Gombe Stream National Park

As your boat glides through the clear waters of Lake Tanganyika towards the sandy beaches and rugged hills of Gombe Stream National Park, you will be struck by the beauty of this unique place. It is a park without roads, where you can walk and experience nature with all your senses.

Set against the backdrop of the stunning Mahale Mountains, it is Tanzania’s smallest park covering only 52 sq km, located on the western border of Tanzania and the Congo, situated on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. It is a narrow strip of mountainous country bounded in the east by the crest of the eastern Rift Valley escarpment, and in the west by Lake Tanganyika.

The major attraction of the Gombe Stream is the chimpanzees, made famous by Jane Goodall in 1960 when she established the area as a chimpanzee research station. You will be amazed at how these wild creatures accept you as they go about their everyday activities. Guided walks are available that take visitors deep into the forest to observe and sit with the extraordinary primates for an entire morning, an incredible experience! Aside from chimpanzee viewing, many other species of primates live in Gombe Stream’s tropical forests. There are large numbers of red colobus, blue monkey and olive baboon, buffalo, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, crocodile and hippo are common. The birdlife is extraordinary, as there is a great crossover of East African grassland birds and West African forest species.

After a day with the chimps, get refreshed by swimming amidst flickering fishes. As the sun sets across the lake and the little lights of the fishing boats spread across the horizon, you may feel that you are visiting an enchanted isle. The best time to visit is between May and October.