Gombe Forest Lodge

Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania - Adventure 3

Gombe Forest Lodge - Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania Island Lodge

Located in one of Tanzania’s smallest National Parks, Gombe Stream National Park is a thin strip of ancient forest mountain bordering Lake Tanganyika. This park was made world-famous for the primate studies conducted by pioneering British researcher Jane Goodall.

Set on wooden platforms beneath mango groves on the lakeshore, the seven elegantly furnished luxury tents of Gombe Forest Lodge were designed to have every comfort while minimizing disturbance and impact on the stunning environment.

Chimpanzee trekking is conducted in the mornings, with afternoon hikes for the especially adventurous. Relax for the rest of the day or hike towards the spectacular waterfalls of Kakombe, an easy thirty-minute walk, or the slightly further Mkenke.

Other attractions include the boisterous olive baboons as well as the vervet, blue and red-tail monkeys. Bushbuck can be found in the forest, while fish eagles and palm-nut vultures are often seen flying overhead.

The cozy dining area, just a couple of steps off the beach, is built on a wooden platform with an extended outside deck shaded by the forest. A small library, with a selection of books and novels, is also available.

Accommodation

Set on wooden platforms beneath mango groves on the lakeshore, the seven elegantly furnished luxury tents of Gombe Forest Lodge were designed to have every comfort while minimizing disturbance and impact on the stunning environment. Fill your day with hiking through the trails, observe chimpanzees and birds, or explore the lake with a kayak. Enjoy sundowners around a campfire on the beach to unwind from the day’s adventures.

Gombe Forest Lodge - Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania Island Lodge

Gombe Stream National Park

The smallest of Tanzania's National Parks, Gombe Stream is a thin strip of ancient forest straddling the steep slopes and river valleys that hem in the sandy northern shore of Lake Tanganyika, about 25km's from Kigoma town.

The chimpanzees are the main attraction at Gombe Stream. These remarkable mammals – habituated to human visitors – were made famous by the pioneering work of Jane Goodall, who in 1960 founded a research program that now stands as the longest running study of its kind in the world.

Gombe Forest Lodge - Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania Island LodgeGombe Forest Lodge - Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania Island Lodge

Activities

Tracking the chimps of Gombe is a magical experience. The guide's eyes pick out last night's nests - shadowy clumps high in a gallery of trees crowding the sky. Scraps of half-eaten fruit and fresh dung become valuable clues, leading deeper into the forest.

Whilst you spend the morning Chimpanzee trekking, afternoons are determined only by how energetic you feel. Swimming in the crystal clear waters of the lake, snorkeling or simply relaxing on the beach. There are two spectacular waterfalls in the area, Kakombe, an easy half hour walk and Mkenke, a little further for the more adventurous.

Gombe Forest Lodge - Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania Island LodgeGombe Forest Lodge - Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania Island LodgeGombe Forest Lodge - Gombe Stream National Park, Lake Tanganyika - Tanzania Island Lodge