Gombe Stream National Park

Gombe Stream National Park is located in the western border of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a park made famous due to the conservationist works of Dr. Jane Goodall, the resident primatologist who spend several years in the forest wilderness studying the behavior of chimpanzees, an endangered primate species.

Gombe National Park lies along the wild shores of Lake Tanganyika, and is an untamed area of purely lush forests and clear blue waters of Lake Tanganyika.

Gombe National Park is the smallest of all the Tanzania national parks covering only 52 square kilometers, located only 16km north of Kigoma. The main attraction in Gombe Stream National Park are the chimpanzees, but others include over 200 bird species as well as other animals like bush pigs, leopards, hippos, snakes and others.

The Gombe Stream National Park is covered by steep valleys with forest vegetation ranging from grassland, woodland, to tropical rainforest and it is only accessible by boat via Lake Tanganyika, a lake that inhabits over 350 kinds of colourful cichlid fish.

Activities in Gombe Stream National Park

There are different things to do in Gombe Stream National Park that travelers on a Tanzania safari in the park can get to enjoy. Things to do in Gombe Stream National Park include chimpanzee tracking, bird watching, walk the shoreline, among others.

Chimpanzee Tracking

Chimpanzee tracking in Gombe National Park is the most done activity in the park. Chimpanzee tracking in Gombe Stream national Park involves walking through trails in the park in search for the fully habituated chimpanzees in the wild. Once you find the chimpanzees, you get up to only 1 hour with them.

Bird Watching

Bird watching in Gombe Stream National Park is one of the various things to do in Gombe that travelers on a Tanzania safari tour here can enjoy. There are over 200 birds in Gombe Stream national Park, including among others the African Fish Eagle, Common Paradise Flycatcher, Tropical Boubou, African Broadbill, Double-toothed Barbet, and the Golden-rumped Tinker Bird. The best time to visit Gombe Stream National Park for bird watching experiences is during the months of November through April when there are migratory birds as well from Europe and North Africa.

While out bird watching or chimpanzee tracking, be sure to look out for other primates in Gombe Stream national Park. Other primates in Gombe Stream national Park include Colobus monkeys, Blue and Red tailed Monkeys among so many others.

Best time to Visit Gombe Stream National Park

Gombe Stream National park can be visited all throughout the year, depending on your schedule. Chimpanzees in Gombe Stream national Park do not move far off in the months of November to mid-December and February to June as they are rainy months and thus much more foliage at lower altitudes that you can easily spot them, much as they paths may be slippery and muddy. The dry season months are best given the paths are not muddy and slippery thus enabling faster trekking, much as the chimpanzees may be a bit far as they move farther away in search for food and water.

What to Wear To Gombe Stream National Park

As you look to embark on a trip to Gombe national Park, you may want to know what best to wear. Travelers are highly recommended not to wear bright coloured clothes, white and dark colors but instead opt for neutral colours like khaki, mid-tone brown, olive and green colours. Long pants, long sleeved shirts, socks, comfortable shoes with a good grip, gardening gloves to protect your hands whilst in the park chimpanzee tracking. Do carry insect repellent creams as well.

Getting to Gombe Stream National Park

You would need to fly to Kigoma Airport from Dar es Salaam or by road to Kigoma, and then proceed on a boat transfer to Gombe Stream National Park.

Accommodation in Gombe Stream national Park

There are a number of accommodation in Gombe National Park that travelers can opt for whilst at the park. Some of the Gombe Stream National Park lodges include the Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge, Gombe Forest Lodge, Gombe Bandas, among others. You could also opt for the Kigoma Hilltop Hotel which is an amazingly beautiful hotel with stunning views of Lake Tanganyika.

Looking to see primates, especially chimpanzees in Tanzania? Gombe Stream national park is your best safari destination. Get in touch with a knowledgeable tour operator in Tanzania to help you plan an amazing chimpanzee tracking adventure in Gombe National Park and beyond.