Forming much of the country's western border, the long thin and extraordinarily deep Lake Tanganyika has for centuries attracted independent-minded explorers, travellers and naturalists.

It was on the lake's shore in 1871 that Stanley met Livingstone - the only other white face for hundreds of miles of uncharted territory in any direction - with the famously understated greeting "Doctor Livingstone I presume".

It was to the forests around the lake that naturalist and anthropologist Jane Goodall came too, to dedicate her life to the study of chimpanzees and baboons.

Cruising Lake Tanganyika on the boats that trawl up and down is fun in itself, revealing a blaze of local colour, but they also connect excellent to destinations like the Gombe Stream and Mahle National Park at the northern end - where both offer exceptional chimp, colobus, blue and red tail monkey-watching.

The main settlement on the lake, the historic town of Ujiji, has good beaches, snorkelling and some water sports facilities.