Responsible travel
Sustainability at Gosheni
How our guides drive in the parks, which lodges we sell, what we ask of you, and where we still have work to do. Every policy is published in full below.
Where we stand
We are a locally owned operator in Arusha, and every guide, mechanic, cook and planner on our team is Tanzanian. Much of what follows we have done for years. In 2025 we wrote it down properly, set it against Travelife standards and published our first sustainability report.
That report is candid about the gaps. Hybrid and electric safari vehicles are not yet practical in Tanzania. We do not yet give a fixed share of profits to community projects. Our guiding team is still mostly men. We would rather you read that from us than find it out later.
What we hold to
Four commitments on every safari
Wildlife first
Our guides never chase, block or call animals, stay on marked tracks, and keep sightings short so other vehicles get a turn.
Lighter on the land
Engines off while we watch, smooth driving, routes planned to save fuel, and a fleet kept efficient by our own mechanics.
Tanzanian hands
An all-Tanzanian team, local suppliers where we can, and time and money for schools and children's welfare near Arusha.
Lodges with standards
We favour camps with solar power, water saving and fair pay for staff, and every new supplier hears what we expect.
On safari
Less waste between the game drives
Our in-house mechanics inspect every Land Cruiser at the start and end of each safari and keep it on a preventive service schedule, which keeps fuel use and emissions down. On the road, our guides avoid idling and drive smoothly.
Lunch used to come in single-use boxes. Now it is a hot meal on plates with washable cutlery. Soft drinks come in glass bottles, which are easier to recycle, and our vehicles carry large water containers so you can refill a bottle instead of buying plastic ones. Itineraries and forms are digital.
Where you sleep
How we choose the lodges we sell
Internationally certified lodges are still rare in Tanzania, so we look at what a place actually does: solar power, water-saving systems, how it handles waste, and whether its staff earn at least the minimum wage with fair hours and rest. When we recommend a lodge, we favour the ones that do this well.
Every new supplier hears from the start that we are a Travelife-committed operator, and we review our choices as part of our reporting. You can still ask for a particular lodge: our criteria leave room for that.
Community
More of your money stays local
All of our guides, mechanics and office staff are Tanzanian, and we hire on skill, not gender. Our team volunteers with government schools and community projects near Arusha, from supply drives to rebuilding work, and we give money and staff time to children's welfare initiatives.
On safari we point you towards local artisans and food sellers, so more of what you spend reaches the people who made it. Every guide works to a zero-tolerance child protection rule. The Gosheni Foundation has more on our community work.
Your part
Six things we ask of you
We send these with every booking. They take no effort and they make a real difference.
Give animals room
Follow your guide's lead at sightings, and never feed or call an animal.
Refill, do not buy
Bring a reusable bottle and fill it from our vehicle water containers. Skip single-use plastic.
Ask before a photo
Always ask before you photograph someone, and take no for an answer.
Dress for the village
Cover shoulders and knees in villages and towns. A "jambo" and an "asante" go a long way.
No gifts to children
Please do not hand out money, sweets or gifts. Ask us how to give through a school instead.
Shop with care
Buy from local artisans, and never buy anything made from endangered species.
What comes next
Our first report set out the work for 2026 and 2027:
- Measurable targets for waste, water, energy and community support, including the share of eco-lodges we use.
- A sustainability question in our guest feedback.
- Stronger staff welfare programmes.
- More partnerships with eco-lodges and community projects.
We will publish a full sustainability report every two years, and the documents below are kept up to date in between.
Travel Resources
Read the policies in full
Ask us anything
Questions about how we work?
We welcome scrutiny: on our policies, our suppliers or our staff welfare. Write to sustainability@goshenisafaris.com and a person, not a template, will answer.