It’s no exaggeration to say there is nowhere like Greystoke Mahale Lodge in the world. It sits on a pristine, white sandy beach overlooking the turquoise water of Lake Tanganyika, with the forested slopes of the 8,000-foot Mahale Mountains rising behind.
Greystoke affects people in a way that no other place does; perhaps it’s because of its remoteness, the mountains rising from the beach at your backs, the vast lake with its many different moods and the feeling that you are the only ones here. With just seven wood and thatch bandas set on the edge of the forest line at the base of the mountains, your days can start there. You can eat breakfast while waiting to hear news of the chimpanzees and decide what to do with your day. Evenings end with sundowners on the rocks of the headland, where drinks are served around the lamp-lit bar whilst the mountains, rising behind camp, disappear into the darkness.