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Here is the second installation for our blog posts about Western Tanzania, we covered Katavi on Tuesday but now we’d like to draw attention to this amazing area which combines with Katavi by an easy light aircraft flight. Mahale is probably the greatest wilderness in Africa and you cannot compare this remote area to anything you will see elsewhere. The Mahale Mountains run down onto Lake Tanganyika and the raw beauty of this place will astound you. If you thought it wasn’t possible to feel more remote than you do when in Katavi then think again, the wilderness just got even bigger! Here are our reasons to visit Mahale (as well as Katavi!):
The Mahale Mountains
These mountains are unbelievably beautiful and will literally knock the breath out of you with their size and scenic outlook. They are largely deserted and you can guarantee you won’t see another soul apart from the fishermen on the lake. Everything here is pure and pristine and natural and again just as in Katavi you will feel your soul rejuvenating as you breathe in the fresh air and clear views. It is truly a spiritual and wholesome luxury safari that one takes in the Mahale Mountains.
Lake Tanganyika
The second most beautiful piece of nature in this area is of course the vast Lake Tanganyika. This lake wasn’t even discovered by Europeans until the late 1800s and it laps Burundi, Congo and Zambia – it is the longest freshwater lake in the world and second deepest – it lies in the famous Great Rift Valley and is just as awe-inspiringly beautiful as the other Rift Valley Lakes. Best of all Lake Tanganyika boasts over 350 species of tropical fish, thought to thrive there due to the sheer age and pristine freshwater nature of the lake.
The Chimps and The Wildlife
The Mahale Mountains are home to those famous apes, chimpanzees. This is the only place you can take a luxury safari in East or Southern Africa and find them living in the wild. Although they are quite hard to see you will often track them and find that just hearing their noises through the forest is enough of a thrill. There is also immense bird life in this area, and you can spend hours watching the beautiful birds go about their business around your camp. It is simply mother natures bedroom and everything is untouched and heavenly.
Greystoke Mahale is the sister camp of Chada Katavi (our recommended camp in Katavi) – it has a quirky and unique design and is located on the beach with the Mahale Mountains stretching up behind it and the gently lapping Lake Tanganyika in front of it. It is barefoot luxury at it’s best and is both a luxury beach lodge and luxury safari lodge all rolled into one. The atmosphere is exceptionally relaxed and you will find yourself never wanting to leave. The combination of the game viewing in Katavi and the unique pristine nature of Mahale will blow you away, and you may well never want to go anywhere else again.