The Camp

Location: Mahale Mountains National Park
Number of Tents: 9

Situated at the edge of Lake Tanganyika on a secluded stretch of golden sand, Kungwe Beach Lodge provides guests with comfort and low-key luxury in a romantic and wild setting. With a chain of verdant, jungle-draped mountains rising precipitously behind it, the lodge is shaded by the Mahale forest. Guests are accommodated in nine spacious beachside tents. Each canvas tent rests on a raised wooden deck under a thatched roof and is furnished in traditional safari style, with gleaming wood floors and a heavy four-poster bed draped under mosquito netting. The private verandas provide expansive views of the lake. En suite bathrooms have hot and cold running water, showers, basins and flush toilets. Sundowners and romantic candlelit dinners served on the beach are the perfect way to relax after a day of adventure in this idyllic corner of Africa.

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Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with shower
• Shampoo and soap
• 220v charging outlets in room
• In-room safe (traditional locking Zanzibar chest)
• Laundry included
• Soft drinks and water included (alcoholic drinks at extra cost)
• No air conditioning, hair dryer, telephone, Internet or cellular coverage

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Accessible only by boat or air, Mahale Mountains National Park is one of the most beautiful landscapes on the African continent, with isolated crescents of golden sand beach framed by jungle-covered peaks in a hundred shades of green. The park covers nearly a thousand square miles of rugged terrain along the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika. Home to between 800 and 1,000 of the world’s last remaining wild chimpanzees, Kungwe Beach Lodge offers guests the incomparable thrill of sitting among a group of these fascinating creatures, so like us. On guided treks into the forest, guests observe the habituated ‘M’ Group as they groom, squabble noisily, and swing among the vines. The forest is also home to eight other species of primates, bushbuck, bush pig and incredible array of butterflies and birdlife. In addition to daily chimp trekking, the lodge offers fishing excursions, boat safaris, kayaking, and snorkeling in the shallows along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

The wildlife focus at Mahale is the chimpanzee, as well as a number of colorful birds and butterflies. Though some large mammals occur here, they are rarely seen. The months of August to December produce chimpanzee activity on the lower slopes nearer to camp, while they disperse and move into the higher slopes January to July, following the fruits. Daily activities will revolve around the chimps' location on the mountain, and sightings are possible year-round.

Climate

Conservation

Kungwe Beach Lodge is committed to ecological practices that aid resource stewardship both on site and in the community. The lodge has introduced garbage disposal measures that utilize its organic waste as compost and fertilizer, which local villagers can use for their farms. Kungwe is also supplying solar lanterns for all village-based health dispensaries that surround Mahale National Park. The lodge also runs a secondary education sponsorship program, supporting 20 students from the villages around Mahale National Park at a cost of $25,000 per year for the four-year educational period.

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