Best places to see Chimpanzees in Uganda

Best places to see Chimpanzees in Uganda, chimpanzee trekking is one of the unique activities to do for any traveler visiting Uganda to see chimpanzees in their natural habitat Chimpanzee trek in takes 3 to 4 hours, half day or full day depending on the movement of chimps in the forest, once they are found you will stay for one hour with these amazing creatures to watch them eating, resting and playing great experience and worth the money. The trek also gives chances of viewing other primates, reptiles and mammals like forest Elephants, Monkeys, Butterflies, depending on your luck and sighting during the trek through the forest.

The Best places to see Chimpanzees in Uganda is Kibale Forest National Park,

Kibale Forest National Park is best known for its number and variety of resident primates with 13 species of primates including the largest population of chimpanzees in Uganda estimated at over 1500 chimpanzees, other primates found in Kibale Forest include the nocturnal bushbaby and potto, Monkeys, baboons among others. Kibale forest national park is also a popular destination for birders with over 335 bird species recorded. Other Best places for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda where to go for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda include;

Budongo Central Forest Reserve and its activities is under the management Uganda Lodges and National Forestry Authority where as for Kibale Forest National Park this is managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority. Chimpanzee permits are very essential for you to be allowed to trek chimpanzees in Budongo and Kibale Forest National Park

Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge is among the activities done in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This can be done in Kyambura Gorge which is within the Park. The chimpanzee tracking is done in the morning and afternoon and we can book you the permits and organize this trek for you depending on the itinerary and timing of the activities. The Chimpanzee permit for Kyambura costs USD50 per person per trek which is way cheaper compared to other chimpanzee trekking destinations whereas a chimpanzee permit in Kalinzu forest is $40 which is much cheaper compared to Kyambura. Chimpanzee permits can be booked at the reception Centre of the reserve or more conveniently through a tour operator.

Kalinzu Forest is found adjacent to the famous Queen Elizabeth National park and Maramagambo forest in Bushenyi district Western Uganda. The Forest is has about 414 Species of trees, it harbors 378 Species of Birds, six different Species of Primates, Blue Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys and Chimpanzees, 262 Butterflies, 97 Moths, Reptiles and Flowers. There are about 200 chimpanzees found in Kalinzu forest and are the main attraction with over 70 habituated chimps for trekking every day by visitors, these stay into two communities. Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and National Forestry Authority. The forest is safe, there are combined efforts for protection and conservation of nature.

How is chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park worth the money?

Chimpanzee trekking is one of the activities mostly booked by travelers visiting Kibale National Park to see chimpanzees and many have reviewed the experience as unforgettable, magical and life-changing worth the money spent.

What you pay for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park that is $200 this gives you an opportunity to learn more about how the endangered habituated chimpanzees that are still surviving in Kibale forest as this gives you a great travel and learning experience. The money paid also helps in conservation of the chimpanzees and their natural habitat Kibale National Park. If here was no chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, Kibale forest would be all destroyed by now through encroachments from the communities but with the existence of this activity which also brings in foreign exchange to the country and the local communities around the forest when you visit and pay the entrance fees this has encouraged the local communities and the government of Uganda through Uganda Wildlife Authority to protect the original home of these chimpanzees which has in turn promoted environmental conservation in Uganda, this makes the money spent on chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park worth.

Money spent on chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park through your chimpanzee trekking permit and park entrance fees also helps to benefit the local communities that leave around Kibale National Park this in turn encourages the local communities to conserve and protect these chimpanzees since their importance is known by the local communities through the 20% money they receive every year off the permit and park entrance fees paid by tourists who do chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park. This money goes directly through payment of the local communities who are on the lead committees and indirectly through infrastructure and projects that help contribute to a better life of the local communities through construction of schools, hospitals and practicing agriculture, this thus also makes the money spent on chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park worth.

What is the cost and money spent on chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park?

The cost of chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park depends on days to spend and places where to stay on your safari to Kibale National Park for this activity. A chimpanzee trekking permit costs $200 for a foreign non-resident, $150 for a resident and 150,000 Uganda Shilling for the East African Citizen per person per trek, this permit gives you an opportunity to spend 1 hour encounter with the habituated chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. On top of the permit you will also pay other services for a successful chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park which include transport, accommodation and guiding. Below are the popular chimpanzee trekking safaris in Kibale National Park for you to choose from;

How to book chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park

You will need to have your chimpanzee trekking permit secured in advanced to confirm that you are booked for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park. Once you have your planned dates of travel confirmed we will need you to send us an email here so that we check for availability of chimpanzee trekking permits online with the Uganda Wildlife Authority once we confirm permits are available for your planned dates we will let you know so that we can send you an invoice for you to make payment for the permits. Once the payment is done and we have received it on our account we will go ahead and purchase your permits immediately and send you a scanned copy of the permits for your records and perusal, this will confirm you are booked for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park. It is advised to book your permits in advance atleast 2-3 months prior your visit given the fact these sell out very quickly on first come first serve basis.

Best time for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park

The best time to do chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park is during the months of June to October and December to March during this time it is a dry season in Uganda with mild rainfall making it easy for the treks in the Forests, as well during this time the vegetation is not fully grown and it is easy for viewing the chimpanzees offering great sights for photographs. During the other months of April, May and November which is normally a wet season this makes the vegetations grow high making the sightings unclear however during this time the treks tend to be shorter given the fact chimpanzees don’t move further distances looking for food, food is readily available in the forest compared to the dry seasons. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park is a very well organized activity and you have 99% chances of seeing chimpanzees in their natural habitat Kibale forest anytime of the year.

Where to stay during your chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park

Lodge and Hotel options in Kibale Forest National Park, Budget options include Chimpanzee Forest Guest House, Isunga Lodge, Mountains of the Moon, Rwenzori view Guest House, Kibale Home Stay among others these cost USD90-100 per person per night, mid-range include Kibale Forest Camp, Turaco Treetops Lodge and Prime Lodge Kibale among others these cost USD150-200 per person per night, Luxury options include Ndali Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge and Kyaninga Lodge these cost USD250-700 per person per night.

How to access Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking

By Road; Kibale Forest National Park can be accessed through the main safari circuit from Entebbe/Kampala to Fortportal which approximately 4-5 hours drive. You can as well access the park through Kampala-Mabara-Kasese highway, from Kasese you will connect to the Kibale Forest with 1-2 hours drive.

By Air; You can fly from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala’s Kajjansi airfield to Kasese airstrip from here you will transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. Scheduled and chartered flights are available and operated by domestic airline operators of Aero link and Fly Uganda. You will need to plan with your tour operator for a transfer from Kasese airstrip to your hotel in Kibale National Park.

Why book chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park with Eco Adventure Safaris?

Eco Adventure Safaris takes pride in customizing tailor-made chimpanzee trekking safaris in Kibale National Park. It has a very diligent and trustworthy team. Your queries are answered within 20 minutes by our team of professional tour consultants. These consultants will make a travel plan for you, answer all your questions, and make sure all your services are booked in advance for you to avoid inconveniences and you will be able to feel the worth of doing the chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park. We also have very knowledgeable safari guides depending on your language preferences. It all depends on your preference. Feel free to contact us here about the Best places to see Chimpanzees in Uganda.