Gombe Stream National Park

Covering an area of only 56 km, Gombe National Park is Tanzania’s smallest park. The park’s most attractions are its famous primate inhabitants and its connection to Jane Goodall. First researched in the 60’s by Jane Goodall, Gombe is heaven for chimpanzee lovers.

Many of Gombe’s chimps are well habituated inside the park. Though it is a little difficult, sweaty walking steep hills and valleys, but the experience is so tempting. If you head out early in the morning sightings are nearly guaranteed and incredible. The experience is one that you are unlikely to forget.

Gombe is placed at the shore of Lake Tanganyika. The forest is verdant and 13 streams run down the escarpment to the sandy beach.  The view of the forested slopes touching the steep escarpment is the most appealing one.

In addition to the main attraction chimpanzee, the park is also home to a troop of habituated olive baboon that can usually be found on the lakeshore. There are several other monkey species present, including red colobus monkey, while red-tailed, which are sometimes hunted by the chimps.

The park also harbours diverse colourful bird species. The notable are African broadbill, Black saw-wing, Crowned eagle, Double-toothed barbet, Kenya rufous sparrow, Livingstone’s turaco, Palm-nut vulture, Peter’s twinspot, Red-capped robin-chat, Red-chested cuckoo, Ross’s turaco, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird.

Despite chimp tracking, you can take walks along the lakeshore, and go and see Jane’s old chimp-feeding station, the viewpoint on Jane’s Peak and Kakombe Waterfall.

Best Time to Visit

Gombe National Park is best throughout the year. But the dry season (July to October) gives the best opportunity to find chimpanzees quickly. During the dry season, the chimps tend to stick to the lower slopes.

During the wet season it’s hard to spot chimpanzees.

Wildlife
With the most attractive chimpanzee, olive baboon and several other monkey species including red colobus monkey, while red-tailed monkeys are spotted in the park.

The park also harbours diverse colourful bird species. The notable are African broadbill, Black saw-wing, Crowned eagle, Double-toothed barbet, Kenya rufous sparrow, Livingstone’s turaco, Palm-nut vulture, Peter's twinspot, Red-capped robin-chat, Red-chested cuckoo, Ross's turaco, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird.