Gombe Park
 

Gombe National Park is situated 16km north of Kigoma town. This narrow park extends over 52 sq km of mountainous terrain climbing from the shores of Lake Tanganyika, 773m to 1,500m above sea level at the top of the rift escarpment. Gombe is divided by a series of 13 streams, carving deep valleys into the rift escarpment and flowing into Lake Tanganyika.


  
Beside the peaceful sounds of Mitumba stream lies our camp with the perfect combination of luxury and preservation in the region. We maximize conservation and lower disturbance to the natural environment in the design and operation of our camp, yet concurrently excel in luxury and service; the only tented camp in the Park, used exclusively by our clients.

Sitting in the Uvivu chairs outside your tent you can view the deep blue waters of Lake Tanganyika with the orange-red sunsets outlining the Congo Mountains and silhouettes of local fishermen setting their lanterns to illuminate the lake like fireflies during the darkest of nights. After a hard day of climbing hills tracking Chimpanzees, Gombe Tented Camp is the perfect place to wind down, be pampered and re-energised for your next adventure.

Our dining area is situated a couple of metres from the waters of the Lake Tanganyika, set on a
raised wooden deck above ground. Spend the evening sitting beside a campfire on the beach,
enjoying sundowners and regaling the day’s adventures.
 
 
Meals at the camps are a sumptuous affair. Breakfasts are of American fashion with tropical fruits and juices. Lunch and Dinners consist of a minimum of three gourmet courses – from Italian, Chinese, American, Indian and more. The speciality of our Mahale camp is the Sangara, Kuhe, and Mgebuka fish caught fresh from Lake Tanganyika by local fishermen.
 
 

Chimpanzee tracking is the main attraction at Gombe and Mahale, and is always given a high priority. Tracking usually begins early in the morning, with the Guides usually starting at the area where the Chimpanzees nested the previous night and tracking from there.

Tracking Chimpanzees at Gombe can take from half an hour to about three hours depending on where the Chimpanzees are located. In Mahale tracking can take up to four hours. Chimpanzees move in search of fruit, and are never far away if there’s an abundance of fruit nearby.

  


Kakombe and Mkenke are two spectacular waterfalls found within Gombe National Park. Kakombe is
approximately a 30 minute walk from camp, and Mkenke around a one hour climb. You will often pass these falls when tracking Chimpanzees. We normally go into the forest for Chimpanzee tracking in the morning and come back for lunch.

In the afternoon there are many options, depending on how energetic you feel. Choose between further Chimpanzee tracking, walking on the beach, swimming, fishing and snorkeling. It is also possible to visit local fishing villages close to the park and get first hand experience of life in a typical African village.

  

An angler's paradise, Mahale is one of the best locations on Lake Tanganyika for fishing. Due to the effective control along the park's borders, there is an abundance of fish in the area. Most of our tourists have a great catch within hours on the lake. Some of the types of species caught are the Sangara (Nile Perch) and Kuhe (Yellow Belly). Fishing boats are provided at our camp, equipped with the basic gear including rods, reels, line, sinkers, lures and hooks available. Our boatmen are also experienced in the sport.


All game viewing at the Park is done on foot or sometimes by boat on the Lakeshore. The parks are open and receive tourists throughout the year, but the best times to visit are during the dry season, May to October and during the short rains of January and February.