
Gombe Stream National Park, located on the western border
of Tanzania and the Congo, is most famous for Jane Goodall, the resident
primatologist who spent many years in its forests studying the behaviour
of the endangered chimpanzees. Situated on the wild shores of Lake
Tanganyika, Gombe Stream is an untamed place of lush forests and clear
lake views. Hiking and swimming are also popular activities here, once
the day’s expedition to see the chimpanzees is over.
Gombe Stream’s main attraction is obviously the chimpanzee families that
live protected in the park’s boundaries. Guided walks are available that
take visitors deep into the forest to observe and sit with the extraordinary
primates for an entire morning -- an incredible experience and one that
is the highlight of many a visitors trip to Africa. Aside from chimpanzee
viewing, many other species of primates live in Gombe Stream’s tropical
forests. Vervet and colobus monkeys, baboons, forest pigs and small antelope
inhabit the dense forest, in addition to a wide variety of tropical birdlife.