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How to Choose a Safari company

Tanzania
Anthony Abraham

Tour Guide, Arusha, Tanzania

| 3 mins read

My Article focuses on the basics of how to get the right Safari Company. Travellers all over the world travel to various destinations. In Africa, we have more than 50 states, all bound with different attractions, culture, wildlife and many more..the list is endless.To see all the prime sites, you need to have a guide who knows the area and its cultural values. What is more important is choosing a reliable and trustworthy operator.


In Tanzania and in particular Arusha, we have more than 200 tour operators, of which about 20 are big operators with fleets ranging from 100 to 400 cars.

The second group is mid sized operators with fleets ranging from 10 to 50 vehicle. The third group is small operator which has operators with zero to 5 vehicles; they have no car but websites and briefcases, and depend on hiring vehicles at a commission from other operators. This particular group is of concern, since at times they promise very low prices and fail to deliver a service.


Care must be taken while making a choice, and when one has doubt, you can check with the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) with a google search; also operators information can be attained from the Tanzanian Association of Tour Operators (TATO). It is good to check the status of the operator with these regulatory authorities. Without reasonable doubt all companies registered with TATO and TTB are genuine and reliable as they have constant checks with the tour companies.Defaulters are always taken care of. Care must also be taken by physically inspecting the vehicle on arrival . 


Most fleets of big operators are comprehesively insured, well maintained and are in hands of professional driver guides. A cheap operator will always not be able to maintain his fleet and have good insurance cover. We have a great country; come and visit Tanzania - the Land of Kilimanjaro.

For Tanzania travel, at times, it is possible to join groups, we have two major operator who provide joining packages. These tour companies have regular Depatrures, varing in days duration from Day Trips to five to Seven Days Travel. Any one wishing to join groups I would advise them to contact these companies; I myself freelance within these companies.


At present, I am freelancing with six safari companies, I personally appreciate the quality of service with these operators. They highly respect professionals and provide excellent services, I always feel very proud, personnaly working with these great teams, happy and stress free. There are also some operators that I have not worked with, but I feel they deserve recognition for their good work and excellent services in Tanzania.