so easy for us! On our walking safari in Arusha National park with Steven we saw two male giraffes ‘fighting/necking’, and so much other wildlife. Steven was really great to spend our first day ‘on safari’ with. Stanley our driver was also always on time, and was entertaining with his stories and explanations of life in Arusha Town.
After our bush flights into the Serengeti, we met our Serengeti safari guide Frank Mshana. We spent 9 days on safari together, and he is the best … wonderful person, funny, patient with all of our questions (he knew all the answers!), very professional, and obviously knows the Savannah and animals well - he made this trip even more special. We very much enjoyed our conversations about life in Tanzania and sharing our experiences of our own life as well. We had so many wonderful sightings we got in the habit of sharing a celebratory drink with Frank at the end of each day. He called us his lucky charms as apparently we saw more than most people get to see! We saw more than we could have hoped for - four different male lions, a half dozen lioness and their cubs, including a lioness and cubs with their zebra kill and then her dragging the 1/3 eaten carcass at least 150 feet to a downed tree to hide (she dragged it two feet in front of our vehicle) - just awesome! Three different leopards including a momma in a tree with her two precocious 2-month old cubs that could not stay still, and four cheetah mommas and their cubs including watching one hunt and take down an impala right in front of us! Countless giraffes, elephants, zebras, hyenas, antelopes, wildebeest, warthogs, jackals and so many types of birds, hippos and crocs - even a black rhino sighting in Ngorongoro. Many animals up close, including elephants and giraffes, who are not afraid to get close to us as they don’t see humans as prey nor as predators. We are just ‘there’. In addition to all this, we were privileged to see lions mating, a wildebeest crossing, and three different Cerval cats which are rarely seen! So many ‘high five’ moments we shared with Frank. One thing I am so glad we did was to pay for our own land rover and guide rather than share a safari vehicle with others who stayed at the camps. The ability to do what we wanted, to have windows on our vehicle that we could close when it was dusty/windy or the couple times it rained I think made the whole experience more enjoyable. This trip wasn’t cheap, but it was worth every penny! We’ve had some wonderful vacations/trips over the years and nothing will ever top this trip. We highly recommend Dancing Zebra Safari and their partners in Tanzania, as well as Lemala Camps, and encourage you to just do it - you won’t regret it!
Email Kathy Dean | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dancing Zebra Safari recommended and planned the most amazing experience ever!
Being on opposite sides of the US was no problem for us as we had zoom meetings and lots of email correspondence with Jessica (Dancing Zebra) prior to our trip. She even took care of issues getting our visas for Tanzania! Omary, Mesuli and the others at our first Lemala accommodations in Tanzania were amazing, always answering our many questions with patience and smiles. Then we took a bush plane into the Serengeti where we were met at the airport by Robert. This man was not only the most knowledgeable guide, but also a genuine and kind person who loved to laugh with us. He was our guide for the rest of the trip and was like family to us by the end of the trip. He always knew the best spots and the best times to see whatever animals we wanted to see on a particular day. Often when we returned to camp and were discussing our daily adventures with other travelers, they rarely had seen half of the amazing things we saw. The 2 mobile Lemala tented camps (Lemala Mara and Lemala Ngorongoro) were in beautiful places with such kind "butlers" who prepared our talking showers. All the Lemala staff at each location was amazing. So friendly, kind, helpful, and ready to do anything to make your visit meet your expectations. My favorite Lemala camp was Lemala Nanyukie Lodge. The accommodations were totally amazing - a 5 star facility in the middle of the Eastern Serengeti! One day we sat on the private deck of our quarters that overlooked the Serengeti watching the baboons playing in a tree. The daily safaris were the highlight of my trip because we always saw wild animals up close and personal. Possibly the highlight of all the animal sightings was when we saw 2 young male lions work together to try to take down a hippo in the Ngorongoro Crater. I was able to video the whole scene. The young lions were unsuccessful but their effort was unforgettable. (I was pulling for the hippo because I really didn't want to witness a kill.) The one thing I would leave off about our trip would be the Olduvai Gorge Museum. It was an awesome gorge to admire but I would rather have had more time in our next location. I guess it did break up the long drive to our final accommodations in the Ngorongoro Crater. On our last day in Tanzania it was wonderful to have a cultural experience in a village with local residents as guides. We rode tuk tuks, visited a local artist co-op and had delicious, authentic local food on a banana plantation. Then we headed to the airport for our long trip home. What a trip! Totally amazing, awesome, and unforgettable!
Email Kathleen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dancing Zebra made our safari the journey of a lifetime!
Jessica at Dancing Zebra listened carefully to what we wanted and created an amazing itinerary for our safari. She made recommendations based on her experience and put us in the perfect locations to experience the migration and experience the best of Tanzania. When one our group members missed a flight because of an airline snafu, Jessica and her team were right there to help her book a later flight and arrange transportation to catch up with the group.
Every aspect of our trip (accommodations, transportation, tours, guides) was exactly as described and communicated in the planning documents. The people, food, and accommodations at the Lemala Camps were outstanding. Our guide Frank was incredible. His expertise put us a step ahead of all the other vehicles for the best pictures and views. We learned so much from him and can't thank him enough for making the trip such an unforgettable experience.
I would highly recommend Dancing Zebra Safari and will be booking another trip with Jessica in the future.
Email Trish | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Jessica at Dancing Zebra is knowledgeable and well connected to excellent operators in Africa.
Our tour set up through Dancing Zebra was excellent. Details of what we needed to take care of were well communicated. Information on each of our days were provided in an organized booklet we referred to often during our travels.
The places we stayed were excellent and our guide was a perfect match for our group. Two of the folks in our group were into photography. Frank our guide is a photographer and understood lighting and the best angles for taking pictures. He also knew animal behavior and often placed us just where the leopard was going.
We had once hiccup with an airline (precision airline) that impacted one of our group. Jessica realtime got her local contacts on board to help work the situation. As it turned out it was my daughter that had to spend a day in Nirobi. This event was harder on me than my daughter . This was the fault of the airline but it warmed my heart that her local contact Veronica kept in touch with my daughter through out the day ensuring she was ok until we linked up together that evening.
I give Jessica and her extended team that supported our tour high marks.
Email Christina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Safari and Beach Honeymoon
We booked our safari and beach combination honeymoon through Dancing Zebra Safari and had an amazing experience! In order to arrive at our final itinerary, we had multiple discussions with Jessica to ensure the safari covered what we were interested in seeing and that the overall honeymoon would be tailored to our preferences, budget, and expectations.
Through her guidance and expertise, we decided to go to Tanzania for a Northern Serengeti safari followed by a visit to Zanzibar - and from that point forward, Jessica took care of everything. She is a prompt communicator - always quick to answer any question no matter how big or small. She made me feel at ease on multiple occasions when I was anxious about our first safari (there's so much to learn!) in addition to planning my wedding.
We had the most wonderful experience. Our safari camp was spectacular. Because of their relationship with Jessica, they gave us the best accommodations available on the property. They welcomed us with sparkling wine, arranged a surprise private sunset happy hour on our 2nd to last night, and a surprise dinner under the stars on our last evening. Everyone at the camp was so warm and friendly - we really felt so welcomed our entire stay. The tent was luxurious with a wonderful view - we even saw animals from our room on multiple occasions. Our guide was hired through the camp and he was absolutely outstanding- the perfect combination of knowledgable, friendly, and accommodating. He made every day so fun and informative, and was critical to our experience. My husband is very knowledgeable about the Serengeti and the animals there (which is why we were so eager to go on a safari) - and so enjoyed chatting with our guide about their shared love of the animal kingdom. We were sad to leave camp, but excited to embark on the 2nd part of the trip.
We went to Zanzibar to get to explore more of beautiful Tanzania. Our resort was opulent, the staff was friendly, the food was excellent (my husband is a chef and raved!), the beach was stunning, the villa was incredible - it was the perfect way to relax after our days on safari.
Jessica took care of all aspects of our trip except for our international flights from NYC to Tanzania. This included accommodations, drivers/transfers, and domestic flights. She provided extensive information on how to prepare for the safari, suggested packing lists, information guides, etc. Everything went flawlessly - she was clearly communicating with the staff at our camp/resort to ensure that we were well taken care of.
We are already dreaming about our next safari trip - and would highly recommend Dancing Zebra Safari to anyone who is considering going on the trip of a lifetime.
Email Mel & Eileen | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Dancing Zebra Safari arranges the most perfect safari you could ever imagine!
This was our 3rd trip to Tanzania arranged by Jessica Matthews of Dancing Zebra Safari. Each of our trips has been amazing, and every detail was arranged to perfection. The camps and lodges that we stayed at were outstanding. Each one would definitely receive 5 Stars for comfort, beauty, and service by the staff. The meals at the accommodations were extremely delicious and prepared by excellent chefs. Jessica also provides wonderful guides for your safari. Our guide, Ian, had the eyes of an eagle, and he always made sure that we had a VIP position for viewing the amazing wildlife, usually before other 4x4s arrived. There could be no better company for planning your trip! If we are ever fortunate enough to go again, we will definitely use Jessica and Dancing Zebra to plan our trip.
Email Chuanxiang chi | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing trip
We have a group of 22 people who visited Tanzania for 9 days which originated by Dancing Zabra Safari company (Jessica with her team).
We had a wonderful time and experience and life time memories.
The trip was well organized and the hotels we stayed in were very nice and all the staff in the hotels were friendly and helpful.
Email Kathy Umlauf | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Knowledgeable, listens, make sure all runs smoothly and develops a tailor made plan
Jessica Mathews, the owner of Dancing Zebras, planned an amazing trip for us to Tanzania, Rwanda and Zanzibar. The accommodations she recommended were all 5 star lodges. Fantastic environments, impeccable service and delicious food. The 2 local tour guides were so passionate about showing us their countries (Tanzania and Rwanda) and were great about answering all our questions and meeting our needs.
The way she divided up the trip was perfect. She encouraged us to do a low key week at the end of our vacation and sent us to The Kilindi Resort in Zanzibar and it was paradise. Just what we needed.
Highlights include seeing The Great Migration (wildebeest, zebras and gazelles journey to Kenya -over 2 million animals go yearly), hundreds of flamingos flying in unison and landing (Ngorongoro Crater), 3 lioness up in an Acacia Tree, a male lion guarding 4 cubs, 2 leopard sightings, watching a family of elephants walk by our lodge room, having a gorilla swipe my shoulder and watching an entire gorilla family interact for an hour, and hiking to a bamboo forest watching golden monkeys swing from tree to tree. We learned so much about the history and culture of these areas through the guides, interaction with staff and drivers and driving and walking through so many diverse areas. The local people were all so kind and welcoming.
It was a trip of a life time and Jessica made it all happen.
Email Ken | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Dancing Zebra Safari is the BEST!!!!
I cannot rave enough about Jessica and her team and just how thorough and thoughtful they were throughout the safari planning process and while we were on safari. We returned two weeks ago from Tananzia and my wife and I had the experience of a lifetime - and we owe it all to Jessica, Dana, Edsen and the rest of the on-the-ground team in Tanzania. Honestly, we can't stop telling stories to our family, friends and co-workers - to the point where we are probably getting to be a bit annoying!! :) Also, this is the second time I've worked with Jessica - about 18 months ago she planned a solo trip for me to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas - which I also highly recommend!!
With this trip, we spent one night at Lion's Paw in Ngorongoro, five nights at Lemala Nanyukie Lodge and two nights at Baraza Resort and Spa in Zanzibar. There were two situations throughout the planning process where we had to make itinerary changes and Jessica and Dana were all over it - super responsive and supportive.
Each day started bright and early - on the road by 6am so we could appreciate the beauty of a Serengeti sunrise - and each day it was absolutely stunning!! Breakfast in the bush was just so cool and we were back to our camp by 1pm for an incredible lunch (7 hours in the bush each day goes by quickly!)....and regarding lunch, well every meal at Nanyukie was incredible! I'm a 'soup nerd' and all of them were just outstanding! The last night I asked to meet the chef because we were so impressed by him and his creations...he actually shared with me some of his soup recipes!! We also asked for local Tanzanian dishes on our last night and they made a feast for Edsen, my wife and me - it was all just wonderful...pilau, wali, ndizi-nyama, etc - all incredible!! The entire camp staff was so welcoming and warm...my wife commented that as much as she loved the safari experience and witnessing the incredible wildlife, what she loved the most were the people she met. They were all so thoughtful and caring -and they were also just fun to chat with...really great staff!!
Now onto Edsen - our driver, guide, caretaker and the man who can spot a cheetah in hiding in the tall grasses 40 yards away - he's amazing!! Not sure how someone can navigate the dirt roads of the Serengeti while keeping his head on a swivel so skillfully...we were in awe. Six days with Edsen went by very fast and we were sad to say goodbye to him - I've had a lot of private guides over years in a number of countries and some were really good, but none of them compare to Edsen. When you book with Dancing Zebra - if don't get the privilege of Edsen being your guide, then you will get Ian and I hear nothing but wonderful things about him too - we met him briefly at camp and he seems like an awesome guy.
The word I constantly use when people ask me about our safari is 'special'. It's so hard to put into words the experience of being in the vastness of the Serengeti and witness its beauty in some many forms and at the same time know you are in such great hands with all staff members and that you are truly cared for...this vacation will be hard for us top! And I'm quite certain we will take another safari in the future - and it will be with Jessica and Dancing Zebra!!! If there is a word to better describe just how much I highly recommend Dancing Zebra, then please insert here! :)
Thank you Jessica, Dana and Edsen, you all made an incredible lifetime experience so very special for Lindsey and me - and we are so grateful!