Explore The Gombe National Park In Tanzania Western Safari Circuit : Everything you should know about the western safari circuit of Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park: Jane Goodall, a resident primatologist who spent many years in the park’s forests researching the behavior of endangered chimpanzees, is most known for her work at Gombe Stream National Park, which is situated on Tanzania’s western border with the Congo. Gombe Stream is a wild area with beautiful woods and unobstructed lake vistas that is situated on the undeveloped shores of Lake Tanganyika. After the day’s chimp expedition has concluded, visitors often enjoy swimming and hiking in this area.
The chimp families that reside within the park’s confines are without a doubt Gombe Stream’s primary attraction. It is possible to take guided treks that lead guests deep into the forest, where they can spend the entire morning observing and sitting with the magnificent monkeys, an incredible experience that many tourists’ journeys to Africa center upon. Other primates can be seen in Gombe Stream’s tropical woodlands in addition to chimpanzees. Vervet and colobus monkeys, baboons, forest pigs, and small antelopes, as well as a wide variety of tropical birds, all call the dense forest home.
The smallest national park in Tanzania, Gombe is a delicate chimpanzee habitat that is surrounded by the rocky, northern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Its habituated chimps gained fame through the groundbreaking work of Jane Goodall, who established the world’s longest-running behavioral research program in 1960.
Primates are also among the other mammals that can be found at Gombe National Park. Since the 1960s, a group of beachcomber olive baboons has been examined, but red-tailed and red colobus monkeys, the latter of which is frequently hunted by chimpanzees, prefer the cover of the forest. The famous fish eagle and the jewel-like Peter’s twinspots, which hop around the visitor center, are two of the 200 or more bird species found in the park. After sunset, hundreds of tiny wooden boats bob on the lake like a vast city, their lanterns adding to the already brilliant night sky.
WILD ANIMALS AT GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
Gombe is home to a wide variety and abundance of species. In general, where an animal may be at any one time depends on its preferred habitat and seasonal food cycles (especially for chimpanzees). There are various notable creatures, though Gombe chimpanzees are popular among those interested in wildlife.
The smallest of Tanzania’s national parks, Gombe is a precarious sliver of chimpanzee habitat that straddles the jagged cliffs and river valleys that enclose Lake Tanganyika’s sandy northern shore.
Its chimpanzees, used to human visitors, gained fame thanks to the groundbreaking work of Dr. Jane Goodall, who established the world’s longest-running behavioral research program in 1960. Dr. Jane Goodall first set foot on Gombe when Fifi, the matriarch of the original village, was only three years old. Fifi was born in 1958 and passed away in 2004, Explore The Gombe National Park In Tanzania Western Safari Circuit.
Since chimpanzees and humans share 98% of the same genes, it is not necessary to be a scientist to distinguish between the distinctive pant, hoot, and scream repertoires that characterize the stars, the elite, and the supporting cast. When you gaze into a chimpanzee’s eyes and they glance back at you, perhaps you will notice a spark of comprehension—a look of apparent recognition across the thinnest of species borders.
CHIMPANZEES OF GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
The experience of tracking the chimpanzees is amazing. Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania was merely one area of forest among a vast ocean of trees when Jane Goodall first visited in 1960. It is now a tiny green island surrounded by farms, fields, and settlements. In spite of the changes, the 30-square-mile park is still one of the best sites in the world to witness wild chimpanzees in their native habitat. Goodall produced numerous new discoveries regarding chimpanzees during her time conducting research at Gombe, shedding light on their social structure, calls, and other previously unknown behaviors.
In the park, there are fewer than 150 chimpanzees. Since there hasn’t been a chimpanzee census, the actual number is unknown. Studies and analyses are still being conducted on mother-infant interactions, verbal interactions, and botanical collections. When Jane Goodall first arrived at Gombe, Fifi, the last surviving member of the original group and its matriarch, was only three years old. Visitors still frequently see her today. The Gombe Stream Research Center (GSRC) is involved in conservation education as well as continuous field research. The preservation of wild chimpanzees and their habitats requires both study and teaching.

The Gombe chimpanzees had to become accustomed to human observers for a considerable amount of time before Dr. Goodall could observe them. From 1962 to 1965, she used random provisioning to accustom the chimps to human presence. Through these investigations, specific behavioral patterns in the various chimpanzee communities have been discovered. In addition to sharing 13 behavioral patterns with other chimpanzees, the chimpanzees of Gombe have three distinct behavioral patterns of their own. The “termite-fish employing non-leaf materials,” the “lever open” (stick used to widen an entrance), the “self-tickle” (ticking oneself while using things), and the “rain dance” are some examples of shared patterns (slow display at the start of rain). “Leaf squash” (a squash bug on a leaf) and “ant-dip-wipe” are two unusual patterns (manually wipe ants off a wand).
The other mammals that live in Gombe are mostly primates. While red-tailed and red colobus monkeys—the latter of which are frequently hunted by chimpanzees—stick to the forest canopy, a group of beachcomber olive baboons, under research since the 1960s, is particularly accustomed. The park’s 200 or so bird species include the well-known fish eagle and the stunning jewel-like birds.
Twin spots belonging to Peter briskly jump about the visitor’s center. As night falls, a brilliant night sky is enhanced by the lamps of hundreds of little wooden boats that are bobbing on the lake in the style of a vast city, Explore The Gombe National Park In Tanzania Western Safari Circuit.
The Gombe National Park was created in in 1968 and it can only be reached by boat and is situated 15 kilometers north of the town of Kigoma on the eastern bank of Lake Tanganyika. Rivers, streams, and steep valleys make up the park’s topography. Tropical rainforests and alpine bamboo are replaced by grasslands that resemble those in the nearby Mahale Mountains National Park.
Both natural and human history are abundant in the park. H.M. Stanley, a British researcher, is believed to have uttered the well-known phrase “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” in the settlement of Ujiji in 1871 when he ran across fellow explorer David Livingstone, who had been presumed dead. Livingstone persuaded Stanley to accompany him on a hunt for the Nile’s source, which led them through the Gombe Valley despite Stanley’s bad illness.
There are two types of acrobatic colobus monkeys living in the park’s narrow, steep valleys, which are covered in evergreen rainforests that give way to grass-topped ridges and alpine bamboo stands. There are also more than 50 other wild species living there, including giant kingfishers, crowned eagles, bush pigs, trumpeter hornbills, and trumpeter hornbills. The adjacent lake, which is home to approximately 100 different varieties of vividly colorful cichlid fish, is great for snorkelers.
ACTIVITIES AT GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
Gombe National Park’s major activity is chimpanzee trekking, although visitors may also explore waterfalls, swim in lakes, and walk along the shoreline next to local baboons. In addition to chimp trekking, you may see stunning primates such as blue and red-tailed monkeys and colobus monkeys.
Bird watching is one of the activities available in Gombe National Park, which has over 200 different bird species. These include the common African Fish Eagle, the Common Paradise Flycatcher, the Tropical Boubou, the Livingstone’s Turaco, the African Broadbill, the Double-toothed Barbet, and the Golden-rumped Tinker Bird. As migrating birds traveling from Europe and the northern portion of Africa arrive, the optimum season for bird watching in Gombe National Park is from November to April.
The shores of Lake Tanganyika, the largest and deepest lake in Africa, provide opportunities for sunbathing and watching the sun set. The lake is home to over 350 indigenous fish species. Additionally, it includes enchanted waterfalls like Kakombe and Mkenke.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT GOMBE STREAM NATIONAL PARK?
Gombe Stream National Park is open to visitors for most of the year. The best time to visit the park is not, however, during the wet season, which lasts from November to April. The trek is dangerous, and the access is challenging. Additionally, the best months for lodge upkeep are March and April. It is difficult to locate acceptable housing during these months.
Chimpanzees can be seen and easily located on the lower slopes during the dry season, which lasts from June to September. They occasionally wander along the sandy shoreline or are spotted near the campers. The best months to see birds are from December to March. The park is home to hundreds of resident and migratory species, such as cormorants, pelicans, storks, ospreys, vultures, rollers, barbets, cuckoos, hawks, eagles, and many others, Explore The Gombe National Park In Tanzania Western Safari Circuit
WHAT TO WEAR WHEN VISITING GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
To prevent regrets, wear the appropriate attire for the excursion. You should choose wisely what to bring on the trek in terms of clothing and pack minimally. It is advised that you pack neutral clothing in shades of khaki, mid-tone brown, olive, and green rather than bright, white, and dark hues. Bring long pants, long sleeve shirts, socks, shoes, and gardening gloves to reduce the risk of being pricked by thorns or sharp plants and stones. Remember to pack insect repellent before your trip because tsetse flies and mosquitoes are both common in Tanzania. In order to be as comfortable as possible when on game drives in Tanzania, hiking boots and water-resistant shoes are also advised.
HOW TO GET TO GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
The quickest and most convenient method to reach Gombe National Park is by boat from Kigoma Town, while you may also arrange an international flight to Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam or Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha.
From Kigoma, which is a distance of around four hours, you can go to the park via lake taxi or public motorboat. However, your operator will typically arrange for you to board a currently operating domestic flight to Kigoma Airport and then take a private motor boat, which will arrive in Gombe in less than an hour. While domestic flights to Kigoma can be booked with a variety of local carriers, charter flights are typically reserved by tour operators as part of your Tanzania safari tour package.
ACCOMMODATION AT GOMBE NATIONAL PARK
Depending on your trekking budget, lodging options range from opulent to modest hotels or lodges. You can stay in a variety of hotels and lodges while visiting Gombe, including Gombe Forest Lodge, Mbali-Mbali Gombe Lodge, Mbuzi Mawe Serena Camp, and Gombe Bandas. The personnel at these locations is helpful and hospitable, providing all forms of hospitality in Tanzania. There are baths, hot tubs, and toilets in the rooms.