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Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
- Office In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
-
BIRWTZUG
- Price Range:
- $50 to $350 ppper person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
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If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Trudie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Timing was very good and everyone was friendly and helpful. Last accom a bit noisy, but comfortable.
Everything happened very smoothly, timing with each step of the tour was really good. People friendly and helpful. The accommodation in Kigoma was just a bit noisy, but otherwise good.
Email Greg | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very flexible, friendly and responsive service
I reccommend Gombe Safaris and Tours. It is a very flexible, friendly and responsive service. They put together a good tour which met my needs. Overall, the service providers they used were also good in Kigoma and Gombe. The only area for improvement would have been communications (maybe a bit clearer on the schedules), and ensuring that the service providers on the ground were fully up to speed but overall it was very good.
Email David Yekutiel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A short visit to paradise
Myself and 2 friends booked 3-day Gombe Stream. It was a no-frills trip to possibly the most beautiful place on earth! Everything worked fine, simple and efficient service (basically just booking the flights and getting us from A to B to C etc.) . Totally worth the reasonable price. Lovely boat ride on the lake, simple but good accommodation, fantastic Chimp viewing and forest walk, great bathing in the lake - just relax and have fun in this very un-touristy and atmospheric corner of Africa. Recommended for nature lovers, not for the over-pampered.
Email Kate | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great 3 day safari in Mikumi
I went on the 3 day Mikumi safari with a friend and it ended up just being the two of us on the tour - great price for a private safari!
We got picked up from a Dar Es Salaam Airport hotel and drove to Mikumi with our guide John. We had car problems along the way which was unfortunate, but we still arrived in plenty of time to get an evening tour in.
We saw a lot on the trip - giraffes, elephants, hippos, crocs, wildebeests, baboons, zebras etc. We even managed to see a pride of lions (John had heard there were some off the main road so we headed straight there before breakfast).
The accommodation was basic but fine, and the employees at Mikumi cottages were all lovely. The food was good too, although we had the same every day - pancakes, sausage, egg and watermelon for breakfast, and rice and meat for dinner.
We managed to get in 2 morning drives and 2 evening drives which was plenty as you're generally out in the car for around 4 hours. On the second day we also had lunch/a rest at a lovely place in the park which overlooked the park so you could see animals in the distance as you ate!
I was unsure what to expect of the tour given the lack of reviews, but it was one of the best experiences I've had and i would really recommend it to anyone!
Excellent Experience Overall, but improvements could be made
The experience of being close to chimpanzees in their natural environment will always overshadow anything else. It was absolutely amazing! By far, one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. Worth it, completely!
As for the safari company, they were fair to good. I could only find 2 companies online and I chose Gombe Track. When you are paying a lot of money for a safari you expect to not have to handle little details, like where you will be sleeping (there was a big miscommunication between the national park and the company and there were no beds for us). As well, when we paid the other half of the bill in cash, it was just out in the open (seemed dangerous and not professional) and the person I gave the money to did not seem to understand that I am handing over hundreds of dollars and it would be nice to have an envelope or some recognition that he is the right person because the main guy could not meet up with us initially ... It was strange. Some suggestions for improvement would be to have the owner of the company to personally meet with the tourists and explain the itinerary and what is going on and give him the money directly! When some random person picks you up from the airport and doesn't explain where you are going or what his role is, it is just a little frustrating and does not start the trip off well. As well, it is not explained well that the guide you have is hired by the park and you only meet him/her at the park. It would also be nice to explain the flexibility of the schedule and possibly have an opportunity to stay at a different hotel in Kigoma, if you want. Overall, still an amazing experience but the tour company has some kinks to work out!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good safari to Selous and Mikumi
We had a nice trip to Selous and Mikumi. The owner replied quickly to e-mails and any questions we had. The driver was very punctual, took good care while driving and treated the animals in the park with respect, he also had excellent eye sight and often saw animals before we did. The cook was a good cook and prepared nice meals for us. We enjoyed out trip very much, the only slight drawback was the distance between the two parks, which resulted in one day just driving to get from Selous to Mikumi, without time for sight seeing.
Email Linda | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Mikumi and Udzungwa
We had a great experience with Gombe, many thanks.
The driver took good care of us and was driving very safely.
Communication with Joshua from the office went well and also the price versus quality is ok.
Do not expect luxury, you are in africa, buth enjoy every moment of this beautiful exciting country.
We advise you to end your holiday on Zanzibar thats the place to relax in one of the great resorts!
Great experiance
It was great, we had a lovely tour. The driver was amazing, he know at lot about nature!!
We stay in hippo camp, the place and food are excellent. The logde shut need to be upgrade (holes in wall and Floor) no furniture outside, very old.
Selous parc makes it All worth!
Email Theresa | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Absolutely Amazing!!!
There are not enough adjectives to describe my safari experience. It was absolutely amazing, and by far one of the best experiences I have had in my lifetime. I booked a Chimpanzee Trek with Joshua from Gombe Wild Chimp Safaris for my 65th birthday. Joshua responded very quickly to any questions and I had and made the planning of this trip very easy, from start to finish. He even reached out to me after I had returned home to insure everything was satisfactory.
My guide, Samje, was waiting for me upon my arrival at the Kigoma Airport was and was available to me throughout the 4 day safari. After a 2 hour boat ride up Lake Tanganyika, we (boat captain and assistant, private chef and guide) arrived at the camp. After a short briefing, Samje and I headed out on our first trek. We saw several chimps the first day. The second day we had rain but it did not deter the chimpanzees from coming out. We saw at least 20 chimpanzees both the 2nd and 3rd day. Many times they even walked right in front of us. My greatest pleasure was watching the babies/toddlers playing. Samje was extremely knowledgeable about chimpanzee behavior and it definitely added to the experience, learning about termite fishing, mating, the different calls they make, etc. Samje also showed me Jane Goodall's house, and he took me on a trek to Jane's Peak and to the waterfall.
The accommodations were great. I stayed at the Kasekela tented camp and had everything I needed. The camp is in a remote area right on the banks of Lake Tanganyika. The water in the lake is crystal clear. The camp has hot water and solar powered electricity. The food was excellent! I was even surprised by a wonderful birthday dinner and birthday cake, along with a bonfire, music and singing. What an incredible birthday gift!
On the afternoon of the 3rd day we took the boat back to Kigoma. We went on a tour of the Livingstone Museum Memorial and then Samje delivered me to my hotel with instructions for an early morning pickup tot he airport.
I highly recommend using Gombe Wild Chimp Safaris to anyone considering a chimpanzee trek. Joshua and his staff are absolutely amazing and made sure I had the best best chimp viewing experience. Thank you so much!!!
Email Julia and Simon | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good description, quick response, clear website
All in all a very Nice Trip to a small NP.
If you Like Adventures & Animals it is a „Must have“.
Disclaimer
- All corporate and/or tour info is provided by Gombe Wild Chimp Safari, not SafariBookings