Africa

Mahale Mountains National Park

Measuring some 1600 sq. km in size Mahale Mountains National Park in western Tanzania is home to one of the world’s largest population of wild chimpanzees.

There are few natural environments more seductive than Mahale, and there is no place on earth better to watch chimpanzees in the wild. It is a remarkably beautiful and unspoilt area: lush, tropical mountains rise from the pale sandy beaches of Lake Tanganyika to more than 2400 metres or more. Rivers tumble down waterfalls to the shoreline, through fairy-tale forest valleys, providing stunning hiking terrain. Amongst many other mammals, more than 1000 wild chimpanzees range through this rich habitat. In the crystal waters of the lake, meanwhile, over 250 unique species of fish are to be found, including many endemic cichlids. There are no roads for 50 miles around Mahale: man can only enter on foot or by boat.

Hundreds of colourful butterflies and forest birds dart across sunlit paths and otters are sometimes seen close to the lakeshore. Warthogs and bushpigs also forage along these paths, whilst elephant, buffalo, roan, sable, kudu and eland are all found within the forest. Lion and leopard are known to hunt in the area. The branches of the trees are home to giant and red-legged squirrels, as well as excitable troops of vervet, red colobus, black and white colobus and white spot nose monkeys.

Bird-watching is a real treat at Mahale with new species being recorded all the time: bee-eaters, rollers and crowned eagles are regularly seen, as well as the brightly coloured Ross’s turaco within the forest.

Our preferred camp is:

Greystoke Camp