Gombe Stream National Park

Gombe Stream National Park is a hallmark primitive safari destination, sited in western Kigoma region in Tanzania, which is 10 miles away from the north of Kigoma. However, the park was established in 1968 though is one of the smallest national parks in Tanzania with a land covering 35square kilometers that goes along the hills of the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika.

It has ecosystem which is distinguished by steep valley and the vegetation ranges from grassland, woodland then to tropical rainforest. Gombe national park is a famous location because of the great works of Dr. Jane Goodall who began her behavioral research conduct on the chimpanzee populations. She also started a study about the habituated community of wild eastern chimpanzee at Kasekela chimpanzee community in 1960.

Why visit Gombe stream national park?

Due to the high population of chimpanzee species and increase has led Gombe a popular tourist destination. Apart from chimpanzee species, there are other primates that inhabits Gombe including; Olive baboons, red colobus, Red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys and Vervet monkeys. More so, Red tailed monkeys and blue monkeys are also known intermix in the area.

The park is also a haven of bird species with over 200 species and home to wildlife species such as bush pigs, snakes, leopards and hippopotami among others. Despite the fact, Gombe National Park is a great location to primitive viewing most especially the great apes ‘’chimpanzee’’ you can as well swim and snorkel in Lake Tanganyika a home to more than 100 species of colorful cichlid fish.

Things to do at Gombe stream national park

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee trekking is the most popular tourist activity in Gombe Stream National Park. The park is a great place to see chimpanzees up close and personal, as many family groups are habituated to humans. Walking up the hilly forested slopes to the primate territories is unquestionably the highlight of any visitor to the park, with instant pant-hoot calls of chimps as you get closer to these incredible primates. Their instantly recognizable pant-hoot call heightens the excitement as you approach these incredible animals that share up to 98% of the human DNA.

Kayaking

Kayaking is one of the amazing activities carried out in Gombe National Park which can be done on Lake Tanganyika, kayaking is done on small narrow boat where you need to use a double-bladed paddle and it’s a four-hour paddling with a great exploring of stunning features around the Lake, thus Gombe stream National Park.

Sport Fishing

You can also do fishing at your pleasure time and enjoy experience of catch and release which can be done on the Lake when the weather is Calm. Crew are experienced at all disciplines of fishing. All you need to use well-equipped sport fishing boats and informed crews who will ensure you with quite excitement out on Lake Tanganyika water.

Snorkeling and diving

Lake Tanganyika is a great location during your safari to Gombe stream national park where you can also carryout snorkeling and diving as a value to your visit. While enjoy the snorkeling activity, you will be offered with a whole other stunning world as you explore the under water. Gombe is a pleasing place for snorkeling and diving. The activity lasts 3 hours within the lake.

Filming destination

The park is more liked by the journalists for hot spotting films and number of Tanzanian TV crew are seen flocking in here for best photography. In general, it’s an interesting chimpanzee and conservation.

Butterfly watching experience

Gombe has a beautiful nature with rewardable looks of colorful butterfly among the smallest creatures in the Gombe forest. The park inhabits over 500 butterfly species.

Bird watching

Gombe stream national park is a home to numerous bird species varying of the iconic fish eagle, the three kinds of kingfishers and the bright peters twin’s spots. Other species are the palm vulture and bird species can be spotted along the shores of Lake Tanganyika  and best time is during wet season when food is in abundant from November to April .Birds to see include ;African fish eagle ,African paradise flycatcher ,Kenya rufous sparrow ,Livingstone’s turaco ,palm-nut vulture ,Red-chested cuckoo ,Yellow rumpled tinker bird ,Ross’s turaco ,Red-capped robin-chat ,peter’s twin spot ,Double-toothed barbet ,Crowned eagle ,Backsaw-wing ,African broadbill among others.

Where to stay at Gombe Stream national Park?

Gombe stream has got perfect lodge units for the guest which ranges from luxury to budget with rewardable overlooking of the nature. Such lodges include; Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge, Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, Leaders Lodge, Mahale Classic Lodge and Triple J Resort and sunset Vista Hotel among others.

The best to visit Gombe stream national park

Gombe stream national Park is all year around visited destination though the best time to tour the place without any hindrance starts from July to October and December to February just note this, that Gombe National Park never get crowded, you can visit it any time you want. Then wet season happens in November to April by where you visit the park for chimpanzee tracking experience though during this period requires a lot more effort to find them.

However, Gombe as a warm climate with dry season which occurs May to October and a humid, stormy. The wet season occurs from November to Aprils. It experiences the cool weather that gets around 15% degrees Celsius which isn’t bad. Though a lot of water gets dumped on the park when the rain falls.

How to access Gombe Stream national park?

Kigoma is connected to Dar and Arusha by scheduled flights, to Dar and Mwanza by a slow rail service, to Mwanza, Dar and Mbeya by rough dirty roads, and to Mpulungu in Zambia by a weekly ferry.
From Kigoma, local Lake-taxis take up to three hours to reach Gombe, or Motorboats can be chartered, taking less than one hour.