Kibale Forest National Park | Uganda Safaris
Kibale forest national park is situated in the southwestern Uganda near fort portal town, the park is the verdant haven of biodiversity and then a wonderful safari destination for the nature lovers, the park was found and then formally established to protect the forest species in the area. Kibale forest national park covers an area of about 774.km and then it’s mainly dominated by the ever green semi-deciduous forest tree species, grassland, swamps and this inhabits the range number of the wildlife including the variety of flora and fauna including over 1500 chimpanzees, as well as other primates like red colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey alongside the stunning variety of the bird species including the vibrant African grey parrot, great blue turaco and others, reptiles, wild cats and then insects without forgetting the small mammals like duikers, bushbucks, elephants, bush pigs and among many others. These makes Kibale forest national park a unique and captivating safari destination that offers a wide range of the safari activities that includes chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation, guided nature walks, bird watching, cultural experiences with the local communities that provides visitors with an immersive safari experience that combines adventure, education and relaxation in the heart of Uganda during the Africa safari. Kibale forest national park is impressive safari destination in the tourism industry of Uganda because of the large numbers of the chimpanzees; Kibale forest national park has majorly 4 communities for the fully habituated chimpanzees and these include Kanyawara community that has over 60 chimpanzees, ngongo community with over 200 chimpanzees that is located in the middle of the park then Kanyachu community is located in the southern side of Kibale forest national park the starting point for the chimpanzee trekking on the chimpanzee trekking safari, then sebitole is located in the northern side of the park.
Explore Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale forest national park, is a popular safari destination that is located in the southwestern region of Uganda that covers an area of about 800 sq km. Kibale forest national park is found in Kabarole district, then Kamwenge district, the park is known and found in the great western rift valley of Africa that is why some part of the park is elevated higher than the other. Kibale national park is one of the mostly visited national park in Uganda because it’s such vital ecological area that protects a perfect evergreen tropical forest. The park has various ecosystems that harbors various wildlife species; that is the park has the biggest primate community on the African continent with the largest numbers of primates that are over 13 species that is over 1500 chimpanzees and others that includes red tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys and among many others, and that’s the reason to why the park is known as the primate capital of the world.
Kibale National Park Safaris
Uganda safaris is such a wonderful experience that gives you the most excitement ever in your entire life to meet the fascinating mountain gorillas through trekking them in their natural habitats and spending with them one hour, and these creatures share 98% DNA genes with the human beings that is in terms of the traits, characters and among others. On a Uganda safari the mountain gorillas are the most attractive and then exciting creatures to spot and they are can be sighted in Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park. Uganda has other stunning national parks that includes Kibale forest national park famous for chimpanzees that are sisters to the mountain gorillas, Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo valley national park, Lake Mburo national park and among many others. On an African safari its only Uganda safari that offers you beyond the big five mammals; that’s where you will spot all the big five mammals with addition of Ziwa rhino sanctuary on your itinerary and as well as considering trekking the mountain gorillas, chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey trekking that makes your safari fully complete with the everlasting safari memories.
2 Days Kibale Chimpanzee Trekking Safari
3 Days ChimpanzeeTrekking in Kibale National Park
4 Days Kibale Chimpanzees & Bwindi Gorilla Safari
5 Days Kibale National Park & Queen National Park
5 Days Murchison National Park & Kibale National Park
7 Days Murchison, Kibale and Queen Elizabeth N.P
Activities to Do Kibale National Park
Kibale forest national park is an intriguing safari destination to explore in the south western part of Uganda in Kabarole and then Kamwenge districts. Kibale forest national park has a variety of the safari activities to be done by the tourists; these activities offer the tourists with the everlasting safari memories.
Chimpanzee tracking:
Chimpanzee tracking is the stunning safari activity to do in Kibale Forest national park and this is where the tourists move in the tropical rainforest while looking for the habituated chimpanzees and once the tourists finds the chimpanzees they will spend one hour with them in their natural habitats. Chimpanzee tracking starts early in the morning at the part headquarters at the park headquarters that is Kanyanchu visitors centre, this is where you will be briefed about the rules, regulations and expectations during chimpanzee trekking by the experienced and then skilled park rangers and guides. After the briefing you will explore the forest with the park guide that is familiar with the chimpanzee trekking trails.
Bird watching:
Bird watching is another attractive safari activity that takes place in Kibale forest national park by the birding guides from African Vacation Safaris. Kibale forest national park is a home to over 370 bird species that includes the resident and then migratory bird species, and some of the bird species to be spotted in the park includes Abyssinian ground thrush, African pied wagtail, pin tailed whydah, African pitta, western nicator, black billed turaco, great blue turaco, Afep pigeon, Crowned Eagle, Black Bee-eater, Dusky Crimsonwing, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, White-napped pigeon, little greenbul, yellow spotted nictor and among many others. Bird watching in Kibale forest national park is best done during the early morning or during the late afternoon that gives you a wonderful safari experience.
Guided nature walks:
Guided nature walks is one of the exceptional safari activity that is done in Kibale forest national park. This is where the tourists will get the chance to explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced of the park guides and then armed park ranges. The guided nature walks in Kibale forest national park begin very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules, regulations and then the expectations at the Kanyachu visitors centre. After the briefing, the tourists will start hiking in the forest that takes you a period of about 2 to 5 hours and during the guided nature walks, you will be fascinated by the sighting of the park’s attractions that is the primate species, as you are listening to the sweet sounds of the birds singing in the trees, as you are enjoying the cool breeze in the forest and among others.
Visiting Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru:
Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru the natural and attractive rocks are located a few meters away from Nyakasura School in Fort portal in Kabarole district. During your safari to Kibale forest national park, the visitors can visit these amazing rocks and this is where they pass through waters that welcomes you to the experience. Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru are natural features that resulted through the formation of stalagmites and stalactites, although the local Batooro people around the rocks have the huge cultural attachment of these rocks, and they believe that these are breasts of a young girl called Nyina Mwiru that were cut off by her father the King for refusing to get married to a partner that he had selected for her hence the resulting of the so called ‘’Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru’’. Yearly the tourists go this attraction to sight and learn about the rocks that have contributed highly to the tourism industry and then entire community surrounding around.
Chimpanzee habituation:
Chimpanzee habituation experience is a unique then interesting to where the wild chimpanzees are trained to get to human presence for tracking. Chimpanzee habituation is much thrilling that takes about 2 years to be complete and the activity starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters, after the briefing you will be joined by a group of the researchers, scientists, conservationists and start trekking in the forest that takes the whole day. During the experience you will be able to spot the different bird species, mammals, primates and among others, like the different plant and tree species.
Crater Lakes:
Crater lakes tour is the final tour with your Uganda safari in Kibale forest national park. This is one of the man activities that every traveler should explore and include in their safari itinerary because of this wonderful experience. During this tour in fort portal you will be led and accompanied by your Africa Vacation Safari guide on foot to hike to the various volcanic steep slopes which takes you to the charming after approaching to the actual lakes. On the safari, you will spot various crater lakes from the birds view, and this is where you will spot other attractions like mountain Rwenzori ranges, beautiful landscapes, and among many others.
Attractions in Kibale National Park
On an African safari to Kibale Forest national park is such rewarding and exceptional that can be added to other magnificent safari destinations like Queen Elizabeth national and then Semuliki wildlife reserve, mountain Rwenzori national park that gives you an outstanding safari experience. Kibale forest national park has a quite number of the safari attractions that are highlighted here that makes the park to be the most high ranked as the popular safari destination in Uganda and Africa at large for the unforgettable safari memories.
Primates:
Kibale forest national park is a massive habitat for the primates in the entire Uganda with the high population of the chimpanzees which are over 1500 in number. The park is majorly covered by the thick forest cover with the huge and tall trees where the chimpanzees do inhabit, build their nests to rest from, feeding and among others. Minus the chimpanzees, Kibale forest national park is known as a home to over 13 stunning species of the primates that is L’Hoest’s monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, and red tailed monkeys and among many others. On a Uganda safari, chimpanzees in Kibale forest national park offers the most outstanding chimpanzee tracking and then chimpanzee habituation experience that brings in various tourists to the park and the activities mostly take place at Kanyanchu.
Animal species:
Kibale forest national park is highly known as a home of other animal species besides the primates. The forest is a home to other animal species that do stay in the thick forests around the park. The animal species that are found in the park includes African palm civet, bush bucks, giant forest hogs, African elephants, sitatungas, marsh mongooses, bush pigs, warthogs, golden cats and among many others. When you visit Bigodi wetland sanctuary you will spot sitatungas, swam potters and various numbers of the elephants and among other animal species that can be spotted coming from Queen Elizabeth national park that is right next to Kibale forest national park.
Vegetation:
Kibale forest national park has the most attractive moist evergreen and then the semi-deciduous forest cover that mostly has different habitats that is tropical forest, woodland and has over a total of 351 tree species, these tree species act as the habitats for the park’s primates, bird species and then the other animal species. The dominant vegetation type is the rainforest that covers over 1100 to 150 meters altitude with the vegetation transitions of the Afro-montane and then lowland forest. The park’s various tree species and some of these tree species includes the eucalyptus, pine trees, lovoa swynnertonni, cordia millenii, mahogany, ironwood, Ficus, Entandrophragma angolense and among many others. Other parts of the vegetation in the park includes the tolerant herbs, a variety of ferns, shrubs, broad leaved forest grasses and many others.
How to get to Kibale National Park
How to get to Kibale forest national park is the most asked question that every traveler before going on an African safari to trek the famous chimpanzees in the park. Getting to the park is not a very task most especially if you book with a reputable tour operator like African Vacation Safaris that is the company driver will pick you from the Entebbe International Airport and then transfer you to Kibale forest national park. However as well you can reach the park through self-driving that can be convenient through using the updated map to take you to the right direction until you reach the park. Kibale forest national park is situated just less driving distance of about 26km, south east of Fort Portal town. Then getting to the park can be through the accessible route of Kampala then Fort portal through Mubende town. When you reach the southern part of Fort Portal that is where Kibale forest national park is located, through Mbarara road or Kamwenge road. However it’s known that the northern route to Kibale forest national park through Fort portal is the shortest route compared to other routes. That is the distance is over 300km on the tarmac road that goes to fort portal town, and from there you will take a short distance of about only 36km on a Murram road to Kanyanchu visitor center in the park that is known as the starting point for chimpanzee trekking safari to the park. Though it’s known that from Kampala the capital city of Uganda it takes the travelers about 337km by road through using the northern route of Fort portal.
Best Time Visit to Kibale National Park
Best time to visit Kibale forest national park is all the year depending on the tourist’s preferences and choices where it’s convenient for the traveler to go on a Uganda safari. You can book for your Kibale forest national park at any time of the year. Though however, the best time to visit Kibale forest national park for various safari activities from the famous and magnificent chimpanzee trekking, and among other safari activities like bird watching, guided nature walks, chimpanzee habituation, crater lake safaris, community safaris and among many others. On a Uganda safari with African Vacation Safaris, the best season for many Kibale forest safari activities is the dry season also known as the peak tourism season. The dry season takes place from December through January to February and then again from June to July. The dry season is the perfect season to visit Kibale forest national park because that when the park trails are dry and easily passable that makes chimpanzee trekking excellent and very rewarding to do. Again during the dry season that’s when the forest is very clear that makes easy sighting various primates that inhabit in the forest.
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