Kibale Forest National Park Uganda | Chimpanzee Trekking Uganda Safari
9-11 minutes
Overview
Kibale Forest National Park is an extensive National Park, protecting a large block of rain forest that offers some excellent forest for Chimpanzee Tracking, bird watching and Chimpanzee Habituation Experience which is an all-day experience with the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest. It harbors the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa. Superb birds and primates combined with easy access, a good infrastructure and a variety of interesting activities make this forest a worthwhile Uganda safaris destination. Many of the facilities are community based, thus providing the local community with the necessary revenue to keep their interest focused on the long-term protection of the area. The area is mainly occupied by two tribes ie Batooro and Bakiga traditionally both tribes utilized the forest for food, fuel, building materials and medicines.
Activity Highlights
Chimpanzee Trekking
Hikes and Nature walks
Bigodi Swamps
Bird watching
Chimpanzee Habituation
Activities in Kibale Forest National Park
Most visitors to Kibale Forest go chimpanzee tracking, which means that you will be one hour with a chimpanzee group. At Kibale Forest you can spend a whole day with a Chimpanzee Group in what is called a Chimpanzee Habituation Experience. It is an all-day experience from very early to late afternoon.
Kibale Forest – the Primate Capital of East Africa is the best place to track Chimpanzees in Uganda, there are other great chimpanzee trekking places but none like Kibale Forest.
Hikes and Nature Walks
Nature walks and hikes abound in, near and around Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda in which even a hike that traverses the length of the park and each night you sleep in a different area outside of the park. There are also plenty of day-hikes in or near the park and in the park for you to enjoy the various aspects of the Kibale Forest and the surrounding area.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary:
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – simply a swamp in the tropical jungle, filled with natural wonders that have amazed and delights thousands each year as they trek through this Jungle Swamp, primates including chimpanzees in the afternoon, birds including the large Blue Turaco.
Even more than that the incredible plants, trees, palms, Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary has become a must visit place near Kibale Forest. This is Bigodi Community Project and the guides are from the project and the community benefits greatly. The walk is 3 hours in length and not to be missed by birders.
Crater Lakes Top of the World Hike:
Near Kibale Forest you will find many crater lakes which you see as we drive near the Park. The top of the World Hike is a popular activity near Kibale Forest – a 3 hr or longer guided walk covering three crater lakes, villages, tea-plantations and a view from the top of the world that takes in 3 crater lakes and the Rwenzori Mountains with the landscape below.
This hike is three hours in length and is taken with guides who can explain Village life – the legends of the crater lakes, the tea and vanilla plantations all along the way.There are other Crater Lake hikes that can be done either half or full-day.
The Amabere Caves:
The Amabere Caves is an amazing cave for its beauty, natural wonder and cultural legends – it is located not too far from Kibale Forest and is a most welcomed addition to the other places in, near, or around Kibale Forest Natural Park. It is just a short drive are a combination of legends and nature of which you will hear the stories of old and see nature at work as you are guided on the hike to the caves and the waterfall.
The hike – nature-walk is about two-three hours in length and is conducted with a guide. with also three nearby crater lakes that can be visited on a hike.
Kibale Forest Lodging Choices:
Choices of lodging from budget to Luxury that you while visiting Kibale Forest and partake in the many activities described here.
In the budget – moderate range Kibale Forest Camp stands out and in the Luxury range it is Kyaninga Lodge overlooking a crater lake and Ndali Lodge that also is exemplary and both lodges are still the best in the area and our clients have loved their various stays here.
We will work with your lodging choices when creating a safari for you and consider your budget choices.
Attractions in Kibale Forest National Park
Birding watching in KibaleKibale Forest National park contains over 375 species of birds of which include Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, White-spotted Fluff-tail, Yellow-billed Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Shrike-flycatcher, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Superb Sun-bird, White-breasted Negro-finch and Black-crowned Wax-bill among others.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience Kibale Forest:
Kibale Forest National Park is the best place in East Africa for the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience. It is an all-day experience with the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest. The Chimpanzee Habituation Experience begins early in the morning and lasts all-day long where you are with a guide, researchers, trackers and others as you are in the presence of Chimpanzees being habituated. Also other primates, birds, butterflies, trees and mammals will also be shown to you.
Cultural Encounters in Kibale
The daily life of the local community, the Batooro can be discovered during the village walks. You will learn about the role of women in the village and traditional ceremonies.
Attractions in Kibale Forest Natural Park
The park has excellent accommodation with Kibale primate lodge that is located in Kanyanchu.Others include Nyinabulitwa Country Resort, Chimps’ Nest, Kanyanchu River Camp and Kibale Forest Camp, etc.
LODGES AND ACCOMMODATION
Primate Lodge Kibale
Primate Lodge in Kibale is a fashionable Eco-lodge located within Kibale National park enclosed by a flourishing tropical forest that is a habitat to many different species of primates that’s the chimpanzees. It’s privately sheltered in the rainforest, being one of the lodges that gives a really dependable jungle familiarity and it’s the most favorable place for tracking the primates in Uganda. It has accommodation for all visitors ranging from luxury, cottages as well as tents. This lodge gives a chance to take your time in the morning with breakfast first and later on plan for the day and how you are going to track the chimpanzees without much trouble.
Chimps’ Nest Lodge
Chimps’ Nest Lodge is a right birder’s ecstasy which margins Kibale Forest on a gorgeous piece of land with a stunning view of Kibale Forest along with the snow capped peaks of Mount Rwenzori. The common areas that are visited in this place include the monkeys, chimps as well as forest elephants. The lodge is suited adjacent Nyabubale a well-known village between Nkingo and Bigodi. It’s just a 15 minutes’ drive from Kanyanchu the focal point of UWA for chimp tracking as well as other activities in the park. The accommodation is up to standard with beautiful self-contained cottages, tree house in addition to family cottages.
Kibale Forest Camp is suited off Fort port-Kamwenge, subsequent to the park’s edge. On your way to For Port, you will see a signpost about 3.5km to our camp. After passing Bigodi village, you will meet another signpost that will take you to the dirt road heading to our camp which is a km within no time you are there. The camp is well designed with about 7 safari tents; containing double beds with en-suite bathroom along with an eco-friendly toilet. The verandah will give you a perfect view of the colobus monkeys in the forest.
Nyinabulitwa Country Resort
Nyinabulitwa Country Resort is located just about 20kms off Fort Portal in the western part of Uganda which surrounds Kibale Forest National Park acknowledged to be the most gorgeous tropical rainforest in the country with eye-catching birds and insects. It has different species of primates with about 1400 population of Chimpanzees.
The resort has well designed accommodation with self-contained cottages that put up both double and single beds with high quality services.
The forest surroundings is habitant to many animals such as buffaloes, bush pigs, elephants, duikers and many reptiles. A forest walk will give you a chance to get closer to some primates and birds.
The restaurants serve both international and local cuisines. Some of the food is got from the garden and is prepared to the visitors not forgetting the resort has a craft shop with all African items managed by the community women group. Get for yourself something that will always remind you of Uganda as a great country.
Kanyanchu River Camp
Kanyanchu River Camp is the focal point for tourism activities found in the central part of the park. The main tourist attraction is the opportunity to track chimpanzee in their habitation of this rainforest. The Chimpanzee Experience allows accompany Kibale’s researchers & habituators at chimpanzee all through their daily activities, thereby getting used to human presence without changing their natural you’ll be able to expect to see the chimps de-nesting between 05.30 to 06.30, during the day till they make new nests and at night around 19.00.
