Our Story

Eastern Arc Expeditions was born from a shared passion for Tanzania's extraordinary biodiversity, wild places, and conservation. While iconic destinations such as the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro deserve their reputation, we wanted to create opportunities for people to discover a different side of Tanzania — one defined by ancient forests, endemic wildlife, conservation success stories, and meaningful connections with the people who live alongside these landscapes.

Having grown up in East Africa and spent many years living, studying, and working in Switzerland, we are fortunate to understand both worlds. This allows us to combine deep local knowledge and connections with the organisation, reliability, and attention to detail that international travellers expect.

Eastern Arc Expeditions brings together scientific curiosity, practical experience, and a commitment to responsible travel. Our goal is to create journeys that inspire, educate, and contribute positively to the places we visit.

Team

  • Founder, Tanzanian

    Born in Nairobi and raised in rural Tanzania, Florian is a swiss-certified mechanic and technical specialist with a passion for photography and film. His background includes many years spent managing a farm and implementing a small-scale hydroelectric project in rural Tanzania.

    Most importantly, Florian is the guy who knows a guy. Lost the lens cap to your several-thousand-dollar camera lens in the middle of the forest? Need a vehicle repaired in a remote village? Florian has you covered.

    His fluent Swahili, extensive local knowledge, practical experience, remarkable network of contacts, and penchant for problem-solving form the backbone of Eastern Arc Expeditions.

  • Founder, Swiss

    Raised in Arusha, Tanzania and educated in the United States and Switzerland, Steffi is an ecologist with an MSc in Biology and a passion for plants, insects, and shiny rocks. Her background includes large carnivore research and environmental monitoring projects in East Africa, North America, and Antarctica, together with many years of professional experience in product and project management.

    Steffi is the back office behind Eastern Arc Expeditions. From expedition design and communications to partnerships and administration, she thrives on bringing order to complex projects—the one making sure the itineraries make sense and the spreadsheets haven't caught fire.

  • Guide, Italian

    Born in Milan and now based in a small village in the Bergamasque Alps, Simone is a PhD naturalist, wildlife guide and photographer with a strong interest in reptiles and amphibians.

    His background combines academic research in ecology and zoology with extensive field experience in very different environments, from the deep caves of Sardinia and the high-altitude ecosystems of the Alps to the cloud forests of Borneo, the Arctic tundra of Svalbard, the arid Moroccan Sahara and the vast Sahel of Mauritania.

    Although reptiles and amphibians are usually the fastest way to get his attention, Simone is just as happy looking at birds, plants, insects, tracks, calls, habitats and the small ecological details that most people walk past.

    Over the years, he has guided, studied and photographed wildlife across Italy, Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia, always with the same approach: looking beyond the species list to understand animals in relation to their habitats, behaviour and ecology.

  • Guide, Tanzanian

    Pius is a budding Tanzanian herpetologist with a particular fascination for frogs and the hidden lives of amphibians. His Master’s research in Wildlife Ecology takes him into Tanzania’s Ukaguru Mountains, where he studies the elusive Ukaguru spiny-throated reed frog. Pius brings local expertise, scientific curiosity, and a sharp eye for the creatures most people would walk straight past.

  • Camp Manager, Tanzanian

Advisors

  • Advisor

  • Advisor

Our Philosophy

We believe the most memorable journeys are those that foster genuine understanding — of wildlife, ecosystems, cultures, and the challenges facing the natural world.

Whether exploring a remote rainforest, watching elephants on the savanna, climbing Kilimanjaro, or diving along the Indian Ocean coast, we hope every journey leaves guests with a deeper appreciation of Tanzania and its extraordinary natural heritage.