4 Days Tanzania Chimpanzee Safari

Depart on a bush flight from the airport to the Mahale National Park Airstrip. Staff from Kungwe Beach Lodge, your home for the next three nights, will be waiting to greet you. From there you will board a traditional dhow boat which will take you along the coastline of Lake Tanganyika and deep into the wilderness to your camp on the edge of the Mahale Forest. There are no roads in this park. Humans enter only on foot or travel along the coastline by boat. Enjoy the tranquility of an environment where you will trade the busy roar of traffic for the songs of the forest birds and the sound of the breeze blowing across the water.

After you arrive, check in to your cottage, and enjoy lunch. You’ll have the afternoon to enjoy one of the many activities available to you at Kungwe including Hippo viewing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, boating, traditional fishing, hiking etc.

Rise early for breakfast at camp while you wait for word from the park rangers. The rangers communicate daily with the forest trackers who let them know when they have spotted the chimps. Once their location is know, you will begin your trek alongside your guide  into the forests of Mahale. Expect to walk between 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on your destination.

First, you’ll hear the rustle of leaves and breaking of branches. You may even hear loud hooting cries bouncing through the trees as the chimps call out to family members. Then suddenly, you are among them. Take a seat on the forest floor. You’ll likely get the best view of their unique behavior from this vantage point.

The chimps of Mahale have been observed by researchers from Kyoto University since 1960. They are among the most habituated chimps in the world, meaning they do not fear humans and are comfortable getting close to you.  The rangers will let you stay with the chimps for 1 to 2 hours at a time depending on the number of visitors in the park that day. Be prepared to follow the chimps if they decide to move on.

Spend another day amongst the mischievous primates in Mahale National Park. If the chimps are not enough, this park is also home to other tree-dwelling wildlife including the Angola colobus, red colobus, red-tailed monkeys, and blue monkeys. Hike through the trees to get a view of the robust bird life and look for butterflies fluttering by.

Lake Tanganyika offers some of the best fresh water fishing in Tanzania. Here you can catch Sangara (Nile Perch), as well as Kuhe (Yellow Belly), to name just a few.

Tour Price Per Person Sharing double/twin room