Mahale Mountain National park

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Top Attractions in Mahale Mountain National park

Mahale mountain national park

The Mahale Mountains National Park in Tanzania was established in order to safeguard the hundreds of chimpanzees that live in the area, and it has since become a popular tourist destination. For avid photographers and safari fans, it's a must-see for its spectacular sunsets over Lake Tanganyika. Some 50 kinds of animals have been documented in the park's diverse ecosystems, which include rainforest, grassland, alpine bamboo, and woods. Over 90 different types of fish can be found in the lake, which is surrounded by crystal clear waters. Mahale Mountains National Park is located in Tanzania's Kigoma Region, on the eastern coast of Lake Tanganyika. As its name suggests, the Mahale Mountains National Park offers a number of unique features. There are just two chimpanzee protected areas in the nation.

A significant population of eastern chimpanzees lives in Mahale Mountains National Park because of its vastness and isolation. It's also the only site in the world where chimpanzees and lions live together. In addition, the park is one of the few in Africa that must be explored on foot. You can only access the park by boat because there are no roads or other infrastructure inside the park's limits. As of 1987, the Batongwe and Holoholo people inhabited the Mahale Mountains, which had a combined population of 22,000 and 12,500 individuals. They were forced out of the highlands in 1979 when the Mahale Mountains Wildlife Research Center was built to make room for the park, which opened to the public in 1985. The inhabitants had a great level of awareness of the natural world, and they lived in harmony with it.

Top things to do in Mahale National park

Fishing

Lake Tanganyika's freshwaters are used for this amazing sport. First, fish fishermen will need to get a fishing licence that permits them to engage in the sport. In specified places between the hours of 7:00am and 5:00pm, visitors will employ the catch-and-release approach. Safaris in Mahale National Park include other activities such as snorkeling, which involves donning a diving mask and plunging into cool waters for about three hours, a boat cruise on Lake Tanganyika with great views of the landscape and wildlife, kayaking, and cultural tours, which give you an opportunity to meet the locals such as the Tswana and Tswana-speaking communities. For example, you can visit Ujiji historical town on your cultural tour.

Mountain Climbing

Mount Nkungwe, the highest point in the Mahale mountain range, is located in the national park. This is an adventurous adventure that takes 2 to 3 days to reach the peak of Mt Nkungwe where you'll perform camping at night and see spectacle fishing fire when kerosene lights that are carried by fishing boats light up across the lake. Physical fitness is required to climb Mount Nkungwe. Visitors are also need to bring their own camping equipment and food.

Birding

According to Tanzania's Birding Guide, Mahale National Park is home to 350 bird species, including migratory bird species that may be viewed from November to April. There are a number of bird species in the park including the Crown Eagle, Scaly Francolin, Bamboo Warblers and Crested Malimbes, as well as Ross's Turaco, Blue Checked Bee-eaters, Palm-Nut Vultures, Vieillots Black Weaver, Trumpeter Hornbill and Crested Guinea Fowl. There are no unguided visitors allowed in Mahale National Park, thus birding may only be done on a guided nature walk..

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Chimpanzee trekking

When you visit the park, the most popular thing to do is go chimpanzee trekking to see habituated chimps in their natural habitat. A park guide will share facts about the chimpanzees during the trip. You will spend an hour with the chimps in their natural environment learning about their behaviors and routines as well as seeing them feed and play among other things. The chimpanzee tracking takes anything from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on where they are located. In order to protect chimpanzees from human illnesses, visitors to the park must wear surgical masks.

Best Time To Go

It is possible to visit Mahale National Park at any time of the year, but the best time to go is during the dry season, from July to October, when there is less or no rain, making the trails for chimpanzee trekking and nature walks more passable than during the rainy season, when they are muddy and slippery. This means that chimpanzee populations are easier to locate during dry season, malaria risks are reduced since there are fewer mosquitos in the park, and the dry season is also a great time to relax on beaches.

Getting There

It is possible to get to Mahale National Park either by air, water, or road. If you choose to fly, you will travel to either Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, or Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. Regular flights from Arusha and Dar es Salaam to Mahale airstrip are available during peak season from June to October. Charter flights are available during low season from March, April, and May when scheduled flights are not available. Air excel, regional air, and northern air are among of the domestic airlines that provide chartered flights to Mahale National Park. As an alternative, you may travel to Kilimanjaro international airport in Arusha or Julius Nyerere international airport in Dar es Salaam and then connect to Kigoma town, which would take you 2 to 3 days to drive and 3 hours by flight with Precision Air. Use of speedboats or wood boats can be arranged from Kigoma. Private boat operators in Kigoma or the park can arrange for the use of the boats. Mahale national park may also be reached through chartered aircraft, which depart from Kigoma every Wednesday afternoon and take around 45 minutes. Another option is to board the 10-hour steamer MV Liemba, which departs Kigoma every Wednesday afternoon with people and cargo.

Where to stay

If you're planning a safari to Mahale National Park in Tanzania, you may choose from a variety of lodgings ranging from luxury to midrange to budget. Comfortable rooms with en suite bathrooms, living areas, balconies, and laundry services as well as other amenities like a library, restaurant, complimentary internet access and battery charging stations are available at the lodges to make your stay more enjoyable.