Best 10 Tanzania Chimpanzee Trekking Tours
Chimpanzee Trekking Tours In Tanzania is one of the most charismatic experience in Tanzania, despite the popular Big Five game watching, Wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park or Ngorongoro crater, Mount Kilimanjaro climbing, not forgetting calming visit of the Zanzibar coastal towns & beaches.
Where to see Chimpanzees in Tanzania
Chimpanzees can be seen in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park.
Chimpanzee Trekking In Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream National Park, at an area of 35 Km2, is the smallest park in the country, located between Lake Tanganyika and Burundi. The park’s fame rose, after Jane Goodall started studying Wild chimpanzees in the 1960’s. She mainly focused on the conservation of chimpanzees, who faced extinction due to poaching in Gombe stream National Park. The primatologist, Jane Goodall, assisted in gathering and raising funds from donors for the sake of conserving Chimpanzees.
Gombe stream National Park also ranks among the most visited chimpanzee trekking sites in East Africa, drawing many tourists & primatologists to come and meet face to face with them in their natural habitat. The chimpanzee community that is set for tourism purposes, has been habituated so that they can easily get along with humans who visit them each day for chimpanzee habituation experience. Aside from Chimpanzees, tourists also have the chance to catch sight of baboons and several monkey species like: colobus monkeys & red tailed monkeys.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Mahale Mountains National Park
With a total size of 1613 Km2, Mahale Mountains National Park, which is the second site for Tanzania chimpanzee trekking, is a home to more than 800 individual chimpanzees. The park is made up of breathtaking tropical rain forests, consisting of magnificent tree species such as pines, silk trees, mahogany, fig trees, bamboo vegetation and grasslands.
On the other hand, Mahale Mountains National Park, is also a refuge for some animals like mongoose, squirrels, antelopes, yellow baboons, porcupines and blue duikers among others, despite the fact that chimpanzees are the major highlight, besides, birds and butterflies are also found here.
How much is the cost of a Chimpanzee Permit in Tanzania?
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Gombe Stream National Park costs $150 USD per person for foreign non residents, and $150 USD per person in Mahale Mountains National Park.
Visiting Tanzania for chimpanzee trekking requires a must have chimpanzee trekking permit, which is only availed to people with a minimum age of 15 years and above, below which are not allowed to trek chimpanzees in the wild.
It is also important to note that, all chimpanzee trekking enthusiasts must adhere to the rules and regulations which includes: Maintaining a total distance of 7m from the chimpanzees, when in their presence, avoid direct eye contact with the chimpanzees, don’t go for chimpanzee trekking when you are sick and more.
Apart from Chimpanzee trekking experience in both Gombe stream & Mahale National Parks, Visitors can also participate in activities like: guided nature walks in the reserve, relax and unwind by the spectacular sandy beaches of Lake Tanganyika, boat riding, mountain hiking, and fishing from Lake Tanganyika.
Best Time For Chimpanzee trekking Tours/Safaris In Tanzania
Chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania can be done during anytime of the year, because of the generally warm climate, which offers both 2 wet & dry seasons. However, the dry months of June, July, August, September & October are considered the best months for visiting both parks for Chimpanzee trekking experience. This is because the rains are minimal with less muddy & slippery trails, although fruits will be scarce, causing them to move to deeper ends of the forest to look for food, and leading to longer hours of trekking to find their actual location.
The rainy season, which is characterized by heavy rains, leads to muddy trails, which makes chimpanzee trekking quite difficult. However, the rainy season is also excellent to enjoy beautiful green scenery of the forest, and bird watching. The green cover draws chimpanzees closer so that they are not able to move far away to look for food.
Packing List and What to Wear For Chimpanzee Trekking Tours In Tanzania
Long sleeved shirts/blouses to protect you from insect bites and scratches in the forests.
T-shirts
Free walking trousers
Water proof hiking boots
Breathable socks are also highly recommended for the dense African jungle
Insect repellents
Sunscreen
Digital camera
Binoculars
back packs to carry travel equipment
Drinking water
Rain jackets and snacks.
