The dense forests of Mahale Mountains National Park lie in a remote western corner of Tanzania, so far off the grid that the final leg of your journey to get there is by boat as the closest road is 100 miles away. This otherworldly ecosystem is home to the largest known population of chimpanzees in the world, as well as other rare primate species like the red colobus, blue monkey, and yellow baboon. Imagine the amazing cacophony of primate calls that begin from the moment you wake up in your luxurious lakeside bungalow and continue as you journey up the mountains on foot accompanied by local trackers whose families have been involved in the preservation of these species for generations. When you meet the humanlike chimps in their natural habitat, you’ll marvel at how similar their behaviors are to our own. Knowing that chimpanzees share 98.8% of the same DNA is one thing, seeing them face to face is another story. Sitting on the forest floor and watching them as they socialize, eat, groom each other, and care for their babies is an experience that you will remember forever. This is one of the most special places on earth, so unspoiled that you’ll feel you’ve traveled back in time.
