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FROM US$10,130-US$14,810

Chimpanzee Fly-in Safari

Combining two of the remotest parks in Tanzania, this safari can deliver extraordinary wildlife viewing in Katavi, and East Africa's best chimp treks, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

Chimpanzee Fly-in Safari: Day-by-day

More detailed information of what each day entails, and the various places you’ll stay on the Chimpanzee Fly-in Safari. Everything we do is completely tailor-made so while this is an idea which works well, we’ll always design an itinerary just for you.


Day 1

Starts: Kilimanjaro International Airport

On arrival at the airport, you will be greeted by a guide with a name board after you've collected your bags.

Day 1

4WD from Kilimanjaro to Rivertrees

You will be met at the airport for your 4WD drive of about an hour to Rivertrees Country Inn. During the journey you will skirt the fringes of Arusha and drive past small villages where goats wander across the road, before arriving on the banks of the Usa River.

Rivertrees Country Inn
Day 1

Rivertrees Country Inn

1 night
Half BoardArusha, Tanzania

With the feel of a homely country house, Rivertrees is relaxed, welcoming and a haven for birdlife. It’s also exceptionally well placed between Arusha and Kilimanjaro Airport, an ideal spot to start or finish a safari. Yet with its lush tropical gardens filled with flame trees, bougainvillea, hibiscus and banana trees, it’s so much more than just a stopover.

Rivertrees Country Inn

With the feel of a homely country house, Rivertrees is relaxed, welcoming and a haven for birdlife. It’s also exceptionally well placed between Arusha and Kilimanjaro Airport, an ideal spot to start or finish a safari. Yet with its lush tropical gardens filled with flame trees, bougainvillea, hibiscus and banana trees, it’s so much more than just a stopover.

The original farmhouse at Rivertrees has been restored as a lounge, its antique furnishings and cosy armchairs set around a large fireplace reflecting a bygone era. Afternoon tea continues the theme, served here or on a covered veranda overlooking well-tended lawns.

Sharing the views is the open-sided dining room, a more rustic set-up with exposed brick beneath a thatched roof and an old dhow that now does service as a bar. It’s a popular venue for locals as well as guests, attracted at least in part by a pizza oven and barbecue.

To stay here is to relax in cool, cottage-style rooms, their red polished concrete floors dotted with traditional grass mats, their four-poster beds draped with mosquito nets, their bathrooms featuring striking concrete baths.

"It was an extremely nice room and the grounds were beautiful."

PuchtofromBuffalo

Arrived 12 Feb 2024, 1 night

With a big swimming pool, a wooden deck over the Usa River, and views on a clear day to both Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro, to limit a stay to just one night seems rather a shame. See our full report on Rivertrees Country Inn

89%
62 reviews of Rivertrees Country Inn by travellers since August 2007

Activities

Day 2

Rivertrees to Chada Camp: 4WD & light aircraft

You will be driven to Arusha airport for the four-hour light-aircraft flight to Katavi National Park in remote western Tanzania, stopping at Tabora to refuel and stretch your legs. From Katavi's airstrip, it’s a scenic one-hour drive to Chada, along the Ikuu River and across the plains towards camp.

Chada Camp
Days 2-5

Chada Camp

3 nights
Full Board & ActivitiesKatavi National Park, Tanzania

Chada Camp is a bush camp occupying a woodland spot on the edge of Chada Plain in the heart of Tanzania's Katavi National Park. It aims to offer guests an authentic safari experience in this remote park 50km east of Lake Tanganyika – and is sometimes known as 'Chada Katavi Camp'.

Chada Camp

Chada Camp is a bush camp occupying a woodland spot on the edge of Chada Plain in the heart of Tanzania's Katavi National Park. It aims to offer guests an authentic safari experience in this remote park 50km east of Lake Tanganyika – and is sometimes known as 'Chada Katavi Camp'.

"Katavi is simply a specular location for viewing wildlife"

Mr A.fromNewton Abbot

Arrived 3 Oct 2022, 3 nights

Chada is a wild camp, aiming to suit those who want a traditional safari experience with good food, comfortable beds, and great guiding. You're immersed in Katavi National Park bush, not insulated from it – and in one of the most remote and wild reserves in East Africa. See our full report on Chada Camp

98%
34 reviews of Chada Camp by travellers since August 2007

Activities

4WD Safari

Birdwatching

Fly-camping

Guided walking safari

Greystoke Mahale
Days 5-9

Greystoke Mahale

4 nights
Full Board & ActivitiesMahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania

Greystoke Mahale is a unique, high-end camp that sits on a white-sand beach overlooking Lake Tanganyika's clear waters inside the remote Mahale Mountains National Park. The lodge is named after the legend of Tarzan and much of the experience here revolves around life in the forest, particularly chimpanzee-tracking.

Greystoke Mahale

Greystoke Mahale is a unique, high-end camp that sits on a white-sand beach overlooking Lake Tanganyika's clear waters inside the remote Mahale Mountains National Park. The lodge is named after the legend of Tarzan and much of the experience here revolves around life in the forest, particularly chimpanzee-tracking.

"Wow! What a camp and experience... "

Jamie BfromPalo Alto

Arrived 3 Aug 2023, 4 nights

Mahale Mountain National Park is one of the most remote and most beautiful parks in Tanzania - if not Africa - and Greystoke Mahale is definitely the best camp in the park. The chimpanzee experience is incredible, the afternoon boat rides relaxing, and the camp itself is beautifully constructed and very well run. The knowledge and personalities of the camp's guides are unbelievable; they add so much to the whole experience. For those who aren't afraid to go off the beaten track, and have the budget to stretch, you won't be disappointed by a trip here. Greystoke Mahale is a very special place. See our full report on Greystoke Mahale

98%
47 reviews of Greystoke Mahale by travellers since August 2007

Activities

Birdwatching

Boat trip

Fishing

Guided walking safari

Kayaking

Primate trekking

Day 9

Ends: Kilimanjaro International Airport

You'll arrive at Kilimanjaro in time to catch your onward flight.

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Experiences you can add to this trip.

Optional extra day-trips and excursions possible whilst staying at lodges on this trip. These are usually best arranged in advance so talk to us.


Safari in Arusha National Park

Safari in Arusha National Park

Half day or full day

Arusha National Park offers some lovely walking in the foothills of Mount Meru and canoeing on the Momela Lakes, plus gentle game drives.

More about Safari in Arusha NP
77% (7 reviews)
Day Hike on Mount Kilimanjaro

Day Hike on Mount Kilimanjaro

Full day

Experience Africa’s highest mountain – in just a day. In the company of a private guide, hike through the forests of Mount Kilimanjaro’s western side to an altitude of 3,400m. From here, explore the Shira Plateau and its surroundings, perhaps spotting wildlife along the way.

More about Kilimanjaro Day Hike

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