Can I Trek Chimpanzees Twice in Kibale National Park?
Can I Trek Chimpanzees Twice in Kibale National Park?
Yes, one Can I trek chimpanzees twice in Kibale National Park, The Park is found in the southwest part of Uganda in the Fort Portal district, covering over 774 square kilometers. Kibale was gazetted and established to protect the primates in the area, bird species, insects, reptiles, and other wildlife species. It’s known as the “primate capital of the world” and is home to Uganda’s largest population of chimpanzees.
Kibale National Park is home to over 1,500 chimpanzees, making it the largest in Uganda. It is also home to other wildlife, including primates such as blue, red-tailed, vervet, black and white colobus, and olive baboons.
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Trekking chimpanzees in Kibale twice is possible when you book chimpanzee permits for two or more days. One is allowed to book as many chimpanzees permits as long as there is availability. For those interested in trekking chimpanzees in Kibale more than once or twice, please get in touch with us; we will advise accordingly.
Chimpanzee trekking
Kibale National Park is the best place in Uganda to go chimpanzee trekking because of the large number of chimps in the National Park, amounting to over 1500 chimpanzees. To be able to participate in chimpanzee trekking, one needs first to purchase a trekking permit, which is the only document that will give you access to the chimpanzees.
Chimpanzee trekking permit
Chimpanzee trekking permits are the formal legal documents used to gain access to chimpanzees. Permits are always in high demand, and we strongly suggest that you book in advance, especially during the peak season, when they are sometimes sold out. Booking a chimpanzee permit can be done through a licensed tour operator, and a deposit to the account will confirm your safari. The first step to securing a chimpanzee permit is to identify the tour operator you will use and provide your details and the trek date you want. After confirmation, processing the permit and planning your safari will begin.
The cost of a chimpanzee permit in Kibale National Park was set up by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to limit the number of people visiting the chimpanzees to protect them.
- East African citizens 180,000 UGX
- Foreign residents $200
- Foreign non-residents $250 per person
Chimpanzee trekking rules and regulations
- You need to keep a distance of 7 meters between you and the chimpanzees.
- When taking photos, make sure that you turn off the flashlights.
- You should not eat, drink, or smoke while with the gorillas
- Dig a hole of 30 cm deep when you feel like going to the toilet while in the forest, and cover it well.
- Do not approach them, and if they approach you, follow the instructions given to you by the guides.
- Do not feed the chimpanzees.
Packing list for a chimpanzee trek
For a memorable chimpanzee trekking experience, you will need to have the correct packing list and not carry extra and unnecessary, and that is why we have come up with a trek packing list to ensure that you have the right things to enjoy your chimpanzee safari in Kibale National Park. The packing list includes garden gloves, neutral-colored long-sleeved shirts and trousers, insect repellent, sunscreen, a sunhat, a camera with extra batteries and lenses, binoculars, strong hike boots, a day backpack, snacks, bottled drinking water, a rain jacket and garden gloves among others. You can also carry personal hygiene items.
Chimpanzee habituation experience
This is a whole new experience for tourists as you get to follow the researchers and learn about the behaviors of the chimpanzees, take as many photos and videos as you can, learn more about their lifestyle, what they feed on, their hunting spots, and how they feed and groom, their young ones.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
Unlike normal chimpanzee trekking, where you get to spend an hour with the chimps, the chimpanzee habituation experience takes the whole day in Kibale National Park, starting as early as 6:00 a.m. with a briefing about what to expect during the process and the rules and regulations that need to be followed.
During the trek, you can catch glimpses of other primates like monkeys, bird species, and butterflies.
Chimp habituation permit cost
- Foreign non-residents $300
- Foreign residents $250
- EAC citizens UGX 250, 000
Other activities to do Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest National Park.
There are Other Activities to Do in Kibale After Chimpanzee Trekking that are interesting. They include Chimpanzee Habituation, visiting the Bigodi swamp, bird watching, and cultural trips. You can also embark on night nature walks to see nocturnal animal species.
Chimpanzee Habituation
Chimpanzee Habituation is the process of visiting semi-habituated chimpanzees. Unlike the normal trekking exercise, this activity takes more time. Normal trekking allows tourists to stay for one hour in the presence of the chimpanzees. Meanwhile, habituation allows tourists to stay for 4 hours in the presence of the chimpanzees.
Bird watching
Bird watching in Kibale National Park is home to over 370 bird species, including endemic and migratory ones. Some of the bird species you should look out for include the black and white shrike flycatcher, African emerald cuckoo, yellow-rumped tinker bird, blue-breasted kingfisher, crowned eagle, black-capped Apalis, Yellow-spotted Nicator, African jacana, Little Greenbul, dusky Crimsonwing, white shrike flycatcher, African pied pigtail, blue-throated roller, yellow billed barbet and African green pigeon among others.
Nature walks
This is one of the activities that tourists can carry out while in Kibale National Park, and it allows you to explore the vast forest on foot and get in touch with nature. In the company of a tour guide, you get a real close-up of the wildlife in the park, including black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoests monkeys, forest elephants, several bird species, and red-tailed monkeys, among others.
Cultural trips
There is no better way to learn more about the local people than going for a cultural trip to the nearby villages. This is the best way to know about the lifestyle of the local people and interact with them. you also get a chance to purchase some souvenirs to support the community. The local communities that live around Kibale National Park are mainly Batooro and Bakiga. The local people formed a group to unite them known as the Kibale Association For Rural Environment Development (KAFRED) and through this association, the locals sell their merchandise to tourists improving their living standards.
A visit to the Bigodi Wetland
Bigodi Sanctuary Wetland is outside the national park about 6 km south of Kibale Park, in Magombe Swamp. Bigodi is home to over 138 bird species and 8 primate species. These primates include red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, baboons, and blue monkeys, among others. It is also home to other wildlife species including bushbucks, warthogs, and mongoose. The guided nature walk around Bigodi takes about 2 to 4 hours. During this period, tourists get to enjoy the beautiful scenery around the wetland and interact with the local communities.
Night walks
The night forest walks start around 7:30 pm, giving tourists a chance to spot nocturnal animals like nightjars, bush babies, pottos, and forest cats, among others. The night walks can only be carried out with an experienced guide and with the help of a spotlight, tourists can easily spot the wildlife in the forest. You have to be able to follow all the rules and guidelines. These mainly include communicating in low tones, turning off your phones and never leaving the vehicle at all times.
Other chimpanzee trekking destinations
Besides chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, there are other chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda, and these are Kaniyo Pabidi and Budongo forests in Murchison Falls National Park and Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth National Park)
Chimpanzee trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is carried out in the Kyambura Gorge. The chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge might not be as many as the ones in Kibale National Park, but they are still worth the visit as you can still join the trek with a drive to see the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth.
East African citizens 50,000UGX
Foreign residents $80
Foreign non-residents $100
Kaniyo Pabidi Forest (Murchison Falls National Park)
Located within Murchison Falls National Park near the Kichumbanyobo gate, Kaniyo Pabidi is one of the untouched forests where chimpanzee trekking takes place. Although chimps here are hard to find and see, you can engage in other safari activities, like bird watching, guided nature walks, butterfly viewing, and identifying the different tree species in the forest.
Budongo forest
Also located in Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo forest is a chimpanzee trekking destination in Uganda with the largest mahogany trees in East Africa. The chimpanzee permit cost in Budongo depends on the season, and it is as follows:
East African citizens
$80
Foreign residents
$120
Foreign non-residents
$150
When to visit Kibale for chimpanzee trekking
Kibale National Park is an all-year-round chimpanzee trekking destination. Still, the best time for a safari to Kibale is during the dry/peak season in June to September and December to February. During the dry season, the national park receives less or no rainfall compared to the wet season, making it easy to trek through the forests. Note that the dry season also receives a lot of tourists during this period. Therefore, you need to book in advance to participate in chimpanzee trekking and other activities offered at the National Park.
Where to Stay in Kibale National Park.
Accommodation within and outside Kibale National Park is in three categories. These are; budget, mid-range, and luxury accommodation facilities. Some of the accommodation facilities that you can check out include Kibale Forest Guest House, Nyinabulitwa Country Resort, Primate Lodge Kibale, Chimps Nest, Kibale Forest Camp, Kyaninga Lodge, Rwetera Safari Park, Papaya Lake Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guest House, Kanyanchu River Camp, Isunga lodge, Kibale Safari Lodge and Mountains of the Moon Hotel among others.
How to get to Kibale National Park
You can get to Kibale National Park by road or air transport. Flying is much easier but expensive, and charter flights are scheduled from Kajjansi Airstrip or Entebbe International Airport to Semuliki or Kasese Airstrip, where you connect for the rest of the journey by road. Driving, on the other hand, takes between 6 to 7 hours from Kampala. You can use public transport, but we highly recommend booking through a local tour operator who will arrange private transportation for you, and you will drive from Kampala through Mubende to Fort Portal or Mbarara before connecting to Kamwenge and then driving to the headquarters of the park.
Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a Local tour operator based in Uganda with its head offices in Entebbe. Moreover, Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a business for a Ugandan native, we specialize in life-changing experiences and sustainable tours and holidays to all East African countries. We are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators and with registration from the Uganda Tourism Board. We have a good and long working relationship with Uganda Wildlife Authority making it easy to book your gorilla permits and gorilla trekking safari. Safari Vacations and Travel Services is also high in Trip Advisor reviews.
