The park, located near the Burundi border on the world's longest lake,
Lake Tanganyika, is rich in both human and natural history. Nearby is
the village of Ujiji, where historians believe British researcher H.M.
Stanley uttered the famous words "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
in 1871 upon encountering fellow adventurer David Livingstone, who had
been believed dead. Livingstone, though seriously ill, convinced Stanley
to join him on a search for the source of the Nile -- a quest that took
them through the Gombe Valley.
Today, the park is reachable only by tramp steamer. It is best visited
during the dry season,
which stretches from May to October. If you visit, park officials warn,
be aware that overnight facilities are rugged and camping is restricted
in order to protect visitors from the danger posed by aggressive baboons.
Travelers willing to put up with such challenges, however, are sure
to be rewarded with glimpses of wildlife.
The park's steep, narrow valleys, carpeted by evergreen rainforests
that give way to alpine bamboo stands and grass-topped ridges, are home
to two kinds of acrobatic colobus monkeys, along with bushpigs, giant
kingfishers, crowned eagles, trumpeter hornbills, and more than 50 other
wild species. Snorkellers may enjoy the adjoining lake, which holds
almost 100 kinds of brightly-colored cichlid fish. However, visitors
eager to get as close to the chimps as Goodall does should know that
it is not safe for strangers to approach the apes without a trained
guide. And be sure to leave your best clothes behind: observers sitting
beneath feeding chimps can expect to be the targets of less than sanitary
showers!
