Katavi & Mahale (Lake Tanganyika)

★★★ Katavi National Park — Tanzania's Best-Kept Secret

Katavi is Tanzania's most remote and least visited national park — and precisely for this reason, one of the most extraordinary. Only a few hundred visitors per year make their way to this 4,471 km² park in the west of the country. Those who make it here experience safari as it was 100 years ago: no other vehicles, no crowds, just the wilderness in its raw form.

In the dry season (July–October), Katavi becomes the scene of one of Africa's most dramatic wildlife spectacles: Thousands of hippos crowd into the shrinking pools of the Katuma River, buffalo herds of up to 3,000 animals roam the plains, and lions benefit from the concentrated prey. The battles of the hippo bulls for the last waterholes are both brutal and fascinating.

Arrival: Fly-in from Arusha or Dar es Salaam (with a stopover, approx. 500–800 USD). Only 2 camps/lodges in the park. Book well in advance!

★★★ Mahale Mountains National Park — The Chimpanzees

The Mahale Mountains National Park on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika is one of Africa's most magical places — and one of the few in the world where you can observe wild chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

About 1,000 chimpanzees live in the densely forested mountains by the lake. Of these, a group of about 60 animals (the "M-Group") is habituated to humans. An encounter with them is one of the most moving nature experiences ever:

• You hike (1–6 hours, depending on the group's location) with a ranger through the rainforest
• Suddenly, you hear the loud calls (pant-hooting) of the chimpanzees
• Then you see them: grooming sessions, playing babies, impressive silverbacks, tool use
• You are allowed to spend a maximum of 1 hour with the chimpanzees (minimum distance 10 m)

The Lake Tanganyika itself is spectacular: the second deepest lake in the world (1,470 m!), crystal-clear freshwater, surrounded by steep mountains. After chimpanzee tracking, you swim in the lake, snorkel with cichlids, or kayak along the coast.

Arrival: Only by fly-in (from Arusha/Dar with a stopover) or by boat from Kigoma (6h). Only 2 camps — one of them (Greystoke Mahale) is one of Africa's most exclusive lodges. Price: 800–1,500 USD/night, including tracking. Book early!