Gombe Stream and Mahale National Park

Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains National Park Safari

GombeStream National Park
Both National Parks lie on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The beauty of Gombe and Mahale National Parks are unique. Gombe Stream National Park is named after the Gombe River. This is also the smallest park in Tanzania. These are parks without roads where you can walk and experience nature with all your senses. All game viewing at the parks are done on foot. The biggest attraction of these parks are the intriguing, beguiling, and oh-so-human chimpanzees but there are also a large number of Olive baboons and different species of monkeys such as Red Colobus, Blue monkeys etc.

Mahale Mountains National Park
This beautiful park is much larger than the Gombe Stream National Park. The Mahale Mountain is home to some of Africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzees, a population of roughly 800. While the chimpanzees are the star attraction, the slopes support a diverse forest fauna, including readily observed troops of red Colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and a kaleidoscopic array of colourful forest birds. It is also more remote than Gombe and therefore more difficult to get to.  The journey is however well worth it and a trip to these untouched, forested areas is an experience that you will never forget!

 Kigoma
Kigoma is the major Tanzanian port on Lake Tanganyika and the best starting point for visits to the Mahale Mountains National Park and Gombe Stream National Park. Kigoma is a laid-back and attractive little town, located at the foot of a hill and characterised by grove after grove of mango trees. It is perhaps best known as one of the major ferry ports on Lake Tanganyika.

 DAY 1:
GombeStream National Park
Africa Joy Tours will arrange transport to the lake in time for your boat trip to the Gombe National Park. They will await your arrival at the Gombe National Park and transport you to your lodge. Arrival at the lodge will be at 12:00 where we will have a hot lunch. After lunch we proceed to track the chimpanzees in the forest. In the late afternoon we return to the lodge for dinner and our overnight stay at the Gombe Forest Lodge or Bandas.  

 

DAY 2:
GombeStream National Park
At 07:00 breakfast is served at the lodge. We leave at 08:00 sharp, tracking chimpanzees in the forest and climbing to the Kakombe Waterfalls, if time allows. If not, we return to the Gombe Forest Lodge or Bandas for dinner and our overnight stay.

DAY 3:
GombeStream National Park
Our day starts at 06:00am. We breakfast at the lodge at 07:00 after which we depart by transportation arranged by Africa Joy Tours to meet our boat for our trip to Kigoma. Africa Joy Tours will be on hand when you arrive and to see you to your hotel. We can, if you so wish, book a hotel for you in Kigoma.

DAY 4:
MahaleMountain National Park
At 08:00 we depart by boat or aircraft for Kungwe Beach Lodge. On your arrival at the lodge you will be served a hot lunch. In the afternoon we will go on a short chimpanzee track in the forest returning to the lodge in the late afternoon for dinner and a bonfire. We overnight at the Kungwe Beach Lodge.

DAY 5:
MahaleMountain National Park
After breakfast at the lodge we depart at 08:00, tracking the chimpanzees in the forest. The guides will amaze you with the way that they can find these sometime allusive primates. We return to the lodge for a hot lunch. The next item on the program is a boat ride to view bird and game in the forests and on the lake. We return to your lodge for dinner and bonfire and overnight at the Kungwe Beach Lodge.

DAY 6:
MahaleMountain National Park
Breakfast is at 07:00 followed at 08:00 by another day of tracking chimpanzees in the forest. At lunch time we return to the lodge for a hot lunch followed by fishing on the lake. In the early evening we have dinner and a bonfire. We overnight at the Kungwe Beach Lodge.

DAY 7:
MahaleMountain National Park– Kigoma
At 07:00 we have breakfast and leave the lodge at 08:00 for a day of relaxation at the beach. At 12:00 we catch the ferry to Kigoma.