mahale
Mahale is one of the best locations in the world for viewing chimpanzees in the wild. One of the most remote and beautiful national parks in Africa, located about half way down the eastern shore of the enormous Lake Tanganyika. The only access is by boat along the lake. All safaris inside the park are on foot through the forests.
Mahale is also a beautiful lakeside location with golden sandy beaches, ideal for swimming, boating, snorkelling and fishing.
Chimpanzee tracking: A reasonable level of fitness is required to track chimpanzees. Tracking usually begins early in the morning, with the guides starting at the area where the chimpanzees nested the previous night and tracking from there.
The tracking can take between 2 - 4 hours, or maybe more if the chimpanzees have moved far away or high up. Approximately 1 hour is spent observing the chimpanzees. One tracking a day per group, with a maximum of 8 people per group. The instructions of the guide must be followed at all times.
Important note - the National Parks authorities are considering introducing 'Chimp Permits' at a likely fee of $150 or more per person per day and the possible limitation of one permit per stay. Current prices do not include the cost of these permits - this will either be added to your holiday cost or collected locally if required.
The biggest draw to the Mahale Mountains is the population of around 800 chimpanzees who inhabit the national park. Other primates are likely to be encountered here, including the red colobus, yellow baboon, blue monkey, red-tailed monkey and vervet monkey. The lesser and greater galago also live here, although are usually more audiable than seen. The eastern slops of the Mahale Mountains are home to elephants, giraffes, lions, wild dogs, antelope and buffalo, however these aren't usually spotted by visitors.
