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At
an altitude of over 1800 meters Mahale is a succession of rolling montane
and bamboo forests. Lush valleys support permanent streams that flow into
Lake Tanganyika, the deepest lake in Africa. Mahale is most famous for its
well protected and studied Chimpanzee population. Other species such as
baboon and Colobus share the treetops with Livingston's Turaco and the crowned
hawk eagle. Leopard, cape buffalo, and mountain elephant roam the dense
forests. Hikes into the mountains as well as visiting the chimps are what
this park is all about.
There are no roads for motor vehicles here; safaris are done exclusively
on foot. Best time of year is from May to October. From Kigoma it is a 4-9
hour boat trip, or 3+-hour charter flight from Arusha - depending on the
type of aircraft used. The airstrip at Mahale is not very good and we have
tended to visit Gombe Stream for our chimp safaris.
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