Primate Safaris
For primate viewing, Tanzania provides great diversity. It is home to the famous Gombe Stream National Park, the less well known Mahale Mountains National Park, and the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Gombe and Mahale are two of the few locations where chimpanzees may be observed in the wild and Udzungwa has the highest primate diversity of any National Park in East Africa.
Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains are only available as luxury options, and bookings are subject to availability. We offer 4 to 8 day chimpanzee viewing packages flying in and out to Dar es Salaam. The accommodation is in excellent lodges in the parks. For more information please contact us. Below is an example itinerary for the Udzungwa Mountains, which is available to clients of all budgets.
This Udzungwa Mountains primate focused itinerary includes wilderness camping and is of moderate to challenging difficulty, suitable for physically fit clients.
Itinerary breakdown:
- 5 days and 4 nights hiking and camping in the Udzungwa Mountains.
- Primate species in the Udzungwas which you are likely to see include vervet monkey, blue monkey, Iringa red colobus, black & white colobus and Sanje crested mangabey.
Day 1 - Pick up in Dar Es Salaam and transfer by road (visits to local craft centres and lunch along the way) to the village of Mang'ula, located at the foot of the mountains. Here you will make final preparations for your trek into the mountains. The hike up to Sanje Waterfalls Campsite, where you will overnight, is relatively short (max 2hrs) and is quite steep in places. This is the most popular walk, although it is unlikely that you will encounter any other hikers. Once at Sanje there will be time to explore the forets and waterfalls, and even go for a swim in one of the many beautiful plunge pools. Bushbabies can be heard calling through the night and a night walking safari looking for endemic chameleons is often fruitful!
Day 2 - Wake up for sunrise, an incredible sight from the natural viewing platform amongst the waterfalls. Spend the day exploring the trails around Sanje - looking and listening for primates. It is also possible to visit a site where the endemic African Violet grows in its natural habitat.
Day 3 - After breakfast you will hike back down to the road and to the starting point of the Mwanihana Trail, which at 38km is currently the longest existing hike in the Udzungwas. This is also the only trail that exposes visitors to the montane forest and heathland habitats of the higher slopes. You will be accompanied by an armed ranger - there are elephants and buffalo in the forest! The campsite is next to a fresh mountain stream.
Day 3 - Breakfast at sunrise provides energy for the start of the climb through the montane forest to the 2150m Mwanihana Peak ,where the views across the Udzungwas are impressive on a clear day. Hike down to camp for a well-deserved lunch. Spend the afternoon in the forests around the campsite, looking and listening for primates. This area is favoured by the Sanje crested mangabey.
Day 4 - A much less strenuous day as you slowly descend to a campsite a few kilometers from the park boundary, located in an area favoured by primates. You will camp in a clearing near a stream.
Day 5 - After a leisurely breakfast you will make the last short hike out to the road where the vehicle will be waiting. Transfer back to Dar, or continue with the rest of your safari.
There are several optional add-ons to this safari: visit our Locations page for some inspiration. It may be possible to arrange a visit to the Baboon Research Project in Mikumi National Park, 1½ hours from the Udzungwas. Please contact us for further details. There is currently a project underway to add new hiking trails in the Udzungwas. We will keep our site updated.
For more information on a Tanzania primate safari contact us.
