Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains are extraordinarily beautiful national parks by the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Draped in lush emerald vegetation, the remote Mahale Mountain chain, inhabited by the wild chimpanzees made famous by Jane Goodall’s work in the 60s, rise behind the sandy beaches of Lake Tanganyika. The gin-clear waters of the lake are irresistible. Mahale is one of the most beautiful places in Africa, and one of the most expensive to reach.
In the vast wilderness of remote Katavi National Park, to the south of the Mahale Mountains, herds of Cape buffalo, a thousand strong, roam the floodplains, hippos crowd the rivers in their hundreds, lion and leopard hunt among innumerable herbivores. Katavi is a classic dry season reserve and its large tracts of Miombo woodland are crossed by a number of rivers, each with wide floodplains. Between May and November, these open floodplains attract abundant game, allowing for wildlife viewing unsurpassed elsewhere in Africa. It is probably the only place where lions outnumber people – go now.
