Mahale Mountains and Gombe National Parks

Remote forest, big lake

Mahale Mountains National Park sits on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, one of the deepest lakes in the world. The mountains rise steeply from the lake and are cloaked in forest. There are no roads, and you arrive by boat or on a small plane. That alone weeds out most visitors and keeps the experience quiet.

The park is home to a large population of wild chimpanzees. Researchers from Japan have studied them for decades, and some groups are now habituated to visitors. Trekking involves walking in the forest with a guide until you find them, then spending about an hour observing them at a respectful distance.

Gombe Stream

Gombe Stream National Park is a small forested strip near Kigoma on the same lake. It was here in 1960 that Jane Goodall began her field research, which changed how people understand chimpanzees. The park is much smaller than Mahale, the terrain is steep, and it can be visited as a short trip from Kigoma.

When to go

The dry season, roughly May to October, is best. The trails are drier, the lake is calm, and chimps often come down the mountain slopes. The wet months, from November to April, are possible, but you’ll get rained on and the trails are slippery. Success rates are generally good in either park, although nothing is guaranteed.

Getting there

Both parks are only reachable by lake boat or light aircraft. From Kigoma, Gombe is about a 30-minute to two-hour boat ride, depending on the boat. Mahale is farther, roughly 5 to 6 hours by boat or a short flight. Lodges arrange transfers. Most travellers reach Kigoma by scheduled flights from Dar es Salaam or Arusha.

Costs

Chimp trekking permits in Tanzania are charged by TANAPA on top of park entry, and they’re generally in the range of about US$100 a day for non-residents, though you should confirm the current rate. The greater cost is the lodges and transfers. There are only a few lodges at Mahale, most of them in the luxury category, and they may include activities such as snorkelling and kayaking in the price.

Who should go

Mahale suits travellers who have already done the main safari circuit, and who want something remote. If you want gorillas and chimps together at a fraction of the cost, look at Uganda and Rwanda first. If you enjoy long boat rides, a beach camp in a forest and a truly quiet wilderness, Mahale is hard to beat.