Chimpanzees
In the forest.
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Gombe National Park is a small forested range on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania. Steep green hills drop to a pebble beach, deep valleys hold waterfalls, and dense rainforest is home to chimpanzees. The park was established in 1968 and is one of Tanzania's smallest, at just 35 km². It can only be reached by boat. It is famous as the place where Jane Goodall began her pioneering research on chimpanzee behaviour, and the Kasakela community featured in many books and films lives here. It also has olive baboons, red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and about 200 bird species. You walk the forest trails with a guide to track the chimpanzees, visit Kakombe Waterfall, then sit on the lakeshore. The park is about 21 km in a straight line north of Kigoma, reached by boat from there. The trails are steep, so wear sturdy shoes, keep your distance from the chimps and follow the guide.
In the forest.
In the valley.
On the shore.
East shore of Lake Tanganyika, Kigoma Region
By boat from Kigoma.
No, keep your distance and follow the guide.