Kigoma: Gombe National Park and River Boundaries

Gombe National Park is best known for its chimpanzees and the findings of Dr. Jane Goodall’s more than thirty-year study of them. The two go together: chimpanzees are the focus, and the study adds a research perspective spanning more than three decades. If you are interested in chimpanzees, you can make Gombe a thematic focus of your trip.

Rivers and protected-area boundaries

The rivers also provide a precise geographical reference. In the eastern part of Moyowosi Game Reserve, the Moyowosi River forms the boundary with Kigosi National Park. Along the southwestern edge of the reserve, the Malagarasi River runs along the boundary with Makere Forest Reserve. These two details therefore refer to different edges of the reserve and to different rivers and protected areas.

Boat access to Gombe National Park

Gombe National Park can be reached by boat from Kigoma; there is no road to the park. Boat access is therefore an important point to consider when planning your trip. If Gombe is part of your plans, factor it into your stay in Kigoma and check the specific travel options for your dates.

Tanzania in a broader context

Coastlines and islands are also part of Tanzania’s geographical diversity. The coastline is more than 804 km long. It includes Unguja and Pemba, which together form Zanzibar, as well as Mafia Island. These features give the destination a distinctive coastal and island geography.

Tanzania’s national parks and protected areas span different scales. Kilimanjaro National Park covers about 75,575 ha. Mount Kilimanjaro rises 4,877 m above the surrounding plains and reaches 5,895 m at its summit. The park’s area, elevation above the plains, and summit elevation describe different aspects of the same mountain massif.

Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area covers 809,440 ha and stretches from the plains of Serengeti National Park in the northwest to the eastern arm of the Great Rift Valley. Evidence of human evolution and human-environment interactions there spans almost four million years, from the earliest times to the modern era. Tanzania is thus a place where extensive protected areas and a long human history meet.

Tanzania’s coastal towns also tell stories of different cultural influences. Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were Swahili trading towns. Their prosperity was based, particularly from the 13th to the 16th century, on controlling trade in the Indian Ocean with Arabia, India, and China. Stone Town of Zanzibar has preserved its urban fabric and townscape almost intact. Its buildings reflect cultural influences from Africa, the Arab region, India, and Europe, which have been interconnected for more than a millennium. Trade history and townscape thus offer two distinct perspectives on Tanzania’s cultural heritage.

Visitor activities in Tanzania include technical climbing on Mawenzi, camping in the crater of Mount Kilimanjaro, and balloon safaris; specific offerings may vary by location. At the Kondoa Rock-Art Sites in Tanzania, some sites are still used by local communities for rituals such as rainmaking, divination, and healing.

Explore more destinations: Kigoma, Tanga, Tabora Region, Zanzibar Urban/West, Morogoro, Zanzibar Central/South, Dodoma, Zanzibar North.

View the broader travel guide: Tanzania.