Mahale Mountains National Park

The Mahale Mountains National Park is located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, where you will find crystal clear water and deserted sandy beaches, rising up into massive forested mountains overlooking the lake. The forests of Mahale play host to a vast number of primate species, including most famously up to 1,000 chimpanzees.

Mahale Mountains was gazetted as a Tanzanian National Park in 1985 and covers an area of 1,613 sq km from the lake shore to Nkungwe Peak which is an impressive 2,462m. It is possible for visitors to climb to the summit in a day's hike from one of the camps; although it is a long and tiring mission, it is more than worth the effort for the breath-taking views.

The most well known attraction in Mahale is the chance to observe a wild chimpanzee community, which have become used to humans, as have the other well known troop in Gombe. In 1965 a permanent research camp was set up by a group of primatologists from Japan, and the research is continued today.

There are eight other recorded species of primate in Mahale National Park, including olive baboons, red colobus, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys. An endemic race of Angola black-and-white colobus are resident in the upper slopes, preferring the montane forest environment. There are two species of galago; however these are nocturnal, so visitors are more likely to hear them than see them. There is also an amazing diversity of bird life in Mahale Mountains National Park, with over 230 recorded bird species including a range of hornbills, king-fishers, bee-eaters and weavers.

In addition to hiking, trekking, climbing, swimming and snorkeling in Lake Tanganyika, visitors can go fishing with local tribes or follow in the footsteps of the the local Tongwe people who undertake a pilgrimage to the mountain spirits by hiking through the lush rain forest to higher grassy ridges.

Inland the eastern slopes of the Mahale Mountains are home to several species of mammal such as lion, giraffe, elephant, roan antelope, and even the rare African hunting dog.

Contact us directly for more information about hiking, trekking or chimp-watching in the Mahale Mountains National Park