Western Tanzania gets us seriously excited. This is a part of Tanzania that is as far off the tourist circuit as you are likely to get. Wild, remote and almost unchanged since we first arrived some 20 years ago.

Katavi National Park is the true eldorado of safaris, and is somewhere that even today, few people have been lucky enough to visit. Perhaps because of this, it feels untouched, almost like travelling back in time. This is the promise of Katavi - total absorption in the natural world and we have kept our camp Chada true to its roots. A small, comfortable yet not over the top expeditionary outpost from which to explore.

In the 1,613 square kms of the Mahale Mountains, there are still no roads and it is no exaggeration to say that there is no where in the world like Greystoke. It affects us in a way that no other place does; we think it's because of its remoteness, with the mountains rising from the beach at our backs, the wide lake with its many different moods and the feeling that we are the only ones here.

Suffice it to say, we feel extraordinarily lucky to be the custodians of this sensational corner of Africa.

Western Tanzania

Two of the most iconic parks in Africa. Katavi is about remote, expeditionary safari experiences. Mahale takes you further off the map, to meet our chimpanzee cousins in the epic Mahale Mountains. Put simply, this is the pinnacle of wilderness.

map of Western Tanzania
Greystoke

Greystoke

Chada

Chada

Expeditionary walking camp

Expeditionary walking camp

The Mahale Mountains in western Tanzania are famous for their chimps: there are some 800 of them here, around 75 of them habituated. Guests at this spectacular beach lodge on Lake Tanganyika are likely to spot other primate species, too, including red colobus, red-tailed monkeys and vervets. 

Sweet dreams are indeed made of this.

In the entire park, there is not a single road, so your entire experience will be on foot. This is a wholly unique wilderness and a long way off the beaten track. But the lake, the beaches, the extraordinary forest, and of course the chimpanzees all make it a journey well worth undertaking.

The majority of safari camps and lodges are not set up for young children, but this exclusive-use sister property to the eight-room Lamai Serengeti was designed especially for them: there are two fenced-off pools (including one for infants and toddlers), the staff cook to order and game drives are when it suits.

Get up close and personal with our genetic cousins at Greystoke Mahale. Perched treehouse-like on the sandy shores of Lake Tanganyika, it’s your base for tracking the fascinating troops of chimps that occupy the emerald Mahale Mountains.

Follow us