Our story
Gallivanters was never only a hostel.
It was a place where travelers arrived as strangers, shared stories around the table and often left feeling connected to Tanzania—and to one another—in a way they had not expected.
A place built around welcome
Gallivanters grew from our belief that a hostel could offer more than a bed. At our Masaki home in Dar es Salaam, travelers rested between journeys, made safari plans, shared meals and found community.
I cared about how people felt when they walked through the gate. Kibwana brought the grounded local knowledge that helped guests see Tanzania with more understanding. Our team gave the place its everyday warmth.
It was imperfect, lively and real—and that was its beauty.
Then the Masaki chapter ended.
Losing the property meant losing a business we had poured ourselves into. It also meant saying goodbye to a place filled with our work, our memories and thousands of small moments that could never be replaced by a polished version of the story.
We are not pretending that part was easy. But the end of the building was not the end of Gallivanters.
Meet the founders
Tamara Ramsay
Co-founder, storyteller and the person shaping Gallivanters’ guest experience and next chapter. Tamara writes honestly about Tanzania, entrepreneurship, loss, rebuilding and the life created between two countries.
Kibwana Juma Ramadhan
Tanzanian guide, tour operator and co-founder. Kibwana’s local knowledge, calm presence and years of guiding help travelers experience Tanzania through someone who knows the country as home.
What Gallivanters stands for
Welcome warmly
People remember how a place made them feel.
Tell the truth
Travel advice should be useful, honest and grounded.
Know the place
Local knowledge matters more than generic promises.
Create connection
Accommodation matters; community makes it memorable.
Concept image — a vision for the future, not a completed property
Our next chapter
We are building our way back.
The future Gallivanters is still being planned. We are exploring how to rebuild in Mbezi Beach with the same spirit of welcome, while creating something more sustainable for the years ahead.
Until then, you can follow the real journey through our journal or explore Tanzania with Kibwana’s safari company.
