Ultimate Chimpanzee Experience in Tanzania

Monday Departures – 3 nights Mahale and 4 nights Gombe.

Thursday Departures – 4 nights Mahale, 3 nights Gombe

Today arrive in Kigoma Airport and transfer to road (5 hrs) and then boat (2 hrs) to your isolated and romantic beach lodge on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, beside Mahale Mountain National Park.

Note: a night’s accommodation in Kigoma pre and post tour can be arranged if required.

Mahale Mountains National Park

Spreading out from the shores of beautiful Lake Tanganyika, the mountainous terrain of the Mahale Mountain National Park is home to some of Africa’s last surviving wild chimpanzees and trekking in search of these incredible primates is one of the main attractions of the reserve.

Other highlights include walking game safaris that take in the park’s diverse wildlife, hiking up the 2460-metre Mount Nkungwe – the highest of the Mahale mountain range’s six peaks – and fishing and snorkelling in Lake Tanganyika on the park’s western border.

While the park is home to over 900 chimpanzees, it is also home to a variety of other wildlife including: leopards, blue duikers, red colobus monkeys, giant pangolins, lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, otters and a variety of bird species.

Stay at Mbali Mbali Mahale

Mbali Mbali Mahale is a beautiful and authentic eco-lodge which sits on a sheltered golden beach, deep in the heart of the African interior. Boasting a backdrop formed by the dramatic Mahale Mountain range, and the crystal clear waters of Lake Tanganyika in the foreground, this secluded and romantic hideaway is the perfect blend of relaxation and luxury.

Each well-appointed Beach Tent has been strategically positioned to offer guests privacy, while still allowing easy access to the beach and communal areas. Each Beach Tent is on a raised platform; delivers 24-hour electricity and hot and cold running water. The tents provide self-contained mosquito nets around the beds and bathroom.

The primary activity in the park is chimpanzee trekking, carefully monitored so as to reduce human impact on the famous habituated M-Group chimps. Take a gentle boat safari on the lake, or opt for a fishing excursion, where you may encounter crocodile, hippo and otter as well as an abundance of birdlife. Kayaks are available for exploring the lake at your leisure, or you may choose to simply stretch out under one of the salas on the beach, while the gentle lapping of the lake lulls you into an afternoon siesta.

Your stay here will be all inclusive including one chimpanzee trek on each full day’s stay. See below for more information on chimpanzee trekking in Mahale.

The minimum participating age for chimpanzee trekking as determined by TANAPA is 12 years old.

Chimp Viewing is limited to a maximum of 6 people per group for 1 hour at a time.

Chimpanzee trekking is conducted on day of departure and day of arrival only if time allows subject to arrival/departure schedules and chimps location.

Maximum viewing time is one hour per day. If the chimps are moving and viewing is interrupted, your time will be paused until they have been relocated, but trekking is not permitted for longer than 3 hours after the initial chimp sighting, even if the one hour total has not been reached. This is to minimize disturbance to the animals and to the forest.

Mahale is home to a population of chimpanzees who have been studied by Japanese researchers; they have quietly conducted some of the most important scientific work on these primates from as early as 1960’s.

The park is just over 1600 sq kms and hence during the rainy season it can prove to be more challenging to trek for chimpanzees are they remain higher in the mountains when they do not need to come to the lake or rivers for water.

Return to Kigoma by boat and then by road, before an afternoon transfer to Gombe Stream by Dhow (2 hours).

On arrival relax at your comfortable eco-lodge Mbali Mbali Gombe, your home for the next 4 nights on an all inclusive basis.

Mbali Mbali Gombe

In the lush shade of ancient forest trees just off the shores of Lake Tanganyika, lies the small yet intimate Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge. Privacy is assured with just 12 guests here at any time.

Six Forest Tents are set on wooden platforms beneath mango groves on the lakeshore. The elegantly furnished luxury tents of Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge were designed to have every comfort while minimizing disturbance and impact on the stunning environment. Fill your day with hiking through the trails, observing chimpanzees and birds, or exploring the lake with a kayak. Enjoy sundowners around a campfire on the beach to unwind from the day’s adventures.

The Forest Tents are named after the chimpanzees who are familiar to the researchers from the Jane Goodall Institute. Each tent has an ensuite bathroom and a furnished private balcony.

Gombe Stream National Park is a thin strip of ancient mountain forest bordering the second deepest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika.

This park was made world-famous for the primate studies conducted by pioneering British researcher Jane Goodall.

Prepare yourself for a truly remarkable experience of chimpanzees and nature in one of the most remote and untouched parks in Tanzania.

The minimum participating age for chimpanzee trekking in Gombe as determined by TANAPA is 15 years old.

Chimp Viewing is limited to a maximum of 6 people per group for 1 hour at a time.

Chimpanzee trekking is conducted on day of departure and day of arrival only if time allows subject to arrival/departure schedules and chimps location.

Maximum viewing time is one hour per day. If the chimps are moving and viewing is interrupted, your time will be paused until they have been relocated, but trekking is not permitted for longer than 3 hours after the initial chimp sighting, even if the one hour total has not been reached. This is to minimize disturbance to the animals and to the forest.

Gombe is the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks, roughly just about 60 sq kms. It is home to chimpanzees, habituated to human visitors, who were made famous by the pioneering work of Jane Goodall, who founded a behavioral research program that now stands as the longest-running study of its kind in the world. Most visitors are enthusiastic about the biography and want to see the chimp families and places she talks about in her book i.e. her house, the research centre, and Janes Peak. There is also a waterfall which guests like to hike to.

Your days will be spent chimpanzee tracking, relaxing or going on other activities such as nature walks and boat trips.

Gombe Stream National Park

Covering a mere 52 square kilometres of surface area, Gombe Stream National Park is Tanzania’s smallest park – but its prolific primate species, including chimpanzees, red colobus, red-tail and blue monkeys create a large stature.

The park’s connection to Jane Goodall has given it worldwide renown, with the wild chimpanzee population at the heart of Goodall’s groundbreaking research.

Accessible only by water from the town of Kigoma, the park’s dense forests are also inhabited by a myriad of avian species and offer phenomenal bird watching and walking safaris.

Other popular activities include chimp tracking, lakeshore walks, taking in spectacular views from Jane’s Peak, and visiting the magnificent Kakombe Waterfall.

Return to Kigoma by boat and your onward flight, although note that for many itineraries it may be necessary to spend a night in Kigoma, which can easily be added on.