One vehicle, one idea
EASTCO began in Arusha with private journeys, purpose-built vehicles and an unusually personal approach to planning.
EASTCO — SINCE 1992
A history of innovation
One vehicle, one member of staff and a belief that a good safari should be personal, dependable and free of unnecessary ceremony.
WHERE EASTCO BEGAN
There was a gap between budget and luxury.
Founded in 1992, The East African Safari and Touring Company started life as a one-car, one-member-of-staff outfit intent on filling it.
There was a growing middle ground: travellers who wanted the reliability of the up-market operators without the exclusivity of price and attitude that often accompanied it. That became an important thread in EASTCO’s business ethos.
The method reflected the philosophy—good camping equipment, custom-built four-wheel-drive safari vehicles and close attention to what each traveller actually needed. It was practical rather than polished for the sake of it, and it helped EASTCO build a reputation for integrity, dynamism and versatility.
MORE THAN THREE DECADES
How the story unfolded
Not every part of the journey was neat or easy. What remained consistent was a willingness to try a different route and to work beyond the park gates.
Beyond the park boundary
Naitolia Camp opened on village land northeast of Tarangire, followed by work at Ol Tukai Manyara in the wildlife corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara National Park.
Working beyond the park gates
Boundary Hill became part of EASTCO’s work around Lolkisale, strengthening the company’s long connection with the people and landscapes east of Tarangire.
The next generation
EASTCO remains a Tanzanian–Australian family business, still planning private safaris from Arusha and still looking for the quieter road.
A FAMILY BUSINESS
Built in Tanzania and carried forward by family.
Simon King founded EASTCO in 1992, working alongside family and a Tanzanian team. Hartley and Julie built their life in Tanzania; Julie is Mwarusha, from the Arusha Maasai community. Their sons, David and Charles, grew up with safari vehicles, camps and guides as part of ordinary life and are now part of the generation running the company.
Simon has since passed away, but his appetite for original routes and his dislike of formulaic safari planning remain part of EASTCO. The company is larger than one person, and the relationships behind it are measured in decades rather than seasons.
“A family with more than 30 years of living, volunteering and working in Tanzania.”
TARANGIRE AND COMMUNITY CONSERVATION
Conservation grew from local relationships.
EASTCO’s work east of Tarangire grew through long relationships with people around Lolkisale and the wider Maasai Steppe. Boundary Hill Lodge was one part of that story: an effort to keep tourism connected to the surrounding community and the wildlife corridor beyond the park.
The lodge is under different ownership today. For EASTCO, the lasting lesson is simpler than the old business structure: tourism works best when local families can see practical value in keeping land open for wildlife.
Read our Tarangire guide →
PRIVATE AND PERSONAL
The original idea still shapes the safaris.
We do not always offer what the mainstream operators offer—there are hundreds of safari companies that can do that. We try to create something personal and distinctive without compromising the wildlife viewing that brought you here in the first place.
Tanzania is more than wildlife. It is a country of varied landscapes and many cultures. After so many years living, travelling and working in East Africa, our favourite places and interests naturally appear in the journeys we design: birding and botany, wildlife safaris, the Maasai Steppe and routes that make room for life beyond the busiest circuit.
Explore our private Tanzania safaris →YOUR SAFARI, YOUR DATES
Tell us what you have in mind.
Share your dates, interests and travel style. A member of our safari team will reply within 24 hours with the next practical steps.