BEST TIME TO VISIT MAHALE FOR A WESTERN TANZANIA SAFARI

The best time for an unforgettable trip to Mahale with AfricanMecca is in the dry season, which lasts from June to September. In June, July and August, it scarcely ever rains with aquatic dust offs ending by end of May and sprinkles starting around early October. Temperatures are between lows of 64 F (18 C) and highs of 86 F (30 C) degrees. The chimpanzees can usually be found in mid to large groups on the lower mountain slopes during the dry period, and have been known to wander amidst the foliage close to the shores of Greystoke and Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge.

The sequential wet season runs from November until April, and is hotter and more humid, necessitating precautions against both mosquitoes and tsetse flies. You may wish to bring anti-insect sprays and malaria prophylactics. Avoid dark colored or blue clothes which attract the tsetse fly. Temperatures range from 68 F (20 C) to 82 F (28 C) degrees in the wet. Humidity can often be over 80%.



Chimpanzees do not range far in these conditions, but tend to stick to the upper slopes where they find food, even hunting their cousins, the red colobus to indulge in their omnivorous tastes. Particularly heavy rains make the lower slopes slippery and very muddy. The chimps find that going higher up is easier in the wet. Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge is closed from late-February until mid-May while Greystoke closes a month later and opens in June since logistics become exceedingly difficult since the terrain of Mahale is treacherous during these months.

Since these twin accommodations close at this time of year, it makes it very difficult to find somewhere to stay. There is some financial advantage to mid-season visits as accommodation costs slightly drops; however, logistical travel is prohibitively costly and time-consuming as the peak season.

It is never easy to find accommodation at any time, although, even at high season, there are rarely more than 50 visitors at a time in the entire 1613 square kilometers (623 sq. miles) of land covered by Mahale National Park. Less than 100 sq. km (38 sq. miles) of the park is aquatic. Peak time for bird-watchers is between November and April when dauntless twitchers try to spot new species.



The recorded list names more than 355 indigenous and migrant birds, but it is thought there may be more than 500 species throughout the many diverse environments – mostly inaccessible. Many are endangered sub-species endemic to the area. There is better visibility in Kabezi in the north where the woodland is open, rather than forested areas where it is harder to spot the birds which may be identified only by their calls.

But you could truly call this authentic exploratory vacation in Tanzania a genuine voyage of discovery (read more on where to stay in Mahale). This is also the time to appreciate over 300 butterfly species and some of over a thousand plants, again with every chance of finding as many again that have not previously been recorded. Many of them are on the verge of extinction and need to be found, identified and protected, but, of course, it is strictly forbidden to take anything away, except photographs.

Also accessible during both dry and wet season is a chance to see over 400 varied species of tropical fishes and other colorful sea life during your snorkeling excursion though take on the ground advice from your safari accommodation and your own intuition as hippos and crocodiles do exists in certain parts of the longest, deepest, and oldest lake in Africa – the mighty Tanganyika.