Accommodation in Mahale National park
Accommodation in Mahale National park :In Mahale Mountains National Park, there are various types of accommodations. These accommodations combine standards of excellence and uniqueness based on a variety of factors, including location, beauty of the surroundings, aesthetics, and amenities of the accommodation, opportunities to view wildlife populations, privacy, exclusivity, and relationships with local populations, as well as eco-responsibility and accessibility.
The lodging in Mahale Mountains National Park is also well organized and divided into cozy tented camps, bands, and lodges, most of which are located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika with lovely views across the lake. Some of the best-recommended lodging in Mahale Mountains National Park includes:
GREYSTOKE MAHALE
There is really nowhere else like Greystoke in Africa, and the game experience is very unique with trekking for chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains! The second-largest lake in terms of volume in the world is Lake Tanganyika, an ancient body of water. The six Bandas are tucked into the edge of the vegetation with stunning views of the water, while the main thatched structure is situated on the white beach. Even though it’s expensive, if you’ve come all this way, you have to stay at this inn.
Greystoke Mahale: The Facts
On the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in Western Tanzania’s Mahale Mountain National Park, is where Greystoke is located. There are only two flights per week from either Ruaha in the south or Arusha in the north of Tanzania to this far-flung safari park. Mahale pairs well with the other safari park in the far west, Katavi National Park, and the flights that pass through it.
An enormous thatched canopy framed in the middle of the beach with a backdrop of lush rain forest makes up the main lodge area, which is an iconic image. The main building or outside on the beach are where most meals are consumed. On the edge of the beach, there is a charming sunset bar made out of an old fishing boat.
The six Bandas, which are tucked away in the vegetation at the foothills of the nearby mountains, share the same design as the main area. Wooden walkways to the bathroom and the top deck, which has a relaxing area with fantastic views of the lake, encourage ‘barefoot luxury’ while keeping the rooms open and airy.
Chimpanzees can be seen in the mountains of the National Park, and visitors are permitted to spend an hour a day with them. The days can be quite long to get to the chimps at certain times of the year because they feed at various altitudes on the mountains depending on the season. People travel here to see the chimpanzees, but there are other things to do as well, like kayaking on the lovely lake or following streams into the hills to find secret waterfalls.
Excellent birdlife abounds in the area, making a guided walk through the network of jungle trails highly recommended. The lake is a fantastic place to swim and snorkel. This is about as unique and off-the-beaten-path as Tanzania safari vacations get.
Mahale and Katavi together are the obvious choice, but if you’re coming from the south of Tanzania, a stop in Ruaha is also a fantastic addition to the journey. Ruaha is a great place to see wildlife because it is unspoiled and wild, especially large elephant herds and lion prides.
Greystoke Mahale, which is a Nomad Tanzania property, can provide some excellent packages that pair with Chada Katavi and their other camps, including Kigelia in Ruaha and Sand Rivers in the Selous. To learn about deals and the ideal times to travel, be sure to speak with one of our Tanzania experts.
The west of Tanzania is a wonderful place to visit and is even more remote than the south of the country, so Fanjove Private Island would be the ideal place to end your vacation if you want to maintain this “remote” feeling. Fanjove, which is only a short flight from Dar es Salaam and offers a brilliant barefoot luxury retreat on some of the Indian Ocean’s most stunning beaches, would undoubtedly be the ideal way to cap off an unforgettable journey.
NKUNGWE TENTED CAMP
After the renowned Mahale Greystoke, which is right next door, Nkungwe, sometimes spelled Kungwe, is our second-choice lodge in Mahale Mountain National Park. However, we like Nkungwe for its simplicity, convenient location on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, and affordability. The chimpanzees in the hills are the main draw of Mahale, and visitors to the reserve go to the same clan as guests at Greystoke, though at different times. Once you get to the Mahale airstrip, you’ll need to take a boat across the lake to get to the lodge. The national park has no roads or automobiles.\
Nkungwe Luxury Tented Camp: The Facts
The best way to get to this lodge, which is in western Tanzania’s Mahale National Park, is via charter flights arranged by the lodge and departing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Arusha. From Ruaha, it is also possible to fly here from the southern region of Tanzania. Combining a trip to Mahale with a visit to Katavi, another remote park in Tanzania’s southwest, makes for an excellent Tanzania safari.
The main part of the lodge is raised on wooden decking back from the beach and has a sizable Makuti thatched roof with views of the lake. The lodge has a nice, casual atmosphere, is spotless and cozy, and serves delicious food, including lots of lake-fresh fish!
The eight tented rooms, which are elevated on wooden platforms, are tucked away on the beach’s edge, close to the vegetation. The tent rooms are enormous and have private bathrooms. The main draw of visiting Mahale is to see the chimpanzees in the hills covered in forest; this activity takes place every day, and you get to spend an hour each day with the primates. This experience is absolutely unbelievable!
MAHALE MANGO TREE BANDAS
The headquarters of Mahale National Park are located in Mahale Mango Bandas. It has eight Bandas that can accommodate up to twenty people overnight. These Bandas are self-contained and robustly built, with concrete-floored front porches shaded by a continuation of the weather-proof sheet roofing supported on metal poles that have been reserved for guests on standard accommodations while on a chimpanzee trekking Safari tour. The Bandas are made up of two rooms with twin beds, simple bedding, and an en-suite bathroom. They are double-fronted concrete block buildings with barred windows.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MAHALE MOUNTAINOUS NATIONAL PARK
Mahale would stake its claim as one of the most exceptional and distinctive safari locations on the continent. It is situated in the country’s far west, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, and offers the best chimpanzee viewing in all of Africa.
There aren’t many locations in Africa that we would consider in the running for the best safaris on the continent when you’ve been in the business as long as we have. These would be Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania; Schoeman’s Skeleton Coast Safaris; Serra Cafema; Chiawa and Old Mondoro in the Lower Zambezi; Mwaleshi and Kutandala in the North Luangwa; and Chiawa and Old Mondoro in the Zambezi. In addition to having one of the most stunning camps in all of Africa, this remote national park also provides an unforgettable Tanzania safari experience. Mahale is not just a destination for chimpanzees; it also has an absurdly good beach with gin-clear waters, and the park itself has a legitimate claim to being one of the most fascinating places in Africa.
Mahale Mountains National Park: The Wildlife
At Mahale, we’ve never had a client who didn’t see the chimpanzees. However, depending on the time of year you travel, chimpanzee trekking could take all day or as little as an hour. As the chimps descend the mountains in search of food, viewing becomes easier the later in the season you go. The best and simplest time of year to see them is from August to October. Chimpanzees, however, undoubtedly have independent thoughts, so any estimates of how long the walks will take are merely that. When you find the chimpanzees, you are only allowed to spend an hour with them. Although chimpanzees are the main draw, there are many other smaller primate species to see, excellent birding, and nearby hippos and crocodiles as well. Although leopards frequently visit, you must be lucky to see one.
Mahale Mountains: Chimpanzees
Although chimpanzee trekking is Mahale’s main draw, the area has a lot more to offer. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful and extraordinarily remote place. It’s breathtaking to simply be here and stroll along Tanganyika’s coastline. On the lake, you can kayak, snorkel, or fish. You can also spend hours walking through the forest in search of other smaller primates and numerous birds, or you can scramble up steep trails to find secret waterfalls.
Mahale Mountains, Tanzania: When to Go
The extended dry season, which lasts from July through late October, is the ideal time to visit Mahale. You can see chimpanzees at other times of the year, but it might involve a little bit more walking. It is unquestionably worthwhile to combine Greystoke Mahale with Katavi during the dry season. There are much larger herds of elephants and buffalo in this wonderful national park in western Tanzania than there are in Ruaha. The allure of Western Tanzania is its isolation; it is difficult to find such a secluded African safari anywhere else on the continent. Mahale is less accessible than the Selous, the Ngorongoro Crater, or the Serengeti, and there are fewer flights from Arusha and Ruaha to Mahale each day.
CONCLUSION:
Experience chimpanzee trekking in the Mahale Mountains National Park with Select Adventure safari and combine it with your game viewing excursions in the renowned northern national parks or the Katavi National Park, which is located closer to the Mahale Mountains National Park.