Transparency
How to verify us before you book
The Tanzania safari industry has a trust problem. Too many operators are overseas agents selling trips they have never personally run. Here is how to check anyone, including us.
The Founder
Mohammadali Saleh
Born and raised in Arusha. Left Tanzania at 18 to study Economics in Canada. Worked in software for several years in Vancouver before returning home in 2023.
The idea behind Jumbo Safaris is straightforward: most safari operators in Tanzania are either large agencies with pooled guides and group vehicles, or overseas booking platforms marking up local operators by 50–300%. A single guide-operator who owns every relationship in the chain, quotes transparently, and runs private trips only is a different model.
Jumbo Safaris is that model. One founder, Arusha-based, private safaris only. You talk to me when you book. You talk to me when something changes. I am on the ground in northern Tanzania.
That is the pitch. Here is how to verify it.
Our Commitments
What we do and do not do
We do
- +Provide an itemised quote with every cost listed separately
- +Tell you exactly which vehicle you will travel in
- +Name the guide before you confirm
- +Respond to every pre-trip question personally
- +Include Flying Doctors emergency cover on all itineraries
- +Adjust the itinerary if conditions change (migration location, road status)
- +Give a written cancellation policy before taking any deposit
We do not
- –Run group tours with strangers sharing your vehicle
- –Use pooled guides booked through a third-party logistics system
- –Add booking fees, credit card surcharges, or hidden admin costs
- –Sell package tours with fixed lodge choices you cannot adjust
- –Inflate park fees above the published TANAPA/NCAA rates
- –Guarantee wildlife sightings (nobody can do that honestly)
- –Pad itineraries with unnecessary driving days to add nights
Due Diligence
Questions to ask any Tanzania safari operator
These apply to us too. A good operator answers all of them without hesitation.
Is the operator based in Tanzania?
Many operators who appear Tanzanian are registered in the UK, US, or EU and source local ground operators at a markup. Ask for a Tanzanian business registration number. If they cannot provide one, they are an agent, not an operator.
Who is your guide?
Ask for the guide's name and background before booking. A reputable operator can tell you exactly who will be with you, their experience, and what languages they speak. Vague answers mean pooled guides.
Can I see an itemised quote?
Every legitimate operator can break down a quote into: accommodation per night, park fees per day, vehicle, guide fee, and any surcharges. If they only give you a single total, ask for the breakdown.
What vehicle will we use?
The standard safari vehicle in northern Tanzania is a 4x4 Toyota Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof. Minivans and converted Land Rovers are used by some budget operators. Ask specifically.
What happens if the trip is cancelled?
Read the cancellation policy before paying any deposit. Industry standard is: 50% refund if cancelled 30+ days out, 25% refund 15–29 days out, non-refundable inside 14 days. Any operator without a written cancellation policy is a red flag.
Honest Disclosure
We are new. That is worth saying clearly.
Jumbo Safaris launched in 2024. We do not have 3,000 TripAdvisor reviews. We are not on SafariBookings. Every established operator you compare us to had the same situation at the start.
What we have: a founder based in Arusha, an itemised pricing policy, a WhatsApp number that answers, and itineraries built on real knowledge of the northern circuit. Not a head office in London managing a database of local suppliers.
If the absence of reviews is a dealbreaker for you, that is a reasonable position and we will tell you so directly. Some travelers are more comfortable with an operator that has 500 reviews. What we offer instead is direct access to the person running your trip.
Ask us anything before you book
Send a message on WhatsApp or email. No sales script. If your question reveals we are not the right operator for you, we will say so.