Lake Tanganyika and Chimpanzees

The opportunity to spend a few days interacting with a group of wild chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains National Park on the shores  Lake Tanganyika is a perfect contrast to the traditional African bush safari.

Safari Club consultants have recently visited our two featured camps in the Mahale Mountains National Park and spent some time trekking to see our closest relatives which inhabit the beautiful forested shoreline of Lake Tanganyika. The Chimpanzees which have been studied since 1960,s are completey habituated to the presence of humans and go about their fascinating daily lives without a care.

The park is also home to other primates and wildlife which are also regularly sighted and the area of lake in front of the park is also a reserve with the chance to see the many colourful species of fish which inhabit the crystal clear waters of Tanganyika.

Other activities include kayaking and fishing for some of Africa's largest fish including the endenmic giant Tanganyika Perch or just sunbathing on the idyllic lakeshore.

There are two places to stay within the park, the top end cabins of Greystoke Camp and the luxury tented Kungwe Beach Lodge both of which are excellent.

The journey to get to the park by air and dhow is an interesting travel experience in itself with the chance to see the local people going about their  lives on the lakeshore.

Mahale can easily be added to either the Northern or Southern Tanzania safari circuits as there are regular flight connections with both areas.

Our consultants strongly recommend adding three or four days at Mahale to a traditional Safari in some of Tanzania's exceptional game reserves such as Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Ruaha and as a possible alternative to the exotic white coral beaches of Zanzibar.

News