Mahale Mountains National Park

Pros & Cons

• A chance to come face-to-face with chimps
• The park is much bigger than Gombe NP
• Pristine forest at the shore of Lake Tanganyika
• Watching wildlife on a hike is a nice change from vehicle safaris
• Very exclusive and doesn't get crowded
• Difficult to get to and accommodation options are limited
• Only very expensive packages available

Wildlife

Mahale's chimps are the main attraction, but the park supports a diverse forest fauna, including readily observed troops of red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkey, and many colorful forest birds and butterflies. Warthog can sometimes be seen around the camp.

• More about Mahale's wildlife

Scenery

The park is a chain of wild, jungle-draped peaks towering almost 2km above the shore of the azure water of Lake Tanganyika. The geography of this classic Rift Valley lake with its steep escarpment and white sandy beaches, is best appreciated on a dhow trip. A hike to a beautiful waterfall in the rainforest is another activity on offer.

Weather & Climate

Not surprisingly, the altitude in the Mahale Mountains varies a lot. This affects the average temperatures, which get progressively cooler the higher you go. The other main influences on conditions are the two clear-cut seasons: the Dry (May to October) and the Wet (November to April). The former brings plenty of warmth and blue skies, while in the latter, the humidity skyrockets along with the rainfall.

• More about the weather and climate

Best Time to Visit

Tracking chimpanzees is considerably easier at the tail end of the Dry season (from July to October). This is when the animals favor the lower slopes of the mountains, and the forest tracks are firm underfoot. In the wetter months, the chimps are harder to find. That said, brimming waterfalls and an explosion of butterflies make an exploration at this time worthwhile.

• More about the best time to visit

Want to Visit Mahale Mountains NP?

• Mahale Mountains chimp trekking tours
• Tour operators for Mahale Mountains