tanzaniatoursafari - Blog

Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS Joins TATO

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:13:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce that Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS has become a member of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO).

This is an important step in our company’s development and reflects our commitment to working professionally and providing travellers with well-planned safari experiences in Tanzania.

TATO brings together Tanzanian tour operators and supports the professional development of the tourism industry by organising training, sharing information about industry developments and providing guidance on more responsible tourism practices.

Roman Shirima and Dace Zandfelde bring together two different but complementary perspectives. Born in Tanzania, Roman has extensive experience as a safari driver-guide and a thorough understanding of the country, its natural environment and how safaris operate on the ground. Dace brings a Northern European approach to the business, with structured planning, attention to detail and an understanding of international travellers’ needs.

“After more than 20 years working as a safari driver-guide, I know Tanzania well — its nature, wildlife and people. However, the tourism industry is constantly evolving, and it is important for us to keep up with developments, improve our work and look for ways to offer travellers increasingly well-organised and diverse experiences in Tanzania. Joining TATO is another step in this direction,” says Roman Shirima.

“A good safari begins with knowledge and a willingness to keep learning. It is important to us not only to organise every trip carefully, but also to broaden our own horizons and those of our driver-guides, discover new opportunities in Tanzania and enhance the value tourism brings to both travellers and local communities. TATO membership provides opportunities to exchange experience, expand our knowledge and develop our company in line with changes in the industry,” says Dace Zandfelde.

Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS plans and organises tailor-made private safaris throughout Tanzania, working with individual travellers and families as well as international travel agencies and tour operators.

Further information

Why Choose Us for Your Tanzania Safari

Private Safaris in Tanzania

Our Profile on the TATO Website

Dace’s Journal | Why Is a Safari Not the Same as an Excursion?

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 15:17:00 +0000

I sometimes think about how differently people understand the word safari. For some, it is simply a trip to a national park to see animals. You get into a vehicle, drive around, look, take photographs and move on.

But a safari in Tanzania is not quite the same as an excursion. And the difference, in my opinion, begins with how much of the experience can be controlled.

When visiting a city or a particular attraction, we usually know in advance where it is and what we can see there. We can decide whether we need a guide to learn more or whether the information available online will be enough. If the attraction is outdoors, weather conditions are, of course, important. However, they usually do not change the existence of the attraction itself — they mainly affect the comfort of the visit.

Observing animals is a different matter. As living creatures, they behave differently from one day to the next.

Imagine a zoo or a private wildlife park. Usually, we know where the animals we want to see are located. Lions on the right, elephants on the left. Feeding may take place at a particular time. In zoos, keepers sometimes feed animals in full view of visitors. In some private parks, feeding may also be an activity in which tourists can participate, while elsewhere it may be organised to give visitors the impression of a natural wildlife process, such as hunting.

Of course, even there, not everything always happens exactly on schedule. However, the environment is designed to make the animals easier to see and the visitor experience more predictable.

A safari in Tanzania is different.

In national parks, lions do not wait for tourists to arrive. Elephants do not stay in one place just to make it easier for people to photograph them. Animals move about freely, search for food, rest, hide or go elsewhere. Their movements are influenced by the weather, the time of day and countless other factors that cannot be changed. Sometimes, animals are found quickly. At other times, you have to drive for a long time, search and wait.

Does that mean that on safari, we simply have to rely on luck?

No. And this is where the most important part of safari organisation begins.

An experienced safari operator does more than book a vehicle, accommodation and park entry tickets. There is much more to consider. What time is best to set off? How long will it take to get from the accommodation not just to the park gate, but to the areas where there is a greater chance of encountering animals? What are the conditions on that particular day? Is it worth changing the route or staying longer in one place?

Some of these questions need to be answered during the planning stage. Others can only be answered once the safari is underway.

When planning a safari, it is important to calculate travel times accurately, think through the park logistics and leave enough room in the itinerary for what cannot be predicted in advance.

Once out in the wild, the driver-guide plays an important role. Their experience, knowledge of the park and ability to read the situation all matter. They cannot order a lion to come out of the bushes, but they may know where it is worth looking, when to do so and how to respond if conditions change.

That is why a carefully planned safari does not mean that every minute of the day and every animal encounter can be predicted in advance.

It means that decisions are not made at random and the journey is not left to chance.

In my opinion, this is the main difference. We usually plan an excursion knowing what we will visit and how the visit itself will unfold. We plan a safari in an environment where conditions are constantly changing and where we must adapt.

When we venture into the wild, we have to accept that we cannot predict everything. But we can choose people who know how to work in this environment and who can make considered decisions even when the original plan needs to change.

Perhaps that is precisely why a safari is about more than simply seeing animals.

It is also about learning to accept that the wild has its own rules — and that a good safari begins long before the moment we see ananimal for the first time.

More about safaris in Tanzania:

Safari or Game Drive: What’s the Difference?

What Do a Tanzanian Safari and a Zoo Have in Common?

--------------------------

About the Author:

Dace Zandfelde is a Northern European entrepreneur living in Tanzania. Together with her Tanzanian husband, Roman Shirima, she co-founded Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS. Through Dace's Journal, she reflects on the ideas, people and unexpected connections she discovers while living between Europe and East Africa.

Important Travel Information: Health Declaration Requirements in Tanzania

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Following the Ebola outbreak in the region, Tanzanian authorities have strengthened health screening measures at the country's borders. New requirements for travellers entering mainland Tanzania have been in effect since 17 October 2026, while Zanzibar has separate regulations.

Mainland Tanzania

According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health's announcement of 17 October 2026 (Travel Advisory No. 18), all travellers entering mainland Tanzania must complete an online health declaration, regardless of their country of origin.

Form: Tanzania Traveller's Health Declaration (AfyaMsafiri)
When to complete it: Before travelling or upon arrival in Tanzania.
Important: Keep the QR code or reference number received after completing the form, as you may be asked to present it upon arrival.

All arriving travellers are also subject to health screening, including temperature checks. Travellers identified as being at higher risk may be required to undergo health monitoring for 21 days.

Zanzibar

Zanzibar's Ministry of Health has introduced separate requirements for travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or Kenya, or those who have transited through any of these countries.

Form: Zanzibar Traveller's Health Declaration
When to complete it: Before travelling or, if necessary, by completing a paper form during the journey or upon arrival.

All international travellers arriving in Zanzibar are also subject to health screening, including temperature checks.

Where can you find official information?

For the latest requirements and guidance, visit the official website of the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and the relevant health declaration portal.

Tanzania Safari Experts — ROM & DACE SAFARIS recommends checking the latest entry requirements before travelling and preparing all necessary documents in advance.

Dace's Journal | What Do a Tanzanian Safari and a Zoo Have in Common?

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 08:18:00 +0000

A game drive in Tanzania’s national parks is not a visit to a zoo. Here, the animals are truly wild. They go wherever they please. There are no fences in the wilderness to restrict their movements, and they do what they consider right. Nobody feeds them so that they can put on a show for tourists at set times.

Wild animals find their own food and know very well that they are part of the natural food chain — you can be a hunter, but you can also become prey. Mothers with young are especially aware of this.

There are many different zoos around the world where you can see animals up close, as well as private nature parks where you can go on a one-day safari. In these places, animals are usually fed by their keepers, and in some locations visitors can feed them too, hoping to get better photographs — selfies and close-up shots. In private parks, animals are sometimes given extra food to increase the chances of tourists seeing them hunt. It is an industry in which animal life is adapted to human entertainment — so that people can see animals up close, feed them, photograph them and take home beautiful pictures.

But everything is different in Tanzania’s national parks.

Here, nature is wild. Nobody feeds the animals. Here, you can witness the scenes and games of wildlife, as animals find their own ways to play, explore and survive. There is “who hunts whom”, “a mother protecting her young”, “teenage games” and “freedom as essential as the air we breathe”. You can observe fascinating scenes within a single animal family or between different groups. And you never know what will happen next.

If you only want to see what a lion, elephant or giraffe looks like in the wild, a few hours may be enough. But if you want to see how these animals live in their natural environment, be prepared to spend a long time driving around the park, searching for animals and waiting. Sometimes you may spend hours watching one animal family, while at other times you may cover a considerable distance without seeing a single animal.

That is why a safari in Tanzania may not be for everyone. You can see elephants in both Tanzania and India, but they will be completely different elephants. Safaris in different countries can also be very different. To each their own.

If you are heading to Tanzania’s national parks, be prepared not only to look at animals, but also to wait, search and observe their lives. Because here, you are not a spectator watching a show put on for you — you are a guest in the wild.

More about safaris in Tanzania:

Safari or Game Drive: What’s the Difference?

--------------------------

About the Author:

Mandatory Travel Insurance Also Required in Mainland Tanzania from 1 October

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:47:00 +0000

From 1 October 2026, foreign tourists entering mainland Tanzania will also be required to have mandatory inbound travel insurance, according to the Tanzanian Ministry of Finance.

Until now, the requirement for mandatory inbound travel insurance applied only in Zanzibar. From now on, insurance will be compulsory throughout the country, regardless of whether travellers enter Tanzania by air, land or sea.

The insurance coverage includes emergency medical assistance, medical evacuation, repatriation and baggage loss. The specific coverage limits and conditions are set out in the policy.

The insurance costs USD 44 per person and is valid for up to 92 days from the date of entry.

How It Works

In mainland Tanzania, insurance is provided by NIC (National Insurance Corporation), while in Zanzibar it is provided by ZIC (Zanzibar Insurance Corporation).

The Tanzanian Ministry of Finance states that in an emergency, travellers will receive assistance from the insurance provider from which they purchased their policy, regardless of where in Tanzania the situation occurs.

This means that travellers visiting both mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar during the same trip do not need to purchase both policies. However, they should pay attention to which website they use to purchase their insurance.

What This Means in Practice

If your first point of entry into the country is mainland Tanzania, for example, if you arrive at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, you must purchase your policy through the NIC website. If you later travel to Zanzibar for a beach holiday after your safari on the mainland, the policy will also be valid on the island.

NIC – Insurance for mainland Tanzania: inbound.nicinsurance.co.tz

If your first point of entry into the country is Zanzibar, you must purchase your policy through the ZIC website. It will also be valid if you travel from Zanzibar to mainland Tanzania during your trip, for example, to go on safari.

ZIC – Zanzibar insurance: inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz

After payment, travellers receive an insurance certificate through the website, which they can present upon entering the country.

Dace's Journal | Safari or Game Drive

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:28:00 +0000

How Not to Fall into the Traps

Are the words safari and game drive synonyms? What do they mean, and how are they different? How can you avoid falling into tourist traps?

That is what this blog post in the “Dace’s Journal” series is about.

Safari and game drive are not synonyms – they mean different things. Yet travellers very often confuse these terms. And while an honest tour operator will explain the difference, those looking for the lowest price can easily fall into this trap.

So – what does each of these words mean?

A safari is a journey, and it can include different activities – watching animals from a safari vehicle (game drive), walking in nature (walking safari), hiking in the mountains, swimming at a waterfall, taking a boat trip on a river or lake, visiting tribes, and so on. Every safari has its own programme, and it can be very different.

A game drive, on the other hand, is just one of the activities that can be part of a safari. A game drive means watching animals in a park from a vehicle. A game drive can last a few hours, but it can also take up the whole day – from sunrise to sunset. Depending on the programme, a game drive during a safari can take place in one park or in several parks.

People looking for the lowest prices often see a safari offer and assume that it automatically includes watching animals in a park. It does not. The painful discovery may come during the trip – a game drive is not included in the programme at all, or they have to pay extra for it.

I remember that, when I had just started living in Tanzania and travelling around the national parks, I once saw an advertisement online for a “Mikumi safari” with a picture of a lion and a very low price. I looked at the price for a long time, calculated the costs and finally asked Roman: “How can they offer it at such a low price?” According to my calculations, the price did not even cover the organiser’s direct costs, let alone employees’ salaries and the company’s profit.

Roman took a quick look at the advertisement and, running his finger across the screen, pointed out a sentence in the ad: “Park on the way” (park along the way). That was when I noticed the phrase in small print too. But I still did not understand.

It turned out that this safari did not even enter Mikumi National Park.

A main road runs through Mikumi National Park, connecting the port of Dar es Salaam in the east of the country with the country’s western border. When you drive along this road, sometimes a wild animal happens to be on the road, and sometimes there are none.

If tourists are going to see animals, they turn off the main road and drive into the park, going along the smaller roads, looking for animals and watching them.

In this particular programme, they drive from Dar es Salaam to Mikumi village and then back again. Whichever animal happens to come out of the park onto the road to say hello, well, you have to make do with that.

At the time, Roman told me about information circulating among drivers: people would sometimes only realise, when they reached Mikumi village, that they had been misled and that watching animals inside the park was not part of their programme at all.

They get angry with the driver, but the driver is not really to blame – he is simply following the route his boss has given him. Besides, it would hardly be correct to say that the people had been cheated in a legal sense, because the advertisement clearly said, “park on the way”, and nothing about a game drive was mentioned.

So now, when I drive through Mikumi National Park along the main road and animals happen to come close to the road, I say to myself: very polite animals – they come out to show themselves and take care of those who fell for “park on the way”.

Another place where it is easy to fall into a trap is Ngorongoro.

As you know, there is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and inside it is the Ngorongoro Crater. If you want to drive down into the crater, you need to buy two entrance tickets – one for the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and another specifically for the crater.

Here too, people looking for the lowest prices may see “Ngorongoro safari” and assume that it means a drive into the crater. They can be surprised when, having reached the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the viewpoint by the crater, they realise that this is all – a photo stop with the crater in the background, but there will be no drive down into the crater and no game drive in the crater, because it is not planned and is not included in the programme.

So remember – there is a safari, which means the journey as a whole and can include different activities, and there is a game drive, which specifically means watching animals in a park.

By the way, in Tanzania, outside the tourism industry, the word safari is used to describe any trip or outing. It can be, for example, a journey from the city to the countryside, but it can also mean a trip abroad.

You could say that for international travellers, the safari starts already at the airport.

--------------------------

About the Author:

Dace's Journal | What a Small Portuguese Chapel Taught Me About Courage

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Returning to Tanzania after travelling through Europe, I found myself thinking not about Portugal itself, but about a single idea that followed me home.

This journal entry is not about history or architecture. It is about courage, fear, and the unexpected way Tanzania has changed how I see the world.

I've been back home in Tanzania for a while now after travelling through Europe.

The rainy season has ended, and with July a new safari season begins. July and August mark the height of the Great Migration, when millions of wildebeest, together with zebras, cross the famous Grumeti and Mara rivers in Serengeti in search of greener grass.

With the start of the season, there is plenty of work to do. Yet I still can't stop thinking about a small Portuguese chapel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in the town of Vila do Conde.

During Portugal's Age of Discovery, Vila do Conde was a shipbuilding centre. Today you can visit a replica of a ship from Vasco da Gama's time. It is a reminder that brave sailors once left this small town to cross the oceans and discover the world.

Right beside the ocean stands a tiny chapel. Inside is a painting of sailors sitting in a boat during a storm, praying for protection.

Looking at that painting, I remembered another Portuguese chapel. Even smaller. Even simpler. Yet, in essence, the same. It stands on Africa's east coast, in the town of Malindi beside the Indian Ocean.

And that was the moment I began thinking about courage.

Sailors. Explorers. A tiny chapel. A prayer. What does courage actually mean?

Until then, I had always thought courage meant not being afraid. Then a thought came to me that surprised me. Perhaps courage does not mean being fearless at all. Perhaps courage simply includes fear.

That thought brings back another scene.

Six years ago, I came to Tanzania for the first time as a tourist. Back then, I met Roman. He was my safari guide and driver. Today he is my husband and my partner in our Tanzanian safari company.

At the time, he told me he had never met anyone as brave as I was.

It came as a complete surprise. Not only because those words came from someone who had spent more than thirty years working as a safari guide and driver, but also because nobody had ever described me that way before. I had never thought about people in those terms, and I certainly had never thought of myself as a brave person.

A few years after we started living together, he smiled and said that he had finally figured me out.

"You're afraid just like everyone else. The difference is that fear doesn't stop you. When you decide something has to be done, you do it. You're afraid, but you do it anyway."

I could agree with that because I recognised myself in his words.

Whenever I think about fear, one image has always filled me with deep respect: the soldiers who stepped out onto the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

I am convinced they knew that only a few of them would survive.

Were they fearless? I doubt it. They believed they had to do what they were there to do.

Years ago, I watched a television interview with a well-known rally driver. A journalist asked him whether he was ever afraid of driving so fast. "Of course," he replied. He explained that fear is a signal. It tells you that going any faster may leave you without enough time to react. Fear deserves respect. That is why you should not drive any faster.

Again, fear had nothing to do with fearlessness. Fear became something rational. Almost a unit of measurement.

After all these thoughts, I found myself translating the word courage into the language of the rational world. The translation was simple.

Risk management.

Is courage the absence of fear? Are courage and fear simply two sides of the same coin? Or does courage mean recognising the risks, choosing to act anyway, while fear simply helps us see those risks?

It's interesting how everything in the world seems to come together. How one small place can suddenly make you realise how deeply connected our world really is.

What surprises me even more is that it was Tanzania that taught me—a Northern European with a strong European identity—to see the world in a completely new way.

--------------------------

About the Author:

Dace Zandfelde is a Northern European entrepreneur living in Tanzania. Together with her Tanzanian husband, Roman Shirima, she co-founded Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS. Through Dace's Journal, she reflects on the ideas, people and unexpected connections she discovers while living between Europe and East Africa.

Tanzania Is Home to Africa's Largest Lion Population

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 14:06:00 +0000

Tanzania has once again confirmed its status as one of Africa's greatest wildlife destinations.

According to the 2024/25 national wildlife census, the country is home to approximately 17,200 lions — the largest lion population on the African continent.

For safari travellers, this is another reminder of why Tanzania remains one of the world's premier destinations for wildlife viewing.

The findings were presented by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) as part of the country's latest wildlife census, conducted across all major ecological systems in Tanzania. The survey was the first nationwide wildlife census of its kind in a decade.

According to the census results, Tanzania hosts an estimated 17,200 lions. South Africa follows with approximately 3,284 lions, Botswana with 3,064, Kenya with 2,515 and Zambia with 2,349.

The census also recorded around 328,000 African buffaloes, making Tanzania the continent's leading country for buffalo populations as well.

For visitors on safari, these numbers reflect the scale of Tanzania's protected ecosystems, which include world-famous destinations such as the Serengeti National Park, Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

For safari enthusiasts, healthy lion populations mean greater opportunities to observe one of Africa's most iconic predators in its natural habitat.

While wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, Tanzania remains one of the best places in Africa to encounter lions during a safari.

According to information released by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) and reported by The Citizen, the 2024/25 wildlife census found that Tanzania hosts Africa's largest lion population, estimated at approximately 17,200 lions.

Tanzania – Africa’s Best Safari Destination of 2025

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:05:00 +0000

In the 2025 World Travel Awards ceremony, Tanzania received several prestigious tourism awards. Officially recognized as Africa’s Leading Destination.

We at Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS are proud to invite you to discover these award-winning places together with us.

Why Choose a Safari in Tanzania?

Tanzania offers one of the most authentic safari experiences in the world. From the world-famous Great Migration in the Serengeti to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, this country combines breathtaking nature, rich culture, and heartfelt hospitality. A safari in Tanzania is more than wildlife viewing – it’s an unforgettable journey full of moments that stay with you.

Award-Winning National Parks and Attractions in Tanzania (2025)

Serengeti National Park

– Best National Park in Africa (Africa’s Leading National Park) and Best Big Five Destination in Africa (Africa’s Leading Big Five National Park).
Famous for the Great Wildebeest Migration and excellent chances to see all members of the Big Five – lion, elephant, rhino, leopard, and buffalo.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

– Top Tourist Attraction in Africa (Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction).
A vast volcanic crater filled with wildlife and stunning scenery – like stepping into a nature documentary.

Mount Kilimanjaro National Park

– Best Mountain National Park in Africa (Africa’s Leading Mountain National Park).
Whether you climb to the top or explore the lower slopes, Kilimanjaro offers unforgettable landscapes and atmosphere.

Ruaha National Park

– Leading Cultural National Park in Africa (Africa’s Leading Cultural National Park).
A more off-the-beaten-path experience with fewer tourists, more elephants, and opportunities to connect with local traditions.

Nyerere National Park

– Most Scenic National Park in Africa (Africa’s Leading Scenic National Park).
The largest national park in Africa, with vast wilderness and boat safaris along the Rufiji River.

Tarangire National Park

– Top Elephant Paradise in Africa (Africa’s Leading Elephant Paradise National Park).
A haven for large elephant herds among iconic baobab trees – one of the best places to see elephants up close.

Kitulo National Park

– Best Honeymoon Destination in Africa (Africa’s Leading Honeymoon Destination).
Also known as the “Garden of God,” this floral paradise is perfect for couples and nature lovers.

Arriving in Tanzania: Airport and Tourism Board

Julius Nyerere International Airport (Dar es Salaam)

– Best Airport in Africa (Africa’s Leading Airport).
A modern and convenient gateway to start your safari journey.

Tanzania Tourist Board

– Leading Tourist Board in Africa (Africa’s Leading Tourist Board).
This award highlights Tanzania’s ongoing commitment to accessible and sustainable tourism.

Plan Your Safari with Local Experts

Tanzania’s award-winning national parks and natural wonders are not only globally recognized – they truly are some of the most spectacular places on Earth.

At Tanzania Safari Experts – ROM & DACE SAFARIS, we specialize in private safaris in Tanzania and will gladly help you choose the best route and experience for your trip.

Contact us to start planning your Tanzania safari, or browse through our safari itineraries, which include these award-winning destinations.

May 3rd: World Leopard Day

Sat, 03 May 2025 09:32:00 +0000

The leopard – a silent hunter, master of the trees, and one of the most stunning yet elusive predators in the wild.

We are lucky in Tanzania – these graceful creatures can still be found roaming free. Leopards can be found in several of Tanzania’s national parks, but they are not animals that you can simply expect to see on every game drive.

They are solitary and secretive, often resting in trees or disappearing into thick vegetation. So where are you most likely to encounter one?

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗱?

Mikumi National Park
Nyerere (Selous) National Park
Serengeti National Park
Ngorongoro Crater
Ruaha National Park
Katavi National Park
Tarangire National Park
Mkomazi National Park

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆!

Leopards are true masters of camouflage. During the day, they often rest in trees or hide in thick bush, blending in perfectly with their surroundings. When hunting, they stalk their prey quietly and strike with lightning speed. That’s why seeing a leopard on safari is always a special moment.

Leopards play a crucial role in African ecosystems, helping to maintain balance in nature. World Leopard Day reminds us how important it is to protect wildlife and their natural habitats – even when we admire them from behind a camera lens.

Want to explore Tanzania’s wildlife for yourself? Take a look at our safari tours.

Leopard in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania