In the lush shade of ancient forest trees in Gombe Stream National Park and just off the shores of Lake Tanganyika lies the small yet intimate Gombe Forest Lodge. This small property ensures a personal and exclusive feel by catering for just 14 guests at a time.
Gombe Forest Lodge blends into its surroundings with public areas just a couple of steps off the beach and including an extended outside deck shaded by the Forest.
After a long day’s sightseeing guests enjoy sundowners served around the fire under the dazzling night sky, which is complemented by the lanterns of hundreds of small fishing boats bobbing on the lake.
Accommodation
Comfortable and spacious safari tents are elevated on timber platforms, each with a covered and furnished private deck overlooking the tranquil forest.
Each guest tent is carefully positioned under the shade of huge mango trees around the main lodge, minimizing the disturbance and impact on such a stunning environment. Tents have twin or double four-poster beds with mosquito nets, a dressing table, chair and electrical charging point as well as en-suite facilities with showers, flush toilets and hot and cold running water throughout the day.
Activities
Tracking the chimps of Gombe is a magical experience. The guide’s eyes pick out last night’s nests – shadowy clumps high in a gallery of trees crowding the sky. Scraps of half-eaten fruit and fresh dung become valuable clues, leading deeper into the forest.
Whilst you spend the morning Chimpanzee trekking, afternoons are determined only by how energetic you feel. Swimming in the crystal clear waters of the lake, snorkelling or simply relaxing on the beach. There are two spectacular waterfalls in the area, Kakombe, an easy half hour walk and Mkenke, a little further for the more adventurous.
Gombe Stream National Park
The major attraction of the Gombe Stream National Park is the chimpanzees, made famous by Jane Goodall in 1960 when she established the area as a chimpanzee research station.
Despite its tiny size of only 52 sq km, it’s a magnificent, dense tropical forest rising steeply from Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania. Although the chimpanzees are the park’s star attraction they are not its only one. There are many other species, including baboon, vervet monkey, red colobus monkey, blue monkey and bush babies. Gombe also hosts a wide variety of bird species.
