3 Days Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Kibale Forest

1. Chimpanzee tracking
2. Nature walk
3. Primates walk in Kanyanchu
4. Visiting the local Community

Day 1: Pickup and transfer to Kibale National Park – Nature walk at the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.

A driver from Mission Africa Safaris will pick you from the airport to start your 4-hour journey to Kibale National Park. You will continue to Fort Portal town via Mubende where your will have lunch. Fort Portal is one of the most beautiful towns in Uganda. If time allows, the Guide will take you to spot the ‘Amabere ga nyina mwiru’ caves, the King (Omukama’s) palace and the royal tombs in Karambi. During your journey, you will be impressed by the beautiful sites of cater lakes and the Rwenzori Mountains. Once you arrive at the park, you will be taken to your place of accommodation for a guided nature walk in Bigodi swamp. Bigodi wetlands sanctuary is one of the best places to see birds in Uganda. It is also host to several primates and creatures like the swamp antelope (Sitatunga), Bush bucks, Mongooses, Bush pigs and Otters. The Bigodi Swamp is home to the Papyrus Gonolek, Hornbills, Weaver birds, Waxbills, Kingfishers, Cuckoos, Flycatchers and the Great Blue Turaco.

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse for Budget and Mid-range accommodation. The luxury lodge will be Papaya Lake lodge.

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking (or chimpanzee habituation experience), primates walk in Kanyanchu and birding excursion

Wake up early and ensure that you take heavy breakfast in preparation for a long day of activities. The key activity will be chimpanzee tracking during the Kanyanchu primates walk. The walk will expose you to the thirteen primates found in Kibale National park and beautiful rain-forest, trees and butterflies. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale starts with a briefing at the park office. The Rangers will locate the group by following their hoots and calls. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale is more predictable compared to the ones in Nyungwe in Rwanda or Budongo forest in Murchison Falls National Park. They are easier to find than anywhere else in Uganda. 3 large communities of chimps have been habituated in Kibale forest. An advance team is sent to locate them before letting the lead ranger know using radio call. Chimpanzee trekking takes between two to four hours depending on the location of the particular group you are assigned.

Chimpanzee communities have complex social structures with the large males acting as protectors of the group. Unlike mountain gorillas, the reign of a dominant chimp alpha male is short-lived because he has to deal with far more challenges especially when you consider the size of chimp communities. Moreover, chimp communities tend to split into smaller groups to feed during times of scarcity.  During your one-hour encounter with the Chimps, you will notice that they are very mobile primates. They tend to move a lot and do not stay on the ground most of the time like mountain gorillas. You have to prepare to follow them for a while as they swing from tree to tree. Chimps are also very noisy and vocal compared to mountain gorillas. Apart from the chimps, the primates walk in Kanyanchu will expose you to all of the primates in the park including pottos, Grey Vervet Monkeys, baboons, Colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey checked mangabey, blue monkeys and Red Tailed Monkeys.

After being with one chimp family for an hour, you will continue to see the other primates in the park before returning back to your hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, you will go to the boardwalk trail for birding. The Guide will share with your information about the forest, its history and the creatures that call it home. The afternoon boardwalk is only for those who would be doing chimpanzee trekking. If you are booked for the chimpanzee habituation experience, then you will have no time for birding.

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse for Budget and Mid-range accommodation. The luxury lodge will be Papaya Lake lodge.

Day 3: Visit the Community – transfer back to Entebbe or Kampala

Wake up at your leisure and take breakfast. Prepare to go for a village walk before starting the journey back to Kampala in the middle of the day. While with the community, you will learn about their customs and cultural heritage. You will walk through the village or visit one of the homes to meet the elders who have vast knowledge about the area and its history. You could even visit the church, school and eat some of the local food. It should not be all about the wildlife. Ugandans are super friendly to foreigners. If you missed visiting the Palace of the King of Toro or the Karambi tombs for some reason, this is the time visit.  Lunch will be along the way. The scenery around Fort Portal and this part of Uganda is breathtaking. Look out for the rugged hills, tea plantations, local farms of Ankole cattle and peasants working in their gardens. The driver will drop you at a location in Kampala or at the Airport.

End of Safari

Tour includes:

1. Chimpanzee permits or Chimpanzee habituation permits
2. Visiting the Bigodi Wetlands sanctuary
3. Park entrance fees
4. Driver/ Guide fees
5. Transportation in a tour van
6. Accommodation for 2 nights
7. Meals and water throughout the trip
8. Airport transfers

The tour Excludes

1. Private Expenses like laundry, alcoholic drinks and tips
2. Airplane Tickets and Visa Fees
3. Hotels expenses for the night before and after the trip

1. Sturdy and water proof hiking boots to help you navigate through thick forest and slippery terrain. It is also important to have good hand gloves to help when grabbing thorny leaves and tree branches.
2. Long sleeved shirts, trousers and socks to help protect against insects and sharp trees. The socks should be tucked in the trousers.
3. Go prepared with a rain jacket and sweater especially during the wet season.
4. An Insect repellent to keep off mosquitoes and many of the other tropical insects
5. A hat to protect against the sun.
6. If you are not used to the different jungle sounds, carry with you ear plugs
7. It is important to carry enough drinking water and packed lunch when heading out to track chimpanzees. The activity can take longer than expected and leave you exhausted and hungry. Light snacks and water will give you energy
8. Never forget to move with a good Camera and binoculars. Chimps love to swing on top of trees and without a good binocular, you may not see the primates well.

1. There is an age limit for chimpanzee trekking. Those who are 13 years and below cannot track chimpanzees.
2. Smoking while next to the chimpanzees is not allowed. If one needs to smoke, they need to keep a distance of at least 200 meters.
3. Remember to always keep a distance of about 21 feet away from the nearest chimpanzee. Chimpanzees can be more aggressive than gorillas. Each individual has a different character. Some are more aggressive than the others. The Rangers know the different members and their temperament and will warn you to keep away from specific individuals.
4. It is not a good idea to use flash cameras while with the chimpanzees. It may scare them away and force them to move or climb to the top of the trees hence affecting the quality of your trek.
5. Making sudden movements or noises may alert the chimps.
6. Those who are sick with any transferable disease are not allowed into the park. If you find yourself with flue, colds/cough while on safari, volunteer not to go near the chimps until you are cleared medically.
7. It is not a good idea to surround the chimps while observing them. Stay in a close group and leave space for them to move about.

Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse: This lodge is located close to the park – 22 kilometers away from the town of Fort Portal. It offers both budget and mid-range facilities. The first impression on reaching the Guesthouse are the tea plantations, forests and well-manicured lawns. The lodge offers great views of the Rwenzori mountains, crater lakes and the park. Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse was once the residence of a District Commissioner C.W Switzer during British Colonial rule in the 1950’s. It was later renovated and turned into a beautiful Lodge in 2003. Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse is currently run by the family of the late John Switzer. John was a known tea grower and son to C.W Switzer.

Most of the internal decorations and paintings about Uganda and African society in the 1800’s can still be viewed by guests in the hotel. The colonial building has only two rooms but the others are built in form of bandas with grass thatched roofs. The rooms are all self-contained with modern bathrooms and hot showers. The hotel serves tasty food that includes fresh local vegetables, fruits, fresh bread, cold drinks and African tea/coffee.

Turaco Treetops: This is one of the best lodges in Kibale National Park. It is built to allow travelers get immersed in nature. The lodge is not only surrounded by thick forest and vegetation but is also offers stunning views of Kibale forest. Many of the butterflies, monkeys and birds that roam the park come to the lodge compound. It is therefore possible to spot Colobus Monkeys, vervet monkeys and even nocturnal primates like Bush Babies while relaxing at the lodge. The main building has a restaurant, a bar and a lounge area with a fireplace. One can go to the outside balcony to enjoy tasty food, drink, read a book or marvel at the Rwenzori ranges of mountains in the horizon. There is free Wi-Fi from every part of the building and a large pool for relaxation after a long day tracking the chimps.

Turaco Tree tops has built a children’s playground and indoor children’s room in the main building where families with children can relax and have fun. This children’s playground is important because they cannot go out with the parents to track the chimps.  Turaco Tre tops is excellent for visitors who are planning to do chimpanzee trekking, Forest Walks, Village walks, Birding, visiting the crater lakes, visiting the Bigodi wetlands sanctuary and tea plantations.

Papaya Lake Lodge: Papaya lodge is a luxury accommodation facility built overlooking two crater lakes – Kifuruka and Lyantonde. It is built on a hill (elevated) that offers great views of the Rwenzori mountains and the two lakes. Papaya lodge is owned by a couple who left life in Europe after discovering the raw beauty of Africa. They decided to venture into tourism by providing quality accommodation. The lodge has one villa and 8 cottages. The rooms cottages are built with a blend of local materials and modern finishes including high-end light fittings and local art.  The cottages are well spaced to give occupants a sense of privacy. Each cottage comes with a large bed and a smaller one. The rooms are furnished with mosquito nets, showers, toilets and wash basins. The Villa has three bedrooms with a lounge area, outside terrace and fireplace. Among the facilities at the lodge are a restaurant, bar, lounge area and swimming pool. The lodge has excellent Chefs who prepare food from all over the world.  Ingredients are got fresh from the Lodge gardens or local markets. Papaya Lake Lodge is an excellent choice for those who want a relaxed place to use as a base to tour not only Kibale National Park but the other parks in the area.