Mahale MountainsMahale Mountain National Park is located as far west as you can possibly go in Tanzania sitting on the shoreline of the ancient Lake Tanganyika which is the second deepest lake in the world and neighbours The Congo, Tanzania, Burundi and Zambia. One of Africa’s finest destinations, Mahale is one of those ‘once in a life time’ locations.
Mahale Mountain National Park is very different to other national parks in Tanzania in that there are no roads or vehicles and that it is covered in thick tropical forest land from Lake Tanganyika shoreline upto the mountain peaks which are often disappearing into the clouds. The clan of Chimps move over this whole area freely throughout the year depending on where the best feeding is. As a general trend the chimps main fruit they eat grows higher in the mountains in June through to August time. From September onwards the chimps tend to feed at a lower altitude making the chimp trek shorter.
Due to its beautifully remote location this national park sees very few tourists each year, but for those who make the journey, they have the privileged opportunity to visit the wild ‘M’ Clan of some 60 plus habitualised chimpanzees. The forest is also filled with an array of stunning birdlife and a number of other forest dwelling animals including leopard.
However, there is a lot more to these forests than meets the eye, the tree canopy is the domain for giant squirrels, excitable troops of vervet, red colobus and white spot nose monkeys. Apart from guided walks to see the chimpanzees it is also highly recommended to go for other nature walks to explore hidden waterfalls deep in the forest and take a refreshing swim.
Mahale Mountain Park is primarily accessed by boat or dhow on lake Tanganyika after arriving at the airstrip from either Arusha or Ruaha depending on which flight route. Combing Katavi National Park with Mahale is a great way to explore western Tanzania. Mahale: Accommodation choices
Mahale National park is synonymous with one of Africa’s most famous lodges, Nomad Tanzania’s Greystoke Camp. Greystoke is a phenomenal lodge, nestled into the bottom of the hillside forest on a secluded beach shore of Tanganyika. The Location and lodge design are beautiful but what really makes the experience exceptional is the Nomad guiding which as with all their lodges is in a league of its own.
The other option in Mahale is Nkungwe which is slightly north of Greystoke on not such a good shoreline. The lodge is comfortable and offers chimp trekking but the guiding tends to lacks in knowledge and the general quality of the experience is incomparable to Greystoke. The Nomad lodge is slightly more expensive but if you have made the journey to Mahale we feel it is important to get the full experience!
Recommended lodges in this area:
Mahale Mountains
Greystoke is a 'nowhere else in the world' place. A 'nothing touches this' spot. On the shores of lake Tanganika and beneath the towering peaks of Mahale Mountains, this is a beautiful, bohemian hideaway, perfectly situated for watching chimps.
Mahale Mountains
Kungwe has developed into a reasonably good lodge and is the only alternative to the luxurious Greystoke Mahale, its neighbour.
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