Built in Arusha.
Not in a head office.
Jumbo Safaris is a private guided safari company based in Arusha, Tanzania. One founder, local guides, and no group tours.
THE FOUNDER
Mohammadali Saleh
I grew up in Arusha. Eighteen years here before I left for university in Canada, where I studied Economics and spent several years working in software. Good work, wrong country.
I came back in 2023. My parents are here. This city is home. And I had been watching the Tanzania safari industry from a distance long enough to know that most of the operators people book through are either foreign-owned, running group tours, or treating guests as transactions to be processed.
The idea behind Jumbo Safaris is simple: private guided safaris, built by someone who actually knows this place. Not because I read about it, but because I grew up in the shadow of Kilimanjaro and drove past the Arusha National Park gates on the way to school.
What I can offer is something the big operators cannot: the person who designs your itinerary is the same person you message at 9pm with a question, the same person who briefs your guide the morning you depart, and the same person who follows up when you get home. No handoffs, no call centres, no account managers. When you book with Jumbo Safaris, you are working directly with someone who has a personal reason to get every detail right.
The name Jumbo is a nod to the elephant. Patient, unhurried, deeply connected to the land. That is the approach.
HOW WE OPERATE
Private. Always.
Your vehicle, your guide
Every safari is private. You share the vehicle with no one except your own group. Your guide sets the pace based on what you want to see, not a schedule built for twelve strangers.
Arusha is home base
We operate from Arusha, which is where the Northern Circuit starts. No middlemen, no agents in another country coordinating things they have never seen. Direct contact, from first message to final drop-off.
Built around your trip
Standard itineraries exist as a starting point. Most trips end up adjusted: an extra night in the Serengeti, a different lodge tier, dates shifted to catch calving season. Tell us what matters and we build from there.
THE DIFFERENCE
The person you talk to is the person who runs your trip.
Jumbo Safaris is built around a single principle. The founder who grew up in Arusha is the same person who designs your itinerary, answers your questions, and coordinates every detail on the ground. There is no call centre between you and your safari.
Our guides have years behind the wheel in the Northern Circuit parks, and we run private trips only, so the day belongs to you. Linger at a river crossing, or skip the crowded midday tracks. The schedule bends to your group.
That direct line is something larger operators cannot offer, and it is the whole reason this company exists. You get a safari built by someone with a real reason to get every detail right, and you can reach that person whenever you need to.
Have a question before you commit?
Send a message. Mohammadali responds directly, usually within a few hours.
Get in Touch