Joshua and Naombael (Directors)
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
FR
Email Antonio | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A responsive operator yet to improve on value for money
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
Posted on Feb 5, 2022First 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.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
the experience in the park was great, we saw chimps on both treks.
As visitors, we had the experience of being bounced around from car to boat to park without anyone really telling us what was going on. The personal touch, that we have had with other tours was not present. We never met with Joshua and never felt like our business really mattered. With the exception of the last meal, which we bought ourselves, the itinerary was followed and we enjoyed our time with the chimps. I hope that future tours are less impersonal, otherwise I would recommend saving some money and doing this trip on your own.