Katavi and Mahale are Tanzania's two great western parks, and pairing them is the classic way to see a side of the country almost no one does. Katavi is a proper big-game park — floodplains that in the dry season concentrate thousand-strong buffalo herds, packed hippo pools and the lion prides that follow them — but with only a handful of camps and a few hundred visitors a year. Mahale is the opposite: forested mountains rising straight out of Lake Tanganyika, home to around 800 chimpanzees, one group habituated to people since the 1960s.
The whole trip is by scheduled light aircraft from Dar es Salaam, with a short flight between the parks. Best from June to October, when Katavi's wildlife is concentrated and the lake is calm. It combines well with a Zanzibar finish.
Scheduled flight from Dar es Salaam (via Ruaha). Transfer to camp and an afternoon game drive on the Katisunga floodplain.
Full day among the buffalo herds, the packed hippo pools of the Katuma River and the lions that hunt them, with a picnic lunch in the bush.
A morning walking safari with an armed ranger, and the option of a fly-camp night out under canvas for the full wilderness experience.
Light-aircraft flight to Mahale, then a boat transfer along the lakeshore to camp. Afternoon at leisure — swim, kayak or snorkel over the endemic cichlids.
An early start into the forest with trackers to find the habituated chimpanzee group. Time with them is capped at one hour. Steep forest walking; afternoon back on the beach.
A second attempt at the chimps, or a day on and in Lake Tanganyika — kayaking, snorkelling and a sunset dhow.
Boat and light-aircraft transfer back to Dar es Salaam, or a connection to Zanzibar.
English
Français
Deutsch
Español
Italiano
中文
日本語
