KG 02 - 3 nights Katavi, 4 nights Gombe

This is the perfect combination of a bush and beach retreat. 

Travel off the beaten track to one of Tanzania’s most remote destinations and enjoy that feeling of having Africa all to yourself. Katavi National Park is Tanzania’s third largest national park and games drives will include encounters with some of Tanzania’s largest concentrations of hippo, crocodile and buffalo. Visit between May and June to catch migratory birds. Highlights of this safari include game drives, bush lunches or breakfasts and sundowners around a campfire. Add on an optional Night Game Drive or book a private vehicle for a more exclusive safari experience.    

With the only lodge in the park, Mbali Mbali allows you to explore the smallest of Tanzania’s national parks. Gombe Stream National Park is a fragile strip of chimpanzee habitat that straddles the steep slopes and river valleys that hem the northern shores of Lake Tanganyika. It’s chimpanzees, habituated to human visitors, were made famous by the pioneering work of Jane Goodall who in the 1960’s founded a behavioral research program that now stands as the longest-running study of its kind in the world. 

This itinerary includes flights from Arusha. However, we can amend the program to start/end from Dar es Salaam using Air Tanzania Flights from Dar es Salaam Airport to Kigoma Airport (for access to Gombe) and Mpanda Airport (for access to Katavi). We can book these flights for you, or alternatively, you can book them directly with the airline (www.airtanzania.co.tz) and our services will be provided from/to Kigoma or Mpanda Airport. The price of the package reduces by 1980 USD per person without the shared charter flights from Arusha to Katavi and Kigoma to Arusha; the flight from Katavi to Kigoma will still be required however.

• From Kigoma Airport to Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge: guests will be transferred to Kigoma Hilltop Hotel by vehicle (20 minutes), then proceed on a dhow boat transfer from Kigoma Hilltop Hotel’s private beach to Mbali Mbali Gombe Lodge (2 hours).
• From Mpanda Airport to Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge: guests can book our return transfer between Mpanda and Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge. Mpanda Airport receives four commercial flights a week from/to Dar es Salaam. Currently the schedule operates on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Guests can book our return vehicle transfer between Mpanda Airport and Mbali Mbali Katavi Lodge. Cost is $400 per vehicle (maximum 6 passengers). Vehicle transfer from Mpanda Airport to Mbali Mbali Katavi (2 hours). The itinerary length may need to be adjusted to match the flight schedules.