5 - 6 Days Safari to Mahale National Park

Overview

What makes this journey special

Bird WatchingCanoeing / KayakingChimpanzee WatchingForest Walk

Mahale Mountains National Park is famous for its large chimpanzee population is located in western Tanzania on the dramatic shores of Lake Tanganyika. With forested slopes, the park area extends to the sandy beaches of Lake Tanganyika. The up-close sighting of the endangered chimpanzees of this park, in their natural habitat, is a lifetime adventure and their habitat combines rain forest, grasslands, alpine bamboo and woodland and apart from the chimps, also hosts other species of primate, including black and white colobus, red colobus and red-tailed monkeys. Activities here include tracking endangered chimpanzees and walking in the forest, swimming in the waterfalls and the lake and drifting on a dhow.

Day by day

Your itinerary

Day 1

Transfer to Kigoma

Arrive in Kigoma and meet at airport or railway station/harbour; transfer to hotel for lunch. Afternoon sightseeing in Kigoma and visit the Dr. Living stone memorial at Ujiji evening drive back to Kigoma for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2

Kigoma – Mahale Mountains National Park

Breakfast at the hotel: morning departure to Mahale National Park by boat from Sigunga Village and rich Mahale in lunch time, afterwards enjoy a forest walk, bird watching or take or swimming evening leisure at camp. Dinner and overnight stay at camp.

Day 3

Full Day in Mahale Mountains National Park

After breakfast we will go chimpanzee trekking in the forest. The hikes taking you to the chimps’ habitation areas are accessible and not strenuous, although being in good physical condition will ease the strain of walking through the jungle. Up close, observing the endangered primates is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Dinner and overnight stay at camp.

Day 4

Full day in Mahale Mountains National Park

After breakfast at the camp, Game viewing / Chimpanzee tracking in the forest return to camp for lunch. Afternoon fishing adventure with local people or sport water at Lake Tanganyika, enjoy evening sunset on the boat and later return to the camp for dinner and overnight or return to a hotel in Kigoma.

Day 5

Kigoma – Departure (Option 1)

Breakfast in Kigoma, transfer to the airport and take a scheduled flight back to Dar es Salaam/ Arusha.

Day 6

Mahale Mountains National Park – M.V Liemba Ride to Kigoma (Option 2)

Early morning breakfast at the camp then transfer to Mgambo by boat in time for steamer (first class room), depend on time lunch or breakfast on M.V Liemba Steamer ship. The steamer reaches Kigoma in evening transfer to hotel for dinner and bed. NB: Extra - not included in the rates. MV Liemba (a 100 year old steamer ship) – leaves Kigoma twice a month [on Wednesday afternoon], carrying passengers and cargo the length of the Lake to Zambia. It makes numerous stops along the way, including one for Mahale, which is referred to as Lagosa (the old name) or famously known as Mgambo. MV Liemba takes around 10 hours to reach Lagosa - Mgambo from Kigoma, and it passes Mahale again on its return journey [either Sunday or Monday morning].

Day 7

Departure Day

Breakfast at the hotel or lodge then transfer to airport/ railway station for departure.

Getting there