Gombe National Park

Gombe is the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks, and one of the best known due to the availability of Chimpanzees. Travel to the park is by boat only from Ujiji or Kigoma. The forests are alive with the famous chimpanzees, red colobus, and red-tail and blue monkeys. You can also spot bushbuck, bush pig and grey duiker. The lake shore is home to the pied and giant kingfishers, the crowned eagle and African broadbill.The park is located in Western side of Tanzania near Lake Tanganyika, which is one of the deepest lakes in Africa.

Mahale National Park

Mahale is located in the Western Tanzania to the South of Kigoma town, it is bordering Lake Tanganyika-the World’s longest, second deepest and least polluted freshwater lake-harbouring an estimated 1000 fish species.This park has the same features to those of Gombe national park and it is home to some of Africa’s wild chimpanzees. Tracking the chimps of Mahale brings magical experience to the tourists and also to have more knowledge about the lives of chimpanzees in the park.

Best time for Chimps Trekking

Dry season (May -October) is the best period. During this period, chimpanzees are likely to be seen in big groups, the sunshine illuminates the fish in the Lake and the beach is an inviting place to relax. However, Mahale Mountains National Park is accessible all year round. A visit in the rainy season can also be a memorable experience, made remarkable by views of the neighboring country DR Congo across the water and by incredible lightning storms that light up the lake at night.

Activities

– The Chimpanzees
– Chain of Mountains (Mahale range)
– Forest fauna and flora (Angola colobus, red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, forest birds, alpine bamboo, montane rain forest etc).
– Beach along Lake Tanganyika
– Hiking to the Park’s highest point “Nkungwe” (8,069ft) held sacred by the local Tongwe people.