There are many safari operators in Tanzania. Some are excellent. Some are large and well-funded. Some have won international awards and appear in global travel magazines. What none of them are — except Bobby Safaris — is a Tanzanian family who has been hosting guests in the Serengeti since 1978, who answers their own WhatsApp, and who has designed every single itinerary personally for every single guest they have ever hosted. That is the Bobby difference.
What makes us different
Eight reasons to travel with Bobby Safaris
01
We are actually Tanzanian
We are not a foreign-owned company with a local office. We are not an international operator with a booking partner in Arusha. We are the Kassim family — Arusha-born, Arusha-based, Arusha-proud. Don Kassim answers his own WhatsApp. When you travel with Bobby Safaris, you are being hosted by people for whom Tanzania is home, not a destination.
— Every itinerary is designed by someone who has spent their life in this landscape, not someone who visited once and built a package.
02
Since 1978 — four generations
We have been guiding safaris since 1978. That is not a marketing claim — it is four generations of accumulated knowledge, relationships with camp managers, and understanding of how the wildlife moves. Our senior guides have been with us for 20 and 30 years. We know where the leopards den. We know which valleys the cheetah prefer in July. This depth of knowledge is not available from a company founded in the last decade.
— 48 years of relationships, expertise, and understanding of this land.
03
Every journey is private and bespoke
We do not run group departures. We do not fill vehicles with strangers. Every Bobby Safari is private — your group, your guide, your schedule. We do not believe in rushing from one wildlife sighting to the next. We believe in lingering, in returning, in letting the experience unfold at its own pace. No two Bobby Safaris are the same, because no two guests are the same.
— Private vehicles, private guides, private itineraries — every detail designed for you.
04
We own our guides — they are not contractors
Every guide who leads a Bobby Safari is a full-time member of our team. They are not casual contractors hired for a single departure. They know your name, your interests, your pace. Our senior guide, Juma — 28 years with the Kassim family — has led more than 800 safaris and still gets excited when he finds fresh lion tracks at dawn.
— Our guides are our most valued team members. Their knowledge stays with us, season after season.
05
Tanzania is our only country
We do not operate in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, or South Africa. Every resource, every relationship, every scrap of expertise we have built over 48 years is focused entirely on Tanzania. When you ask us about the best camp in the Serengeti, you are asking someone who has stayed in every camp, who knows every manager, who has watched the wildlife from every veranda. We do not share that knowledge across 10 countries.
— Total focus. Total expertise. Tanzania, only.
06
You speak directly to the person who designs your safari
When you contact Bobby Safaris, you speak with Don Kassim directly. Not a reservations agent, not a sales coordinator — Don himself. He will ask about your interests, your pace, the people you are travelling with. He will sketch out an itinerary in his head while he talks to you. He has been doing this for 35 years. The itinerary you receive is not a pre-packaged tour — it is a response to you, specifically.
— Don Kassim designs every bespoke itinerary personally.
07
We protect what we show you
The Serengeti you experience today is possible because tourism, done right, funds its survival. Every Bobby Safari contributes to anti-poaching, community schools, and habitat preservation. We have operated in the same wild places for 48 years precisely because we have an interest in their survival. When you travel with us, you are not a passive observer of a disappearing world — you are part of its continuation.
— Tourism as conservation. Every guest makes a difference.
08
No brochure. No website tour. No package holiday.
There is no standard Bobby Safari itinerary. There is no brochure with fixed departure dates and preset menu options. Your safari begins with a conversation — with Don, directly — and it ends with a journey that was designed for you and the people you are travelling with. We do not do volume. We do not do high-season rushes. We do not fill 50 departures a month. We do fewer, better, and with complete attention to every detail.
— Every safari is designed from scratch. No two are alike.
How we compare
Bobby Safaris vs the typical safari company
| Category | Bobby Safaris | Typical safari company |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Tanzanian family, Arusha since 1978 | Foreign-owned or international franchise |
| Itineraries | Every journey bespoke, designed with you | Pre-packaged tours, fixed departures |
| Contact | Don Kassim, directly — WhatsApp any time | Reservations centre, ticket number, waiting queue |
| Guides | Full-time, employed, 15–30 years of experience | Contract guides, rotated per departure |
| Geographic focus | Tanzania only — deep expertise across every region | Multi-country — expertise diluted across destinations |
| Group style | Private only — your vehicle, your pace | Shared group departures, set schedules |
| Longevity | 48 years, four generations of Kassim family | Founded in the last decade |
"We have operated in the same wild places for 48 years. The reason is simple: we have an interest in their survival. Every guest who travels with us makes a contribution to what they came to see."— Don Kassim, Arusha 2026
Begin your safari
Speak with Don Directly
Every Bobby Safari begins with a conversation. Tell us who you are travelling with, what you want to experience, and when you want to go. Don will design your itinerary personally.
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