Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda
Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda
One of the popular activities in Uganda’s various tourism destinations is chimpanzee trekking. Uganda is home to over 5000 chimpanzees and these chimpanzees reside not only in one location but in several . Kibale National Park is home to over 1500 chimpanzees, which represents the largest percentage of chimpanzees in Uganda. Chimpanzees are also found in Kyambura Gorge, which is located in Queen Elizabeth National Park; Kalinzu Forest, situated in Bushenyi District and close to Queen Elizabeth National Park; and Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park, the largest national park in Uganda. The locations where the chimpanzees reside receive the largest number of visitors in the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February, and these months are considered the peak season. In the dry season, visitors come in large numbers because the roads are accessible, and they can easily reach the places where the chimpanzees ate. The trails in these destinations are also dry and enable the visitors to trek through with comfort.
Where To Conduct Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda
- Kibale national park
Kibale national park is the best destination in Uganda to conduct a chimpanzee trek because it harbors the biggest percentage of chimpanzees in the country. This national park is also referred to as the primates’ capital due to the various primate species it harbors, amounting to about 13 species. Kibale national park is home to over 1500 chimpanzees and visitors who visit this park get to see the chimpanzees while on a chimpanzee trek, where they are granted an hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitats, where they get to share moments and take photos of the primates. At Kibale national park, chimpanzee habituation is also conducted and here, someone gets the opportunity to stay with the chimpanzees for more than 1 hour and get to make their observations on how the chimpanzees associate with people, feed and play. The chimpanzee habituation process takes about 2 years, and here the chimpanzees are exposed to the human presence.
- Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park
Budongo forest that is situated in the southern part of Murchison falls national park is a haven to about 600 chimpanzees. Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest takes 4 hours to spot the chimpanzees and you are granted one hour to spend with the chimpanzees and you are allowed to capture moments with the chimpanzees as you observe how they feed, play and many more. A guide escorts you to the forest to conduct chimpanzee trekking after you are briefed and given the rules to follow.
- Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park
Chimpanzee trekking is also done in the Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and this activity is done in groups of no more than six people. The chimpanzee trekking in kyambura gorge may take 30 minutes to 4 hours to spot the chimpanzees, depending on their location. After spotting the chimpanzees, you are allowed to stay with them in their natural habitats for only one hour. You are free to take videos and pictures as you get to know their behavior, like how they play, feed, associate and many more.
- Kalinzu forest
Kalinzu forest is one of the chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda and this forest offers interesting views of the primates. Kalinzu forest is found near Queen Elizabeth national park in Bushenyi district and Chimpanzee trekking in this forest is done after brief and visitors are given a guide to escort them after the briefing. The trek takes about 4 hours, depending on the location of the chimpanzees in the forest. Visitors are given only one hour to stay with the chimpanzees and then they can leave after observing and enjoying moments with them as they take photos.
Best Time To Visit Uganda For Chimpanzee Trekking.
Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is done all year through in the chimpanzee trekking destinations but it has the best season in which visitors can opt to visit and engage in it. The best time of the year to visit Uganda for chimpanzee trekking is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. In this season, there is easy access to these primates since the roads that lead to the destinations that shelter the chimpanzees are dry, which makes transportation easy. The trails in the park are also dry and less slippery, enabling easy movements of the visitors in the forest, unlike in the rainy season when the trails are slippery. Due to a lack of enough rainfall in the dry season, the vegetation in the park is thin, making it easy for visitors to spot the chimpanzees.
How Much Is A Chimpanzee Trekking Permit In Uganda
The cost of the chimpanzee trekking permit varies depending on the place where you are conducting it. There are several chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda and these charge for their permits differently and the destinations include Kibale national park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park, Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park and kalinzu forest. Below are the different costs of the chimpanzee trekking permits according to the destinations.
- Kibale national park
A chimpanzee trekking permit for foreign non residents costs 250 US Dollars, 200 US Dollars for foreign residents and 180,000 Ugandan shillings for East African citizens
- Budongo forest
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Budongo forest costs 230 US Dollars for foreign non-residents, 120 US Dollars for foreign residents and 85 US Dollars for East African citizens.
- Kyambura gorge
Chimpanzee trekking permits in kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park costs 100 US Dollars fir foreign non-residents, 80 US Dollars for foreign residents and 50,000 Ugandan shillings for East African citizens.
- Kalinzu forest
Chimpanzee trekking permit for foreign non residents in kalinzu forest costs 130 US Dollars for foreign non residents, 65 US Dollars for foreign residents and 65 US Dollars for East African citizens
