Apart from the pristine beauty of the location by lake Tanganyika with one of Africa’s most remote lodges, Greystoke Mahale’s main attraction is the chance to see one of the largest populations of wild chimpanzees in the world.
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Ecorating: 4.0
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
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This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Sample Itinerary
Settle into camp, relax or loosen up with a short walk in the forest followed by sundowners looking across Lake Tanganyika to the Congo beyond.
As news comes in from the trackers, head off into the forest after a leisurely breakfast in search of your first group of chimps. As well as time spent watching the chimps as they play, groom and possibly even hunt, you should see other forest game as well as amazing birds, butterflies and plants.
Treks can be lengthy but you’ll usually return to camp for lunch, a siesta or swim. Late afternoon you might want to head out to find a spot for fishing or…
You’ll be able to spend time chimp trekking on each full day you’re in Mahale.
In addition there’ll be a chance to go for deep water swims off a dhow, fish in the lake, kayak or just head up to one of the amazing waterfall pools in a quiet corner of the forest. This is a place for healthy activity combined with relaxation!
The chill-out deck of your room is perfect for an afternoon with a book or just to ponder the view of Lake Tanganyika and…
Your private banda are open-fronted to offer the very best views of Lake Tanganyika. There is an en-suite bathroom and an upstairs viewing deck where you can sit and relax.
With the drink of your taste you could easily spend hours there…
Your bathroom partially open towards the forest.
The table is set.
The barman is always ready to prepare a refreshing drink.
Get the feel of a Tanganyika village and see the work of the Nomad Trust, with a visit to Katumbi on the park boundary. You can visit the primary school, where we have built and furnished classrooms and installed solar power, or the community clinic, where we have fund vital healthcare from first aid and midwifery.
Trip details
Ecorating: 4.0
Season: All year round
Airport: Arusha airport (ARK)
Length: 4 nights or as long as you wish.
Included: Activities, full board accommodation, drinks, but exclude park fees and flights – we help you organize this.
Travel ethics: Show respect for the religion and culture.
Visa: Visa to Tanzania
Time zone: GMT + 3
Vaccinations: Vaccinations for Tanzania
Packing: Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen, swim suit, bush coloured clothing for trekking in the forest, long sleeves and trousers, good walking shoes.
Local Currency: Tanzanian Shilling
Weather Arusha: Weather
Mobile networks and email: Mobile networks works ok.
Water: Buy bottled water, make sure that the bottles end up in the waste sorting.
Safety: This is considered as a safe place for tourists.
More information at: Travel tips Tanzania
Ecorating: 4.0
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Does my trip make a difference?
Read more
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Since the beginning this camp is part of a group of camps, they have invested in local people and conservation as an integral part of their operation. The tourism industry depends on the preservation of Africa’s wild places, so it makes important sense to look after it.
Opportunities & Recruitment from within: Central to their core business is the wish to see employees do the best they can for themselves. Many of the top guides started out as waiters or room stewards, and they continued to look for ways of giving everyone opportunities to realise their own ambitions within the company. The camps are especially proud of Emmanuel, the bike messenger, who is now competing at the Tanzanian National Cycling events and doing exceptionally well. His employment with the camps affords him better food which has made a huge difference to his performance. He also gets loads of practice on the job!
Training: The camps have had, possibly the most continuous and rigorous guide training program in Tanzania. Each year, both old and new guides come together to advance their knowledge through a series of modules and practical examination run by experts in the field. This not only includes wildlife skills and bushcraft, but photography, general knowledge and basic hospitality skills to make them amongst the best in the African safari industry. They are truly proud of their guides, and all people working there, and they wouldn’t be what they are without them.
Eco-loos: Many guests are blissfully unaware of the difficulty of obtaining water in certain remote areas of Tanzania. At some of the places we operate, water bowsers must travel 80km each day to fetch enough water just for showers. To reduce the burden on our sensitive habitat, one has chosen to adopt eco-toilets that use a minimum amount of water and environmentally sound digestors while still ensuring comfort to guests.
Home-grown veggies: In the wild Mahale Mountains, there is a 24 hour ferry journey from the nearest town (or a 4 hour flight), where most of the camp food comes from. Through the Nomad Trust, they have set up a community vegetable garden a little closer to home, which now supplies a great proportion of the fresh vegetable we use, and provides a valuable local income.
Getting involved: We don’t operate in a vacuum and as a company, we take a keen interest in what is going on throughout Tanzania and Africa. We are actively involved in our national organisations that work towards better governance of wildlife and natural resources, and are strong advocates for responsible tourism wherever our voice can be heard.
Supporting worthwhile projects: In addition to the Nomad Trust, we contribute to various organisations that are doing wonderful work around Tanzania. Most of the furniture in Lamai, for example, was made by a company that has been training former street kids to become professional carpenters.
