TANAPA Mahale Cottages (Kasiha bandas)
Simple self-catering bandas · Kasiha, on the lakeshore near the park headquarters and research area · Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA)
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (TANAPA)
At roughly one fiftieth of Greystoke's peak nightly rate, the park's own bandas at Kasiha are what makes a budget Mahale trip possible at all. They are basic and self-catering, and the logistics are yours to solve, but you sleep on the same shore and trek to the same chimpanzees. Book ahead through the TANAPA reservation system and bring everything you need.
Why you'd pick it
- The cheapest roofed bed inside Mahale by an enormous margin
- Also known locally as the Mango Tree Bandas
- Bookable through the TANAPA online reservation system
What's here
- Campsite
Arranged from the lodge:
- Chimpanzee treks
Read from TANAPA Mahale Cottages (Kasiha bandas)'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
$40 pppn. Official tariff rate, VAT-exclusive; East African citizens pay TSh 20,000. Self-catering: bring all food and supplies. The $80 daily conservation fee and $20 group guide fee come on top, so budget a chimp trek day at roughly $145 per person before food and transport.
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.