Reviews

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Marlou   –  
Netherlands NL
Visited: March 2022 Reviewed: Mar 15, 2022

Email Marlou  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Amazing tour for Chimp trekking
5/5

I booked this chimp trekking tour and it was one of the best things I did during my 2-month stay in Tanzania! The communication beforehand was flawless, all guides, cooks and drivers involved were very professional, and during the tour everything was taken care of. I saw so many chimpanzees! Thanks a lot for this amazing tour!

Soumen   –  
Tanzania TZ
Visited: December 2021 Reviewed: Jan 1, 2022

Email Soumen  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Soumen and not that of SafariBookings.
Please beware of this sweet speaking cheater
1/5

I booked my 3nights and 4 days Salous safari through this travel agency and that's the biggest mistake I have done in 2021 before the year end.
I have spent $645 per head for 2 of us for a private tour instead of direct booking through the hotels website which would cost me $404/person for the same tour. I want a peaceful safari during the year end and change of career as per my choice Beavis of photography and what I got
1. The open Car - the car they provided as per my request, doesn't have the permit to enter in national park and stopped by the official today morning.
2. The 2nd car, which take us from Dar es salaam to Salous and back had different problem, once that car stopped you need some help to push the car to start, it's almost a 40 years old car, I feel pity for the driver Mike who is a nice person and good driver and always try to help with a smile.
3. I would like to take a name knowingly it's the great Joshua(owner of the Gombe tours company) the great story teller and full of commitments which never be fulfilled and he will definitely will never talk to you once you started complaining about anything during your tour instead one of his so called agent(Yusuf) will speak to you and always try to prove that everything is your luck and fault and they are the best.

For your information I back to Dar es Salaam after 2 nights without spending the 3rd night there because I can't tolerate such nonsense service anymore. What a bad start of new year.

I don't recommend this guys as I feel I got cheated and not be treated well after paying full amount on the first day.

It's better to book hotel directly and book car from hotel for your safari, so that you can pay at hotel and there will be someone in person present to listen your complain if any. This middleman short terms traders are the problem in Tanzania. Most of them doesn't have their own car, doesn't have their own guide they just have ample time to response on your first query to make you fool and then they take good amount and pay for worst service to serve you, they will ensure 3rd graded rooms in a hotel, old hired car without any maintenance or paper sometime and you never saw them in person.
However I have visited, Tarangire, Manyara, Ngorongoro, Ndutu, North Serengeti, Zanzibar, Mikumi during last one year with few other renowned travel agencies who are really good and professional., Shadow of Africa, Amo Zanzibar tour and safari, African quinsang adventure safari are few of them where I got full value for money. Good luck.

Reply from Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
Reply from Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
Posted on Feb 5, 2022

Thanks for the review.
First of all, I would like to say that, Joshua Nahum, the Managing director of Gombe Safari is not a cheater and I'm not a sweet talker to my clients. I respect every client regardless of their financial ability, age, religion, or nationality and I have been doing so all along.
In response, here in Tanzania, the Tanzania national park system is owned by the Ministry of Natural Resources. For every tourist company like us, you must use this link for payment once you have the entrance to the national park. What happened last year was that the system was turned off on Dec 31 at Midnight, unlike other years. So since all the payments had been made it would not have been easy to be allowed into the park as the payments were already a link. All we could do was ask our client to give us a little more time so we could make another payment. The client refused to wait and even changed the car so he insisted that he want to return back to Dar. The driver was very kind to him and Yussuf and I asked him not to cancel the trip because soon everything would be fine but he said he didn't want to.
Regarding the car problem, most if not all vehicles in the private sector especially in the tourism industry in Tanzania and Africa are outdated. This is because in Tanzania we do not have a car factory. But usually, even a new car in safari gets a breakdown so far it was a mechanical problem. I admit that it is true that the car turned off while they were traveling but it lit up and they continued their journey. Another thing I would like to inform our customers is that in order to be registered with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism as the owner of a company it is a must, first and foremost, a company must have vehicles in order to be licensed. Without it, you will not be able to get a license. Another thing is that Gombe safari has staffs, no middlemen, and staffs work according to her/his department.
Regarding the camp, It is true based on the challenges and realities of covid-19, hotels, camps, many lodges need renovation. This is a situation that has plagued the whole world and not just one place. I confess that the guests were given a room and based on the situation they found it inappropriate and asked to be changed. They were given a room and agreed to sleep.
I would like to inform our customers that we have rectified ourselves and all the problems that have arisen we have solved in particular I apologize to our client for the challenges he went on while traveling during the New Year holidays.

Antonio   –  
France FR
Visited: July 2021 Reviewed: Aug 6, 2021

Email Antonio  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

The review below is the personal opinion of Antonio and not that of SafariBookings.
A responsive operator yet to improve on value for money
3/5

We did a 3-day tour to Gombe national park to visit the chimpanzees.

The planning and organization was very professional, with very fast responses and someone was expecting us when we arrived.

Once in the park, the accommodation was as expected - mid-range tents - far from the premium and cleaning standard you may get in other Safari experiences.

The experience in the park was great. We got really close to the chimps, while respecting their boundaries and always well guided by the local experts. The staff was also great and food was very good.

Our rating of 3/5 stars is based on two main elements:
1) On the second day (out of 3 days program) we arrived at Kigoma at 4pm. First the driver left us in a wrong hotel - we’ve noticed that and finally were redirected to the one that had been communicated - Sunset Vista Hotel. Secondly, at Sunset Vista Hotel we were put first in a very small room with a tiny toilet and wifi internet wasn’t working. Joshua, the operator manager, was responsive to our complaint and came the hotel to upgrade us to a better room. The improved room was still far from the expectations over mid-range on European or Serengeti standards.
2) The overall price of 350 USD per day is clearly overpriced - as 1st you profit only 2 out of 3 days, as the 3rd day you travel early in the morning back to Dar. And 2nd, you’re paying luxury daily rates when comparing to Serengeti, while getting a mid/low range service.

Overall we were very happy to see chimps from very close and Joshua was very professional and responsive.
We hope this constructive feedback improves the overall service delivery for future travelers.

Reply from Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
Reply from Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
Posted on Feb 5, 2022

First of all, I would like to thank you for your review.
It is quite true I agree with you that on this day such a problem happened.
1. On the Gombe safari side, the driver on duty had an accident and it suddenly happened to take another driver to pick them up and take them to a hotel. Here in Kigoma, we used to use two different hotels for our accommodation then he mixed up and sent them to a hotel where there was no booking for them and it was not right.
2. On the Sunset hotel side, the hotel administration erred in giving the guests a small room while their booking indicated that they needed a larger room with internet access. I went there and finally, I managed to solve the problem.
All of these issues we have worked on together (Gombe safari and Sunset vista hotel) and we apologize for the challenges.
I promise to improve our services and a problem like this will never happen again. Thank you.
Joshua on behalf of the Gombe safari team.

Matej   –  
Slovakia SK
Visited: March 2021 Reviewed: Apr 18, 2021

Email Matej  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

I was happy with the service. Joshua is excellent manager.
5/5

I was very happy with the service. They arranged for me chimpanzees trekking in Gombe NP. Everything was great. Joshua is excellent manager. He has answered all my questions and even he helped me to get to Kigoma. I was travelling by bus from Arusha. I highly recommend this company. I plan to visit Burundi soon and definitely I will ask Gombe Track Safari to organise my trip through Burundi.

Milen   –  
Bulgaria BG
Visited: February 2021 Reviewed: Feb 20, 2021

Email Milen  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Excellent organisation
5/5

We had the best 3 days Mikumi Safari from Dar Es Salaam. Thank you for this journey. We had a very emotional journey with you and yours guys. Thank you Joshua !!!

Jan Pekarek   –  
Czech Republic CZ
Visited: January 2021 Reviewed: Jan 31, 2021

Email Jan Pekarek  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Good price, beautiful private safari experiences
5/5

3 days package from Dar Es Salaam to Selous
Everything was great, our driver was a cool guy with professional driving skills :).
Lot of water during whole three days.. boat, driving and walking safari were very interesting and nice.
Accommodation in Ngalawa Selous Camp was also 5/5, great food, room and pool.
- We did not see lions, because it was really hot and they were hidden. Maybe next time!
I recommend.

William and Sammantha   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2020 Reviewed: Dec 20, 2020

Email William and Sammantha  |  20-35 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Chimp Trekking Beyond Wildest Expectations
5/5

My husband and I were blown away with the chimp trekking at Gombe. The guide was fantastic and it was clear that he had such a passion for the chimps and respecting their space. We were able to see the chimps hunting, playing, fighting with baboons, and so much more. We will never forget feeling so lucky to be experiencing their human like behaviors in person! Our accommodations were as expected and a step up from camping, but we knew that going in and it was fine. Our cabin had everything we needed for the night. Our boat operator, chef, and the man who provided our transport throughout the trip were all top notch!

Katie   –  
United States US
Visited: November 2020 Reviewed: Nov 25, 2020

Email Katie  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: 2-5 safaris

Gombe Chimp Trek - Adventure for only the Most Adventurous
5/5

We had no idea what to expect and could never have expected our simple desire to see chimpanzees in the wild to end up being perhaps the most remote place we've ever been. Gombe Tours was very responsive and did everything within their control to ensure a smooth trip for us. Again, it is isn't there fault that there just isn't a lot out there on the internet about what is all entailed in getting to Gombe and what accommodations are like. Let me summarize. Getting to Gombe is about a 6-7 hour ordeal. You start from Dar es Salaam with a pick up from your hotel at 5:30AM and take a 2 hour domestic flight to Kigoma Airport which is a bush airport if you've ever seen one. Maybe a flight or two in or out the whole day. Car ride with brief detour at a tourist spot to a boat where you spend 2+ hours on a small boat getting to the park by water. The day we traveled was very wavy and our boat ride was longer than two hours and we arrived soaked. We received a warm welcome from a park ranger/tour host upon arrival at the park and shown to our tent, which was nicer than expected given how remote we were, but not the full "glamping" level that some may have come to expect on safaris. Meals were provided in a dining hall. And, of course, the highlight were the chimp treks. It's everything we could have wanted. Certainly one must be in good health to participate in the treks. At the end of your final trek, you are provided boat ride and car transfer to a hotel for a stay until your flight. There were lots of pieces, but Gombe Tours ensured that the pieces all occurred smoothly. In fact, there was a miscommunication at our hotel regarding what was included and both Joshua and our driver went over and above immediately to take care of it. If I had to be very picky, I'd say the one thing we understood was occurring was a car transfer upon arrival back in Dar, which didn't occur, but we're talking the difference of a $10 taxi trip.

If you choose to embark on a Gombe chimp trek, have reasonable expectations of your location, but trust that Gombe Tours will take the stress out of the planning and execution.

Ewa and Arek   –  
Ireland IE
Visited: February 2020 Reviewed: Mar 1, 2020

Email Ewa and Arek  |  35-50 years of age  |  Experience level: first safari

Well organized experience
4/5

We were both really happy with the whole experience.
From the start where we were collected from the airport, to the excellent safari camp in Selous (Ngalawa) and drop off to our next destination in Dar Es Salaam we had a brilliant time. We could not recommend these places highly enough. On Driving safari we were able to see lots of wildlife and our driver and guide Charles did what he could to make it exceptional. The game drives were excellent. February was a great time to visit - there was some rain but it did not detract from the experience and it was uncrowded.

We havevspent 2 nights in Ngalawa tented camp. Very clean and comfortable accommodation. Private outdoors pool. Staff really polite and helpful. Food was bland and every day almost the same with instant coffee for breakfasts.

Gombe safari did a superb job for us. Worth the price.
Thanks again.

Michael Rubenstein   –  
United States US
Visited: October 2019 Reviewed: Oct 10, 2019

Email Michael Rubenstein  |  50-65 years of age  |  Experience level: over 5 safaris

An amazing adventure to Gombe Stream National Park and trekking with the chimpanzees of Gombe
5/5

I have been traveling to Tanzania for the last nine years, twice a year for a month each time to work and have been on dozens of safaris, having driven many of my own, and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. I have experienced much of what Tanzania has to offer and now relish in being able to introduce others to this wonderful country, so when I have the opportunity to discover something new in this amazing country, it is a real plus for me. Discovering Gombe Stream National Park and Gombe Track Safaris & Tours was just that! A colleague had used their services last April and had spoken very highly of them, but I had not completely expected the wonderful care and service that Joshua and his team provided to us all along the way. We had booked four nights at Gombe with them and absolutely everything was arranged and went off without a hitch. That included our airport transfers from Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport, Dar airport to our hotel in Dar and back again, Kigoma airport to our boat to Gombe. The return trip was equally smooth. Our captain, Juma, took wonderful care of us the camp at Gombe (We chose to stay in the tents). Juma cooked all of our meals for us and gave us more food than we could eat. He was flexible on times for meal and was always there checking on us. We were there in the dry season, so the chimps were much higher in the hills, but we were able to see them on the three days we trekked. The beach at the Gombe camp was lovely and the sunsets were to die for. It rained several days, but life went on as usual. I brought several friends with me who were first timers in Tanzania and they couldn't say enough about the trip with Gombe Track Safaris. It was everything we had hoped for and more. I will be referring other friends to them without question. They were just totally awesome.

Average User Rating
4.3/5
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