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Greystoke Mahale

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Once in a lifetime chimpanzee experience
- Utterly remote location
- Luxurious lodge

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Overview

Greystoke Mahale is a one of a kind camp in the wilderness of West Tanzania. Set on the shore of the beautiful Lake Tanganyika, with a backdrop of towering mountains that make up the Mahale Mountains National Park; this is one of our favourite camps in Africa.

A tiny sanctuary surrounded by stunning natural beauty this camp is famously brilliant. Run by Nomad Tanzania, a long established safari operation with a reputation for excellent safari guiding, this is one of the only places travellers can come for the best chimpanzee viewing in Africa.

Chimp trekking is the motivation behind the opening and running of this lodge, and it really is spectacular. Expert guides lead you through untouched forests every day to spend an hour fascinated by the daily lives of the habituated chimpanzees. With rarely more than twenty travellers in the whole park this feels like a personal adventure and emphasises the specialness of this experience.

As with all animal trekking, it is variable and unpredictable where the animals may be active on any given day. You may only need to walk to the forest edge to be in the midst of the chimp family or it may be a 6 hour trek along steep and slippery mountain trails. Therefore, good fitness and proper walking boots are a must, and we recommend only families with children mature enough to enjoy this plan a visit.

Other activities from camp include snorkelling, fishing,kayaking and sun downers sailing on the lake; guaranteeing an unforgettable experience.

The uniqueness of the location can render it slightly inaccessible and guests should expect around a 4 hour flight in a small plane and an hour boat ride before reaching camp. Upon arrival, the main mess is the focal point of the camp and the only structure that can be seen from the Lake. An unusual, open structure this is a great place to enjoy meals and to watch the sunset from the lamp-lit bar.

Six large guest suites are tucked away on the forest line, with panoramic views of the golden beach and the crystal clear lake beyond. Constructed almost entirely from sustainable materials, they blend into the natural surroundings and offer guests the feeling of being a part of the forest. Across a short boardwalk is the bathroom with hot and cold running water, shower and toilet. Behind the cottage is a personal dressing room and upstairs, a ‘chill out deck’.

The lodge itself has a minimum age of 8 years old for children. However, for their own safety, children under 12 are not permitted on chimp treks and may not even be allowed into the forest depending on the season. For this reason we would only recommend this trip to families with older children as it is such a long way to go for some family members not to be able to participate.

The breath taking setting alone would be reason enough to visit Greystoke Mahale, but paired with the unique chance to see chimps in their natural habitat; this is really an experience we cannot recommend enough.

What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 536 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • Trip was great and all the arrangements were excellent so thank you for all the help!

    Drivers and transfers were all good - on time and very good service on each trip.

    Accommodation was lovely - Douar Samra was amazing (weather could have been better but lovely regardless). Riad in Marrakesh was also great!

    All in all a great trip and we loved the variety of the mountains, Marrakesh and the coast.

    Thanks you once again!

    MissingHardeep S reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains on 15 April 2024

  • I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.

    Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.

    El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.

    Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.

    So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last

    MissingJuhae C reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 01 March 2024

  • Thank you, we had an absolute wonderful time, and everything was well-planned and as described. Carla was crying on the day of our departure from Ants Nest, she didn’t want to go home and for it all to end, and when I asked how much longer she would want to stay, she responded “four weeks”

    MissingLars B reviewing Best of South Africa for Families on 01 March 2024

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