How long does the planning process take?

The planning process is as long as it needs to be. For some guests, the conversation takes three days — a brief exchange of emails, a call to understand preferences, and a proposal that feels exactly right. For others, the planning takes six months: multiple iterations, changes of direction, the slow refinement of what they actually want rather than what they initially thought they wanted. There is no minimum and no maximum. We begin when you are ready and we finish when the itinerary is right.

Do I speak with a real person throughout the process?

Always. From the first email to the final farewell, you will deal with the same person — someone who knows your itinerary, knows your preferences, and knows why certain decisions were made. We do not have a sales team and a operations team that hand off to each other. The person who designs your trip is the person you speak with throughout.

Can you accommodate special requests and dietary requirements?

Every reasonable request can be accommodated, and many unreasonable ones can too. We have arranged private dinners in specific locations, organised surprise anniversary celebrations in the bush, sourced particular wines, and accommodated extensive dietary requirements across multi-week trips. The question is not whether we can do something — it is whether we know about it. Tell us early, and we will make it happen.

What if I need to change the itinerary after booking?

Changes are possible, subject to availability, and we handle them as they arise. The earlier you notify us of a desired change, the more likely we are to be able to accommodate it without cost implication. We build as much flexibility into the itinerary as the camps and logistics allow, and we will always tell you clearly when a change has cost implications versus when it does not.

How do I know the guide will be right for me?

We match guides to guests based on more than availability. Before finalising any itinerary, we speak with you about your interests, your pace, your sense of humour, and what you most want from the experience. We have guides who are exceptional for photographers who want silence and patience, guides who are extraordinary for families with young children, and guides who specialise in birds and botany. We do not assign guides from a rota.

Endless golden Serengeti plains at dawn, scattered acacia trees, antelope herds moving across the grass

How We Work

The Bobby Safaris Planning Process

A safari is not a product you pick from a shelf. It is a conversation that takes time — and the quality of that conversation determines the quality of what follows.

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Most safari companies sell itineraries. They have a set of products — a 7-day northern circuit, a 10-day combo, a 14-day Kilimanjaro and safari — and they help you choose the one that fits your dates. That is a reasonable way to buy a safari, and it works.

Bobby Safaris does not work that way. We do not have standard itineraries. Every trip we design is built from scratch, around the people who are travelling, the experience they are looking for, and the particular Tanzania they want to discover.

This means the planning process is different. It is slower, more considered, and more personal than booking through a tour operator with set packages. It also produces a better result — because the itinerary that emerges from a genuine conversation is the right itinerary for you, not a rough fit to a template.

Here is how it works.

The Process

How a Trip Comes Together

The First Conversation

It begins with an email or a phone call — whichever you prefer. You tell us who is travelling, what you are hoping to experience, and when you are thinking of going. There is no questionnaire, no mandatory form. We ask questions because we want to understand you, not because we need data for a CRM system.

We respond within 24 hours. The first conversation is never rushed. If you need three emails to get to the point where you are ready to talk, that is fine. There is no pressure to commit before you are ready.

Understanding What You Want

This is the part we spend the most time on. Most guests arrive with a rough idea — they want to see the wildebeest migration, or they want a safari combined with a Kilimanjaro climb, or they want the best wildlife viewing they can get in two weeks. What they often do not know — and what we help them discover — is what kind of travellers they are.

Some guests want five hours in a vehicle every day, every animal identified, every Behaviour noted. Others want two hours of wildlife viewing in the morning and nothing but a swimming pool and a book in the afternoon. Both are valid. Knowing which you are changes everything about how we design the trip.

The Itinerary Proposal

After the conversation, we send a detailed proposal: a day-by-day itinerary, the camps we recommend and why, the guide we think is right for your party, and the logistics that connect everything. We include honest assessments of the wildlife situation for your intended travel dates — which camps are in the right place for the season, which are not.

The proposal is not a sales document. It is a considered recommendation from people who have been doing this for 48 years. We will tell you if what you are asking for is not the best way to achieve what you want. We would rather have an honest conversation at the planning stage than a disappointed guest in the field.

Refinement and Confirmation

Most proposals go through at least one round of changes. You may want a different pace, a different camp, or a different emphasis. We adjust. Some guests go through four or five iterations before the itinerary is exactly right. That is not a problem — it is the process working correctly.

Once the itinerary is confirmed, we send a detailed briefing document: what to expect each day, what to pack, what the wildlife priorities are for your travel dates, and what you should know before you depart. This document is prepared by the actual guide who will be accompanying you.

The Trip Itself

Your guide meets you at the airport. From that moment, the trip is managed by one person who knows your itinerary, knows your preferences, and has prepared specifically for your party. Any problems that arise — a road washed out, a camp overbooked, a flight delayed — are handled without you noticing, because we have relationships with every camp and every operator in Tanzania.

We check in with every guest on the second day. If something is not right — the pace is too fast, the camp is not what you expected — we adjust. The itinerary we planned is a starting point, not a contract.

After the Trip

When you return home, we send a full trip report — photographs from your guide if they took any, notes on what you saw and where, and a detailed account of the logistics. We follow up with no obligation. Some guests stay in touch for years. Some book again within weeks. Both are equally welcome.

If something went wrong — and sometimes, in remote Africa, things do go wrong — this is also when we talk about it honestly. We would rather understand what disappointed you than lose a guest to silence.

"The itinerary we planned was not the one I thought I wanted. It was the one I wanted after someone who knew Tanzania far better than I did helped me understand what I was actually looking for."
— Guest, Tanzania safari, January 2026

Why It Matters

The Difference a Good Conversation Makes

The right camp, not the most famous one

The most famous camps in Tanzania are famous for good reason — but they are not always the right camps for your specific trip. A camp that is perfect for a honeymoon couple is not necessarily right for a group of photographers. We choose based on fit, not reputation.

The right guide, not the next available one

We do not assign guides from a rota. We match guides to parties based on the conversation we have before you book. If you are a photographer, we assign the guide who is most patient with long waits for the perfect light. If you are a family with teenagers, we assign the guide who is best with that age group.

The right pace, not the typical pace

Most safari itineraries are designed for a hypothetical average traveller. Your itinerary is designed for you. If you want to spend three days in one camp because you found a location you do not want to leave, we build that in. If you want to move every two days to cover more ground, we do that instead.

Honest advice, not sales pressure

We will tell you if your intended travel dates are not the best time to see what you want to see. We will tell you if a different itinerary would achieve your goals more effectively. We will not sell you something that is not right for you — because a guest who comes back disappointed is a worse outcome than a guest who decided not to book in the first place.

Continue Reading

Comparing Options

Curated vs Package Safari

The difference between a bespoke itinerary and a set package — and why it matters.

Selection Guide

How to Choose a Safari Operator

What to ask, what to look for, and what to avoid when choosing who to trust with your Tanzania safari.

Bespoke Safaris

Built Around You

Every Bobby Safaris itinerary is designed from scratch. This is what that means in practice.

Begin a Conversation

If you are considering a Tanzania safari and would like to understand what is possible, write to us. We will respond within 24 hours and take it from there.

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