Lake Tanganyika Safari
As Africa’s second-largest freshwater lake and largest and deepest, Lake Tanganyika offers a safari experience that is far removed from the busy game drives of the northern circuits. This ancient, broad, beautiful lake, bordered by Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, and Zambia, is a place where adventure meets calm; a place to seek primates, dive into clear blue water, and witness the splendor of a sunset when it seems the horizon meets with the water, often with the sights and sounds of the lake’s most famous resident, the hippo.
A living natural history museum of ancient wonders and unique ecosystems.
Lake Tanganyika is not simply a water body; it is a living natural history museum. Estimated to be 9-13 million years old, this lake’s great age and ecological isolation have provided an astonishing concentration of endemic species. A great experience for the visitor, Its clear, warm waters, which maintain a temperature of around 25 C all year, are home to more than 300 fish species and nearly all of the over 250 species of cichlids found nowhere else in the world.
This means the lake is a key place for snorkeling and scuba diving. You will float above an underwater garden, swimming with thousands of bright-colored fish in a gigantic freshwater aquarium.
The Well-Known Primates of the Lakeshore.
While the lake is impressive, there are two national parks close by on the Tanzanian shoreline that will make this safari an amazing adventure: Gombe Stream National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park.
Mahale Mountains National Park is famous for its population of wild chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Mahale is a very personal experience. You hike in lush forests and often hear the chimps first and sometime later, see the chimps. Then, you observe our closest living relatives for an hour in their habitat. The park also has beautiful, remote, white-sandy beaches looking like they are on some tropical island somewhere.
Gombe Stream National Park is known as the former site of Dr. Jane Goodall’s groundbreaking research on chimpanzees. It is a smaller park, but it also has terrific opportunities for chimpanzee trekking.
Hippo Sightings on the Water’s Edge—A safari on Lake Tanganyika is different because most of the wildlife viewing is done on boats. The lake and surrounding river delta, like the Rusizi in the north, is an important habitat for the enormous Nile Crocodile and, most importantly, the Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibious). The best way to find these creatures is by boat safari or sundowner cruise, and you will most likely see pods of hippos submerged with their eyes and ears just above the water, like dark floating rocks.
They may also emerge from the water and graze on the surrounding floodplain as temperatures cool in the evening. The phrase “Where Hippos Meet the Horizon” can come alive on your sunset dhow cruise, which takes place in the low evening sun the vast water of the lake becomes sparkling gold under the sun’s rays, colors are muted, the movements of the waves are relaxed, and the air is filled with the deep grunts and bellows of the hippos beginning their activities for the night.
Being a Lake Tanganyika safari is not just about wildlife; this trip is an exciting combination of both adventure and relaxation. A Safari often starts at Kigoma, the local town at which to base your safaris.
Cultural Visits: Take trips to local fishing villages along the shores, observe traditional fishing practices, and meet the locals while acquiring fresh or handmade items. This is a wonderful opportunity to observe how the local village lives.
Water Sports: In addition to diving and snorkeling, the lake offers opportunities for kayaking and canoeing or just swimming in the cool, safe, clear, fresh waters.
Beach Bliss: The untamed shores of the lake have an assortment of sandy beaches, which are great for relaxing after a hike. There is nothing quite comparable to the experience of resting on a white sand beach, on the edge of a freshwater lake, with the Mahale mountains towering behind you—simply blissful, a true African escape.
Generally, the best time of year to visit for trekking chimpanzees and to enjoy water activities is during the dry season (late May through October), when the weather is warm and dry and the visibility of the lake is impeccable.
A trip to this remote western circuit location is often accessible by a light aircraft flight, which makes the entire experience feel somewhat exclusive and rewarding as a wilderness experience with Nyumbu Beyond Journeys.
