About Us

We Are Tanzania.

Started on an island. Built for an entire country. Operated by people who live it, every day.

It started as WeAreZanzibar - a simple idea to put honest, local knowledge about the island online at a time when most travel content was written by people who had never been there. No sponsored posts. No copy-paste guides. Just real information from people on the ground.

The island kept pulling in travelers with bigger plans. People arrived in Zanzibar wanting Kilimanjaro. Zanzibar honeymooners needed a Serengeti add-on. Safari groups needed seamless Stone Town extensions. We kept helping, and eventually it made more sense to grow than to stay small.

WeAreTanzania is what that growth became - a single operation covering the mainland and the islands, built on the same foundation: local experts, direct arrangements, no unnecessary layers between the traveler and the experience.

Direct. Local. No Middlemen.

You talk to the team on the ground

Not a call centre. Not a booking platform. You reach Luck, Said, or Mudi directly - people who are in Zanzibar and Moshi right now and know the roads, the lodges, and what's actually worth booking this season.

We build your itinerary around you

Share your dates, your group, your budget, and what you care about. We handle the rest; transfers, accommodation, activities, ferries, permits - coordinated locally so nothing falls through the cracks.

The People Behind the Operation

The Team

Thomas van Ruiten is a Dutch executive coach and leadership trainer who traded the Netherlands for Tanzania and built something here instead. His work has always centered on one idea that people are capable of far more than they currently believe, and that the right environment - the right challenge - can prove it to them fast. Besides WeAreTanzania, Thomas van Ruiten runs intensive coaching programs for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and professional athletes across Europe - programs known for being confrontational, deeply personal, and genuinely effective. Clients describe him as someone who asks the questions no one else dares to ask, and who does it with enough humor and warmth that you don't realize how far he's pushed you until afterward. The Kilimanjaro leadership expeditions he runs through WeAreTanzania are a direct extension of that work - using the mountain as a mirror. Twelve days. Africa's highest summit. No standard tracks. By the time you reach Uhuru Peak, the climb is the least interesting thing that happened to you. Tom holds the long-term vision for WeAreTanzania: a company that creates genuine impact for travelers and for the local communities they pass through.

Luck holds a Bachelor of Arts with Education from St. Augustine University of Tanzania in Mbeya, and has been working in travel content and guest coordination since 2019. He is the person behind the guides that hundreds of travelers read every month before they book - detailed, honest, and written by someone who has actually been to the places he writes about. His knowledge of Tanzania is practical and wide. Zanzibar's beaches, backstreets, and boat schedules. Moshi's guesthouses and gateway routes up Kilimanjaro. Arusha's safari operators and what to ask them before you commit. Luck has spent years building that knowledge on the ground, and it shows in the specificity of everything he writes. Beyond content, Luck handles the full guest journey - from the first chat message to the confirmed itinerary. His background in education shapes how he communicates: clearly, patiently, and with a genuine interest in making sure each traveler actually understands what they're signing up for. He is also an avid reader, which perhaps explains why the guides read the way they do.

Said was born in Zanzibar, has spent his entire life here, and has more than 15 years of professional experience running ground operations across the island. That combination - being a native and having spent a decade and a half working with travelers - gives him a level of local knowledge that is genuinely hard to find. He leads a team of more than 8 drivers covering every corner of the archipelago: Stone Town airport runs, Nungwi transfers, Paje drop-offs, private beach escapes, and everything in between. He also coordinates our boat operations - and knows the waters around Zanzibar the way most people know their own neighborhood. Sandbanks, tidal windows, which captains to trust and when. Said's network of local operator relationships has been built over years of consistent, fair dealing. When something needs to happen in Zanzibar - fast, reliably, at any hour - Said is the person we call. So is almost everyone else who works seriously in Zanzibar tourism.

Mohamed was born in Moshi, at the foot of Kilimanjaro, and has been working in tourism and transport since he finished secondary school. That is over a decade of daily involvement in the Northern Circuit - the routes, the operators, the lodges, the border procedures, the seasonal patterns, and everything else that determines whether a safari goes smoothly or falls apart. He runs Morgan Travels, a dedicated tourist transport company and a WeAreTanzania sister company, which handles all mainland ground logistics for our guests. Custom 4x4 Land Cruisers for the Serengeti. Shared shuttles from JRO Airport to Moshi and Arusha. Private transfers to Kilimanjaro trailheads. Ngorongoro and Tarangire circuit coordination. Morgan Travels operates at a standard that reflects what WeAreTanzania promises - and Mudi built it from the ground up. When you arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport and your transfer is already waiting, that is Mudi's work. When your 4x4 shows up on time at 5am for a Serengeti game drive, same story.

Jeroen van Egmond is a Dutch engineer based in Barcelona who built the site you're using and keeps it running. The guides load fast, read well on a phone, and turn up when someone searches for them — that's his work. His focus is on how the site feels to use. Pages that open immediately, wherever you are and whatever you're on. A quote request that takes a minute, not fifteen. Information that's findable at the moment you actually need it. Most of that work is invisible by design — the sign it's been done well is that you never had to think about it. Honest information only works if people can find it. That's the part Jeroen owns.

The Principles We Won't Compromise On

Direct local impact

We work directly with local guides, drivers, and boat operators. Fair pay goes to the people doing the work - not to middlemen sitting elsewhere. Every booking supports a family in Zanzibar or Moshi, not a commission layer in another country.

Verified before recommended

Every route, hotel, activity, and operator we recommend has been used by our team. We don't list anything based on commissions alone. If we haven't been there or sent someone we trust, it doesn't go on the site.

Real-time ground support

Because our team lives in Zanzibar and Moshi, you always have someone reachable when it matters. Flight delayed? Ferry changed? Transfer needed at short notice? We are on the ground and responding - not answering tickets from a head office.

Honest information, always

The guides on this site exist because most travel content online is either outdated, sponsored, or written by someone who's never visited. We write what we actually know - including what's not worth your money and when to go versus when to stay home.

The Full Tanzania Circuit - Islands and Mainland

From the moment you land to the moment you leave, we coordinate everything. Here's what we cover:

Trusted by Travelers

What Travelers Say About Us

Read what people love about WeAreTanzania - from our local guides to our transfer service.

Read More Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Exceptional service, unforgettable memories! I rarely write reviews, but We Are Tanzania truly deserves an exception! My partner and I wanted to discover authentic Tanzania through a personalised itinerary, while respecting our budget and preferences. Luck patiently organised everything, from Pemba Island and Jozani Forest to a safari in Nyerere National Park. His professionalism, transparency and genuine kindness were remarkable. No pressure, just thoughtful advice and exceptional service. Everything was flawlessly arranged: transportation, guides, transfers and activities. Even navigating the organised chaos of Stone Town’s ferry terminal was effortless thanks to their assistance. Without them, we might have ended up in Dar es Salaam instead! 😉 What impressed us most was their extraordinary flexibility. After our safari, they happily accommodated an unplanned detour through Stone Town so I could find a unique handmade painting I had spotted days earlier. When we felt rather tired, they effortlessly replaced our Village Tour with a peaceful canoe trip through the mangroves, which became one of our most unforgettable experiences. Even after our final excursion, Luck kindly offered to arrange our airport transfer. A special thank you to Said, our wonderful driver, for his reliability, kindness and constant attentiveness. And apologies for any snoring in the back seat! 😉 Having limited experience travelling outside Europe, trusting an unfamiliar company with a significant holiday budget initially felt daunting. Yet We Are Tanzania exceeded every expectation. Flexibility, value, quality, authenticity and personalised service: 5/5. Professionalism: 6/5! Perfect ratings may sound cliché, but I genuinely cannot think of anything they could have done better. If the experience had merely been good, I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to write this review. Luck, Said and everyone involved: thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You didn’t simply organise excursions; you gave us peace of mind, unforgettable memories and a genuine appreciation for Tanzania. Asante sana! 🇹🇿❤️

As a solo traveler, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience than the one I had with We Are Zanzibar, operated by Tom and Saidi. From the very beginning, communication was clear and reassuring—something that really mattered to me while traveling alone. They were professional, responsive, and their pricing felt fair and transparent. Everything from booking to the actual tours flowed effortlessly, and I truly appreciated how thoughtfully they customized the itinerary to suit my interests and pace. During my trip, I visited several beautiful places. On my first day, I explored Nakupenda Beach and Prison Island. The second day was just as special, featuring an underwater sea walk followed by an aquarium visit where I swam with and fed the turtles—an absolutely unforgettable experience. What stood out most was their attention to detail and how smoothly everything was organized. I felt safe, relaxed, and genuinely cared for throughout the journey. I highly recommend arranging your Zanzibar holiday with them, especially if you’re traveling solo and value ease, trust, and meaningful experiences.

About Us

We Are Tanzania.

Direct. Local. No Middlemen.

You talk to the team on the ground

We build your itinerary around you

The People Behind the Operation

The Team

Thomas van Ruiten

Luck Mwaifuge

Said Maalim

Morgan Mohamed Mshana

Jeroen van Egmond

The Principles We Won't Compromise On

The Full Tanzania Circuit - Islands and Mainland

What Travelers Say About Us