Gombe Stream National Park lies on the shores of Africa's deepest and longest freshwater lake, Tanganyika, and is reachable only by tramp steamer. The mountains of Gombe Stream rise steeply in folds and valleys almost directly from the sandy lake shore. The mountain slopes are covered in forest and are home to chimpanzees which have been habituated to human presence by Jane Goodall, the renowned authority on chimpanzees, who arrived in 1960 to study the wild chimpanzees. Her behavioral research program is the longest running study of its kind in the world.

Many species of primates and mammals live in the park and over 200 bird species have been recorded in the tropical forest. The park's steep, narrow valleys, carpeted by evergreen rainforests that give way to alpine bamboo stands and grass-topped ridges, are home to two kinds of acrobatic colobus monkeys, along with bushpigs, giant kingfishers, crowned eagles, trumpeter hornbills, and more than 50 other wild species. Snorkellers may enjoy the adjoining lake, which holds almost 100 kinds of brightly-colored fish. Guided walks take visitors into the forest to observe the many members of the chimpanzee family. But be sure to leave your best clothes behind: observers sitting beneath feeding chimps can expect to be the targets of less than sanitary showers!

The park is rich in both human and natural history. Nearby is the village of Ujiji, where historians believe British researcher H.M. Stanley uttered the famous words "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" in 1871 upon encountering fellow adventurer David Livingstone, who had been believed dead. Livingstone, though seriously ill, convinced Stanley to join him on a search for the source of the Nile -- a quest that took them through the Gombe Valley.

Accommodation in Gombe Stream

Images of Gombe Stream