9 days · Western Tanzania
An expedition style pairing of remote floodplains, chimpanzee forest and the clear shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Tour overview
An expedition style pairing of remote floodplains, chimpanzee forest and the clear shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Repeat safari travellers and adventurous primate enthusiasts
Remote fly in expedition with long stays and limited fixed schedules
Specialist wilderness camps in Katavi and beside Lake Tanganyika
Katavi: 26–32°C daytime / 15–20°C nighttime. Mahale and Lake Tanganyika: 24–30°C daytime / 18–23°C nighttime.
Day by day
9 considered days, each with room for the unexpected moments that make travel memorable.
A long but rewarding bush flight into western Tanzania.
Highlight: The first aerial sight of Katavi’s immense floodplains and remote wilderness.
What to expect: A long scheduled bush-flight journey with stops possible before the camp transfer.
Explore seasonal plains and river systems with very few other vehicles.
Highlight: Wide floodplains, river channels and wildlife viewed with remarkable solitude.
What to expect: A full vehicle safari on remote tracks with long, patient periods away from camp.
A second full day for remote loops and patient wildlife viewing.
Highlight: Reaching quieter loops where time and space allow wildlife behaviour to unfold.
What to expect: Another full safari day with route and meal timing adjusted to current conditions.
Follow current wildlife reports and conditions.
Highlight: A last chance to revisit the strongest wildlife area before leaving Katavi.
What to expect: An early or relaxed morning activity selected around wildlife reports and flight timing.
Continue to Lake Tanganyika and transfer by boat to camp.
Highlight: Arriving beneath Mahale’s forested mountains by boat across Lake Tanganyika.
What to expect: A bush flight followed by an airstrip transfer and boat journey to camp.
Enter the forest with trackers when the chimpanzees are located.
Highlight: Hearing and seeing wild chimpanzees within their forest habitat.
What to expect: Tracking time and distance vary; expect humid conditions and uneven forest terrain.
A second trekking opportunity balanced with time by the water.
Highlight: A second forest encounter balanced by the clear water and quiet shore of the lake.
What to expect: The day combines a possible trek with restorative camp or lakeside time.
Choose another forest walk, boat outing or restorative beach time.
Highlight: The freedom to choose between forest exploration and a slow Lake Tanganyika day.
What to expect: Activity level is flexible, from another guided walk to a gentle boat or beach outing.
Boat and bush flight connections return you toward Arusha or Dar es Salaam.
Highlight: A final boat crossing beneath the Mahale Mountains before the flight onward.
What to expect: Boat and airstrip transfers connect with a scheduled bush flight toward the onward city.
Practical preparation
What is included
Tell us your dates and travel style. We will return with a personal route and proposal.
Speak with a safari specialist