Size: about 675km long, 50km wide and 1,470m at its deepest point.
Location: . It lies in four countries' territories: a little in each of Burundi and Zambia, and more than 40 percent in each DRC and Tanzania.

Lake Tanganyika has crystal-clear water contained within the hills of the Great Rift Valley. It is the second-deepest and, by volume, the second-largest lake in the world (after Siberia's Lake Baikal in both respects). Lake Tanganyika is about three million years old and fed by at least 50 inlets and streams. Its only outflow, however, is the Lukuga River, which it feeds only during years of extremely high rainfall. The lake holds about 18 900 km3 of alkaline fresh water that is claimed to be the cleanest in the world. As a body of water, it is very isolated: no similar habitats exist in the surrounding areas and is known for its wide variety of Lake Tanzanyika cichlids.

The main settlement on the lakeshore is the town of Kigoma, which is also the usual entry point to the region. Two awesome nature reserves border Lake Tanganyika: the incredibly beautiful Mahale Mountains and the chimpanzee-famous Gombe Stream.

Wildlife
Lake Tanganyika’s hosts many species of primates in the nearby tropical forests. Vervet and colobus monkeys, baboons and chimpanzees inhabit the dense forest, in addition to a wide variety of tropical birdlife. There are over 200-odd bird species range from the iconic fish eagle to the jewel-like Peter's twinspots that hop tamely around the visitors' centre. In addition, Lake Tanganyika cichlids number at least 250 species of cichlid fish and 150 non-cichlid species, most of which live along the shore line down to a depth of approximately 600 feet (180 m). Numerous invertebrates are also found in the lake, most especially molluscs, crabs, shrimps, copecods, jellyfishes and leeches.

How To Get There
Kigoma is connected to Dar es Salaam (Dar) and Arusha by scheduled flights, to Dar and Mwanza by a slow rail service, to Mwanza, Dar and Mbeya by rough dirt roads, and to Mpulungu in Zambia by a weekly ferry. From Kigoma, local lake-taxis take up to three hours to reach Gombe, or motorboats can be chartered, taking less than one hour.

What To Do
Chimpanzee trekking; hiking, swimming, game fishing and snorkelling; visit the site of Henry Stanley's famous “Dr Livingstone I presume” at Ujiji near Kigoma, the Gombe Stream and Mahale Mountains, and watch the renowned dhow builders at work on the lake shore.

When To Go
The chimps don't roam as far in the wet season (February-June, November-mid December) so may be easier to find: better picture opportunities in the dry (July-October and late December).

Accommodation
1 new luxury tented lodge, as well a self-catering hostel, guest house and campsites on the lakeshore. In Kigoma town, there is the Hill Top Hotel.

NOTE
Strict rules are in place to safeguard you and the chimps. Allow at least 2 days to see them - this is not a zoo so there are no guarantees where they'll be each day.