You're about to send a five-figure deposit to a company on another continent, often after a handful of emails. On a screen most safari companies look alike: the same lion photos, the same promises. These seven checks are what actually separate them. They're the questions we'd ask if we were booking, and we've put our own answers under each one.
The short version: know who runs your trip on the ground, check their Tanzanian license and their insurance, know exactly who you're paying and on what terms, get every lodge and fee in writing, and read recent reviews from real guests.
1. Who actually runs your safari?
Broadly, three kinds of company sell Tanzania safaris:
- Overseas agents and booking sites that sell many countries. They take your booking and pass it to a local operator you may never speak to.
- Local Tanzanian operators that run trips themselves. Often good value, but you're usually paying a company overseas, under Tanzanian terms.
- Companies that run the trip on the ground and sell it to you directly, in your own currency, so the same team plans, sells and guides your safari.
None of these is wrong. What matters is knowing which one you're dealing with. Ask who designs the itinerary, who will guide you, who you call if something goes wrong at 10pm in the Serengeti, and which company holds your money.
Our answer: we're the third kind. You book with Kingse Safaris Pty Ltd, an Australian company, and the people who design your trip are the people who run it. No agents, no call center, no handoff.
2. Is it licensed in Tanzania?
Every company running safaris in Tanzania needs a Tanzanian tour operator license, usually called a TALA license. Ask for the license number and the name of the company it's issued to, and check that company is the one running your trip. A license that has expired, or belongs to someone else, is a warning sign.
Our answer: your safari runs under TALA-licensed Tanzanian companies, and we'll send you the license certificate for your trip on request.
3. Who are you paying, and on what terms?
Ask exactly which company your money goes to, in what currency, and what happens if you cancel or the company can't deliver. Get the terms in writing before you pay anything. Ask what protection you'd have if the company couldn't deliver, and what your own travel insurance does and doesn't cover.
Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay into a personal account, or wants a deposit before you've seen written terms.
Our answer: you contract and pay Kingse Safaris Pty Ltd (ABN 37 698 821 886) in US dollars, by bank transfer or card. A 50% deposit confirms your trip and the balance is due 60 days before you arrive. Book inside 60 days and it's paid in full at confirmation. Our booking terms are published in full, cancellation scale included.
4. Is it insured?
A proper operator carries public liability insurance (if someone is hurt) and professional indemnity insurance (if the arrangements go wrong). Ask for the certificates. You'll also need your own travel insurance with medical evacuation and cancellation cover. Tanzania now requires visitors to hold a local visitor policy as well, about USD 44 per adult, bought before you arrive. We'll point you to the official site when you book.
Our answer: we hold public liability and professional indemnity cover, both current to 2027. Certificates on request.
5. Who will guide you, and in what?
Your guide makes or breaks a safari. Ask how experienced the guides are, how a guide is chosen for your trip, whether the vehicle is private to your group, and what it is. In northern Tanzania you want a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and a window seat for everyone.
Our answer: your vehicle and guide are private to your group. Our senior guides are on our team page, and we match a guide to your group a few weeks before you travel.
6. What should the quote list?
A good quote names every lodge for every night, with the room type and meal plan, and lists the park fees, vehicle days, internal flights and transfers. It also says clearly what isn't included. "Seven nights in mid-range lodges" isn't a quote, it's a guess, and it makes companies impossible to compare.
- Lodge names, room type and meal plan for each night
- Park, crater and concession fees
- Vehicle and guide days
- Internal flights, with their luggage limits
- Airport and hotel transfers
- What's excluded: international flights, visas, travel insurance, tips
If one quote is far cheaper than the rest, line them up side by side. The difference is usually cheaper lodges, fewer days in the parks, or fees left out.
Our answer: every Kingse quote names each lodge for each night and spells out what's included and what isn't, in US dollars. For typical prices, see our Tanzania safari cost guide.
7. What do recent guests say?
Stars alone don't tell you much. Read the most recent reviews on Google and Tripadvisor and look for detail: named guides, specific lodges, how a problem was handled. Check the dates too. A steady run of recent reviews tells you more than a few glowing ones from years ago.
Our answer: 5.0 from 37 reviews, 17 on Google and 20 on Tripadvisor (checked 16 October 2026; read them with their dates). A few, in our guests' words:
"The safety and security we felt with Kingse Safaris … is incomparable."
Abbey Lister, Tripadvisor, February 2026
"Deciding to go to Africa at relatively short notice was a challenge for us, but no problem for Jackson."
Mary Therese K., Tripadvisor, September 2026
"Jackson was professional and knowledgeable right from the beginning."
Amanda Thomas, Google, June 2026
Red flags
- Pressure to pay a deposit today to "hold" a price
- No license number, or one issued to a different company
- A quote without lodge names
- A request to pay into a personal account
- No written terms before you pay
- A price far below every other quote, with no explanation
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to book directly with a company in Tanzania?
Many local operators are excellent. Check the TALA license, get written terms before you pay, and be aware you'll usually be contracting under Tanzanian terms rather than American ones.
What deposit is normal for a safari?
Most operators take a deposit to secure the lodges and the balance a couple of months before travel. Ours is 50% to confirm, with the balance due 60 days before you arrive.
How far ahead should I book?
For July to October, the best camps fill early, so we'd plan 9 to 12 months ahead. Outside those months you have more room, though the smaller camps still book out.
Ask Us Anything on This List
Put us to the test
Send us your questions with your dates and group. We'll answer every one in writing, with a quote that names every lodge, before you pay anything.
