Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest national park.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park is the most exciting and then outstanding safari activity that takes place on a Uganda safari and then in the entire Africa. The park is the known for the perfect views of these wonderful primates. Kibale forest national park is famously ranked as the ‘’primate capital’’ with the diverse numbers of the primates that are over 13 species. Chimpanzees are the second exciting species after the mountain gorillas being the first exciting primates that can be tracked in Bwindi impenetrable national park and then Mgahinga gorilla national park in the southwestern part of Uganda. In Uganda, Kibale forest national park is the most excellent safari destination for chimpanzee trekking, though there are other diverse safari destinations where the tourists go to explore and see the chimpanzees like Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park, Kalinzu forest, Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park, and among others.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park is done where the tourists move in the tropical rainforest while looking for the habituated chimpanzee families. Chimpanzee trekking in the park starts very early in the morning at the Kanyanchu visitors centre with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during chimpanzee trekking by the experienced guides and then the rangers. After the briefing you will be subdivided into various groups of 6 people where each group will be allocated to a habituated chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide that is familiar with the different trails in the forest to where you can find the chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park takes a period of about 30 minutes to 5 hours regarding to the location of the chimpanzees because these creatures like moving from one place to another while looking for food and then shade especially during the dry season. While looking for the chimpanzees you will be fascinated with the spotting of the diverse park’s biodiversity that includes primate species like red tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, Mantled guerezas, baboons and among many others without forgetting the bird species that includes Great blue turaco, Purple-breasted sunbird, African grey parrot, black and white hornbills, African paradise flycatcher, and among many others. As well as spotting and admiring colourful tree species and then plant species and then among others that makes the experience such intriguing and then rewarding. And as once as the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour in the presence of the chimpanzees in their natural habitats and this gives you the chance to watch and learn about the behaviours of the chimpanzees, watching the chimpanzees feeding, watching the mother chimpanzees grooming their young ones, and among other daily activities including watching the chimpanzees, breastfeeding, mating, playing and many others, minus forgetting taking pictures and then recording the videos of the chimpanzees. After the experience you will be transferred back to the beginning point to where you will be awarded with chimpanzee trekking certificate for taking part and then participating in chimpanzee trekking.
Costs:
For the tourists to participate in the chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest national park; they are advised to purchase the chimpanzee trekking permits, as these are the legal cards that are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to all the visitors that are above the age of 12 years that this allows them to visit any of the habituated chimpanzee family and spend one hour in the presence of the chimpanzees for one hour. The price of the chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park varies depending on your nationality; that is 250 USD per person per trek for the foreign nonresidents, 200 USD per person per trek for the foreign residents and then 180,000 UGX for the East African Citizens.
How to book chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park.
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park can be booked in two different ways depending on your choice that is the chimpanzee trekking permits can be booked through Uganda Wildlife Authority the government body responsible for tourism in Uganda, this is where you contact them through an email or the telephone calls, then on the other side, the chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park can be booked through African Vacation Safaris, this is where you will contact us and tell is the date, month and the year when you wish to do chimpanzee trekking. When you contact us we shall check the chimpanzee trekking permit availability on your preferred dates and if there are permits availability on your preferred dates, you will be asked to make a deposit and then after once we have received the deposit, we will purchase the chimpanzee trekking permit on your behalf and then we shall confirm to you by sending you the scanned copy that will be your approval of carrying out chimpanzee trekking safari.
On a Uganda safari with African Vacation Safari, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park is perfectly done during the dry season or the peak season that is during the months of June to September and then December to February, that’s when the park receives less or no rainfall. That’s when the chimpanzee trekking trails will be easily passable and this makes trekking very easy with the perfect spots of the chimpanzees that makes the experience exciting. However the rainy or wet season is however preferred by the tourists most especially by the budget travelers as that’s when the lodge’s costs are low and then the park cannot be congested thus offering the best experience. Although during rainy season it can be rainy at almost any time you are advised to prepare for the slippery and then muddy trails that will make the experience rewarding as well. So chimpanzee trekking is done yearly depending on the traveler’s choice and then preference that makes the experience with unforgettable safari memories.