Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge
Thatched permanent beach tents on low wooden platforms · A secluded stretch of golden beach at the edge of the forest · Mbali Mbali Lodges & Camps
High-end
Inside the park
Safari company
Formerly Kungwe Beach Lodge, and still listed under that name on many aggregator sites. It is the same property renamed, not a second camp, and Mbali Mbali confirmed that to us in writing on 2 September 2026. The lodge has since been entirely rebuilt: new furniture and interiors, a viewing deck off the main lounge, larger rooms with sliding doors and double basins, and new salas and loungers on the beach. The trekking, kayaking and boat safari programme matches its pricier neighbour. If Greystoke is out of reach, this is the comfortable way to do Mahale.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Roughly half Greystoke's peak price for a similar trekking programme
- Entirely rebuilt: new interiors, viewing deck, sliding doors
- Rate includes daily chimp trek, kayaking and one boat safari
- Three complimentary drinks per meal, boat transfer included
- Laundry included in the Fully Inclusive Plus rate
Cons
- Chimp trekking has a stated minimum age of 12
- Closed 1 March to 31 May every year
- Tent count disputed: site says 10, operator told us 9 available
- High season 2026 rate rises to $1,050 per person
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Restaurant
- Family rooms
- Laundry
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Boat trips
- Night drives
- Chimpanzee treks
Read from Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Mahale Mountains National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entry$80 plus 18% VAT per 24 hours, and that fee is the chimpanzee trekking cost.
- $94.4per person, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults pay $566.4 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
No vehicles here.
The full fee schedule for Mahale Mountains National ParkRates at Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge
From $683 pppn. $683 from 1 November to 20 December, $765 in January and February, $1,050 from June to October 2026 rising to $1,176 in 2027. Fully Inclusive Plus: meals, select drinks and activities.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026/27 rates from operators' published rate sheets, gathered July 2026. Always confirm with the lodge. One thing to watch when comparing: Greystoke's packaged rates include park fees, while at the TANAPA bandas and campsites the $80 daily conservation fee and $20 group guide fee come on top of the bed price.
Questions about Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge
Is Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge good for families?
Mbali Mbali's own site describes general stays as open to all ages, but chimpanzee trekking carries a stated minimum age of 12, which the record also confirms. Since trekking is the main activity here, check with Mbali Mbali what a family with younger children can do instead before booking.
What does the rate at Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge include?
Mbali Mbali's own site lists accommodation, three daily meals, three complimentary drinks per meal, water during the chimp trek, laundry, boat transfer to and from Mahale airstrip, kayaking, one chimpanzee trek a day and one boat safari per stay, plus the Tourism Development Levy and VAT. Confirm any extra treks separately.
How many tents does Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge have?
Sources disagree. The lodge's current site lists 10 beach tents, while Mbali Mbali's own reservations team told us in writing in September 2026 that 11 tents are built but 2 are closed, leaving 9 available to guests. Confirm the current count directly when you book.
How much does Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge cost?
2026 rates run $683 per person from 1 November to 20 December, $765 in January and February, and $1,050 from June to October, rising to $1,176 in 2027. That is roughly half Greystoke Mahale's peak rate for a similar chimp trekking and kayaking programme.
When is Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge open?
Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge closes every year from 1 March to 31 May and operates the rest of the year. Rates vary seasonally, from $683 per person in November and early December to $1,050 in the June to October high season, rising further to $1,176 in 2027.