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WEST TANZANIA ODYSSEY
Lake Tanganyika has acted as a magnet for explorers,
eccentrics, traders and adventurers seemingly since history has
been recorded. Located on the far west boundary of Tanzania and
also sharing borders with Burundi, D.R. Congo and Zambia the Lake
retains an almost mystical reputation amongst travelers seeking
the untouched heart of Africa. Tanganyika is the longest Lake in
Africa, the second deepest lake in the world and supports over 250
species of fish including nearly 200 endemic species of cichlid.
Our principle aim though was to meet the chimpanzees of Mahale Mountains
National Park.
Flying into Mahale is an experience
in itself involving a slow curve towards the face of the mountain
then diving over a hill to an airstrip which appears to end in the
Lake. Luckily the pilot wasn’t a rookie and we stayed dry.
After signing the reception book we then boarded a large dhow and
set sail for the 45 minute boat journey down to our destination
of Nkungwe Tented Camp inside the National Park.
We entered a time warp as we sailed past small villages where the
ladies spread their washing over the ground, single fishermen in
tiny dugouts battled the waves, watched fish eagles swoop down from
the tree-lined shores and admired the majestic mountains which rise
from the Lake. Finally we viewed the camp nestled on a white sand
beach lapped by turquoise waters at the base of the imposing thickly
forested mountain range – a location evoking the legend of
Greystoke.
Our welcome party lavished us with
fresh juice, thrust indemnity forms at us to sign and dispatched
us to our tents on the fringes of the forest. I was somewhat distracted
by a family of warthogs scuttling off to drink at the waters edge
until I remembered I was not at the coast but a freshwater lake.
Emerging from the tent the next spectacle was a family of baboons
who could well have been making sandcastles on the beach. Apparently
the chimpanzees come down for some serious beach time as well but
we were not to be blessed with such a sighting.
In fact our tracking turned out to be a totally different
experience…..
At present there are only 2 permanent camps in Mahale
and both send out trackers early morning to look for the chimps
and advise guests how strenuous the hike may be by radio. As luck
would have it the chimps had chosen this morning to rest at the
very top of the mountain. There are some demarcated hiking trails
in the Park but obviously the chimps do not stick to these manmade
paths and tend to follow their stomachs around the forest. After
about 2 ½ hours of ascent on trails varying from an enjoyable
hike in the woods, to “wow this is getting steep”, to
“are we nearly there yet”, to “I swear I will
never smoke another cigarette again”, half the party we originally
set out with had literally fallen by the wayside.
The surviving few at this point veered from the
path and pulled out the machetes - we were getting close. Our guide,
Sixtus, pointed into what closely resembled an impenetrable forest
and we followed his lead and soon were rewarded with an impenetrable
wall of sound as the chimpanzees started screeching out alarm signals.
As the hairs began to rise on my neck I heard a rustle and turned
to see an adult chimpanzee following a couple of strides behind
me. He brushed contemptuously past and continued on to scare the
living daylights out of the next in our Indian file line.
We were now in extremely thick bush and the noise was deafening
when Sixtus stopped and pointed. The first impression I had was
that we had come all this way to see our tracker from the camp who
was smiling happily and waving at me. I then looked to where Sixtus
was actually pointing and began to distinguish various hairy shapes
gambling through the undergrowth. We edged forward, knelt down and
watched as the chimpanzees inspected their latest guests and the
screeching slowly died down. The group that our tracker had found
consisted of 3 youngsters, 2 mothers, several rowdy teenagers and
2 surly older gentlemen who were marshalling the boundaries. The
youngsters were extremely inquisitive of us and came right up to
us to poke and sniff the latest batch of sweaty tourists. I was
not expecting to come into such close contact with the chimps and
understood the need for the protective masks we had been issued
at the start of the trek. In 2006 several chimpanzees in Mahale
died from a suspected form of human flu so every precaution has
to be taken to make sure that all visitors are in good health.
After about half an hour we were all extremely relaxed
with each others company, photography was all but impossible in
the dense forest so cameras had been discarded and we indulged ourselves
watching the younger generation fighting and playing and chasing
up and down the trees over our heads. The similarity in play patterns
between these young apes and my two young sons was incredible.
So what happened next was a bit of a reality check as one of the
older males suddenly charged down the hill pulling a long vine behind
him and bowled 3 of us over like dominoes. “Jesus Christ”
I exclaimed and Sixtus, who was doubled up with laughter, said “Actually
his name is Christmas, that was a mock charge!” Having watched
David Attenborough’s Planet Earth series which followed a
chimpanzee hunt I was reminded just how powerful these apes are.
Eventually the chimpanzees tired of us and began moving on and we
started the long hike back down the mountai. Hiking down through
the forest and catching glimpses of the sparkling Lake in the distance
gave the chance to reflect on the remarkable interaction we had
just been lucky enough to enjoy - it is truly a privilege to spend
time with the chimpanzees of the magical Mahale Mountains.
My safari was not yet over though as we flew over
the Lake down to the small port of Kipili, our next destination
being the newly opened luxury spa resort on the private Lupita Island.
Flying in to Kipili we received the kind of welcome that you can
only receive in Africa as what seemed like the whole village came
to the airstrip to say “karibu” and I immediately fell
in love with the place.
We were then whisked into a high powered speed boat
for the short transfer over to Lupita Island. Lupita is the dream
become reality of Tom and Belinda Lithgow who many years ago camped
out on the island when canoeing along the Lake and entertained the
vision of one day opening a hotel.
Lupita is certainly no ordinary hotel and knowing the logistics
of transporting anything out towards Lake Tanganyika the construction
of this resort is quite astounding.
There are just 12 chalets and 2 executive suites all of which are
extremely spacious, open faced and have breathtaking views of the
Lake. Each chalet is open plan and has its own plunge pool, water
features, personal butler service and even an I-Pod station. No
attention to detail has been spared and the whole atmosphere of
the resort oozes tranquility and relaxation.
So it comes as no real surprise that
there is a spa here, perhaps I had fallen under a holistic spell
emanating from Lupita but I cannot imagine a more perfect setting
to have the aches from my exertions in Mahale massaged out of my
body. I declined the offer of kayaking, windsurfing, a gym session
or walking the trails on the island in favour of an afternoon of
pure relaxation dipping in and out of my private plunge pool
In the late afternoon we boarded the Winsor Rose, a 48 foot, 6 berth
cabin cruiser which survived a harrowing journey up from Zimbabwe,
for a sunset cruise and the chance for a quick dip in the warm waters
of the Lake. Later that night sitting around a fire under a huge
night sky sipping an Amarula cream, we agreed that everyone had
been enchanted by this haven of peace.
Next morning Chris Horsfall who, along
with his wife Lou, has been overseeing the 2 year construction of
the resort took me down to the Lake for some snorkeling –
within a few feet of the shore a staggering number of fish were
to be found. Chris and Lou have now established their own lodge
near Kipili and offer diving and canoe safaris along the Lake, another
step towards opening up this forgotten Lake to intrepid travelers.
There are a few very special places on the planet
that give the inspiration for travel and exploration, perhaps it
is no coincidence Livingstone, Stanley and their contemporaries
all headed for Lake Tanganyika. For any modern day adventurers,
explorers and eccentrics who wish to experience the heart and soul
of Africa a safari to the far west of Tanzania will be one of the
most memorable journeys of your lifespan.
Lupita pix
Mahale pix
Chimpanzees
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