Gombe Stream National Park

Gombe Stream National Park is hallowed ground for wildlife enthusiasts - this is where Jane Goodall arrived in 1960 as a young researcher and proceeded to revolutionize our understanding of chimpanzees and, by extension, ourselves. The research continues today, making this one of the longest-running wildlife studies in history. Tanzania's smallest national park at just 52 km², Gombe is a narrow strip of steep valleys and forest along Lake Tanganyika's eastern shore. Three habituated chimpanzee communities live here, and trekking to find them in the same forest where Goodall made her groundbreaking discoveries is an almost spiritual experience. Unlike larger Mahale, Gombe can be visited more easily as a day trip from Kigoma (3 hours by boat), though staying overnight at the simple resthouse allows morning and afternoon treks. Beyond chimps, the park hosts olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and over 200 bird species in its forest and lakeside habitats.