Tanganyika

An active adventure exploring Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika in remote Western Tanzania is the longest freshwater lake in the world and the second deepest. It lies in the Great Rift valley with the Democratic Republic of Congo on its western shore, and Tanzania on the east. Parts of the lake also sit in both Burundi and Zambia.

Apart from the wildlife in and around the lake it also holds historical significance – it was at Ujiji where Henry Morton Stanley finally tracked down David Livingstone. Further south, at Gombe Stream National Park, Jane Goodall has studied chimpanzees over nearly 60 years, and thereby giving the world a remarkable insight into humankinds closest living relatives.

The Lake supports an incredible diversity of fish, supporting more than 500 fish species with 60% of them endemic – the celebrated Tanganyika cichlids.  The water in the lake is beautifully clear offering great opportunities for snorkeling and swimming. Numerous small fishing villages dot the shore in some areas whilst incredibly remote and inaccessible beaches offer idyllic settings.

Mahale Mountains National Park is one of Africa’s greatest national parks, famous for the habituated chimpanzees that call Mahale home. This park offers an incredibly diverse and unique experience for the intrepid adventurer. Mahale boasts a pristine shoreline with white sandy beaches along Lake Tanganyika, rugged mountains, deep green jungles, waterfalls, woodlands and savannas. The highlight of exploring Mahale is undoubtably the opportunity to spend time with the incredible chimpanzee groups that roam the park. These chimps have been the subject of a research project that started in 1965 giving insight into their behaviour, community and history. Mahale also supports nine other species of primates making it one of the most important protected areas in Tanzania for primate conservation. In addition, the park supports wonderful butterfly diversity, fantastic forest and rewarding birding opportunities.

Discover more about the evolution of the Lake Tanganyika expedition here.

The expedition

Overview

Our ten-night expedition takes us to spectacular Lake Tanganyika where we kayak, boat and hike our way through some of the region’s most beautiful and biologically diverse landscapes. Crystal clear waters teeming with endemic fish, abundant birdlife, the best chimpanzee tracking experiences available, incredible hiking in mystical mountain forests and camping on the lake’s remote beaches promises the adventure of a lifetime.

We fly by charter aircraft to western Tanzania and drive to the southern shore of Lake Tanganyika. From there we’ll paddle north by kayak for 5 days to explore one of the most beautiful sections of the lake, supported by a full crew and boat, and wild camping on remote beaches. On day 6 we’ll pull our kayaks up onto the white beach in front of the legendary Greystoke Mahale for 4 nights in paradise at this jungle-chic lodge. Chimpanzee tracking is the order of the day here and laid-back boating, canoeing and swimming in the tropical waters of the lake.

Conservation partner

Tongwe Trust -Pioneering community-led forest conservation

Based in the Greater Mahale Ecosystem, in Tanzania, the Tongwe Trust was set up in 2002 with the expressed aim of securing Ntakata Forest as the Tongwe people’s new cultural heartland. Largely founded, staffed, and organised by members of our different villages, we are a community-led organisation.

Ntakata Forest was formally recognised as the Tongwe’s new cultural heartland in 2015. However, while our original aim has been achieved, population growth, inter-ethnic conflict, the bush meat trade, and land conversion all remain a threat: the Trust is dedicated to protecting our new heartland, its efforts funded through donations, grants, and a variety of activities, including developing Ntakata as a ‘narrow gauge’ eco-tourist destination.

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