KUNGWE BEACH LODGE
Located on a long stretch of Lake Tanganyika’s golden sandy shores, beneath the magnificent Mahale Mountains, lies the newly refurbished Kungwe Beach Lodge. The camp consists of 10 spacious and luxurious tents with en-suite facilities overlooking the crystal clear waters of Tanganyika.
Kungwe Beach Lodge is an excellent value alternative to the nearby Greystoke Camp which shares the same group of Chimpanzees.
In the evenings, candlelit dinners are served either in the dining area or on the beach to the sounds of beetles, crickets and birds and the calls of Chimpanzees in the forest.
Chimpanzee tracking is the main attraction at Mahale, and is always given a high priority. Tracking usually begins early in the morning, with the Guides usually starting at the area where the Chimpanzees nested the previous night and tracking from there.
In Mahale tracking can take up to four hours. Chimpanzees move in search of fruit, and are never far away if there’s an abundance of fruit nearby, there are a number of other primates which may also be encountered on a trek. a reasonable level of fitness is required.
Normally Chimpanzee Tracking takes place in the morning returning for lunch. In the afternoon there are many options, depending on how energetic you feel. Choose between further Chimpanzee tracking, walking on the beach, swimming or fishing and snorkelling. The area of Lake in front of the park is a nature reserve and no commercial fishing is permitted which makes the fishing and snorkelling excellent in this area.
A stay at Kungwe Beach Lodge adds an interesting variation to the traditional bush safari in the wonderful Tanzanian National Parks and the area can be included in a Northern or Southern Safari Circuit and can also be combined with Katuma Bush Lodge, a sister camp in the remote Katavi National Park.
Kungwe is only accessible by air and a fascinating boat transfer and as flights are not daily a three or four night stay is perfect.
The best time to visit is between June and March with the cooler winter months from June to August perhaps ideal.