About Essentia
Wild at heart.
Human by design.
We are a small, owner-run safari studio in East Africa. We build slow, intentional journeys the kind that let a place change you.
Our Story
Born around one campfire in 2014.
Essentia began with a single Land Cruiser, a borrowed tent and a promise between two friends: take people into the bush the way we would take our own family slowly, honestly, and on foot whenever possible.
Twelve seasons later we are still small on purpose. Every journey is planned by the people who will guide it, and every camp is one we have slept in ourselves.
2014
Founded on the rim of Ngorongoro
6
Guests per vehicle, never more
18
Local guides, trackers and hosts
10%
Of every trip funds conservation
How We Travel
Three rules we never break.
01
Slow, Not Stacked
One region, done properly. We would rather you know one valley well than photograph five from a window.
02
Hosted, Not Handled
Maasai guides, ranger friends and camp owners lead every journey. You travel with people, not an itinerary.
03
Wild First
Sightings follow the animals, never the other way around. No baiting, no crowding, no off-road chasing.
“The best safari is the one that slows you down until the bush starts speaking first.”
The People
You travel with our family.
Small team, long friendships. These are the people you will actually meet at the airstrip.
Lemayian Ole Saitoti
Head Guide & Co-Founder
Raised in a boma outside the Ngorongoro highlands, Lemayian has tracked lion on foot since he was twelve. He reads the bush the way others read a map.
Naserian Melita
Walking Safari Lead
A botanist by training and a storyteller by nature. Naserian leads our walking days tracks, plants, spoor and the small lives most safaris miss.
The Wider Family
Cooks, Drivers & Camp Crew
Eighteen people make an Essentia trip feel effortless. Most have been with us since the first season, and many guests return to see them again.
What You Can Expect
Straight answers, quietly delivered.
Private Vehicles Only
Your own cruiser, your own pace. Stop for an hour at a dung beetle if it fascinates you nobody is waiting.
Honest Season Advice
We tell you when tracks close and when camps are full. If a month is wrong for what you want, we say so.
Small Camps, Real Places
Canvas over chandeliers. We choose camps for their light, their location and the people who run them.
Fair Money, Locally Held
Guides, cooks, drivers and land leases are paid directly. Most of your trip cost stays in the region.
Good To Know
Questions we hear every week.
Where do your journeys run?
Tanzania and Kenya, with occasional private extensions into Rwanda for gorilla trekking. Every route on this site is one we run ourselves.
How far ahead should we book?
Nine months for peak season crossings, four to six for shoulder and green season. Last-minute trips are sometimes possible just ask.
Is it safe for children?
Yes, from age six on most journeys. We shape days around younger travellers: shorter drives, hands-on tracking and camps with room to roam.
What does a trip cost?
Most private journeys run between €4,800 and €9,500 per person depending on season, route and camps. A written quote follows every enquiry.
Ready When You Are
Tell us when, and we will tell you where.
A short message is all it takes. We reply within a day, with honest advice never a brochure.