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To serve you better we urge you to contact us for any reason, from specific questions to help planning your next adventure.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have reviews?

You can read what our previous customers have said on our Facebook page, Google business (type Visit Natives on Google), and on Tripadvisor. We post frequetly customer interviews on our blog too.



Is it dangerous to camp in the wild?

Camping in nature is generally safe and being in close contact with nature is good for our well-being. Your hosts are indigenous people who have deep knowledge of the area and they know it better than any other local.

In Tanzania, you sleep in a tent that is set up in our bush camp. The bush camp is guarded 24/7 by our Maasai warriors or by a ranger if we camp inside a National Park. You should not leave your tent alone at night. A Maasai warrior or ranger will escort you if you need to go outside at night.

In Norway, you sleep either in a reindeer herders’ wilderness cabin or in a traditional Sami ”lavvu" tent. There are no dangerous animals in Northern Norway and camping is safe. The wilderness cabin and tents are heated.



How to be safe with wild animals?

The Maasai and the Hadzabe have co-existed thousands of years with wild animals in Tanzania. There are a few rules you should follow.
1. Don’t swim or wash your hands in rivers or lakes because there can be hippos and crocodiles. If you swim on fresh water you may get Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever and bilharzia.
2. Never try to pet, handle, or feed animals. Any animal can bite, scratch, kick, or otherwise injure you. Rabies virus infects domestic and wild animals and is spread to people through close contact with infected animals’ saliva via bites or scratches.The main threat come from dogs and cats, but also from bats and monkeys.
3. Don’t leave your tent at night.
4. Always follow the instructions given by your Maasai or Hadzabe guides.



Is tourism good for indigenous peoples?

Visit Natives protects the rights of the indigenous peoples. We work in close consultation with WINTA (World Indigenous Tourism Alliance) and all our work follows the Indigenous Tourism Engagement Framework for protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples through tourism. This framework is based on the United Nations's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2007, the Larrakia Declaration 2012, and benchmarked against other important international guidelines on the rights of Indigenous peoples.

We work with indigenous peoples who have an interest in sustainable indigenous tourism. All out tours are planned, designed and implemented by the indigenous peoples themselves, like the Maasai, the Hadzabe and the Sami. We support and embrace their languages, cultures, traditional dressing, beliefs, and traditional knowledge systems. Our mission is to support indigenous peoples’ economic development and human well-being.



Are your tours suitable for everyone?

We don’t have age limits on our tours. Our experiences are suitable for all travelers who enjoy being in nature and outdoors. The tours are not physically demanding, and we have hosted families with young children too. The amenities are basic ones, such as a portable toilet and a bucket shower. All our tours take place in nature where is no electricity.



Can I take photos on people?

On our tours indigenous peoples are your hosts, who open their homes for you. For them, you are a guest, not a tourist. Therefore you are allowed to take photos on people, animals and landscape freely. When you are in towns, cities or when you see other people than our hosts you should always ask a permission before you take a photo.



Which payments do you approve?

You can pay your trip with a credit card or via bank transfer. When you book a trip, you need to pay a booking fee immediately to secure your place. The rest need to be paid 14-30 days before to departure depending on the tour. Read also our terms & conditions.



Can I cancel my trip?

Yes, you can cancel your trip without special reason 28 days before departure by paying the booking fee. If you cancel 14 days but no later than 48 hours prior to departure you have to pay 50% of the price of the tour. If you cancel the trip 48 hours prior to departure, Visit Natives has the right to charge the full price of the tour. Read also our terms & conditions.



What should I pack?

We will send you an information letter with a detailed packing list. You’ll have information about your destination’s weather conditions too.



What if I get sick?

Tell us immediately if you feel sick. You’ll be taken to the nearest hospital in case you need to see a doctor. Make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance. It is your responsibility to acquire travel insurance before the stay. As we operate in remote areas, we recommend travel insurance with emergency medical evacuation plan so you get evacuated to modern medical care as soon as possible. Your responsibility is to take care of all vaccinations and medications needed on your trip. Antimalarial medication is recommended for travel in Tanzania. We’ll send you an information letter that include health information.



Should I leave tips?

Visit Natives' tours are fair and responsible, and we pay directly to the indigenous hosts. If you wish you can give tips for your hosts as this provides an excellent opportunity to give back to the people directly.



How can I contribute more?

Visit Natives pays directly to the indigenous hosts, but we also support the broader indigenous community. We give back to the projects that have been planned by the indigenous peoples themselves based on their needs. For example, in Tanzania, we buy health insurances for Maasai women so women can take their children to all governmental clinics and hospitals in Tanzania. In Ngorongoro Conservation Area instead, we are contributing to a project to build a nursery school for Maasai children because there is no school on a walking distance. You can see how your trip helps local people. If you like, you can continue to give support on the project of your host family and community after you have returned home. Contact us for further details.



Are your trips safe?

We are committed to providing safe environment for you. Your health and safety are the key drivers of any decisions. Before your trip, we send you an information letter than contains all vital information concerning safety on your trip. This information includes the most important emergency numbers, vaccination requirements and our safety instructions, among other things. Your responsibility is to follow any given instructions from us. U.S. Government provides safety and security information online for every country of the world to help you assess for yourself the risks of travel. You can check the country information: Norway Tansania



How is your accommodation?

On our trips, you may have a few nights in a 3 to 4-star lodges on your arrival and departure dates. At the bush, you sleep in a tent (single share). Tents are comfortable and big enough so you can stand inside your tent. We provide all camping supplies. We travel in remote areas where is no electricity, but your tent is lighted up with solar lamps. Our bush camp is guarded 24/7. If we camp inside National Parks or Conservation Areas we have also a ranger.



What about sanitation and hygiene?

While staying in the wild, we use a camping toilet (one on the picture, with great views!). In some of our adventures you may have to use bush toilet, if there is no possibility to use a camping toilet. We have always a bucket of water and soap for hand washing. We don't have shower facilitaties, but you have a bucket of hot water to wash yourself every day. During the day, a packet of wipes covers and a hand sanitizer help to cover your basic hygiene needs also.



What kind of food you serve?

We serve food that is freshly made on local ingredients, and that reflects local indigenous dishes. In Norway, your Sami host family cook for you. The traditional Sami food contains reindeer meat, fish, Arctic berries, bread, and much more. In Tanzania, your food is prepaid by our Maasai chefs. They serve delicious food like meat, rice, potatoes, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Our chefs bake fresh bread and pancakes every day.
We cater for all diets, just let us know in advance if you have food restrictions.



Traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Due to the ongoing impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19), we've made a number of updates to our safety guidelines. These are in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization and following the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Travel protocols.

Our COVID-19 precautions:

- Our staff is tested before the tour departures. If anyone on the team has symptoms of COVID-19 during the trip, they refrain from providing the service. - High hygiene in our trips include handwashing facilities with soap and water at all times. - Shared spaces are disinfected regularly. - Staff wears face masks in the car and indoors, and we encourage clients to wear them too. - We provide free face masks for our clients - We avoid greeting with physical contact, including shaking hands and hugging. - When possible, all our activities are outdoors with social distancing. - All our trios are small grouped or home stays. We don't spend time with large crowds of people - COVID‑19 PCR tests and travel certificates are available in Tanzania and Norway



Our office

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Tiilipojanlenkki 4 A
01720  Vantaa

Finland
 

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