THE CHIMPS OF MAHALE IN TANZANIA
Mahale Chimp Trekking in Tanzania is a lifetime experience and is done on the forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains which are home to the world’s largest known population of chimpanzees, with approximately 1000 individuals inhabiting the national park.
Almost all guests will see the Mahale chimps at least once in a 3 or 4 night stay, but a sighting is never guaranteed. Whilst they could be right behind camp one day, the next they could be high in the mountains. Mahale Chimp trekking happens during every full day that you’ll spend at Greystoke Mahale, and you’ll usually always head off – armed with water and snacks – first thing in the morning. We’ll take you up into the forest in two groups of six, accompanied by guides and trackers. In addition there’ll be the chance to go for deep water swims, fish in the lake, kayak or just head up to one of the amazing waterfall pools in a quiet corner of the forest.
Once you’ve found the Mahale Chimps, and we hope you’ve enjoyed the journey to get there, you’ll have 1 hour to hang out with them and watch as they play, groom and forage on the floor around you. We do ask that you wear a light surgical mask over your nose and mouth when you’re near the chimps, this is purely because of germs; chimps share so much of our DNA and are very prone to catching all our coughs and sneezes. These masks are available in camp so you don’t need to bring with you. It essential to bring good footwear as sometimes, when the Mahale chimps are up high, you can have quite a trek to find them. Whilst you’ll be following paths through the forest, they can get steep and the walking can be strenuous. It’s a good idea to have longs with you too, there is a nasty creeper in the forest called ‘The Buffalo Bean’ which can skin irritations to those who get too close.
It’s no exaggeration to say there is nowhere in the world like Greystoke Mahale. Greystoke affects guests in a way that no other place does; we think it’s because of its remoteness, and because of the mountains rising from the beach at our backs, the wide lake with its many different moods and the feeling that we are the only ones here. CHILD POLICY: We are delighted to welcome children of 8 and over at Greystoke Mahale. However, Tanapa regulations restrict children under 12 from viewing the chimpanzees. .
Contact Safari Online for your Mahale Chimp Trekking in Tanzania. We’ll recommend the best tour for your requirements or tailor-make an itinerary for you. It’s easy to include the well-known destinations on Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit (the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire) as well as less well-known but equally rewarding places. Or Tanzania’s southern secrets are waiting to be discovered.
Go Chimpanzee Trekking in the Mahale Mountains of Tanzania
1 Hour with the Mahale Chimps
For the next hour it’s as if you scarcely breathe, so wrapped up are you in watching them go about their daily life. You become aware of the subtleties of different relationships, through gesture, sound and expression. One dictating the pace, another courting favour, yet another perhaps plotting a coup. There is humour too as the young chimps fall about the floor and play remarkably human games.
It’s all acted out on this natural chimpanzee stage, and witnessing it is something we are privileged to be able to do every day.
Other Activities in the Mahale Mountains
Hike the forest paths looking for birds and butterflies, as well as the other shy mammals who quietly live there. Swim in ice-cold pools up in the mountain waterfalls, take a kayak out for a dawn paddle towards the middle of the lake; drink your morning coffee there and enjoy the sunrise coming up over the mountains.
Go for sundowners on the old wooden dhow, lazily following the shoreline and stopping to fish along the way, or just relax on the warm sands of the beach with a drink in hand.
When to go
Mahale’s dry season starts in June, when the long rains have stopped, and goes through to October. At this time of year the temperatures increase and the skies are quite hazy, the lake has never been more appealing for a cooling dip. As the dry season progresses, the chimps are more usually found in the lower slopes due to their favourite fruits being found lower down.
The green season in Mahale runs from November through to March and this time of year is a photographers dream; the haze often prevalent through the dry season is washed away. The forest offers varied viewing, although the forest is at its best, full of the colour of wildflowers, birds and butterflies. The lake is clearest in these months with incredible views of the Congo in the distance.
Greystoke Mahale
It’s no exaggeration to say there is nowhere in the world like Greystoke Mahale. Greystoke Mahale sits on a pristine, white sandy beach overlooking the turquoise water of Lake Tanganyika, with the forested slopes of the 8000 ft Mahale Mountains rising behind.
The six rooms at Greystoke are entirely in-keeping with the setting. Built of thatch and salvaged dhow wood, each of the open-fronted rooms is tucked into the treeline, almost invisible to the passing fishermen in their small canoes. The rooms all have verandahs and an upstairs chill-out lounge with views across the white sand to the vastness of Lake Tanganyika.
Location & How to get there
It’s a long journey, but you will certainly feel it’s worth it when you arrive, and appreciate why we love the fact that this camp is so far away! There are no roads within 60 kms of camp (and long may that last!). The only access to Greystoke is via the lake, and before that a flight best taken from Arusha airport.
There are twice-weekly flights from Arusha on Mondays and Thursdays and it’s about a 3 hour/3.5 hour flight – which will make stops at least once (at Tabora to refuel) along the way. Once you land on the airstrip, it’s a further 90 minute trip by dhow down the lake until you get to Greystoke.
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