FAQ

  • Is there a restaurant at Jakobsen Beach?
    • No. However the cottages and guesthouse are equipped for self-catering.
  • Where can I get food?
    • There is no food for sale at Jakobsen Beach, so we recommend that you stock up in Kigoma town, before making your way out to us. You can buy some fruits and vegetables at the road before the Jakobsen Beach turn-off (a 10-15 minute walk). Our staff can sell you water and soft drinks.
    • If you would like a cook to prepare your meals, please ask us in advance and we can put you in touch with an experienced cook. He typically requests Tsh 30,000 per day.
  • Which animals will I see?
    • We don’t know.  All the animals that have sought refuge here are free to come and go as they please.  However, there’s a resident zebra who was born here, a genet and a civet cat, a honeymooning otter couple, some forest duikers, a monitor lizard who likes to scare people by posing as a crocodile, and a gang of prankster vervet monkeys.  None of these will harm you, but we advise you not to stand directly behind Zebrastian the zebra.
  • I can bring my dog / cat / pet , right? 
    • Sorry, but we’d rather you don’t. Although we like pets, for the sake of other guests and for the animals who live here, we do not allow pets. If you’d like us to make an exception for you, you must contact us and get an agreement well in advance.
  • What are the dangers?
    • There aren’t that many mosquitos, but take the usual precautions against malaria.  There is no bilharzia in the water here.  There have been no crocodile attacks in the time we have been here (25 years).  There is no life guard on duty at the beach.
  • Which languages do you speak?
    • The staff here all speak Kiswahili and Kiha, which is similar to Kirundi. Ayoub, the daily manager, speaks English. We all do our best to communicate across language barriers!
  • What’s the total number of people you can accommodate?
    • That depends on whether you need single or double beds. We have bed space for more than 30. This includes the guest house, the cottages, and the bedded tents. In addition, we have tents and bedding for rent.
  • What’s the weather like in Kigoma?
    • The weather forecasts on this meteorological page are usually accurate for Kigoma. Temperatures are quite steady year round, between 19 Celsius at night and 29 Celsius during the day. The rainy seasons follow the general pattern in the rest of Tanzania but are a little more predictable, with most of the rain falling between November and April. March and December are the wettest months.
  • Do you make a commission when you arrange for transport to Gombe?
    • No. We make no money when we do this; we do it as a favour to our guests.
  • Why won’t you give me the resident rate / missionary rate?
    • Because there is none. Honestly. All guests, even our best friends, pay the same rate. We are in no place to decide who should subsidize whom. This doesn’t mean we don’t think you do good work.
  • Do we need to bring our own bed sheets and towels ?
    • Not if you are staying in the guesthouse, cottages, bedded tent or rented tent. There you’ll find towels and made-up beds waiting for you. You may want to bring your own beach towels, though.
  • What do you know about getting Burundian visas in Kigoma ?
    • This is completely outside our control, of course, so we cannot guarantee anything. But we can share our experiences and those of our friends. We have gotten visas on the border at Manyovu. You can also get one beforehand at the Burundian consulate in Kigoma, and we’re told it can be done in a day there.