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- Mahale
Mahale Mountains National Park
Chimpanzees, forest and empty beaches
- Access
- Flight + boat only
- Nearest town
- Kigoma
- Lake Tanganyika
- 673 km long
- Known for
- Habituated chimpanzees
- Primates
- 8+ species
- Fish species
- 400+ (250 cichlids)
About Mahale
Mahale is one of the most remote and beautiful places in Africa. Forested mountains rise steeply from white-sand beaches on Lake Tanganyika. There are no roads, so everyone arrives by boat or plane.
Mahale is one of the best places on Earth to track wild chimpanzees. You will also find yellow baboons, blue monkeys, red and black-and-white colobus and vervet monkeys in the forest.
Lake Tanganyika
Africa's second-largest and second-deepest lake is 673 km long and incredibly clear. More than 400 fish species live here, including about 250 cichlids, 98% of which are found nowhere else. It is wonderful for snorkelling and kayaking.
Things to do
Chimpanzee trekking
Follow trackers into the rainforest to spend an hour with the M-group chimps.
Snorkelling & kayaking
Explore the clear lake and its endemic cichlids.
Dhow trips
Sunset sails along the beach-lined shore.
Gallery
Mahale Mountains photo: Wikimedia Commons (source & licence).
Getting there
Fly from Dar es Salaam or Arusha to Kigoma or Mahale's airstrip, then continue by boat across Lake Tanganyika.
When to go
June to October is driest and best for trekking, with clear skies and calm water.
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