Description

Park History

Mahale Mountains National Park is home to some of the Africa last remaining wild chimpanzees and estimated to have roughly more than 800 residing in this area. Some of them are habituated to human.

This area was traditionally inhabited by the Batongwe and Holoholo people. Tongwe is a small ethnic group of Bantu, therefore this park is situated at the center of Tongwe Land that includes south of the Kigoma Region and north of the Katavi Region. The people had been highly attuned to the natural environment, living with visually no impact on the ecology.

The park was officially declared a National Park in 1985. Set deep in the heart of African interior, a road free park located about 128 km south of where Stanley uttered that immortal greeting '' Dr Livingstone, I presume''. It is a scene reminiscent of an Indian Ocean Island beach idyll. Silky white coves hem in the sapphire waters of Lake Tanganyika, overshadowed by a chain of wild, jungle draped peaks towering almost 2 km above the shore; the remote, pristine and mysterious Mahale Mountains.

How to get there

1.  By Air: Mahale can be reached  by chartered flight from Kigoma.Dar es salaam,Mwanza, Arusha or any airport in Tanzania. 
2.  By boat: From Kigoma town it takes 3-4 hrs (by speed motorboat upon prior arrangement with the park), or Twice per month Mv Liemba ferry from Kigoma (8-10hrs) to Lagosa point then arrange a boat with the park to pick you to the park.
3.  By road: From Kigoma to nearby villages through Simbo junction (4hrs) then arrange for boat pick up to the park which takes about half an hour cruising    through the lake

Best time to visit

The park can be visited throughout a year; however, the best time is during the dry season (May – November) but can be visited also in wet season (December - April), however you will need additional gears such as rain coat and boot for trekking and walking safari.

Available activities

Chimpanzee Tracking: This activity is conducted from 06.30 to 18.30HRS.

     Additional fees apart from the conservation fee.

Walking Safaris

Kayaking Fees 

Sport Fishing

Camping

Main Tourist attractions (Main attractions)

Chimpanzees

These are species of Ape which is the most humanity’s closest living relatives. Research of wild chimpanzees teaches us ''man's place in nature'' and provides us with key information that is relevant to re-constructing the social life of early man. Long term field studies on chimpanzees revealed many important facts about them such as hunting, tool-using, medicinal use of plants, social intelligence and existence of culture. Mahale National Park has the highest remaining wild chimpanzee's population in Africa.

This is the highest point in Mahale mountains range which bisects the park from NNW to SSE running about 50 km long. This area was held sacred by local Tongwe people. Hiking Nkungwe peak increases visitor’s satisfaction as the slopes supports diverse flora and fauna troops of red Colobus, red tailed and blue monkeys, black and white colubus monkey and colourful birds as well

Lake Tanganyika

Set about 770 meters above sea level, provides swimming opportunity in impossibly clear waters of the world's longest (720km), second deepest (1435m) and least polluted fresh water lake providing aquatic habitat to estimated more than 1000 species

Accommodation

Accommodation in the park includes five self- contained bandas (twin beds), luxury tented camps and camping sites both public and special campsites. Park bandas offers kitchen cooking facilities which requires visitors to come along foods

Park rules and regulations

• Keep to the authorized trails.
• Do not disturb wild animals in any way. Do not make noise.
• Be considerate to fellow visitors – do not disturb them or the animals they are watching.
• Do not take any pets or guns into the park.
• Do not uproot, pick, cut or damage any plant or be in possession of any part of a plant indigenous to the park.
• Do not light any fire or discard any burning object.
• Do not discard any litter.
• Between 7:00p.m and 6:00a.m. remain in the immediate vicinity of designated accommodation facilities (tented camps, tourist bandas, rest house or campsites).
• A permit is valid for single entry within 24 hours only.

Rules & Regulations

Keep to the authorized trails. Do not disturb wild animals in any way. Do not make noise. Be considerate to fellow visitors – do not disturb them or the animals they are watching. Do not take any pets or guns into the pa

Wildlife & Birds