Which National Park Is The Smallest In Tanzania? Gombe national park is known to be the smallest national park covering a total surface area of about 52 square kilometers and it is located in the Western region of Tanzania and it is situated along the shores of Lake Tanganyika sharing borders with other countries like; Democratic Republic of Congo from the Kigoma region. Gombe national park stands at an elevated area of an altitude between 2516 meters and 5269 meters above the sea level. More so, Gombe national park was first gazette as a game reserve in 1943 and then it was later established as a national park in 1978. This national park is famously known for being a perfect destination where to go for chimpanzee trekking while in the country due to the fact that it hosts around 100 chimpanzee species which are considered as the main attraction in the park however, there are in the park which include the following below;
Tourist attractions in Gombe National park.
Birds.
Gombe national park is seen as a birders paradise, which hosts several types of bird species such as; migratory birds, endemic birds and forest birds. And for one to see these birds in large numbers is best when they visit along the lake shores and within the forests therefore, some of these bird species to see include; African broadbill, palm nut, African fish eagle, Ross’s turaco, paradise flycatcher, red chested cuckoo, crowned eagle, Livingstone turaco, double toothed barbet, rufous sparrow, black swaw wing, tropical boubou, peters twin spot and many others.
Chimpanzees.
Gombe national park is a home to a large population of chimpanzees which act as the main attraction and therefore, tourists on a safari within this national park are embark onto chimpanzee trekking which always involves individuals to walk through different areas with the main aim of tracking where the chimpanzees are located and this normally takes about 2 to 3 hours as they being led and guided by the park guides who are familiar with the park and known some good skills on how to easily track where the species are located such as; following the foot prints of the chimps, going through trails where there is food left overs and broken tree branches and many others. In addition, after these species are tracked, individuals are always given about one hour to spend around them and it is during this time when one gets to learn more about the characters and behaviors of the species such as; observe how they eat and feed their young one, play and many other things. And before the trekking, tourists are briefed about the rules and regulations that they are supposed to follow during the trekking such as; they are encouraged to maintain a distance of about 10 meters between themselves and the chimps, avoid eating and drinking while in the presence of the species, avoid maintaining a direct eye contact with the species and many others.
Activities dome in Gombe National Park.
Touring around Gombe National Park blesses individuals with great opportunities to engage in so many activities such as; bird watching, wildlife viewing, guided nature which involves individuals to walk through different trails like Goodall foundations old feeding station trail, sport fishing, community visits and cultural encounters, snorkeling, boat cruise which are best done on lake Tanganyika, chimpanzee trekking and many others.
Accommodation Facilities in Gombe National park.
Gombe national park has so many accommodation facilities, which are always available for visitors who choose to have their stay after their long day of exploring around the park. However, these lodging facilities are classified in different ranges such as; from budget- mid-range and luxury. In addition, some of these accommodation facilities include; Mbuzui Mawe Serena camp, Gombe forest lodge, Gombe Bandas, Gombe forest lodge, Gombe Tented camp, Jane goodall rest house, Mbali Mbali gombe lodge, Kasekela public campsite and many others.
Contact our trusted tour operators for information about the smallest national park in the country and book with our tours and travel companies such as; Focus East Africa tours who offer the best tour packages while you are on a safari in Tanzania.
