9-Day Luxury Western Tanzania Chimp Trekking and Safari

You’ll fly into Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania, a small and friendly airport with options to obtain your visa on arrival. You will be met by a local representative in the international arrivals hall, then transferred by private vehicle to Arusha Coffee Lodge, your hotel for the night. The drive usually takes around 1.5 hours, and the remainder of your day is free for you to relax or explore at your leisure.

Hidden on the outskirts of town, among one of the largest coffee plantations in Tanzania, Arusha Coffee Lodge is a gorgeous retreat. Set on the rolling foothills in the shadow of looming Mount Meru, the aroma of coffee radiates through the lodge, and you’ll enjoy the freshest morning brews.

The lodge is homely and comfortable, designed around the original landowner’s home from the early 1900s, and you’ll also find a swimming pool, garden terrace, and miles of lush plantation to explore.

Enjoy an early breakfast before meeting your driver at the lodge, who will transfer you to Arusha City Airport for your scheduled light aircraft flight (Arusha City Airport is only five minutes’ drive from Arusha Coffee Lodge).

Your flight arrives in Katavi at Ikuu Airstrip and you will be met by a local representative and driven to Chada Katavi Camp, your camp for the next four nights. You’ll stay at Chada Katavi on an all-inclusive basis, including safari activities on a shared basis (game drives & walking safaris), all national park and conservation fees, full board meals, all drinks (except champagne & fine wines) as well as laundry service.

Chada Katavi Camp is a very high specification seasonal tented option in Katavi National Park. The camp itself is extremely comfortable and stylish, with six luxury tented suites, elegantly hosted and expertly guided.

The wildlife is exceptional in Katavi National Park, but it’s the remoteness of the place and its extremely low visitor numbers which really makes Katavi one of the holy grails for safari aficionados. At around 4,500 square kilometres, Katavi is a very large and significant national park. It’s the third largest in the country, after Ruaha and Serengeti, and claims to have the highest bio-density of any national park in Africa.

Largely covered by dense brachystegia woodland, the main areas of interest are a number of wonderful floodplain areas which become beautiful sprawling wetlands during the green rainy season from December to May, and open grasslands during the dry season from June to November.

Night game drives and fly camping are also available, however, note that these activities are optional extras and incur additional costs. Please let us know if you would like to pre-book either of these additional activities, and it is essential to note that fly camping must be pre-booked.

Enjoy a final morning game drive or a leisurely breakfast this morning, before checking out of Chada Katavi Camp. You’ll be driven to Ikuu Airstrip in time for your scheduled light aircraft flight to Mahale Mountains National Park. You’ll then board a 1.5-hour boat trip, with snacks provided on the boat, before arriving at Greystoke Mahale Camp, your camp for the next three nights.

The sheer remoteness of this park significantly heightens the sense of adventure that one feels when visiting. To land at a remote lakeside airstrip and then take a boat for another hour and a half along this enchanted lake really is extraordinary.

You’ll stay at Greystoke Mahale on an all-inclusive basis, including activities on a shared basis (chimp trekking, boat trips, deep water swims, forest walks and village visits), all national park and conservation fees, full board meals, all drinks (except champagne and fine wines) as well as laundry service.

You’ll have two full days on safari in Mahale Mountain National Park with Greystoke Mahale Camp, a very high specification permanent lodge in a prime beach-front location. With it’s charming style, ultimate location, wonderful hosts and expert guides, Greystoke Mahale is a much sought-after camp, and must be booked well in advance to secure a spot in one of their six guest suites.

Tracking chimpanzees in Mahale Mountains National Park is one of the most special experiences in Africa. Chimps are incredibly engaging animals to observe as they are omnivores and often move fast through the forest on hunts, convening at intervals to scream and shout with each other in the most amazing fashion. Turning a corner to find yourself in a small clearing with chimps sitting looking around you is an incredibly moving experience.

Guests need to be reasonably fit and there is a minimum age of 12 years old for chimp trekking.

It’s time to say farewell this morning. After checking out of Greystoke Mahale Camp (with a picnic lunch in tow), you’ll take a boat transfer back to the Mahale Airstrip, in time for your light aircraft flight to Kilimanjaro Airport. From there, you’ll board your international return flight home.

Although your incredible Western Tanzania Safari has come to an end, you’ll leave with many special memories and more than a handful of photos and stories to share when you return home.

After nine thrilling days of wildlife encounters and spectacular natural wonders, in some of the remotest corners on earth, we’re sure you’ll be hooked on Tanzania and the African continent. Where will you go next?