Remote Park home to Chimpanzees on the Lake Shores

Gombe Stream National Park was formed in 1968 to give protection to 150 chimpanzees that lived there.  Located on the western border of Tanzania and the Congo, Gombe National Park is most famous for Jane Goodall, the resident primatologist who spent many years in its forests studying the behaviour of the endangered chimpanzees. Situated on the wild shores of Lake Tanganyika, Gombe Stream is an untamed place of lush forests and clear lake views. Hiking and swimming are also popular activities here, once the day’s expedition to see the chimpanzees is over.

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Gombe Stream’s main attraction is obviously the chimpanzee families that live protected in the park’s boundaries. Guided chimpanzee walks are available that take visitors deep into the forest to observe  the extraordinary primates – an incredible experience and one that is the highlight of any visitors trip to Tanzania. Aside from chimpanzee viewing, many other species of primates live in Gombe Stream’s tropical forests. Vervet and colobus monkeys, baboons, forest pigs and small antelope inhabit the dense forest, in addition to a wide variety of tropical birdlife.

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The primary attraction here is naturally the chimpanzees made famous by Jane Goodall. However, don’t miss the chance to see baboons that are often spotted foraging on the beach and many species of birds and butterflies. You can also go to the chimpanzee feeding station, a once in a lifetime experience, where a researcher is on duty all day to help spot chimpanzees that may come to feed. A breathtaking personal experience.

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Walking trails will take you to see the chimpanzees as well as other forest trails ideal for bird spotting. One easy hiking trail takes you to Kakombe Waterfall, the trail goes through the feeding station and up through beautiful forest ending at the 20m waterfall. Be sure to keep an eye out for forest monkeys and birds on the way. The Mitumba Valley walk is a stream trail through lush forest to view  see colobus, redtail and blue monkeys and finally there are numerous routes to the Rift which entail steep climbs but allow unrivalled views of the surrounding area. Well worth the trek.

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Gombe Lodges with Style

Our team at Specialist Tanzania regularly visit Gombe’s growing choice of accommodation to check on hotel quality, service levels and new developments. Here’s our choice of Gombe Lodges which offer a nice mix of style, location, ambience and service. To include your choice in any of the holidays we offer, just contact us for a quote!

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• Gombe Forest Lodge

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