Travel guide to Kibale forest national park

Travel guide to Kibale forest national park; Kibale forest national park is located in western part of Uganda in Kabarole district. Kibale forest national park is also known as the primate capital because it’s a home of 13 primate species including over 1,500 chimpanzees, grey cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, olive baboons among others. Kibale forest national park is also a home of over 374 bird species and different animals like bush elephants, bushbucks, duikers, sitatungas, warthogs, giant forest hogs among others.

Activities in Kibale forest national park

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzee trekking is the major activity in Kibale forest national park where travelers will be able to move on foot into the tropical rainfall in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park can either be done in the morning at 8:00am or in the afternoon at 2:00pm and each session starts with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations at Kanyachu park headquarters. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 2 hours to 5 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. 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 habitat which gives you an opportunity to watch them feed, breastfeed, play, hunt, mate, fight, rest, groom young ones, take photos and record videos to show people back home.

Chimpanzee habituation experience

Chimpanzee habituation experience is an adventurous activity where the wild chimpanzees are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Chimpanzee habituation experience is the second best done activity in Kibale forest national park and it starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations just like chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest which takes a whole day and once the chimpanzee are found, you will be allowed to spend four hours with them in their habitat, Travel guide to Kibale forest national park

Nature walks

Nature walk is an interesting activity in Kibale forest national park where travelers will be able to explore the park on foot with the company of an experienced park guide and an armed park ranger to protect you from any danger. Guided nature walks in Kibale forest national park can either be done in the morning or at night and they start from Kanyachu visitors Centre with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations. During the nature walk, you will be able to view primates like black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, view different bird species like the great blue turaco, blue-breasted kingfisher, view nocturnal animals like pottos, bush babies, colorful butterflies among others.

Bird watching

Kibale forest national park is a home of over 374 recorded bird species including endemic birds, forest birds and migratory birds which makes it one of the best bird-watching destinations in Uganda. Bird watching in Kibale forest national park can either be done very early in the evening or in the afternoon with an experienced bird guide who will help you to spot different bird species including Nahans Francolin, Masked Apalis, Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue Headed Bee-eater, African Green Pigeon, Collared Apalis, Black Billed Turaco, African Emerald Cuckoo, Black Bee-eater, African Pitta, White Shrike Flycatcher, African Jacana, Yellow Spotted Nicator, Black-billed Waxbill, Brown Eared Woodpecker, Papyrus Gonolek, Abyssinian ground thrush, White Collared Olive, Papyrus Canary among others.

Children activities

Kibale forest national park is the only destination that offers children activities for children below the age of 12 years as they are not allowed to engage in chimpanzee trekking. Children activities in Kibale forest national park include forest walks where children will be able to view different animals, birds, primates, photography, batik making, games, pond dipping among others. During the children activities, children will be accompanied by experienced and kid friendly park guides and rangers.

Best time to visit Kibale forest national park

Kibale forest national park can be visited all year round though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is less or little rainfall in the park therefore chimpanzee trekking and nature walk trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy.

Kibale forest national park can also be visited in the wet season during the months of march, April, may, October and November because during this period there is plenty of food therefore chimpanzees will easily be located and it’s also the best time for bird watching where bird lovers will be able to view migratory bird species, Travel guide to Kibale forest national park

How to get to Kibale forest national park

Kibale forest national park is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by both road and air transport means. When using road transport means, you will drive from Kampala via Mubende, Fort portal or Masaka Mbarara to the park headquarters which takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive.

Kibale forest national park can also be accessed from Queen Elizabeth national park which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive.

When using air transport means, you will book scheduled or charter flights with Aero link Uganda or Bar aviation from Entebbe international airport to Kasese or Semuliki airstrips and then connect to the park headquarters by road which takes about 2 hours’ drive, Travel guide to Kibale forest national parkTravel guide to Kibale forest national park

Where to stay in Kibale forest national park

Kibale forest national park has a number of accommodation facilities ranging from budget, midrange and luxury where you travelers can stay during the safari including Chimpundu Lodge, Kibale Forest Lodge, Isunga Lodge, Primate Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Rweteera Safari Park, Kibale River Camp, Ataco Country Resort, Turaco Treetops Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve and Community Campsite, Papaya Lake Lodge among others.

For exceptional experiences on the safari, activities in Kibale forest national park can be combined with activities in Queen Elizabeth national park such as game drives, Boat cruise on Kazinga channel, bird watching, guided nature walks, lion tracking experience, cultural tours among others. You can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris for more information of Uganda safari packages.