Chimpanzee Trekking In Mahale Mountains National Park : Tanzania is a lovely country that is jam-packed with alluring attractions which are incredibly beautiful. This welcoming country is home to 22 national parks. These parks offer captivating experiences to tourists because they are rich in wildlife, birdlife, and vegetation. Only two parks out of 22 are homes to the endangered chimpanzees. These are Gombe Stream National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park, both of which are found in the Kigoma region.
Mahale and Gombe are situated on the eastern shores of the world’s second deepest lake, Lake Tanganyika. Mahale is found in Uvinza District of Kigoma region while Gombe is found in Kigoma District of Kigoma region. These two parks are homes of the endangered chimpanzees.
With an area of about 1650 square kilometers, Mahale Mountains National Park is very remote as compared to Gombe, and it can be explored on foot. It obtained its name from the Mahale Mountains range which lies within its borders.
The only way to get to Mahale Mountains from Kigoma is by boat, an adventurous journey of 4 to 5 hours. Flights from Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro airports to Kigoma airport. A boat trip through Lake Tanganyika will get you to this breathtaking destination.
It is better to plan a trip in the dry season if you want to have an adventurous trek in Mahale Mountains National Park. The dry season in Tanzania commences from June to October. The trails are passable with less or no mud at all.
Chimpanzee trekking is life-enriching when done on foot. The eastern chimpanzees are concentrated in this park. About 800 chimps are found in Mahale and are breathtakingly beautiful. A chimp trek will offer you an unforgettable experience. It is a hike through the slopes of the Mahale Mountains covered with fig trees, mahogany, and silk trees until you reach the chimpanzee territory. Several habituated chimpanzees are there for trekking, and you will be amazed by their lifestyles and division of labor.
To make them human-friendly, the chimps are always habituated, that is, they are taught to get used to humans. One of the habituated groups is the Mimikire group which consists of 56 chimps. This group is friendly to human beings, thus you can explore it at a close distance. You can also join the habituation group if you want to learn more about habituation experience in Mahale.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHE) is a special program conducted in Mahale, and a fee is charged which is exclusive of other fees. An adult East African citizen with the age of 16 years or above will be charged a fee of TZS 50,000 while a child with the age between 5 and 15 years will be charged a fee of TZS 20,000. Foreign residents and non-residents of the age of 16 years or above will be charged a fee of $100 while the corresponding children between 5 and 15 years will be charged a fee of $50.
Hikers will enjoy hiking the Mahale Mountains range. An exercise hike through various peaks of this range. The Mahale Mountains are of various peaks, but the highest peak is at 2462 meters (8077 feet) at Mount Nkungwe.
Another fun fact about this park is that lions coexist with chimps. Therefore, you can combine chimp tracking with the views of the ‘king of the jungle’. You can also view many other wild animals in Mahale Mountains National Park. They include red colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, Angola colobus monkeys and red-tailed monkeys. Guided nature walks will leave you with unforgettable views of the scenery, small animals, vegetation and birds.
On your hike to and from the chimpanzee territory you may be luckier to see other wild animals. These include yellow baboons, porcupines, antelopes, black-and-white colobus monkeys, squirrels, and blue duikers. These species can be spotted in dense forests down the Mahale Mountains range.
After a busy day you can chill on the beach of Lake Tanganyika and enjoy the coolest breeze. You can enjoy water sports such as swimming, snorkeling, canoeing and sport fishing that you can do in Lake Tanganyika.
Boat safaris on Lake Tanganyika are another fascinating activities that will make your trip in Mahale exceptional. The boat trip costs around $20 for foreign residents and non-residents. TZS 10,000 is required for a boat trip for East African citizens.
A 2-hour canoeing trip costs about $10 for foreign residents and non-residents. It also costs about TZS 5,000 for East African citizens.
Sport fishing is supposed to be done during the day according to TANAPA guidelines. The cost for adult foreign residents and non-residents is $25. It also costs TZS 10,000 for adult East African residents.
Mahale Mountains National Park is absolutely another amazing park among the two protected areas that host the chimps in Tanzania. Visitors find it natural and undisturbed and the chimps flourish on the slopes of the Mahale Mountains range.
