Greystoke Mahale

AREA & ACTIVITIES

Habitat & Wildlife
The Mahale Mountains rise to some 8000 ft above sea-level on the western edge of Tanzania along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. The predominant habitat in one of sub-tropical forest, home to around 1000 chimpanzees and nine other species of primate, including red-tailed, red colobus, black and white colobus and blue monkeys. One particular group of chimpanzees (totalling around 60 individuals) have been habituated by Japanese scientists who have researched the area for some many years. Walking through the forest (sometimes this can be difficult), you should get the opportunity to view these great apes as they go about their daily routine. The lake provides an inland sea of tropical delight with over a fifth of the 1000 or so species of cychlid fish endemic. The lake is also home to hippo and crocs. Birdlife is also prolific, although it is along the lakeshore that you have the best sightings.

Activities
The emphasis at Greystoke is on escapism and the natural environment, with the main activity being chimpanzee tracking in the forested mountains behind the camp. Each morning the habituated chimpanzee group can be visited, though their range is huge and sometimes they are located too far away to reach. It usually takes anything between 30 minutes and 4 hours to locate them. There are also limits on how many guests can visit each day, so it is not guaranteed that you can visit them every day of your stay. The walking is mostly on good paths, some of which are steep, though it is often necessary to go ‘off piste’ in the forest too, at which point the walking becomes significantly harder. A maximum of one hour is allocated per chimp sighting and you should maintain a distance of 10 metres from them where possible (the chimps will often walk right past you on the pathway). A maximum of six guests per group can track at any time, whilst the minimum age limit is 12 years old.

To protect the chimps from contagious diseases, you will need to wear a face-mask whilst within their proximity and you will not be permitted to track if suffering from any illness, including a cold or flu, which may be transmitted to the apes. You will be asked to declare this before you begin. We would ask your co-operation in not endangering the lives of the already endangered great apes. If you are unwell, do not track.

Beyond the chimpanzee tracking, it is also possible to take more general forest walks to see other primates, birds and some lovely waterfalls where you can swim. You may also enjoy activities on the lake such as dhow cruises, catch and release fishing, kayaking and very limited swimming (for safety reasons).

Seasons
Greystoke is open from June through to mid-March but the weather and conditions are usually best between June and October. During the early dry season of June to August the chimps can sometimes be located higher up the slopes, whilst from September onwards they are often seen closer to camp.