Mahale Mountains National Park

Mahale Mountains National Park

Covering an area of 1,613 square kilometers, Mahale Mountains National Park is located in western Tanzania, adjacent to Lake Tanganyika. The Mahale Mountains, like the nearby Gombe Stream Mountains to the north, are home to one of Africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzee populations, numbering around 800.

Trekking along the chimpanzee trails of Mahale is an incredible experience. Guides are adept at spotting clues—newly built nests from the previous night, half-eaten fruits on the ground, and freshly deposited droppings hidden within the lush vegetation—to lead hikers deeper into the forest. Butterflies flit through dappled sunlight. Suddenly, you may find yourself face-to-face with chimpanzees as they groom each other’s shiny fur, chatter noisily, or leap effortlessly through the trees, swinging from vines.

While the chimpanzees are the main draw, the slopes are also home to a diverse array of forest wildlife, including troops of red colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and a colorful variety of forest birds. You can follow the traditional pilgrimage routes of the local Tongwe people to hike through the montane rainforest, a habitat for Angola colobus monkeys. Then take a dip in one of the world’s longest, second-deepest, and least-polluted freshwater lakes, where the water is incredibly clear and home to about 1,000 species of fish—but you’ll need to return by boat.

Mahale Mountains National Park

Must-visit reason: Home to one of Africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzee populations

Continent: Africa

Country/Region: Tanzania

Province/State: Kigoma Region