Visit Kibale Forest National Park for amazing chimpanzee tracking and habituation safaris, a verdant birdlife and amazing crater lakes tour among other major reasons. Kibale Forest National Park is truly a sight to behold, because it is here that you will journey deep into the jungles in search of over 13 species of primates, including the legendary chimpanzees.
The numerous primates, unique tree species, plethora of bird species and reptiles of the rainforest are the main drawcard for visitors to this pristine forest. Here, more than 1,500 of Uganda’s total chimpanzee population exist alongside enchanting bird species, in one of Uganda’s verdant and biodiverse rainforests. That’s about 30% of 5,000 total individuals.
Primate capital of the world
Hiking through the mighty Kibale forest on a chimpanzee tracking experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for nature enthusiasts. Our eagle-eyed rangers and guides watch keenly with their binoculars for any sign of primate motion to alert visitors. They will help you spot and identify some of the 13 primate species on the ground or in the trees.
So, expect to see the chimpanzees, that are undeniably the stars of the show in this forest. Don’t miss the grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, and Pottos, and red-tailed, blue, black and white colobus, Dent’s Mona, and L’Hoests monkeys among others.
Most incredible and affordable Chimpanzee trekking destination
Seeing the chimpanzees in the wild is on many visitors’ bucket list, with Africa being the best, if not, the only continent to see these great apes in their natural habitats. There are a number of places to see these great apes but incredibility and affordability are the two words to describe chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park.
Only place for the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
There are many places in Africa which offer the opportunity of tracking chimpanzees. But it’s only in Kibale Forest National Park that tourists are allowed to accompany researchers into the jungles to visit wild or semi-wild chimpanzees undergoing habituation. Chimpanzee habituation is done to make the wild chimpanzees get accustomed to human presence. With this experience, visitors have the entire day in the jungle to watch them wake up, feed or forage, groom, mothers breastfeeding their young ones, play and finally nest in the evening.
A chance to encounter an incredible array of bird species
With over 340 species of birds within the 795-square kilometer forest, it is an interesting hotbed for avian activity and unsurprisingly an ‘important birding area’ in Uganda. If birding is done in the company of guides and rangers, you are guaranteed of perfect spotting and identifying of bird species encountered along the way.
Giving back to the Local communities – Visit Kibale Forest National Park
As jaw-dropping as the fauna and flora of Kibale Forest National Park are, the memories you will treasure most from your safari is the visit to Bigodi wetland Sanctuary managed by a community-based organization (CBO) known as Kibale Association For Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED).
Funds from this project are used for improving health and sanitation, through construction of water wells or springs as well as health centers. Some are donated for school supplies to nearby local schools as well as sensitizing villages on the importance of conservation.
Spend nights in the middle of the Jungle
The safari lodges or tented camps around Kibale forest are enough reason to why you should visit Kibale Forest National Park. Much as the accommodation facilities have remote locations, they are more than magical with great service, uncompromised comfort, breathtaking views and special amenities such as swimming pools, hot tubs and many others.
More Information about Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park is a 795-square kilometer national park which was gazetted in 1993, in western Uganda. The park is considered one of the last existing tracts of lowland and montane rainforests, siting between 1,100 and 1,600 meters above sea level. It forms a continuous forest with the popular Queen Elizabeth National Park and one of the most biodiverse places in Africa.
There are over 60 species of mammals including 13 primate species, chimpanzees, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and olive baboons, and L’Hoests, and red-tailed monkeys among others. There are giant forest hogs, elephants, sitatunga, Defassa waterbucks, duikers, leopards, serval cats, African golden cats, bush pigs, common warthogs and many others.
The birdlife in this park is bountiful, totaling to over 320 species. These include the green-breasted Pitta, African pied wagtail, great blue turaco, African grey parrots, Tropical Boubou, slender-billed weavers, and western tinkerbird. There is also the grey-crowned cranes, African Pitta and many others. The tree diversity, reptiles and Amphibians in Kibale Forest National Park also connive to make it a magical destination, as a result.
Luxurious Accommodation facilities in Kibale Forest National Park
The luxurious accommodation facilities in Kibale Forest National Park help travelers find the perfect travel experience in the wilderness, while offering the feeling of being home away from home. Such lodges include Primate Lodge, Chimps Nest, Crater Safari Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, Kibale Forest Camp, Ndali Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge and Papaya Lake Lodge among others.
How to get there
Kibale Forest National Park is situated in western Uganda, approximately 320 kilometers from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The park is 22 kilometers south-east of famous Fort Portal city. The commonest and quickest route to get to this park is the Kampala-Mityana-Mubende-Fort Portal highway, reaching the Kanyanchu Reception Center.