点评:Greystoke Mahale is a place that’s unique and rewarding in every regard. It’s run by highly knowledgeable people who care that every single guest gets the most out of his or her stay.
First off, it’s *remote*. To get there, it’s first a long flight from wherever you are to the airstrip at the village just outside Mahale National Park, then a comfortable boat trip of about 1 hour 10 minutes. From the camp, you look across Lake Tanganyika and can see the mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the far distance. As others have noted, you can no longer swim from the beach because of the presence of crocodiles. So weather permitting, the staff takes you about ten minutes offshore so you can swim in the world’s second-deepest lake — the ultimate infinity pool!
Nomad runs charter flights from Arusha and various Serengeti airstrips on Mondays and Thursdays, so most people stay either three or four nights. If budget permits, I recommend the four-night stay, which gives more chimpanzee trekking opportunities and is more relaxed overall.
The charter flights make refueling stops in Tabora in both directions.
The chimpanzee experience is fantastic. The trackers go out in the early morning and tell the guides by radio where the chimps are located. You come to breakfast ready to go when word is received. The chimps may be close by, or finding them may involve a fairly arduous trek; it’s the luck of the draw. Note that between July and September the going may be quite tough, since the chimps are typically on the other side of a mountain. If it’s muddy (the area gets quite a bit of rain), that may also make the walking difficult. But the staff does everything humanly possible to help everyone reach the chimps.
The chimps are clearly aware of human visitors but they basically ignore you, leaving you able to get a real glimpse into their behavior. You’re allowed one hour in their presence. Over the span of a few days you’ll see a panoply of behaviors, start learning (with the help of the guides) about what you’re seeing, and start getting a sense of the social structure of the group (it’s Community M that’s habituated).
In the afternoon you can go kayaking, take the boat to swim in the lake, and continue by boat to look for birds and hippos at the lakeshore.
A big part of what makes the experience so great is the wonderful people at Greystoke Mahale. The manager, Mwiga Mambo, started many years ago in the kitchen, then worked his way up to tracker, guide and eventually manager. I cannot say enough about Mwiga. He bent over backwards to make sure we had the best possible time and accommodated many special requests. Kudos also to Nomad for recognizing that he had the qualities to be a great manager and investing in his advancement.
Our guides, Matias and Godfrey, were big-hearted and immensely knowledgeable. I learned a lot from them and greatly enjoyed our conversations. They live and breathe their subject, and they also care about their guests.
The waitstaff — “Kapopo” and the twins Hussein and Hassan — were a joy. I’ve been gone several days now and I miss them!
The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and the entire setup is first rate.
The experience is not inexpensive, but it’s amazing. I can highly recommend it to anyone who cares about wildlife and learning about it.
翻译:Greystoke Mahale 是一个在各个方面都独一无二且有益的地方。它由知识渊博的人经营,他们关心每一位客人都能充分利用他或她的住宿。
首先,它是*远程*。要到达那里,首先要从您所在的任何地方乘坐长途飞机到达马哈勒国家公园外村庄的简易机场,然后乘坐大约 1 小时 10 分钟的舒适游船。从营地眺望坦噶尼喀湖,远处可以看到刚果民主共和国的群山。正如其他人指出的那样,由于鳄鱼的存在,您不能再从海滩游泳。因此,如果天气允许,工作人员会带您离岸约十分钟,这样您就可以在世界第二深的湖泊——终极无边泳池中畅游!
Nomad 在周一和周四从阿鲁沙和塞伦盖蒂的各个简易机场运营包机航班,因此大多数人会在这里停留三到四个晚上。如果预算允许,我推荐四晚住宿,这样可以有更多的黑猩猩徒步机会,整体上也更轻松。
包机在塔博拉双向加油。
黑猩猩的经历太棒了。追踪者在清晨外出,通过无线电告诉向导黑猩猩所在的位置。收到消息后,您准备好去吃早餐。黑猩猩可能就在附近,或者要找到它们可能需要相当艰苦的跋涉;这是平局的运气。请注意,在 7 月和 9 月之间,情况可能会非常艰难,因为黑猩猩通常在山的另一边。如果它是泥泞的(该地区下了很多雨),那也可能使步行变得困难。但工作人员尽一切可能帮助每个人到达黑猩猩。
黑猩猩清楚地意识到人类访客,但它们基本上无视您,让您能够真实地瞥见它们的行为。你可以在他们面前呆一小时。在几天的时间里,你会看到一整套的行为,开始学习(在向导的帮助下)你所看到的,并开始了解这个群体的社会结构(这是社区 M习惯了)。
下午可以划独木舟,乘船游湖,继续乘船去湖岸寻找鸟类和河马。
Greystoke Mahale 优秀的员工是让体验如此美妙的重要原因。经理 Mwiga Mambo 多年前开始在厨房工作,然后逐步晋升为跟踪员、向导并最终成为经理。关于 Mwiga,我怎么说都不为过。他竭尽全力确保我们度过最美好的时光,并满足了许多特殊要求。还要感谢 Nomad,因为他认识到他具备成为一名优秀经理人的素质,并为他的进步进行了投资。
我们的向导马蒂亚斯 (Matias) 和戈弗雷 (Godfrey) 心胸宽广,知识渊博。我从他们那里学到了很多,并且非常享受我们的谈话。他们生活和呼吸他们的主题,他们也关心他们的客人。
服务员——“Kapopo”以及双胞胎 Hussein 和 Hassan——令人愉快。我已经离开好几天了,我想念他们!
房间宽敞舒适,整个设施一流。
这种体验并不便宜,但令人惊叹。我可以向所有关心野生动物并了解它的人强烈推荐它。