Lake Tanganyika

Lake Tanganyika is less a lake and more a freshwater ocean trapped between the mountains of the Western Rift Valley. More than 650 kilometres long and nearly a mile deep, its water is so clear that looking down from a boat, you can see fish swimming thirty metres below. Standing on the white sand beaches of Mahale, with the forest-clad peaks rising behind you and the water stretching to the western horizon, you could easily believe you are on a remote South Pacific island.

But this is not the Pacific. In the ancient forests that line the lakeshore, the calls of chimpanzees echo through the canopy. Mahale Mountains National Park is home to one of the largest remaining wild chimpanzee populations in Africa, habituated over fifty years by Japanese researchers. Tracking them on foot through the forest, listening to their pant-hoots build to a deafening roar as they move through the trees, is a wildlife encounter of singular emotional power.

Because of its extreme remoteness, Tanganyika receives almost no visitors. There are no roads here — the only way to arrive is by light aircraft, and the only way to reach the lodges is by wooden dhow. It is a place of deep, absolute peace. Spend your mornings with the chimpanzees, your afternoons swimming in the crystal-clear lake, and your evenings eating fresh sashimi on the beach under a canopy of stars. It is, without question, one of the most exclusive destinations in Africa.

At a Glance

Lake Tanganyika