Mahale National Park

Nestled deep in the heart of the African interior and inaccessible by road is a stunning location that resembles an idyllic Indian Ocean island beach. The silky white coves surround the azure waters of Lake Tanganyika. The Mahale Mountains, a remote and enigmatic chain of jungle-covered peaks that tower 3,000 feet above, overshadow these lakeshores. The Mahale Mountains NP is spread across 1005 square miles (1615 square kilometers), 96 square kilometers of which is part of Lake Tanganyika.

This park is home to only 60 of Africa’s last remaining wild chimpanzees, and tracking them is a unique and magical experience. Guides can spot the previous night’s nests, which look like shadowy clumps high up in the trees. Scraps of half-eaten fruit and fresh dung become valuable clues, leading deeper into the forest. Butterflies flutter around in the dappled sunlight. Suddenly, chimpanzees can be found preening each other’s glossy coats in concentrated huddles, squabbling noisily, or swinging effortlessly between the vines.

While chimpanzees are the park’s main attraction, the slopes support a diverse forest fauna. You can easily spot troops of red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and a kaleidoscopic variety of colorful forest birds.