The ultimate location for a chimpanzee safari, Mahale Mountains National Park is one of the most remote and scenically breathtaking areas in East Africa; mountains, forest and the crystal clear water of Lake Tanganyika combine to make this a unique safari destination.

The Mahale Mountains, famous for its large population of the chimpanzee

, lie on the edge of Lake Tanganyika, about 100 miles south of Kigoma. The forested mountains rise from the crystal waters of the lake to over eight thousand feet above sea level. Mahale National Park is over five hundred miles from Arusha, a flight of around 4 hours, but it's so breathtaking and unique that it's worth every minute to get there.

Mahale National Park is arguably the best place in Africa for a chimpanzee safari.

The forested slopes of the Mountains are awe-inspiring and the park extends to the edge of Lake Tanganyika the sandy beaches and sweet water of which are without rival - the water alone makes this place magical. Amongst the several hundred chimpanzees living in the Mahale Mountains are a group, known as the "M" group, which have been the subject of one of the world's longest running primatology field studies, conducted by the university of Kyoto in Japan. The animals were initially habituated by the researchers in the early 1960's and it's now possible to observe them while they play, forage, hunt and even mate around you (the chimps not the researchers), all the while seemingly oblivious to your presence.

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At Natural High, we've all lived and worked in Africa, so our knowledge is born of hands-on experience rather than simply visiting on holiday. We can't over-stress how worthwhile it is to take a few minutes to call us. We're not in the business of churning out thousands of packages so if you'd like to discuss things in detail, take a few minutes and call Catherine, Fiona, Vanessa & Alex on +44 (0)1747 898104.

There are absolutely no roads or cars in the Mahale National Park

and all access to the forest is by boat or foot. From Greystoke Camp (also known as Zoe's Camp), you are lead into the forest each morning by a local Tongwe guide who knows the forest and the chimpanzee group as well as anyone alive. The walks can be anything from half an hour on days when the chimps come down to the lake shore, up to eight hours when they remain high on the ridges (like the aptly named "skyway" path). Some days they are simply beyond reach of slow moving humans; these are animals that are effortlessly capable of traveling thousands of feet vertically in an hour. That said there is a very high success rate and in a three day stay, most people get some superb sightings. It's unusual for people to return without seeing a chimpanzee at all.

It's not just about chimps - Chimpanzees aside, the forest at Mahale Mountains National Parks is a magical place to explore.

Interlaced with rivers and waterfalls, it's home to eight other species of primate, including black and white colobus, red colobus and red-tailed monkeys. Numerous other mammal species have been sighted in Mahale, some such as bushpig are relatively common. Leopard, though not uncommon are rarely seen, but often heard. There are over 300 species of butterfly recorded and the western slopes of the Mahale Mountains are unique because they contain savanna adapted species of east or south Africa and forest adapted species of western and central Africa or the Congo Basin

In June 2003, The Daily Telegraph's foreign editor, Alec Russell, traveled to Katavi and Mahale National Parks with Natural High.

You can read about his safari and our involvement in it at The Daily Telegraph

See also:
Safari Camps and Lodges in Mahale
Mahale Itineraries

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Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

The Mahale Mountains, famous for its large population of the chimpanzee

Mahale National Park is arguably the best place in Africa for a chimpanzee safari.

There are absolutely no roads or cars in the Mahale National Park

It's not just about chimps - Chimpanzees aside, the forest at Mahale Mountains National Parks is a magical place to explore.

In June 2003, The Daily Telegraph's foreign editor, Alec Russell, traveled to Katavi and Mahale National Parks with Natural High.