Gombe Stream National Park, founded by the extraordinary Jane Goodall in the 1960s, much of what we know about chimpanzees today is a result of the research completed at Gombe. One of my lifelong dreams was to visit Jane Goodall's research station at Gombe Stream National Park.
Gombe is home to the longest-standing and treasured chimpanzee research program globally and Africa's most remote, authentic, and romantic adventures. It was an incredibly rare adventure opportunity to visit Gombe Stream, this off-the-beaten-track Park in Tanzania. It is also one of the smallest national parks in Tanzania.
I have read many of Jane Goodall's books, and I made one of the best decisions of my life visiting Gombe National Park and experiencing the chimpanzees for myself.
While the chimps are the main attraction, Gombe has much more. Home to rolling green hills, towering trees, steep valleys, and a thriving range of biodiversity – Gombe will leave you in awe from the moment you enter this wilderness wonderland.
Gombe is situated in the remote Tanzania jungles, on the banks of the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika. Due to the remoteness of this National Park, it is only accessible by boat.
Your trip to Gombe will begin after arriving at Kigoma Airport. Unlike me, who made this journey by car from Arusha, a two-day trip on a bumpy road.
Once in Kigoma, I stayed at the stunning Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, treated to a delicious meal overlooking one of the most spectacular lookouts in the world.
The following day a private boat will pick you up for the 2-3 -hour boat ride to Gombe National Park.
The thriving green foliage, sparkling still water, and towering mountains around you that make up a small part of the Great Rift Valley as we approach Gombe National Park makes this one of the most scenic boat rides in the world. A few cheeky baboons were frolicking amongst the sandy shores. If the baboons are not out, about don't worry, your primate safari has only just begun.
Note: Charter flights are available as a transport option to Gombe, but a return ticket from Arusha costs about US$1,500pp.
Where to stay at Gombe National Park?
After an action-packed morning of adventure, there is nothing better than returning to your accommodation and relaxing by the lake with a delicious bottle of wine.
Accommodation at Gombe is limited as less than 2,000 people visit the region each year. Fortunately, there are a few fantastic boutique lodges, so you do not need to compromise on comfort during your adventure. Here are our favorites:
Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge (approx. US$700 – $800pp/night all-inclusive)
In the lush shade of ancient forest trees just off the shores of Lake Tanganyika lies the small yet intimate Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge. With a maximum capacity of 14 guests, Mbali Mbali offers a personalized, carefree luxury experience. With private luxury safari tents, delicious fresh Tanzania cuisine, and friendly service, Mbali Mbali is Gombe's most exclusive lodge. Mbali Mbali offers an all-inclusive experience, including accommodation, transfers, food, activities, WIFI, washing, and drinks.
What to do at Gombe National Park?
Hiking with the Chimpanzee's
We recommend you bring your walking shoes because the first activity you must do is a trek with the chimps. Together with a local guide, you will navigate through the vibrant Gombe forest until you locate a chimpanzee community. For the next 1 hour, you'll have the opportunity to observe wild chimpanzees in their communities, just as Jane Goodall did all those years ago.
Check out the other wildlife.
You can also expect to see other primates during your trek, including beachcomber olive baboons, red colobus, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, and vervet monkeys. Gombe is the only place in the world where you can find red-tailed monkeys and blue monkeys hybridizing (mating with another primate species). If you're lucky, you may even spot one of these rare crossbreeds.
Jungle Trekking
Besides the incredible wildlife, you are bound to encounter, the trek itself is stunning! As you trek through some of Tanzania's most remote jungle, brace yourself for a jaw-dropping experience as you discover wild waterfalls and untouched panoramic lookouts over Lake Tanganyika.
You will need to be reasonably fit to complete this trek as it typically takes between 3 – 5 hours to find the chimps, and the terrain is steep. You may also need to leave the track and bush-bash if the chimps are not in clear view. This will not be a problem if you are fit but slow (or just very determined). You will have your own private guide so you can set the pace.
Water sports galore
For those of you who are more of the water adventurer types, Lake Tanganyika offers epic snorkeling, sailing, and fishing options guaranteed to quench the thirst of anyone curious about exploring these ancient waters.
And for those who must adhere to the call of a waterfall, be prepared to discover the many falling cascades, all perfect for a quick cool-off after your trek.
Gombe National Park also provides several activities that are a little bit more laidback, such as bird watching or simply immersing in the natural orchestra around you. Otherwise, you can hire a private guide and enjoy one of the many nature walks in the area. You might even discover one of the original places Jane Goodall frequented when she began her observations of the chimpanzees.
What is Gombe National Park's history?
Aside from Gombe's exotic inhabitants and activities that would make every adventurer drool, the Park also has a fascinating history.
In the 1960s, Jane Goodall's love for animals and desire to see Africa inspired her to set out and observe the chimpanzees of Gombe. Remarkably, Jane had no previous higher education in scientific studies, working as a secretary. Nonetheless, Jane's work has resulted in countless discoveries about chimpanzees, including the ground-breaking discovery that chimps use tools, show emotions, and communicate in similar ways to humans.
On my visit to Jane Goodall Institute at Gombe, I met with Anthony, an iconoclastic academic from the University of Edinburgh. He has been studying baboons and chimpanzees here at The Jane Goodall Institute at Gombe since 1975. Anthony communicated enormous information about chimpanzee behavior in his understated and transfixing manner. A community of chimpanzees is made up of four to eight dominant males, the leader of whom maintains his position not through brute strength and intimidation (though he must be strong), but also through a coalition with one or more of the other males. A male baby tends to stay with his maternal group, and the females are lured away or seek another troupe for better food and protection. The females in the community mate with all the males, though pairings tend to occur for periods regardless of whether the male is father to the female's offspring.
Anthony told me about a special relationship between the oldest female in the troupe, now aged 57, whose youngest son remained with her until last year when he died of pneumonia at the age of 13. The scientists believe that the chimps contract pneumonia and other bronchial infections through contact with humans, both researchers, and guests. Hence, there are many rules about keeping a distance of 10 meters from chimpanzees and not coughing or sneezing in their presence.
I asked whether chimpanzees are susceptible to HIV, as their DNA is closely related to ours, and I believed the theory is that HIV crossed over to humans from contact with green monkeys. According to Anthony, it is now proven that the HIV jumped from chimpanzees in the Congo, where people do kill them for bushmeat.
The virus was amplified due to the human population in the '70s because of loggers, truckers, and prostitutes and also because unsterilized needles that were routinely used for vaccinating hundreds of patients at a time.
In the three Gombe chimpanzee communities, 16% are known to be infected with HIV, and some have apparently died from it.
Describing a place like Gombe in a blog is near impossible. It's unlike any other adventure you'll ever embark upon. We love Gombe, and it's easy to see why the Park has become one of our favorite Tanzanian experiences.
From the pan-hoot calls echoing throughout the jungle to being meters away from an animal that shares 98% of our DNA, Gombe is an unforgettable experience that you'll remember for the rest of your life.