Mahale · Tanzania
Greystoke Mahale
Chimpanzee trekking from a driftwood camp on a beach only reachable by boat
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Greystoke sits on a white sand beach on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, with the forested Mahale Mountains rising steeply behind it. There is no road: guests fly to an airstrip and then travel by dhow along the shoreline, which is an unusually good introduction to how remote this place is.
Six bandas are built from salvaged dhow timber, open at the front to the lake, with sleeping platforms upstairs and bathrooms behind. The mess is a soaring driftwood structure on the sand. Days divide between the water - swimming in water clear enough to see the cichlids, kayaking, fishing for tigerfish - and the forest.
The forest is why most people come. Mahale holds a habituated community of wild chimpanzees studied by Japanese primatologists since the 1960s, and trekking involves a genuine climb through steep, humid jungle until the trackers find the group. Sightings are not guaranteed but are frequent, and the experience of sitting a few metres from wild chimps is unlike anything on a conventional safari.
At a glance
What to expect
- 6 driftwood bandas on the beach
- Chimpanzee trekking with trackers
- Kayaking and dhow trips
- Snorkelling in Lake Tanganyika
- Catch-and-release fishing
- Forest and waterfall walks
- Full board with house drinks
- Beach dining
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