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 Saleh 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.
Saleh 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.
Government Registration
Our tourism licence number
Most operators tell you to trust them. We would rather you check. This is our issued government credential, printed in full so you can verify it before you send a single dollar.
To verify: the Tourism Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism maintains the register of licensed tourism businesses. We will send a copy of the certificate on request, before you pay anything.
Payment Protection
How payment works, and how you stay protected
Sending money to a company in another country is the single biggest worry in booking a safari direct. Here is exactly how it works with us, and the rules that protect you with any operator.
You never pay 100% upfront
The industry standard is a 30 to 40% deposit to confirm. We ask for 30%, with the balance due 60 days before you arrive. Any operator asking for full payment months in advance is a red flag.
The account name matches the business
Our bank account is held at CRDB Bank PLC in the name Saleh Safaris. Never pay a company invoice into a personal account. Check the two names match before any transfer, with us or anyone.
Nothing is due before the written quote
You get an itemised, written quote and a written cancellation policy before we ask for any deposit. The quote lists accommodation, park fees, vehicle, and guide separately, so you can see exactly where your money goes.
Your deposit is small and late-stage risk is yours to control
Bank transfers go to the registered CRDB business account, never anywhere else. Card payment through DPO Pay (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) is being added; ask when you book and we will confirm what is available for your dates. Travel insurance covers the rest, and we recommend it for every trip.
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 tourism licence number. If they cannot provide one, they have no legal presence in Tanzania. Ours is printed above: Tourism Agent Licence No. 036934.
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.
The Model
You deal with the operator, not a middleman.
Saleh Safaris is run from Arusha by the person who plans your trip. Your questions reach me directly before you travel. When something shifts on the ground, the migration moves, a road washes out, a lodge changes, I am the one who adjusts it, in real time, in northern Tanzania.
That is the entire point of how this is built. Many of the operators you will compare us to are booking platforms or overseas agencies routing your safari through local suppliers they have never personally worked alongside. We are the local operator. No markup chain, no head office abroad, no pooled database of subcontractors running your days in the park.
And everything here is verifiable. Use the questions above on us. The licence number is printed on this page, and we will name the guide and itemise the quote before you commit. We would always rather you check than take our word for it.
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.