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The most remote region of Tanzania, quite simply miles from anywhere and the ’true heart of the wilderness’. The Western Highlands lace a ridge of the Rift Valley escarpment, high above Lake Tanganyika and within the game-filled enclaves that sit along its spine there exist small perfectly-formed worlds of natural splendour, and vast expanses of prime African bush. Mahale offers unique scenery and some of the best chimpanzee tracking safaris, while Katavi is home to huge densities of large mammals second only to the Serengeti and remains one of the best locations for a truly authentic African experience. On safari in this region, you will discover rivers, swamps, forests, woodlands and savannah with abundant wildlife that seems to have changed little over the centuries. Camps are small and intimate with excellent guides and a diverse range of activities that are among the best that Africa has to offer.
Mahale Mountains National Park
Rising from the crystal waters of Lake Tanganyika, some 100 miles south of Kigoma, the richly forested slopes of the Mahale Mountains reach an altitude of over eight thousand feet above sea level, majestically dominating the Mahale National Park. This is arguably the best place in Africa for a chimpanzee safari. Amongst the several hundred chimpanzees living in the Mahale Mountains are a group, known as the "M" group, which have been the subject of one of the longest running primatology field studies, conducted by the University of Kyoto in Japan. The forested slopes of the mountains provide an awe-inspiring backdrop to the game rich park that extends to the edge of Lake Tanganyika.
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika, the largest of the Great African Rift valley lakes, forms the extreme western border of Tanzania. To the south it is bordered by Zambia, to the west by the Congo and to the north by Burundi. This is the oldest and largest of the African rift lakes, stretching a distance of 420 miles from north to south and is regarded as one of the most biologically unique habitats on earth. It is also an evolutionary showcase due to its great age and stability; ninety eight percent of the lake’s beautiful coloured cichlid fish are unique to Lake Tanganyika. The lake is essentially a landlocked sea and with its clear warm water and white sandy beaches, it rivals many of the beaches on the east African coast. On safari here you will see some very unusual wildlife, from the chimpanzees on the shores to the cichlid fish beneath the surface - these fish resemble the brightly coloured fish found on coral reefs, but are totally unrelated. Just half an hour snorkel swimming around any of the rocky points along the shore at the foot of the Mahale Mountains National Park will quickly give you an idea of the huge variety of species that live here.
Katavi National Park
Katavi is in the far west of Tanzania, close to Lake Tanganyika and Mahale Mountains National Park. A remote and undeveloped area, bristling with wild animals and a place that is hard to beat for a pure wilderness experience. It is an incredibly exciting place and has a truly wild, almost primeval feel, which hits you intensely from the moment you first see the game scattered over the Katisunga flood plain as you approach by air. In the dry season, herds of buffalo, two or three thousand strong, graze on the plains, pods of several hundred hippo cram the seasonal rivers, herds of elephant feed on the plains and drink from the springs. Katavi is one of Africa’s greatest secrets and is said to have a greater density of game than any other park in Africa and yet it is so remote and inaccessible that it typically receives less than one hundred visitors per year.
