Nahum Joshua Nnko
Gombe Wild Chimp Safari
- Office 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)
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
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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!!!
CA
Email Victoria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Once in a lifetime experience!
As a solo female traveller I try my best to research operators and itineraries. That said- I am notoriously a last minute booker.
Gombe Safaris took on my very last minute request and fulfilled all/any expectations. Communication was concise and prompt. I felt the price was fair and competitive for the region and experience. The food was delicious (large portions and variety! As a vegetarian they had no issue accommodating my meals.
I stayed in the mid range tent in the National Park and was more than comfortable. Transport was safe and without issue.
The chimp trekking experienced was flawless. Considering I only had one full day (I had a late flight the day before that got me into the park after dark), I feel like I was able to experience the true heart of Gombe.
It was inspiring to see first hand the decades of chimpanzee conservation efforts thriving. Overall a really memorable experience. I wish my schedule allowed me to stay longer but I was thankful that I found an operator to take me on a last minute customizable journey.
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Email Tanya | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Seamless gateway to an up close chimp experience
This was definitely a highlight of our trip to Tanzania. The guides and trackers did a fantastic job scouting out where the chimps were that day and leading us to the locations.
The lodging location was right at the Jane Goodall center where chimp research is done. There is not a lot of activity here, but there is a small bar that was sometimes open and who could sell us a beer or two during the trip.
A few notes for awareness - some of the hiking to get to the chimps is very steep; you will likely be going through branches, tall grass, etc. as you follow chimps through; and your hike times for the day could vary greatly based on where you find the chimps. But it was great - we got (2) 1 hour sessions watching and following the chimps in very close proximity, plus some accidental chimp trekking from going to Goodall Peak. It sounds short, but it was actually a lot of time!
GWCS assigned a chef for our entire time at the park, and he kept us well fed. We had quite a few people dedicated to our trip - there were 2 private boat operators that were with us the entire time - they took us up the lake to the park and back, but also would take us in the boat further along the park to do our trek depending on where the chimps were. We had a main guide and junior guide who were dedicated to just the two of us during our treks, and there was also a chimp tracker dedicated to us that was out starting at 6 am to follow the chimps around and track their location so we could see them. Make sure to bring tips for all of these excellent private staff!
The lodging choice on the kigoma side was adequate (but we probably would have chosen the Hilltop lodge if we went again).
One slight downside is somewhat outside control of GWCS - because flights are limited, there is a risk that a cancellation could affect your travel plans, and certain timings of flight is can make for a lot of downtime. Both happened to us - we ended up having an entire day of downtime at our hotel, and we were delayed in Kigoma an extra night due to a late cancellation here. GWCS was great in communication on this last item in particular, and we were able to get out the next morning and on to the rest of our journey.