Ways to travel
Safaris for LGBTQ+ travellers
Same-sex couples welcome, with the details handled before you land
- Suits
- Couples, friends and solo travellers
- Rooms
- Double bed confirmed in writing
- Vehicle
- Private, with your own guide
- Support
- WhatsApp line throughout
For most same-sex couples, the worry about a safari isn't hostility. It's the small, tiring moments: twin beds at check-in, a question repeated at every lodge, having to explain yourselves again. We sort those out before you arrive, so you don't have to.
We will also be honest with you. Same-sex relationships are criminalised in both Kenya and Tanzania. Foreign visitors are very rarely affected, and a private safari and camp is a different world from a city street, but we won't pretend the law isn't there. You decide how visible you want to be, and we plan around that.
What we do before you arrive
We book with lodges and camps we know to be welcoming, and confirm in writing that your room has one double or king bed. We brief your guide, so the person you spend every day with already knows and nothing needs explaining.
We also tell each lodge exactly as much as you want them to know: everything, nothing beyond the bed arrangement, or something in between. It is your call, and we stick to it.
Honest advice on where to go
Smaller, owner-run camps and private conservancies tend to be the most relaxed, with consistent staff and fewer other guests. A private vehicle means your game drives are yours alone. At the coast, a private villa or a quieter resort usually suits better than a large hotel.
Public displays of affection are best kept for private spaces, as they are for any couple in much of the region. We'll tell you plainly if anywhere on a route isn't a good fit, and suggest an alternative.
What we arrange
- Your room confirmed in writing as one double or king bed, not twins
- Lodges and camps we know to be welcoming
- Your guide briefed in advance, so there are no awkward questions
- A private vehicle and guide for the whole trip, as on every Zawame safari
- Honeymoon and anniversary touches on the same terms as any couple
- Our team on WhatsApp throughout your trip
How it works
- Talk to us
Tell us who is travelling, when, and how private you want things to be. WhatsApp or email, whichever you prefer.
- Your plan
We suggest a route and lodges, and explain why each one fits.
- We confirm
Rooms are confirmed in writing and your guide is briefed before you fly.
- On safari
Your guide meets you at the airport and stays with you throughout. We are on WhatsApp the whole time.
Routes to build on
Our existing itineraries, ready to adapt. Tell us which appeals and we'll tailor it to you.
Good to know
Is it safe for a same-sex couple to go on safari?
Thousands of LGBTQ+ travellers visit Kenya and Tanzania each year without problems. Public displays of affection are best avoided, as they are for any couple in much of the region. Inside a private vehicle, camp or villa it is a different matter, and we choose places where you can relax.
Will the lodges know we are a couple?
Only if you want them to. We confirm the bed arrangement in writing either way, and tell the lodge and guide as much or as little as you choose.
Can we celebrate a honeymoon or anniversary?
Yes. Ask for the same touches any couple would get, from a private dinner to a balloon flight, and we arrange them.
What if something goes wrong?
You can reach us on WhatsApp at any time during your trip. If a room or anything else isn't right, we deal with it directly with the lodge.
Tell us when you can travel. We'll do the rest.
Send your dates and a rough idea of what you want to see. We come back with a day-by-day route and a quote, usually within one working day.