Your Safety
Your Safety Matters to Us
Responsible planning. Experienced people. Genuine care.
A safari is an extraordinary way to experience Tanzania, but it also takes you into a real wilderness environment where conditions can change and wildlife moves freely.
Your safety is therefore something we take seriously from the moment we begin planning your safari to the moment we bring you back safely at the end of your journey.
We cannot remove every element of risk from a wilderness experience, and we would never pretend otherwise. What we can do is plan responsibly, work with trusted people and properties, use appropriate equipment, keep communication open, and make careful decisions throughout your safari.
When you travel with Serengeti Steppe, your safety is part of our responsibility.
Before You Travel
Good safety begins before you arrive in Tanzania.
We take the time to understand your safari, including your itinerary, accommodation, activities and the people travelling with you. Where relevant, we can advise you on considerations such as travelling with children, choosing activities, accommodation locations and the practical realities of travelling through remote areas.
We also encourage you to tell us in advance about any important dietary requirements, allergies, mobility considerations or other circumstances that may affect your comfort or ability to participate in planned activities.
Our aim is simple: the safari should be planned around the traveller, not the other way around.
Your Safari Vehicle & Guide
Your safari vehicle and guide are central to both your experience and your safety.
Our safaris are operated using purpose-built 4x4 safari vehicles suited to Tanzania's roads and wildlife areas. Before and during a safari, our team takes reasonable steps to ensure that the vehicle is suitable for the journey ahead.
You will travel with a professional safari guide who understands the environment, wildlife behaviour, safari routes and the practical realities of operating in the bush.
Your guide is responsible not only for helping you find wildlife, but also for making sound decisions about where and how the vehicle is positioned, when it is appropriate to stop, and when it is time to move on.
Please always follow your guide's instructions. In the wilderness, their judgement matters.
Respecting the Wildlife
Tanzania's wildlife is not behind fences.
That is what makes a safari so remarkable — and it is also why wildlife should always be treated with respect.
During your safari, we ask you to:
- Remain inside the vehicle unless your guide tells you it is safe and appropriate to get out.
- Never approach, touch or feed wild animals.
- Avoid sudden movements or unnecessary noise when near wildlife.
- Follow your guide's instructions at all times.
- Never attempt to attract an animal's attention for a photograph.
- Maintain a respectful distance from wildlife.
Animals can behave unpredictably, even when they appear calm or familiar.
Our guides are experienced in reading the situation and making decisions that protect both you and the animals.
Staying Safe Around Your Accommodation
Many safari camps and lodges are located within or close to natural wildlife areas. Some properties are fenced, while others are not.
Wild animals may occasionally move through or near a property, particularly at night.
For this reason, your accommodation team may ask you to be accompanied when walking around camp after dark. Please follow these instructions and never leave your tent, room or designated area at night without permission or an escort where one is required.
When you arrive at your accommodation, the property team will explain its specific safety procedures. Please listen carefully to this briefing — it is designed around the particular environment in which you are staying.
Activities & Excursions
Not every safari activity carries the same level of risk.
A game drive is different from a walking safari. A boat excursion is different from visiting a cultural site. Activities involving water, walking or closer interaction with the natural environment require additional care.
When we plan your safari, we help you choose activities that are appropriate for your itinerary and circumstances.
Some activities may also have age, health, fitness or other participation requirements.
Before participating in an activity, you will receive the relevant instructions from your guide, accommodation or activity provider.
If an instruction is given for your safety, please follow it immediately.
Children on Safari
A safari can be an unforgettable experience for a family, but children require particular attention in a wilderness environment.
Wild animals, open spaces, uneven ground, water, campfires and other natural hazards can present risks that may not exist in everyday environments.
Parents and guardians remain responsible for supervising children, particularly around wildlife, water and accommodation areas.
If you are travelling with children, tell us their ages when planning your safari. We can help you choose an itinerary, accommodation and activities that are appropriate for your family.
Health, Medical Care & Travel Insurance
Tanzania offers excellent safari experiences, but many of the places we visit are remote.
Medical facilities in remote areas may be limited, and reaching a larger medical facility can take time. This is one of the realities of travelling through the African wilderness.
We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance for your entire trip, including appropriate medical cover and emergency evacuation where relevant to your itinerary.
You should also travel with sufficient supplies of any regular medication you require and inform us in advance of any important medical, dietary or mobility considerations that may affect your safari.
Travel insurance is not a substitute for responsible planning — and responsible planning is not a substitute for travel insurance. Both matter.
If Something Unexpected Happens
Most safaris pass without any serious incident. Nevertheless, responsible safari planning means being prepared for the unexpected.
If an issue arises during your safari, your guide will be your first point of support in the field. Our team can coordinate with your accommodation, local service providers and other appropriate contacts depending on the circumstances.
Where a situation requires medical attention or other emergency assistance, we will work to help coordinate the appropriate response as quickly as reasonably possible.
The exact response will depend on the location, nature and severity of the situation. In remote areas, assistance can take longer to reach you than it would in a city.
Our commitment is that you will not be left to deal with a serious situation alone.
Your Part in Staying Safe
Safety on safari is a shared responsibility.
We take responsibility for planning your safari carefully, using appropriate vehicles and professional guides, working with reputable accommodation and activity providers, and responding responsibly when circumstances change.
You can help by:
- Listening carefully to your guide and accommodation staff.
- Following wildlife and safety instructions.
- Remaining aware of your surroundings.
- Taking reasonable care of your belongings.
- Informing us about relevant requirements before travelling.
- Asking questions whenever you are unsure about something.
There is no need to be nervous about safari. Awareness, respect and common sense go a long way.
Our Commitment to You
We believe safety should not be something added to a safari after the itinerary has been created.
It should be considered at every stage.
From choosing where you stay and how you move between destinations, to selecting activities and positioning your vehicle around wildlife, we aim to make responsible decisions throughout your journey.
We are a Tanzanian safari company, and our work is rooted in the places where we operate. That means we understand that our reputation is built one traveller at a time.
When you choose Serengeti Steppe, you are placing your journey in our hands. We take that responsibility seriously.
Our promise is not that nothing unexpected can ever happen.
Our promise is that we will plan carefully, act responsibly, communicate openly, and do our best to look after you throughout your safari.