Nahum Joshua Nnko
Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
- Located In:
- Size:
- 10-20 employees (Founded in 2005)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $50 to $350 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
AT
Email Patrik | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Selous Great Experience!
Big thanks to Charles our driver/tour guide and the whole Gombe Safari Team!
Everything went as planned and we had a fantastic time! Charles is pretty much the best driver you can imagine, super friendly, calm and very experienced! He knows how to put a smile on our faces and he knows every corner of Selous Game Reserve! We would highly recommend doing this 3day trip, memories we will never forget! Greetings from Austria!
US
Email Sarah Hunsberger | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Trip of a Lifetime
With Jane Goodall as my super hero, I greatly desired to go visit Gombe National Park while in Tanzania on study during the summer of 2017. Finding Nahum Joshua’s company, Gombe Track Safaris & Tours online allowed me to do so. I got in contact with him easily and was lined up for my dream trip on the dates I desired, which came very soon after my reservations were made. My payment to Gombe Track Safaris & Tours covered everything including ground transportation, plane tickets to and from Kigoma, boat service, park fees, meals made by a personal chef, housing, and wonderful tours given by very informative guides. The only further money I needed to spend during this safari was in tips to those for who I saw reason. Because of Joshua making all of the detailed plans for me, there was no stress or uncertainty on my part, giving me the true sense of an enjoyable vacation.
On day one of my safari, I was picked up by Joshua’s staff from Dar es Salaam and dropped off at the airport for a 6AM flight to Kigoma. Upon arrival, I was taken on a boat down Lake Tanganyika from Khiziri Port to Gombe with views of various tribal communities, agricultural lands, and waterside wildlife along the way. Immediately upon arriving at Gombe, I was greeted by Hussein Kengwa, the park guide who Joshua had assigned to me. Hussein has been a part of Gombe for many years, knows the land extremely well, has connections with all others who work at the park, and is very knowledgeable of the individual chimpanzees who call Gombe their home as well as the rest of the primate species, wild animals, and natural florae on sight. Hussein took me for my first forest excursion in Gombe National Park that day at 10:00 in the morning. It was a mountainous, hot, and thickly vegetative area to trek, difficult but extremely exciting because chimpanzees were quickly found, who I then joined for the morning. I saw chimps from the families I have gotten to know through Jane Goodall’s stories including Faustino, the grandson of Flo, the chimp that made me fall in love with the species. Also present were Golden, Gosama, and Gland all descendants of Gremlin, a very long studied chimp who is still living today. The current researchers were observing their wild subjects with me there, and because chimps here are so used to human visitors, I was ignored and could enjoy simply being a part of their day.
Returning in the afternoon to the base camp of Gombe, I was served delicious food made just for me by the cook Joshua had sent along. I took a swim in Lake Tanganyika, shared the beach with baboons, and charged my camera batteries during hours electric was available in my cabin. Sleeping in a base camp on research grounds, I depended on my flashlight to see anything after dark because the electric there is not continuous. Clear view of the tons and tons of stars in the sky were the reward of living in the dark.
Day two in the park for me included waking up to find a baboon looking in at me through my cabin window, meeting a group of Tanzanian women on a tour with Roots & Shoots, finding researchers from the University of Minnesota in the forest recording chimpanzee calls, and being beside the daily life of Gombe’s chimpanzees including Gremlin and her family of six, Nasa holding onto a red colobus monkey skull showing off his group’s hunting skills, and the good-looking male trio of Faustino, Dier and Duke grooming and napping on the forest grounds together.
Day three included hiking through the park to Jane Goodall’s key locations including the lookout point of the mountain where Jane went to listen for the calls of chimps to identify their locations. I also cooled off and refreshed myself with the splashes and deafening flow of beautiful Kakombe Waterfalls. It was during this hike that Faustino seemed to invite Hussein and me to follow him. Faustino would walk past us on the ground, step ahead, and turn to see if we were coming along with him. Upon seeing us follow, Faustino continued his route leading us to Nuro and her youngster, Nyota whom he then joined with, eating figs from a giant tree.
Leaving the island and returning to Kigoma, I was taken to visit Dr. David Livingstone’s Memorial Center and then stayed the night at the Coast View Resort enjoying a hot shower, air conditioning, and 24/7 electricity. It was here that I appreciated hanging out with Joshua, getting to know him, the person who provided me with my trip of a lifetime. I was transported back to the airport after only three days of a tour, but those three days fulfilled me with wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. I could not have asked for a better time in Gombe unless of course Jane Goodall would have been there herself which is not often, at all anymore. I strongly recommend the service of Gombe Track Safaris & Tours to anyone planning a visit to Gombe National Park.
BR
Email Amanda Medeiros | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing!!
Booking the Safari to Mikumi with Gombe and the team was the best decision we made in this vacation! Our Safari trip was amazing and exciting all the time! We stayed at a good and comfortable cottage and inside the park near of the animals. We could hear some of them in the night from our room ... it was so amazing!
Joshua was very attentive with us since the first contact until the day before the trip! He answered us very quickly with all informations we needed.
To complete our wonderful experience with Gombe, Charles Msengi was the best guide / driver that we could asked for! He was so kind and nice with us all the time. He explained everything he knows about the animals and tried what he could to put us in the best view of the animal even the most hidden ones! He knows where all animals are and woke up early to see the lions hunting in the morning before the sunshine! Everything was incredible and we recommend them to your trip!
Reservar o Safari a Mikumi com o Gombe e a equipe foi a melhor decisão que tomamos nestas férias! Nosso Safari foi incrível e emocionante o tempo todo! Nós ficamos em uma boa casa confortável e dentro do parque perto dos animais. Podíamos ouvir alguns deles na noite do nosso quarto ... foi tão incrível!
Joshua foi muito atencioso conosco desde o primeiro contato até o dia antes da viagem! Ele nos respondeu muito rapidamente com todas as informações que precisávamos.
Para completar nossa experiência maravilhosa com o Gombe, Charles Msengi foi o melhor guia / driver que poderíamos pedir! Ele era tão gentil e legal conosco o tempo todo. Ele explicou tudo o que ele conhece sobre os animais e tentou o que pôde para nos colocar na melhor visão do animal, mesmo os mais escondidos! Ele sabe onde estão todos os animais e acordou cedo para vermos os leões caçar de manhã antes do sol nascer! Tudo foi incrível e nós os recomendamos para sua viagem!
It was professional and joyful
Everything was good. Team was professional and welcoming.
IT
Email giuseppe | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not recommended
Cominciamo col dire che il rispetto dell'orario non è il punto forte di questo tour operator. Il nostro piano prevedeva che appena arrivati all'aeroporto di Dar Es Salaam alle 6.45 dovessimo partire subito per il Selus Reserve. Invece abbiamo dovuto aspettare un'altra turista alle 7.30. Poi fino alle 9.00 in dar Es Salaam perche il driver doveva ritirare il cibo che serviva al cuoco all'interno del camp. Poi finalmente partenza e a metà starada abbiamo aspettato per circa 1 ora e mezza un altro driver che dava il cambio al nostro. In tutto questo, siamo arrivati all'Hippo camp alle 4.30 p.m. e come pranzo ci è stato servito una coscia di pollo fredda e nera, un piatto di patatine fritte fredde e un pò di insalata. A cena, un piatto di spaghetti alla bolognese immangiabili. il giorno dopo il safari è andato bene anche se il pranzo prevedeva un'altra coscia di pollo fredda e nera, un sandwich, uno yogurt e una banana. L'ultimo giorno, dopo colazione, una breve passeggiata di mezz'ora nei paraggi nel camp, altro viaggio di 5 ore per l'aeroporto. Non consiglio assolutamente questo tour operator.
Let's start by saying that respect for time is not the strong point of this tour operator. Our plan provided that we just arrived at Dar Es Salaam at 6:45 pm and we should leave for Selus Reserve. Instead we had to wait for another tourist at 7.30am. Then until 9:00 am in Es Salaam, because the driver had to pick up the food he needed for the cook inside the camp. Then we finally got off and half starada waited for about 1 and a half hour another driver who changed the way to ours. In all of this, we arrived at Hoppo Camp at 4.30pm. And as a lunch we were served a cold and black chicken thigh, a plate of cold fries and a bit of salad. At dinner, a dish of spaghetti with Bolognese inedible. The next day the safari went well even though the lunch provided another cold and black chicken thigh, a sandwich, a yogurt and a banana. On the last day, after breakfast, a short half-hour walk around the camp, another 5-hour trip to the airport. I absolutely do not recommend this tour operator.
SG
Email Edward | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very special day at Lake Tanganyika and Gombe NP
I really enjoyed my 1 day trip to Gombe National Park and Ujiji. Although I had very limited time (less than 2 days) in Kigoma and had arrived late from a 13-14 hour journey from Mwanza the day before, it was the right decision to choose the Gombe day trip. I was impressed that everything was well co-ordinated - from the car pick up, to the boatman (Baraco?), to the guide at Gombe NP, and the driver and guide for the very short but informative visit to the Livingstone museum at Ujiji. I thoroughly enjoyed the sights and sounds along Lake Tanganyika and will never forget my time swimming in the lake. I also fondly remember watching the chimps and enjoying the panoramic view at Jane's peak in Gombe NP. The guide gave me full liberty of time at Gombe. The pace was unhurried. I should have realised I was taking a bit too much time and I requested to expedite the visit to Ujiji on my way back. This the driver did. The guide at the Livingstone museum was knowledgable. And it was great that the driver managed to get me back to Kigoma Hilltop Hotel just in time for a most exquisite sunset over Lake Tanganyika.
In summary, a most unforgettable day. Thank you.
US
Email Katie | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
3 Days Gombe Stream Safari
After trying to arrange travel on my own to Gombe Stream, I am so glad that I decided to work with Gombe Track for what turned out to be a once in a lifetime trip to the Reserve for chimpanzee viewing. Here are a few of what I found to be the biggest challenges to arranging my own travel: 1) there is one flight to Kigoma every Sun, Mon, Weds and Fri only, 2) Gombe is accessible by boat only and catching a public boat or hiring your own on the spot is not guaranteed, 3) you may only visit Gombe on a 24 hour maximum permit. Joshua with Gombe Track was responsive in multiple e-mail communications about the 3 day itinerary. I was all set to travel to Gombe followed by another safari elsewhere in Tanzania when Joshua let me know that the flight times had changed. Fortunately, although I lost some money, I was able to re-book my subsequent flight and shift my subsequent safari schedule one day ahead. Despite this uncontrollable change in flights, my experiences with Gombe Track Safari were excellent. All the drivers provided were on time to meet me at the hotel and airport. James (driver) was especially helpful in explaining local sites and culture. Hotel accommodations in Kigoma included a private room with bathroom. Hotel staff, however, did not seem to be aware of my affiliation with Gombe Track Safari and tried to charge me for diner that was actually included with the safari package. The boat booked for transport to Gombe Stream was on time, well equipped with new safety equipment, and the captain (Baraka) well experienced with the route and lake conditions. The safari chef, Amos, was very accommodating and prepared more food than I could eat, including fresh caught lake fish. The “Luxury Tented Camp” in Gombe Reserve was by far the nicest platform tent accommodation I have even seen. It was fully equipped with a shower, toilet, and large bed! The park guides are very experienced and mine worked with two trackers to locate a large Chimp troops, which I was lucky enough to watch for quite some time. Although Gombe is off the beaten tourist track, it is worth a visit for anyone interested in Jane Goodall’s work or the Lake Tanganyika area.
IN
Email Ravi Chandran | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mikumi Safari by Gombe - Good and Timely service. Offered everything as per itinerary
First off all, Gombe could offer the same price for a solo traveller where as most other agents quoted higher rates for a single traveller, even though I had agreed to join any group.
The came dot on time to my hotel at Dar-es-Salaam in the morning and picked me up in a 4 x 4 jeep. Enroute they picked up another person. They stopped enroute for breakfast and lunch. The food was good and simple. We stayed at the Tan-Swiss Hotel, which is quite comfortable.
Overall the whole trip was pretty relaxed and fine. Since it was raining, we couldn't spot any big cat
IL
Email Monique | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Punctual, reliable and well organized tour in a paradise like place. Excellent guide. Recommended+++
Everything went as expected: the planning, the car, the boat, the accomodation (could improve a bit maybe).
Even the two short Thunderstorms and heavy rain stopped on time to allow us, with the help of our excellent guide, to climb and meet with the Chimps. Marvelous, thrilling, and upsetting experience!
This Tour is highly recommended.
BE
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.