Mahale Mountains National Park, 300 km down the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika, is one the most remote and beautiful national parks in Tanzania. This 1613 sq km park is also one of the hardest to get to, unless you go on a fly-in safari to Greystoke luxury tented camp.
Greystoke is set in the most dramatic location of any camp in East Africa: a white sandy beach at the base of the Mahale Mountains overlooking the turquoise waters of the lake. This was supposedly Bill Gates's favourite place when he visited East Africa.
The only way to explore is on foot, and the highlight here is tracking chimpanzees – the park is home to some 1500-2000 of our closest relatives. Aside from the chimpanzees, smaller primates like red colobus, yellow baboon and Syke's monkey are easily seen. The camp has a hardwood dhow for gentle sailing trips over the lake in the evenings, snorkelling or just enjoying the breathtaking scenery.
A Mahale safari offers the best opportunity in Africa to see chimpanzees in an unspoilt wildlife sanctuary. For those who yearn for a Robinson Crusoe experience, the park is definitely worth the extra investment.
