Budongo forest chimpanzee trekking
Budongo forest chimpanzee trekking Uganda ; Chimpanzee trekking is one of the interesting activities in Budongo forest where visitors will be able to move into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their habitat. Budongo forest is located in Murchison falls national park which is the largest protected area in Uganda. Budongo forest is a home of over 464 tree species, 24 mammals including buffaloes, 9 types of primates including chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, over 300 butterflies and different bird species.
Chimpanzee trekking experience in Budongo forest
Budongo forest is a home of over 600 chimpanzees and trekking starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the chimpanzees which takes about 2 to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located. During trekking, you will be able to view other wildlife species and once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to learn more about their habits, behaviours, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
Budongo forest also offers chimpanzee habituation experience where the wild chimpanzees are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Chimpanzee habituation experience takes a period of about 2 years to be complete and its only available in the low season during the months of march to June and October. Travellers who engage in the habituation experience will be allowed to spend four hours with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Cost of chimpanzee trekking permits in Budongo forest
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Budongo forest cost 130 USD per person for foreign non residents, 120 USD per person for foreign residents and 85 USD per person for East African citizens during the high season while a chimpanzee trekking permit in Budongo forest during the low season cost 120 USD per person for foreign non residents, 110 USD per person for foreign residents and 80 USD per person for East African citizens.
Chimpanzee habituation permit in Budongo forest costs 230 USD per person for foreign non residents, 160 USD per person for foreign residents and 90 USD per person for East African citizens.
The price for a chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation permit excludes park entrance fees which costs 45 USD per person for foreign non residents, 35 USD per person for foreign residents and 25,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
How to purchase chimpanzee trekking permits in Budongo forest?
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Budongo forest can either be booked through Uganda lodges or through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to trek the gorillas. After contacting us, we will check for permit availability and if there are permits available, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once the payment has been made, we will be able to purchase the permit on your behalf.
Best time to go for Budongo forest chimpanzee trekking Uganda safari
Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during the dry season there is less rainfall in the forest therefore chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy.
Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest can also be done in the low season during the months of March to May and October because that’s the best period when you will be able to engage in chimpanzee habituation experience where you will be able to spend four hours with the chimpanzees.
What to pack for your chimpanzee trekking safari in Budongo forest
When going on a chimpanzee trekking safari in Budongo forest, there are a number of essential items that you should pack including hiking shoes, long sleeved shirt and trouser, garden gloves, insect repellent, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, energy snacks and drinking water, walking stick, long cotton socks, hat and sunglasses, face mask, waterproof rain jacket, warm sweater, back pack among others.
Where to stay during your chimpanzee trekking safari in Budongo forest
There are various accommodation facilities in and around Budongo forest where you can stay during your chimpanzee trekking safari including Murchison River Lodge, Red Chilli Rest Camp, Paraa Safari Lodge, Twiga Safari Lodge, Murchison Falls Bamboo Village, Pakuba Safari Lodge, Sambiya River Lodge, Murchison Treehouse, Parkside Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Amuka Safari Lodge, Bwana Tembo Safari Lodge among others.
How to get to Budongo forest
Budongo forest is located in Murchison falls national park and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala or Entebbe via Masindi to Budongo forest which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive in a safari vehicle.
Budongo forest can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter domestic flights with Aerolink Uganda or Bar Aviation from Entebbe international airport to Pakuba or Bugungu airstrips and then connect to Budongo forest by road.
For more information about Budongo forest chimpanzee trekking, do not hesitate to reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various chimpanzee trekking safari packages.
