Mahale Mountains National Park
Islands & Coasts
July 6, 2021
Northern Tanzania
July 6, 2021
As one of the two protected areas for chimpanzees in Tanzania, Mahale Mountains National Park is home to over 1,000 of these magnificent primates for you to enjoy.
Mahale Mountains National Park, set on the shores of Lake Tanganyika is truly breathtaking! One of only two protected areas in country for Chimpanzees, the park is home to over 1,000 individuals, and due to the parks size and remoteness the Chimpanzees flourish here in Mahale. This really is one of the very best places in the world to see these amazing creatures.
Mahale has no roads and little infrastructure, so the only way to access the park is by air and then by boat across the lake. The lakeshore here is fringed with fine, white-powder sand and the mountains, full of streams and lush vegetation, make for an imposing and stunning backdrop.
The highlight of any trip to this 1,600 square kilometre park is trekking the Chimpanzees at close quarters. August to October is the best time to do this with the Chimps normally being close to the shore and the paths at their driest. Additionally here fish, kayak, butterfly and bird watch, or simply relax on the beautiful beach. Put simply Mahale is truly a stunning place to visit!
Much like Katavi, Mahale being remote is not cheap to get to and thus we recommend 3-4 nights in the park, taking in Chimpanzees and various other experiences. Really if you are coming this far you should combine Mahale with a similar amount of time in the Katavi. In fact, as a week long experience the combination of stunning safari in Katavi and Chimpanzee trekking and relaxing at Mahale, makes for one of the very best weeks you could have anywhere on the continent!
With only a couple of hundred visitors between the two parks each year, these are experiences not many people ever have the privilege of boasting about! Mahale, like Katavi, also has two beach lodge accommodations, the unique Greystoke, and the beautiful setting at Kungwe.
Mahale Mountains National Park FAQs
Mahale has the most dramatic backdrop setting with forested slopes adorning the 8000ft Mahale Mountains. We recommend two places in Mahale, namely Kungwe Camp with its pristine beach and easy access for chimpanzee trekking and Greystoke Mahale Camp. Most who have been there will say that there is nowhere in the world like Greystoke Mahale with its sandy white beaches along the turquoise waters of Lake Tanganyika. Greystoke affects visitors in a way that no other place does.
Mahale Mountains National Park can be visited throughout the year, but the best time is in the dry season which extends from June to October. The chimps also tend to gather in bigger groups, closer to the shore of Lake Tanganyika, making access to them much easier. They can still be seen during the wet season but will require a bit more effort and walking.
Indeed it does! What makes it so unique is the remote paradise where the fantasy Mahale Mountains and forests rise from Lake Tanganyika, where chimpanzee trekking is experienced like no other place in Africa. The setting is unlike anywhere else in Africa and can best be described as beautiful, remote, lush and simply magical. We highly recommend a trip to Mahale.
MAHALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARKCAMPS
Kungwe Camp is a romantic beach and forest lodge set on a dramatic stretch of secluded golden beach accessible by dhow boat. With a backdrop chain of wild, jungle-draped mountains, the lodge is ideally positioned along the beach of beautiful Lake Tanganyika. This camp is very well suited to Chimp trekking ... Read more
It's no exaggeration to say there is nowhere in the world like Greystoke Mahale. Greystoke Mahale sits on a pristine, white sandy beach overlooking the turquoise water of Lake Tanganyika, with the forested slopes of the 8000 ft Mahale Mountains rising behind. Greystoke affects people in a way that no other place does; perhaps it's because of its remoteness, and because of the mountains rising from the beach at your backs, the wide lake with its many different moods and the feeling that you are the only ones here ... Read more
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