On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the oldest and deepest lake in the world lies a pristine and remote park; the Mahale National Park which holds and protects the largest known population of chimpanzees, the jungle, and the mountains. Visiting the park is a gratifying experience as you have a chance to carry game drive, chimp-trekking, hiking, snorkeling, and bird watching.
The establishment of this Park was a reflection of the government’s commitment to preserving the chimpanzee population as well as an emulation of the efforts by Japanese researchers who pioneered to conduct research on primates including chimpanzees.
Mahale Mountains National Park is famous for chimpanzees, However, there are other attractions like Lake Tanganyika which is the second oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second largest by volume, and the second deepest in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. Other attractions include beautiful varieties of waterfalls like Ntale, Kasiha, and Sansa, wild animals like warthogs, mountains, and sand beaches
The park can be accessed throughout the year by road, water, and air.
Road: From Kigoma town, the park can be accessed by road 128km (5hrs drive) south, the road running south-east of Lake Tanganyika shore
Air: Using charted flights (Zantas Air, Coastal Aviation, Air Excel, and safari air link) from all major cities and towns
Water: Also can be reached by ship (9-10hrs cruise) via Lake Tanganyika to Lagosa Point and then by using a boat with 30 minutes cruise to the park. Also, there is public transport at Rukoma village or Mgambo village where you can hire a local boat or arrange with the park for boat pick up, or public transport to Park Headquarters.
The park experiences two rainy seasons, the short rains (mid-October-November) and heavy rains (March to mid-May) with an annual range of 1,500 – 2,500mm. The park is located at an altitude between 750 and 2,250 meters.
Mahale Mountains National Park has activities that give visitors opportunities to enjoy its beauty. The Park will give opportunities to do Chimp trekking, Walking safari, Boat cruising, Sport fishing and Mountain hiking.
