Western Tanzania Holidays

Beneath the Mahale mountains in the west of Tanzania sit the shores of Lake Tanganyika, where the crystal clear water is perfect for snorkelling, and chimpanzees live on the steep forested mountain sides. One group of 60 chimps lives within hiking distance of the camp we recommend, and has become habituated to human presence by over two decades of contact with researchers. It is possible to venture out into the forest to observe these endangered animals, our closest relatives, as they groom, wrestle and forage. Elsewhere, your Western Tanzania holidays could take in the wide plains of Katavi National Park, home to the largest herds of buffaloes on the continent. Katavi is one of Africa's best wildlife hotspots and something of a secret destination for a Tanzania safari, but one that we know well. Filling the floor of the Rukwa Valley - a minor fault of the Western Rift Valley - the park spans over a million acres of blue escarpments from which primeval rivers run down through tamarind, fig and albida forests to feed huge golden floodplains. The quantity of buffaloes supports plenty of carnivores, while hippos and crocodiles team in the waterways. Read more