TOURS & SAFARI DESTINATION
gombe stream NATIONAL PARK
Its Tanzania smallest park with area of 52 sq km, located on shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Gombe stream offers visitors the rare chance to observe the chimpanzee communities made by famous British explorer Dr Jane Goodall. Numbers of monkeys can also be seen red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys.
Gombe Stream, like its sister game park of Mahale Mountains to the south, is a park without roads, where you can experience nature on foot accompanied by the park guide. The park’s vegetation varies from the evergreen forests of tall trees to open woodlands and grasslands. The park’s most special feature is its chimpanzees, made famous by Jane Goodall’s study. Chimpanzees are classed as one of the world’s endangered species, and is the primary visitor attraction in Gombe.
Other common mammals found are forest species, mostly primates including baboons, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys and red colobus monkeys. There are more 200 species of birds in Gombe Stream National Park.
Best to know in gombe stream National Park
Is one of the few places where chimpanzees can still be found in their natural habitat.
Dr. Jane Goodall and her colleagues have lived here studgin the primates since 1960.
The park have no roads, which allows you to walk and experience nature with all of your senses.
Ujiji, near Kigoma, was the site of Stanley’s famous meeting with Livingstone.
Following animals can be found in the park – Chimpanzees, Red Colobus, colourful Red-tail and Blue monkeys, Olive baboon, African Civet, Palm civet, genet, Grey duiker, bushbuck, bush baby, bushpig, White-tailed mongoose, Marsh mongoose, Giant rat and the Chequered elephant shrew.
Bird life found here includes Ross’s and Livingston’s Turaco, the African and the trumpeter hornbills, pied and giant kingfishers, tropical boubous, white browed coucal, and the crowned eagle.
The Kakombe Waterfall is where the Kakombe stream tumbles about 20m down a rocky cliff.
Covering an area of 52 sq km of dense forest, this is the smallest ofTanzania’s National Parks.
16 km north of Kigoma town, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Western Tanzania.
Wet Seasons (February to June and November to December). Rainfall is about 1600mm but can exceed 2600mm.
Dry Seasons (July to October and Late December ).
Winds are particularly strong during April-May and August-September, typically in the morning.
Strong winds are often associated with thunderstorms, and most storms come form the east, creeping over the rift escarpment with little warning.
The chimpanzees do not roam as far during the rainy, so may be easier to find.
The photographic opportunities are better in the drier months.
The absence of carnivores make the Park ideal for chimpanzee trekking and hiking and one should allow at least two days to find the chimpanzees.
Swimming and snorkelling is popular in the Lake and streams. The Mitumba Valley, the Rift, the Kakombe Waterfall and the Chimpanzee Feeding Station can all be seen on foot not being that far apart.
Visit the site of Henry Stanley’s famous “Dr Livingstone I presume” at Ujiji, near Kigoma and watch the renowned dhow builders at work.
