Chimp Tales in Mahale Mountains National park

Chimpanzee trackers at Mahale Mountains National Park have to leave at dawn to in order find the chimpanzees. After locating the troop they call in the finding in order for the guides at the lodge to know in which direction they should be walking.

The guides have to wait for the call because they may end up taking the guests in the direction that is completely opposite to that taken by the chimps and this may result in a rather tiring march for.

It is quite interesting to discover that the chimpanzees are so closely related to humans in their biological makeup, and are also vulnerable to human ailments such as the common cold. For this reason, all trackers are given surgical masks before setting off for the tracking exercise. For the same reason, guests with a cold and those carrying any communicable disease are not allowed to get any close to the chimpanzees.

 Climbing in the Mahale Mountains and a seemingly impenetrable forest is such a good exercise; routes were made easier by the paths that were carved out for easier access into the forest. You pass by mango and guava trees that had been growing for over 30 years; planted by Japanese scientists who wanted to study the chimps’ behavior closely and so had to feed the chimps on these fruits as a means of habituating them to the presence of humans.

 The excitement will take you over when you hear their intense whooping calls and sounds. Those with cameras will then start getting them out and preparing to take photos of the exciting primates. It is such an exciting moment to see the chimps interacting, climbing up and down the trees, their intermingling and their general human like behavior. This shows how we are descendants     of these fascinating creatures.

The enormity of the whole experience in Mahale Mountains National park will begin to sink when you lie in your bed listening to the sounds of the forest at night. It is such a precious moment being in this environment and having some experience with the chimps.  There are quite a number of  locations in East and Central Africa where you can encounter chimpanzees; but Mahale National Park is perhaps the remotest and the most striking of all the areas.

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Best time to visit Mahale National park for Chimpanzee safari

From around the mid of may to mid November, Mahale national park experiences a dry season which however changes to long rains between July and February. Long rains being form around mid February tapering off by mid may. This however does not make Mohale not accessible. It remains accessible throughout the year, despite the above information that describes its whether patterns.

Getting to Mahale National Park
Two main ways are normally used to reach Mahale National Park. The first one and more over the faster one takes an average of three hours and that is by flying from Kar es Salaam to Kigoma, while the other one takes at least two days to reach Kigoma and that is by rail. From Kigoma, Travel to Tanzania guests will then travel within southern Tanzania using the speed boat that takes approximately 3½ hours and through out this journey he or she will be enjoying the fishing villages as well as other beautiful mountainous regions. This makes the speed boat- ride a wonderful one and even still, time tend to more fast as the guest keep onlying back and gazing at the superts pananomic views of south western Tanzania. It is important still to note that in the past standard boats could take up to 10 hours, hence the shortening of the hours at the moment, proves a great improvement in the speed boat. Meanwhile the journey are usually during a calm morning when the winds are still little.

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Nkungwe Luxury Tented-Camp

Nkungwe luxury tented camp lies on the shores of lake Tanganyika on a long stretch of golden sandy beach under the magnificient Mahale mountains range. It over looks the crystal clear waters of the lake, the breath taking sunsets, the magnificent mountains of Congo and the beautiful spectacle of a fishing fire spread at night across the lake.

Nkungwe is a term that means the highest peak on the mahale mountains ranges and the camp is built to be the perfect example of the whole park.

More about this camp is that, it has tents which are made of heavy duty convas material with ample space to relax and walk around. The tent is well ventilated with zip down gauze windows and roll up flap doors. All the tents are facing lake Tanganyika and most of them are raised on wooden platforms to enhance the view. The style in which the inside of the tent is decorated has been specifically chosen to give you the African safari experience, and most of the decoratons were locally manufactured. Each tent at Nkungwe has got two single beds which can be used as twin ot double with firm mattresses. A writing desk and chair, bedside table, lampand clothes rack are the other furnishings found in the tent. There is also en-suite hot water shower and flush toilet to the rear of every unit. To ensure privancy, the units are very well spaced a part.

Culinary and dinning Experience at Nkungwe
The camp offers meals which are very expensive and looking very impressive. Break fasts are English style and tropical fruits as well as juices are so much emphasized. Evening meals are three courses. The specially at Nkungwe tented camp is the Mgebuke, sangara, Dagaa fish caught fresh from lake Tanganyika by the local fishermen, as well as Kuhe. Traditional African dishes like cassava chips and coconut Banana meat stew are commonly served to guests.

Between Kasiha and sinsiba sterams is where the camp is located. Nkungwe is a large reception area located on the beach and is made out of local wood and thatched roof with a wooden desk raised above the ground. The building also has a library, a curio shop, the lounge, the mess, an information center and a bar. The building also has a library, a curio shops the lounge, the mess, an information center and a bar. The south part of this building has got a relaxation hut which you are free to use at leisure. The relaxation but has chairs whose backs move into a comfortable sloping position and this makes siestas a right aspect to be had from here.
Nature experience and activities at Nkungwe.
Fishing expendition out side the park boundaries
Wildlife and Nature safaris in Katari National park
Swimming in lake Tanganyika
Specialized chimp traveling and chimpanzees safari
Beach barbeques on the shores of lake Tanganyika
African sundowners on lake Tanganyika
Relaxing on the lake Tanganyika Beach
Nature walks in Mahale mountains National Park
Village and cultural visits to the nearby community.

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Reasons for visiting Mahale National park
Historical and cultural Tour. Among other place of interest that people who go to Mahale enjoy seeing, is ujiji the real place where Dr. Living Stone met Stanley.
Accommodation Fairly priced. The park has got two types of accommodations which allows guests to choose the best program for their budget. Therefore, the fact that accommodations at Mahale National park hardly discriminated any personality, make visiting the park a must for every one who visits Tanzania.
Chimpanzee Safari experience. The park offers an exceptional chance to under take a chimp watching and traveling safari in a natural setting in fact around hundreds chimps are believed to exist in Mahale National park.
Many tourists show the good quality of Mahalw and south western Tanzania region, and this fact makes many visitors who come to East Africa look at having a personalized and authentic experience of this part of the country, a wonderful opportunity.
Dual safari experience. There are two chimpanzee experiences with in one region that south western Tanzania offers to Travel to Tanzania guests and each of them display different characteristics. One of the experiences is located at Mahale while the other one is found at Gumbe stream National Park.

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Mahale Mango Tree Hostel

Mahale Mango Tree Hostel; Tanzania National parks (TANAPA) built and managers Mahale Mango Tree Hostel which is a public accommodation. It offers a basic low cost option for Travel to Tanzania guests who want the chance to visit the park, as well as spending the least possible cost on accommodation. Since year 2000, the accommodations have bee removated, while new ones have also been constructed . comparing this hostel with the other basic accommodations managed by the park around the country, it is important to note that the maintenance of this hostel is relatively better .

The hostel has got eight (8) rooms with twin beds, and each room has basic bedding facilities. The concrete bricks and mortar constructed rooms have been painted recently, where as the shore and lavatory facilities at this hostel are en-suite. To ensure availability of the rooms, conservations at Mahale mango Tree Hostel, Hot water facilities can be arranged.

As for as culinary and dining experience at importance to note that there is a personal chef that all Travel to Tanzania programs at Mahale mountains National park as well as Mahale Mahale Mango Tree Hostel come with. It is this very chef who is therefore responsible for preparing all the meals, hence, guests carrying their own foo as well as utensils is not necessary.

Nature experience and activities at Mahale Mango Tree Hostel.
The following are some of the activities at this hostel;
Swimming in lake Tanganyika
Wildlife and Nature safari in Katari National Park
Specialized chimp traveling and chimpanzee safaris
African sun downers on lake Tanganyika
Relaxing on the lake Tanganyika Beach
Nature walks in Mahale mountains National Park
Village and cultural visits to the nearby community.
Beach barbeques on the shores of lake Tanganyika
Fishing expendition outside the park boundaries

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Mahale chimpanzee Trekking Safari

Mahale chimpanzee Trekking Safari Experience
Chimpanzees the ape family belonging animals, share a special genetic relationship with human beings with over 99% making them the closest relative of man. Just like humans, chimpanzee share common physical and behavioral patterns with man for example; social characteristics, having large brain as well as intelligence Across sub-Saharan Africa is where apes which include chimpanzee and gorillas are found, apart from Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda plus Congo.

Chimps of Mahale National Park
Using bananas and sugarcane to entice the chimpanzee with the declining amount of food provisions in 1f981, Dr. Toshisada who started chimpanzees found at Mahale mountains categorized them in two groups of K-Chimps and M-chimps. According to his research, Dr. Toshisada was able to realize that the chimps of Mahale were larger than those found at Gombe with significant cultural differences like the type of food they would choose. He even noted that the Mahale chimps acted more humble as far as moving experience is concerned, he said that they would not mind being viewed, because they acted as if guests were not around. They were comfortable with carrying on their usual activities for example eating, playing, grooming which infact creats a very exciting ant enjouable experience for visitors who can spot from up close these behavioral inferactions like no other experience in the world.

Also chimpanzees reside in home ranges of around 30 kilometers in communities of 20-100 chimps, which communities have also got smaller groups of chimps, and this is the case at Mahale found in numbers of 6 to f12 chimps.

Chimpanzee mating: It is every 36 day s that chimpanzee come into heat. Therefore, on any given visit to Mahale, conditions when the female developes a pink swelling on her rear side signaling to males in her communities that she is ready to mate might be viewed by Travel to Tanzania guests. Mating normally happens with multiple male chimps of all ages, in fact it is so common to find female chimps crossing home ranges and communities to mate with other males. However, female chimp setles for a selective relationship with a few makes as they get older.

Chimpanzee Family and communities: This gestation period of chimpanzees is 8 months and it is after this period that an infant, coloured in light pink fur is born. These young ones are cared for and protected as they grow until they are 3 to 4 years. Generally chimpanzees do care for their young ones just like humans do, and it is of less wonder that young chimps can be spoted being attached to the mother for a third of their life.

Characteristics of a chimp population very from region to regions just like humans. On a lucky day, Travel to Tanzania can spot 2 to 4 chimpanzees engaging in a grooming practice, which apart from fur cleansing also is meant to create a polite relationship between the engaging chimps of either sex.

When chimpanzee interact, normally the Travel to Tanzania guests are likely to hear them from various parts of the forest as they continue making various sound. They make sounds that include hooting, pant- hoot, screech or howling-barks, and its normally when chimps get excited, year or food that they will produce such sound. Therefore, tracking them, will necessitate guests and the guides assigned to them, using their hearing senses.

As far as food gathering and hunting is concerned chimpanzee intelligence is displayed greatly in this practice. They map out a food schedule where depending on the season what particular food be available in abundance. It is important to note that chimpanzees are omnivorous and they selectively feed on plants, fruit, nuts, barks, tree, seeds, eggs, insects and other smaller animals such as bush pigs. At least six hours of their day is spent on feeding, and they try to divide their time to have a balanced diet. For example, they spend most of their feeding time searching for fruits, while the other time is divided into consuming leaves as well as other nutrients.

With this, the chimp can be more successful in their natural selection and even still, adapting to the circumstances becomes easier for them. Mean while, it is important to note that Mahale being such a large park supports plenty of food sources and avails more options for the chimps, allowing them to move to many different parts as the barren trees are also left to flower more fruits. No wonder therefore, competition for food among chimps and between baboons is less at Mahale than at Gombe.

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Greystoke Mahale Camp

Accommodation:
Greystoke Mahale Camp. This is situated in Mahale Mountains National park and it is one of the types of African safari accommodation in Tanzania. It is very beautiful and not spoilt. Tropical mountains rise from pale sand beaches of lake Tanganyika to 7500 fee rivers tumble down water falls to the shoreline, through fairly-tale forest valleys, providing stunning liking terrain. Many mammals live in this area and a thousand wild chimpanzees are among.

Mahale mountains National Park is so un developed, unchanged and remote to the extent that many famous people like Bill Gates have visited its but it still proves to remain a way from the mainstream attention, and this makes it more attractive to be visited.

Roland Purcell conceived Greystoke Camp as a wildly exotic out post. It’s the ultimate retreat, sculptured from canvas, wood and thatch. No concrete no plastic, no shops, and no signposts. The six double tents have got the best though little down pillows, hand made wooden beds and linen sheets. Each has a forest bathroom for showers under the palms, though most choose to abandon their normal selves and bathe in the clear moonlit waters of Tanganyika.

As far as culinary and dining experience at Greystoke is concerned, it is important to note that the living is so easy and service is attentive but not over bearing. Those who dine are laid on the beach under the stars, on the Mahogany dhow by flaming torch, or in the mess a timbered Tongwe chiefs hut

Nature experience and activities at Greystoke Mahale

Some of the activities that are done at Greystoke include the following;
Fishing expedition outside the park boundaries
Beach Barbeques on the shores of lake Tanganyika.
Wild life and Nature safari in Kativi National Park
African sundowners on lake Tanganyika
Village and cultural visits to the nearby community
Swimming in lake Tanganyika
Specialized chimp traveling and chimpanzees safaris
Relaxing on the lake Tanganyika Beach
Nature walks in Mahale mountains National park

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Accommodation at Mahale National Parks
There are two seasonal luxury tented camps.
There are also two small rest houses and large campsite.

Mahale National park: ;the History, community and personalities.
The area around Mahale on Lake Tanganyika is a habitat to Botangwe and Wahalalalo tribes of Tanzanian and the remoteness of mohale make ti a place that cannot be resided in big numbers. The area around south western Tanzania was also explored by the Arab and European explores each looking for royalty in goods, legitimate or otherwise and popularity for the source of river Nile. The paths and neighbouring places of Mahale such as Ujiji and Kigomea witnessed people like living stone, Stanley, Bunton and speke, and perhaps several others who did not make it in the records of history.

The story of Mahale mountains National park as we look at it today started in 1965 when Dr. Tosherada, a Japanese researcher was conducting assessment of the shoeline south of Kigoma town. Stumbling upon the mountain and chimpanzees, Dr. Toshiada put up the first research camp in Mahale National park. With the possibility of studying chimpanzee, in the following years he requested for formal protective status of the place, which was consumed in 1980 when the first informal protective status was granted to Mahale Mountains. The protective status involved the leaving of present housing structures and limitation of future residence in the park. Full part status was given to Mahale mountains in 1985 and great thanks go to Dr. Toshisada who had strong efforts and Japanese government and cooperation from the Tanzanian country.

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Mahale mountains National Park

Mahale mountains National Park
Situated deep in the centre of the interior of Africa, not accessible by road and just 100 kilometers or 60 miles south of where Itankey said that immortal greeting “Doctor Livingstone, I pressure”, is a place reminding one of an Indian ocean island beach idyll.

When to visit Mahale

Silky white coves them tin the azure waters of lake Tanganyika, dominated by a chain of wild, jungle-draped summits towering approximately 2 kilometers above the share the remote and mysterious Mahale mountains.

Chimpanzee Trekking Mahale Mountains
Just like its northerly neighbour gombe stream, Mahale mountains is a habitat to some of Africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzees. A population of approximately 800, accustomed to human guests by a Japenese research project started in the 1960s. tracking the chimpanzees of Mahale is a magical experience. The guides eyes pick out last nights nests – slardowy clumps high in a gallery of trees crowding the sky. Scraps of the fruit that is not eaten fully and fresh dung become valuable clear, heading deeper into the forest. Butterflies fly lightly and quickly in the dappled sunlight.

Then suddenly you are in their middle; cleaning each other’s glossy coats in concentrated huddles, quarreling noisly, or bounding into the trees to swing effortlessyly between the vines.

The area is also called Nkungwe, named after the parks largest mountain, held sacred by the local Tongwe people, and at 2,460 metres or 8,069 feet, the highest of the six important points that make up the Mahale range.

And while chimpanzees are the main attraction, the slopes give support to different forest, fauna, with readily observed troops of red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys inclusive and a kalaeidescopic array of colourful forest birds.

Mahale Travel, Visiting and Culture

You can trace the Tongue people’s ancient pilgrimage to the mountain spirits, walking through the montane rainforest belt-habitat to an endemic race of Angola colobus monkey, to high grassy ridges chequered with alpine bamboo. Then bathe in the impossibly clear waters of eh world’s longest. Second-deepest and least-polluted freshwater lake-containing an approximated 1000 fish species, prior to going back as you came by boat.

Accommodation Mahale Mountains

Greystoke Mahale

Mahale Mango Tree Hostel

Nkungwe Luxury Tented-Camp

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