Located in western Uganda, Kibale Forest National park is the primate capital of the world with over 13 primate species and chimpanzee trekking being the best experience ever in this tropical rain forest. The park is a wonder in the secrets of Uganda offering the best primate trekking, bird watching and nature walk experience. Hiking up and down hill searching for the endangered primates is quite challenging but worth it. You have an hour with the animals, but it’s more than enough to observe their behavior.
This article is a guide to Kibale Forest National Park, attractions, activities, vegetation, wildlife, getting there, accommodation and bigodi wetland sanctuary with Superfine Safaris Limited. Kibale Forest National park is one of the must-visit safari destinations in the Pearl of Africa. Located in Western Uganda, Kibale Forest National park is the primate capital of Africa sheltering 13 primates.
Chimpanzees trekking in Kibale Forest is the top bucket list for most travelers to Kibale Forest National park. Kibale Forest spreads very 766 square kilometers comprised of montane and lowland forests. This forest was first gazetted in 1932 and later established as a national park in 1993 purposely to protect the endangered chimpanzees and promote primate safaris in Uganda. Batooro and Bakiga are the major tribes living around Kibale Forest National Park.
Wildlife in Kibale Forest
Chimpanzees are the common species in the park with over 1500 chimpanzees calling this forest home. Other primate species in Kibale Forest include Uganda Mangabey (Lophocebus), L;Hoest monkey and Ugandan red colubus (Procolobus tephrosceles), black and white colubus (Colobus guereza), blue monkey (Cercepithecus mitis). Besides primates, Kibale Forest shelters a large number of terrestrial mammals which include bushbucks, bushpigs, red duikers, Sitatungas, Blue duikers, Common warthogs, African buffalos, elephants and Giant forest hogs, common warthogs. The carnivores in this forest are serval cats, leopards, and African golden cats.
Vegetation in Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest boasts in over 229 tree species, which include Lovoa, Entandrophragma, Cordia millenii. Some parts of the forest include ferns, shrubs, broadleaf grasses and swamps. The vegetation serves as food and habit for animals and birds in this rain forest.
Activities in Kibale Forest National park
Travelers to Kibale Forest National park have an endless list of tourist activities to take part in. The top tourist activities in KFNP are:
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest is the most done adventure which bring a high number of travelers to this forest. Records indicate that over 80% of travelers to Kibale forest choose to trek chimpanzees for a close encounter with man’s close relatives. Each chimpanzee permits in the Kibale forest costs $250 but the experience is worth it. Like in gorilla trekking, travelers intending to trek chimps are advised to book as early as 6 months in advance due to high demand for the permit. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest is done in two sessions (morning and afternoon) to give all travelers a chance of being part of this memorable venture.
Chimpanzee permit bookings can be done directly with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), or through Superfine Safaris Limited, your trusted Uganda safari company. A 3 days kibale chimpanzee tour gives you the chance to meet and spend an hour with the endangered chimps in the shortest time possible.
A simple briefing about trekking rules and regulations at Kanyanchu information center commences the experience. The dos and don’ts of chimpanzee trekking include:
1. Keep a distance of seven meters away from chimps
2. Avoid direct eye contact
3. Do not use flashlight cameras
4. Don’t trek When sick
5. Keep within your groups
6. Speak at a low tone
7. Do not litter in the park
Also, ensure to carry the essentials to ensure a peaceful and enjoyable trek. Chimpanzee trekking packing lit entails:
1. Hiking boots/shoes
2. Gardening gloves
3. Rain jackets
4. Long-sleeved shirts
5. Long pants
6. sunglasses
7. head hats
8. First aid kit
9. Energy giving snacks
10. Bottled drinking water
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
Enjoy the full day chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale Forest together with a team of park rangers, researchers, chimpanzee doctors, and trackers. The experience is all about training and taming wild chimps so as to make them get used to human presence. You will be an active participant in this activity which makes it more experimental. The chimpanzee habituation permit costs $300
Nature/Forest walks
Explore and enjoy the beauties of Kibale Forest National park on foot. A walk through the natural forest, enjoy the cool quiet environment with sweet melodies of birds singing right above our head. A forest walk gives you the chance to meet different forest animals especially the red-tailed monkeys, black and white Colubus. Expect to see some reptiles such as snakes and birds crossing across. Different trails have been made in the forest leading you to different tourist attractions such as waterfalls and water streams. Also, night forest walk is done to see nocturnal animals such as nightjar, cricket, pottos, bush babies and tree hyrax among others.
Bird Watching
About bird life in Kibale Forest National Park, the forest is home to over 325 bird species hence the best birding spots in Uganda. These include grey parrot, Olive long-tailed cuckoo, ground thrush, Tropical boubou, African pied wagtail, Slender-billed weaver, Great blue turaco, Pin-tailed whydah, Black bee-eater, Masked Apalis, Grey paroot, Afep pigeon, Blue-headed bee-eater, Ruwenzori Apalis, Crowned eagle, White-naped pigeon, yellow-rumped tinker bird, Masked Apalis among others.
Butterfly watching in Kibale Forest
Be part of the newly introduced butterfly watching experience in Kibale Forest National park. You will see butterflies of different colors in Yellow, red and green flying over you. Altogether, Uganda is home to over 1,235 butterfly species and 31 of these are endemic to the Albertine region. Butterfly species in Uganda include Nymphalidae, Papilinidae, Pieridae, Hesperiidae and Lycaenidae among others.
Bigodi Wetland sanctuary
Visit Bigodi wetland sanctuary as part of your Uganda chimpanzee tour to Kibale Forest National park. Bigodi wetland shelters over 200 bird species hence a paradise for birders. Among the birds in Bigodi include Hornbills, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Green-breasted Pitta, Collared Apalis, Dusky Crimson, Spotted bardet, and Abyssinian ground thrush. The wetland also shelters primates such as vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, baboons, L’Hoest monkeys and black and white colobus all ready to welcome you.
Where to sleep in Kibale Forest national park
Do you want to spend an overnight stay? African Apes Tours & Travel brings you a list of top lodges and camps in Kibale Forest. These serve you with first-class food and sleeping services with professional staff who ensure a smooth service delivery system. Top lodge sin Kibale forest include Primate Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp, Kyaninga Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest guest house, Ndali Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse and Chimps Nest among others. African Apes Holidays helps book suitable accommodation services during your stay in Kibale Forest National Park.
Getting to Kibale Forest National park
Kibale Forest National park can be accessed by road or air transport. When driving, the park is roughly 5 hours drive from Kampala capital city and Entebbe via Kampala Hoima road. Alternatively, fly from Kajjansi airstrip to Nyakisharara airstrip in Kamwengye. From there, travelers are picked and driven to the park.
People also ask
What is Kibale National park known for?
Kibale Forest park is known for sheltering the highest number of chimpanzees and primates in general. Its the primate capital of Africa hosting chimpanzees and other 13 primates. These include baboons, Vervet monkeys, Blue monkeys, Grey cheeked mangabeys, LHoest monkey, Uganda mangabeys, Galago, Red tailed monkeys, Black and white colobus monkeys. Primate trekking is the most done experience in Kibale Forest National park
Where can tourists go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda?
Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is majorly done in Kibale Forest national park. the other places to see chimpanzees in Uganda include Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park, Kalinzu Forest and Budongo Forest in Murchison falls National park. You can also visit the habituated chimpanzees at Ngamba Island sanctuary where you can take part in feeding chimpanzees
How many chimpanzees are in Kibale Forest National park?
There are over 1500 chimpanzees inhabited in Kibale Forest National park. These are grouped into small communities each headed by a dominant Male. The chimpanzee community comprise of one Adult mela, females, Juveniles and infants. Each play a different role for example adult females nurse and take acre of the infants, juveniles entertain the family keeping it lively while the Adult Males are the fathers of the home who ensure security of all community members and also plan for the entire community especially on which direction to take and where to spend a night
Where is the best place for chimpanzee trekking?
kibale Forest is the best place for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. Being home to the highest number of chimpanzees, Kibale Forest offers the best chimpanzee trekking experience. Travelers are assured of accessing chimpanzee permits even those who book at last minute
How much does it cost to go chimpanzee trekking?
the cost of chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest national park is $250 for foreign non residents, $200 for foreign residents and 250,000 shillings for East African citizens. For chimpanzee habituation experience, the permit costs $300 for Foreign non residents $250 for foreign residents and 300,000 shillings for Ugandans and east African citizens
Contact Superfine Safaris Limited, book your chimpanzee trekking tour to Kibale, enjoy nature walks and explore Bigodi wetland sanctuary. Kibale Forest National park offers it all to meet, satisfy, and exceed your travel expectations.
