Greystoke Mahale (Tanzania) Trip Report
May 5, 2015, 5:34 am
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Greystoke Mahale (Tanzania) Trip Report
We embarked on the first part an Africa vacation that included stops later in Rwanda (Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge) and Cape Town (Ellerman House and 12 Apostles.)
We stayed 4 nights at Greystoke so that we would have the best opportunity to observe the Chimps in the wild (3 full morning treks.) While Chimpanzees are not as endangered as Mountain Gorillas, and there are more options to see them in other parts of Africa, it's unlikely that any other lodge (and location) offers the perfect balance of comfort, "guaranteed" Chimpanzee sightings and a sense of remoteness (if you care), all in an amazing and idyllic setting.
If one of your primary motivation is to observe Chimps in the wild like it was for us, Greystoke Mahale delivers.
Nomad might not be a household name to many people in this forum, but it ought to be. They offer some of the best lodges and camps in Tanzania, and are renowned for having some of the very best guides, bar none. They also have camps in many of the prime locations, including Lamai Serengeti, which is one of the best places to catch the migration between August to October - we went in 2011 and had an amazing experience there. If you browse through the highest rated lodges at Africatravelresource.com, you'll see many of Nomad's camps receiving a perfect 10 rating. They definitely deserve the accolades.
Greystoke is set in palm trees along Lake Tanganikya and pristine white sand beach on one side, and the slopes of forested mountains (that rise upwards of 8000 feet) on the other. You can also see Congo across the crystal clear lake.
SFO -> JRO
We flew in J class from SFO via FRA (LH), IST (TK) and onwards to JRO (TK). It blew having to take 2 stops, but given that we redeemed Star Alliance awards for the flights, we weren't one to complain. I won't go into details on the flight experiences, but needless to say TK lived up to its billing as having one of the best in-flight catering around (the others, IMO, being LX, NH, OZ, JL, SQ and KE.)
Rivertrees Country Inn (Arusha)
After debating over our lodging options (the others being Twiga, Lake Duluti Lodge, Arusha Coffee Lodge and Onsea House), we opted for Rivertrees given its more convenient location and offering detached villas (no shared walls), which allowed us much more privacy than the others - save, perhaps, for Onsea House. Hard product wise, Rivertrees did not disappoint. Service, however, left a lot to be desired. Not many smiling staff to be found, and food was mediocre. Also, Mrs. KI-NRT's luggage did not arrive with our TK flight into JRO. Despite repeated attempts to have the manager look into the situation on our behalf, he was not proactive at all. Unfortunately, there are no slam-dunk options in Arusha like there is in Dar Es Salaam (Oyster Bay Hotel is wonderful, with a price to match!)
Thankfully, the luggage was recovered, but only because we opted to stay 1.5 days in Arusha on the off-chance that something unexpected might occur, requiring additional time to sort things out. We're glad that we did!
Arusha to Mahale
We took a chartered flight on Tanganikya Flight Company, which is the only company (aside from going completely private) that flies to Mahale. It's a 4 hour flight(!) to get there, and includes a fuel stop in Tabora as well as a stop in Katavi National Park before touching down at Mahale Airstrip.
If that doesn't sound remote enough, upon disembarking from the flight we took a 90 minute "Dhow" boat ride to Greystoke Mahale in Mahale National Park. It's an amazing ride - calm and peaceful with absolutely gorgeous scenery.
Approaching the lodge:
Getting closer:
The main mess is the only structure on the beach and it's the artery of the camp.
This is the main dining area (communal dining is optional), while upstairs is the library and lounge.
About 300 feet off to the side (and up a hill overlooking the lake) is a bar, where you can enjoy sundowners while viewing the gorgeous sunset. It's also where everyone got together to enjoy Yellow Belly sashimi appetizers that were caught from the lake earlier in the day.
The bar (hidden) is located at the far end of the cove:
Rooms
Greystoke has just 6 wooden bandas nestled on the edge of the forest line. All of them offer a good amount of privacy, although the bandas on the far end of camp (opposite direction from the bar) guarantee that you won't see many others walking along the path in front of your banda.
Each banda offers most amenities expected of a high-end property, including en-suite bathrooms. Rooms are rustic but elegant, but are set up in a way that is more "bush" than utter luxury. During the day, each banda is "exposed" in the front (and partly in the back), although I suppose you can choose to keep the bedroom closed at all times. There are plastic tarp-like curtains that you close shut when the sun goes down, but there's no mistaking that you're unmistakely part of nature. The bed have nettings around them, but we did have to make sure that the nets were devoid of critters inside of them before turning out the lights. Similarly, the bathrooms, while covered, are not walled shut - we're used to tented camps, so it didn't take long for us to get used to it.
There's a chill-out deck on the 2nd floor, which we used very infrequently.
Given its remote location and the fact that the entire camp is powered by generators, the rooms in Greystoke do not have power plugs. Outlets are only available in the main mess.
Also, you are required to inform the staff of your intention to take a shower 15 minutes beforehand, as it takes a while for the water heater to spool up.
Our banda:
All of the above are minor inconveniences when you consider what's in store each day.
Chimp Trekking
This is obviously THE reason why everyone goes to Greystoke. Guests gather every morning for breakfast while trackers search for the nearest Chimp colony. Halfway through, the guides will inform everyone the estimated time that the trek will commence, along with their best guess as to the duration and severity of the trek. Out of our three treks, one was an easy 30 minute walk, while the most strenuous one was a long, wet and hilly climb that lasted for 5 hours total.
Guests are split into two groups of 6, with a guide and two trackers assigned to each group. Once we arrived at our destination, we were given one hour to observe the Chimps in action.
Other Activities
With the exception of the third and final trek, when we returned to camp at 2PM, we returned by lunch with time to spare. Following lunch, all guests chose to relax until late afternoon, upon which time we availed ourselves to the following activities:
- Swimming in the lake
- Fishing
- Canoeing
They do have snorkel gear for guests to rent (free of charge), and it's supposedly a good experience. Unfortunately for us, on the day we arrived there was a Crocodile sighting near camp, which resulted in a swimming ban from shore. As a substitute, we took a boat ride further out on the lake for a refreshing swim.
Fishing is done "by hand", and everyone had at least one catch during their stay. Each night, before dinner, they prepared the fish (Yellow Belly mainly), sashimi style. Yummy!
There were other activities on offer, including a bush walk (nobody chose this option, given that we all had already hiked for hours in the morning.)
Food / Dining
Considering how far removed Greystoke is from any trace of civilization, it's a wonder that they're able to offer pretty decent food.
It's full board (including drinks) at Greystoke, save for expensive boozes such as Champagne.
Breakfast consists of fruits, cheese, cold cuts, cereal, salad and fresh fruits, buffet style. You can also order hot dishes (eggs, pancakes, french toast, potatoes, grilled tomatoes, ham/sausage, etc.) a-la carte.
Lunch is also a buffet, and is both hearty and healthy.
Dinner is standard 3-course fare with a choice between 2 entrees (technically 3 if you caught a fish for them to grill.) They can also accommodate special requests a day in advance (within reason, of course.) It's not going to remind anyone of Singita, @Beyond or Wilderness, but it's surprisingly decent.
Dining is communal by default (in the main mess), but you can choose to dine in private if you so desire. We opted for dinner on the beach (on board an old boat, photo below) one night, and they set it up quite romantically, complete with candles and flowers.
We aren't big on group dining - not because we don't like conversing, but because we're usually so exhausted by the end of the day that we prefer not to expend any extra energy chatting it up with others. However, the guests at Greystoke were very interesting to talk to, and it was great fun reviewing the day behind us as well as exchanging notes about all of our travel experiences. FYI - it was nearly unanimous that Ruaha is a place that is not to be missed.... it has now climbed to the top of our safari list for sure.
Conclusion
Greystoke Mahale is not for everyone. It's a bear to get to, and caters for wildlife aficionados - Chimpanzees to be specific. It's more "comfort" than luxury in the truest sense and does not compare with Singita in this regard.
However, if seeing Chimpanzees in the wild is on your bucket list (you're pretty much guaranteed of it since you must stay a minimum of 3 days due to flights only being twice weekly) and enjoy the feeling that you're the only ones there, Greystoke will surely affect you in ways that not many other places can.
It's truly one of the world's greatest nature experiences.
We stayed 4 nights at Greystoke so that we would have the best opportunity to observe the Chimps in the wild (3 full morning treks.) While Chimpanzees are not as endangered as Mountain Gorillas, and there are more options to see them in other parts of Africa, it's unlikely that any other lodge (and location) offers the perfect balance of comfort, "guaranteed" Chimpanzee sightings and a sense of remoteness (if you care), all in an amazing and idyllic setting.
If one of your primary motivation is to observe Chimps in the wild like it was for us, Greystoke Mahale delivers.
Nomad might not be a household name to many people in this forum, but it ought to be. They offer some of the best lodges and camps in Tanzania, and are renowned for having some of the very best guides, bar none. They also have camps in many of the prime locations, including Lamai Serengeti, which is one of the best places to catch the migration between August to October - we went in 2011 and had an amazing experience there. If you browse through the highest rated lodges at Africatravelresource.com, you'll see many of Nomad's camps receiving a perfect 10 rating. They definitely deserve the accolades.
Greystoke is set in palm trees along Lake Tanganikya and pristine white sand beach on one side, and the slopes of forested mountains (that rise upwards of 8000 feet) on the other. You can also see Congo across the crystal clear lake.
SFO -> JRO
We flew in J class from SFO via FRA (LH), IST (TK) and onwards to JRO (TK). It blew having to take 2 stops, but given that we redeemed Star Alliance awards for the flights, we weren't one to complain. I won't go into details on the flight experiences, but needless to say TK lived up to its billing as having one of the best in-flight catering around (the others, IMO, being LX, NH, OZ, JL, SQ and KE.)
Rivertrees Country Inn (Arusha)
After debating over our lodging options (the others being Twiga, Lake Duluti Lodge, Arusha Coffee Lodge and Onsea House), we opted for Rivertrees given its more convenient location and offering detached villas (no shared walls), which allowed us much more privacy than the others - save, perhaps, for Onsea House. Hard product wise, Rivertrees did not disappoint. Service, however, left a lot to be desired. Not many smiling staff to be found, and food was mediocre. Also, Mrs. KI-NRT's luggage did not arrive with our TK flight into JRO. Despite repeated attempts to have the manager look into the situation on our behalf, he was not proactive at all. Unfortunately, there are no slam-dunk options in Arusha like there is in Dar Es Salaam (Oyster Bay Hotel is wonderful, with a price to match!)
Thankfully, the luggage was recovered, but only because we opted to stay 1.5 days in Arusha on the off-chance that something unexpected might occur, requiring additional time to sort things out. We're glad that we did!
Arusha to Mahale
We took a chartered flight on Tanganikya Flight Company, which is the only company (aside from going completely private) that flies to Mahale. It's a 4 hour flight(!) to get there, and includes a fuel stop in Tabora as well as a stop in Katavi National Park before touching down at Mahale Airstrip.
If that doesn't sound remote enough, upon disembarking from the flight we took a 90 minute "Dhow" boat ride to Greystoke Mahale in Mahale National Park. It's an amazing ride - calm and peaceful with absolutely gorgeous scenery.
Approaching the lodge:
Getting closer:
The main mess is the only structure on the beach and it's the artery of the camp.
This is the main dining area (communal dining is optional), while upstairs is the library and lounge.
About 300 feet off to the side (and up a hill overlooking the lake) is a bar, where you can enjoy sundowners while viewing the gorgeous sunset. It's also where everyone got together to enjoy Yellow Belly sashimi appetizers that were caught from the lake earlier in the day.
The bar (hidden) is located at the far end of the cove:
Rooms
Greystoke has just 6 wooden bandas nestled on the edge of the forest line. All of them offer a good amount of privacy, although the bandas on the far end of camp (opposite direction from the bar) guarantee that you won't see many others walking along the path in front of your banda.
Each banda offers most amenities expected of a high-end property, including en-suite bathrooms. Rooms are rustic but elegant, but are set up in a way that is more "bush" than utter luxury. During the day, each banda is "exposed" in the front (and partly in the back), although I suppose you can choose to keep the bedroom closed at all times. There are plastic tarp-like curtains that you close shut when the sun goes down, but there's no mistaking that you're unmistakely part of nature. The bed have nettings around them, but we did have to make sure that the nets were devoid of critters inside of them before turning out the lights. Similarly, the bathrooms, while covered, are not walled shut - we're used to tented camps, so it didn't take long for us to get used to it.
There's a chill-out deck on the 2nd floor, which we used very infrequently.
Given its remote location and the fact that the entire camp is powered by generators, the rooms in Greystoke do not have power plugs. Outlets are only available in the main mess.
Also, you are required to inform the staff of your intention to take a shower 15 minutes beforehand, as it takes a while for the water heater to spool up.
Our banda:
All of the above are minor inconveniences when you consider what's in store each day.
Chimp Trekking
This is obviously THE reason why everyone goes to Greystoke. Guests gather every morning for breakfast while trackers search for the nearest Chimp colony. Halfway through, the guides will inform everyone the estimated time that the trek will commence, along with their best guess as to the duration and severity of the trek. Out of our three treks, one was an easy 30 minute walk, while the most strenuous one was a long, wet and hilly climb that lasted for 5 hours total.
Guests are split into two groups of 6, with a guide and two trackers assigned to each group. Once we arrived at our destination, we were given one hour to observe the Chimps in action.
Other Activities
With the exception of the third and final trek, when we returned to camp at 2PM, we returned by lunch with time to spare. Following lunch, all guests chose to relax until late afternoon, upon which time we availed ourselves to the following activities:
- Swimming in the lake
- Fishing
- Canoeing
They do have snorkel gear for guests to rent (free of charge), and it's supposedly a good experience. Unfortunately for us, on the day we arrived there was a Crocodile sighting near camp, which resulted in a swimming ban from shore. As a substitute, we took a boat ride further out on the lake for a refreshing swim.
Fishing is done "by hand", and everyone had at least one catch during their stay. Each night, before dinner, they prepared the fish (Yellow Belly mainly), sashimi style. Yummy!
There were other activities on offer, including a bush walk (nobody chose this option, given that we all had already hiked for hours in the morning.)
Food / Dining
Considering how far removed Greystoke is from any trace of civilization, it's a wonder that they're able to offer pretty decent food.
It's full board (including drinks) at Greystoke, save for expensive boozes such as Champagne.
Breakfast consists of fruits, cheese, cold cuts, cereal, salad and fresh fruits, buffet style. You can also order hot dishes (eggs, pancakes, french toast, potatoes, grilled tomatoes, ham/sausage, etc.) a-la carte.
Lunch is also a buffet, and is both hearty and healthy.
Dinner is standard 3-course fare with a choice between 2 entrees (technically 3 if you caught a fish for them to grill.) They can also accommodate special requests a day in advance (within reason, of course.) It's not going to remind anyone of Singita, @Beyond or Wilderness, but it's surprisingly decent.
Dining is communal by default (in the main mess), but you can choose to dine in private if you so desire. We opted for dinner on the beach (on board an old boat, photo below) one night, and they set it up quite romantically, complete with candles and flowers.
We aren't big on group dining - not because we don't like conversing, but because we're usually so exhausted by the end of the day that we prefer not to expend any extra energy chatting it up with others. However, the guests at Greystoke were very interesting to talk to, and it was great fun reviewing the day behind us as well as exchanging notes about all of our travel experiences. FYI - it was nearly unanimous that Ruaha is a place that is not to be missed.... it has now climbed to the top of our safari list for sure.
Conclusion
Greystoke Mahale is not for everyone. It's a bear to get to, and caters for wildlife aficionados - Chimpanzees to be specific. It's more "comfort" than luxury in the truest sense and does not compare with Singita in this regard.
However, if seeing Chimpanzees in the wild is on your bucket list (you're pretty much guaranteed of it since you must stay a minimum of 3 days due to flights only being twice weekly) and enjoy the feeling that you're the only ones there, Greystoke will surely affect you in ways that not many other places can.
It's truly one of the world's greatest nature experiences.
Last edited by KI-NRT; May 5, 2015 at 5:53 am
May 5, 2015, 10:47 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
Outstanding trip report. Loved the pictures.
In one of the pictures I see that your wife (assuming it is the husband writing this?) is pretty near to the chimps. Was she worried about being so close? Should you be worried? Were the chimps worried?
I like the table they set up in the boat for you
Thanks for doing this!
In one of the pictures I see that your wife (assuming it is the husband writing this?) is pretty near to the chimps. Was she worried about being so close? Should you be worried? Were the chimps worried?
I like the table they set up in the boat for you
Thanks for doing this!
May 5, 2015, 11:07 am
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Southern California, USA
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Looks like you had a great time! Great trip report.
The lack of air con would be the death knell for me, unfortunately. I'll have to wait for a different chimp trek with air con and a bit more luxury.
The lack of air con would be the death knell for me, unfortunately. I'll have to wait for a different chimp trek with air con and a bit more luxury.
May 5, 2015, 11:11 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
Between your wonderful report, and bhrubin's, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...ge-rwanda.html we are getting more and more tempted...
Are the masks in the picture to protect the humans from chimp germs, or chimps from human germs?
Are the masks in the picture to protect the humans from chimp germs, or chimps from human germs?
May 5, 2015, 12:22 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Finland
Programs: Almost anything with six to twelve steps...
Posts: 1,033
Thank you for a great report - it brought back a lot of memories from our trip in 2006. It looks like things haven't changed much (thankfully so!).
In case someone is interested, here are some more photos from Mahale.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monoju...57594326234886
And as for feeling threatened by the chimps, my wife and I felt simply elated when the chimps nearly touched us. And the masks are definitely to protect the chimps - in fact, if someone is sick, they are not allowed to go near the chimps.
If you go to Mahale, also check out Chada Katavi, it is a piece of truly primaeval Africa.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monoju...57594328727150
Cheers,
T.
In case someone is interested, here are some more photos from Mahale.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monoju...57594326234886
And as for feeling threatened by the chimps, my wife and I felt simply elated when the chimps nearly touched us. And the masks are definitely to protect the chimps - in fact, if someone is sick, they are not allowed to go near the chimps.
If you go to Mahale, also check out Chada Katavi, it is a piece of truly primaeval Africa.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/monoju...57594328727150
Cheers,
T.
May 5, 2015, 5:21 pm
#10
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
Posts: 17,853
I am not sure if it is the trip report or if it is seeing luxury hotel buffs lauding a hotel with no aircon that is more fascinating! In either case, I totally agree, it was delightful to see the report. I have seen chimps in other places and they often won't stop pestering visitors for food.
Last edited by RichardInSF; May 5, 2015 at 5:56 pm
May 5, 2015, 11:52 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Everywhere
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Posts: 764
They've also been actively researched for several decades (there's a small Japanese research station nearby), so they're used to being around humans.
. This is one of the unique cases where everything "just works" exactly as-is. Mrs. KI-NRT is a city girl with a particular affinity for first-world comfort, but at the end of our stay, even she admitted that the authenticity of Greystoke was part of what made the entire experience so special.
May 18, 2015, 10:18 am
#13
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1
Great photos!
^These are awesome- AFAR is including Greystoke Mahale in its upcoming issue; could we discuss image usage? Please email me at [email protected] and thank you!
May 18, 2015, 10:55 am
#14
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Monaco
Posts: 317
Fantastic trip report ^
and excellent info ^
Thanks.
Nomad might not be a household name to many people in this forum, but it ought to be. They offer some of the best lodges and camps in Tanzania, and are renowned for having some of the very best guides, bar none. They also have camps in many of the prime locations, including Lamai Serengeti, which is one of the best places to catch the migration between August to October - we went in 2011 and had an amazing experience there. If you browse through the highest rated lodges at Africatravelresource.com, you'll see many of Nomad's camps receiving a perfect 10 rating. They definitely deserve the accolades.
Thanks.