Primates
walk (Chimpanzee tracking)
Kibale’s most popular trek starts at the Kanyanchu
Visitor Center at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. The most popular primate among
tourists is the chimpanzee, but you should also keep an eye out for the
grey-cheeked mangabey, the red-tailed monkey, and the black-and-white colobus.
Your guides will be able to show you pittas and various bird species, as well
as provide you with information on the customs of the forest’s plant life.
This is a six-person group stroll. Reservations in
advance are essential, particularly during high seas. One of the top things that many visitors to
Uganda look forward to is hiking with chimpanzees. Similar to trekking with
gorillas, it entails traversing the forest in pursuit of the chimpanzees that
continually swing from one branch to the next.
Trekking may take many hours or fewer, but each
group gets to spend an hour with the chimpanzees before returning to the camp.
There are several chimpanzee destinations in Uganda and each one of these has a
group of chimpanzees that you can trek.
Chimpanzee trekking is mainly done in the Kibale
Forest National Park and other destinations where you can go for the chimpanzee
trek include the Budongo forest, which is found in the Murchison Falls National
park, Kyambura gorge in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki wildlife
reserve, and Kalinzu forest found in Busenyi.
Trekking with chimpanzees begins very early in the
morning, with tour guides announcing the laws and regulations that travelers
must abide by. You may witness a range of bird species, red-tailed monkeys,
black and white colobus monkeys, and other primates and fauna while trekking.
Chimpanzee
trekking permit
The legal document that will grant you access to the
chimpanzees is a permit for chimpanzee trekking. Even after being issued to
you, they are still the property of the Republic of Uganda and are processed by
the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Similar to the gorilla trekking permit, only a
certain number of permits are printed each day, and they are only good from the
day of printing. The goal of the limited number of permits issued is to
minimize human-chimpanzee interactions in order to protect the primates because
of their susceptibility to illness, chimpanzees seldom contact with humans.
Making a reservation through a reputable tour
operator is the easiest way to obtain a permit for a chimpanzee trek. It is
best to allow local tour operators handle the planning since they have greater
knowledge about the booking procedure and other associated expenses.
After payment has been made, a scanned copy of the
permit, which includes information on your name, the tour organizers will email
passport details, trekking date and time, and unique serial number that sets it
apart from the others, to you.
The permit will be booked at the Uganda Wildlife
Authority. Keep in mind that these permits are nontransferable, and you will
have difficulty receiving a refund if you are unable to attend.
Cost
of the chimpanzee trekking permit
Depending on
the season, a chimpanzee trekking permit in Uganda costs different amounts.
Chimpanzee trekking attracts a diverse range of people during two distinct
seasons: the peak season, also known as the dry season, and the low season,
also known as the wet season.
A chimpanzee
trek permit in Kibale Forest National Park costs $1500 per person per day
during peak/high season, and as little as $100 per person per
day during low season. In both the high and low seasons, chimpanzee permits in
Budongo cost $90, while those in the Kyambura Gorge cost $50.
Chimpanzee
trekking in Kibale National Park
About 1500 chimpanzees, 120 of whom are habituated,
may be found at Kibale National Park, which is situated in the southwest of the
nation on. Because there are so many chimpanzees in this area, it is easy to
spot them, and trekking takes place twice a day, in the morning and the
afternoon. In Kibaale, chimpanzee trek permits cost $1500 in high season and
$100 in low season.
The Kibale National Park also conducts chimpanzee
habituation, allowing visitors to spend extended periods of time with the primates—for as long as six
hours or a whole day. The park is considered to be the greatest place in Uganda
to go chimpanzee trekking.
In addition to seeing chimpanzees, visitors can also
see other primates, such as red-tailed and colobus monkeys, as well as 400
different species of birds and other wildlife.
When doing chimpanzee tracking in the Kibale
National Park, there are a several lodging options available, such as the
Primate Lodge, the Kyaninga Lodge, Tracking chimpanzees in Uganda is the park’s
most popular pastime.
Begins at the Kanyanchu Visitor Center at 8:00 and
ends at 15:00, lasting two to three hours. During the tracking, guests look for
the primates. These include the red-tailed monkey, the grey-cheeked Mangabey,
and the black and white Colobus.
Your guides will take you to see pittas and other
birds. When doing chimpanzee tracking in the Kibale National Park, there are a
several lodging options available, such as the Primate Lodge, the Kyaninga
Lodge.
Tracking chimpanzees in Uganda is the park’s most
popular pastime. Begins at the Kanyanchu Visitor Center at 8:00 and ends at
15:00, lasting two to three hours. During the tracking, guests look for the
primates. These include the red-tailed monkey, the grey-cheeked Mangabey, and
the black and white Colobus.
Your guides will explain the customs of many plant
species found in the forest and show you pittas along with other bird species.
Each tour group is limited to six people for this stroll. Reservations made in
advance are crucial during high season:
Chimpanzee
trekking in the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee sanctuary
One of the locations in Uganda where you may
experience chimpanzee trekking is Ngamba Island, which is situated along Lake
Victoria and is conveniently reachable by speedboat from Entebbe.
The chimpanzees’ enclosure on the island, which Good
all established to protect primates, is fenced off to prevent the apes from
harming their neighbors while they are free to walk around. The speedboat that
travels to Ngamba operates in two shifts, departing in the morning for a
half-trip and returning in the evening for the entire trip. The amount of
persons traveling with you determines how much the island will cost. The cost
increases with group size; the cost decreases with group size.
Youngsters aged five to fifteen years old Since Dr.
Jane Goodall and a few villagers first began to save roughly 13 chimpanzees,
the sanctuary has grown to include over 50 chimps who have either been rescued
or left as orphans. In addition to getting up close and personal with the
chimpanzees, you may engage in other activities including swimming, fishing,
village exploration, and birdwatching.
Chimpanzee
trekking in the Murchison Falls National Park
There are several forests in Murchison Falls
National Park, including the Rabongo forest, the Kaniyo Pabidi forest, and the
Budongo woodland, which is the site of chimpanzee trekking. With more than 600
chimpanzees spread over these three woods, Murchison is a great place to
undertake chimpanzee trekking. In addition to housing more than 500 different bird
species, Murchison National Park is a popular safari destination in Uganda.
Through January are the best months to go chimpanzee
trekking since it’s easier to spot the primates when they forage for food. In
Murchison, chimpanzee trekking occurs twice a day, with the first walk-taking
place in the morning and the second in the afternoon Another forest in the
Murchison region is the Rabongo forest, where trekking is done.
There are no designated trekking paths, but you can
seek for the chimps in the forest with the assistance of a tour guide, and you
will get to spend an hour with them if you are lucky enough to find them.
Compared to the Budongo forest, the Rabongo woodland has fewer chimpanzee
families. With its abundance of primates, Budongo Forest is a popular place to
undertake chimpanzee trekking.
Trekking will be simple with a tour guide’s
assistance, and among other things, you may go birdwatching and observe other
primates like red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and monkeys. One of the few forests
in the nation to have remained untouched by human interference is Kaniyo Pabidi
Forest, home to chimpanzees, a diverse array of bird species, insects, and
other primates.
Three areas make up the accommodations in Murchison
Falls National Park: the Para and Victoria Nile, the Albert Nile, and the
Kaniyo Pabidi. Together with your tour operator, you can select from a variety
of accommodations, including upscale, mid-range, and budget options, to
evaluate which one best suits your needs.
Chimpanzee
trekking in the Queen Elizabeth National Park
With only 17 chimpanzees available, Queen Elizabeth
National Park is one of the greatest and most popular national parks among
visitors. The Kyambura gorge, also known as the Kyambura wildlife reserve, is
the location for chimpanzee trekking in this area.
The task takes one to two hours, and it is best
completed in the morning. Experienced tour guides will accompany you on the
walk, and following the trek, you can take a game drive around the National
Park. While visiting Kyambura, you may check out a number of resorts, including
the Katara Lodge, Kingfisher Camp, Mweya Safari Lodge, Jaguar Lodge, and
Kyambura Gorge Safari Lodge.
What
to pack for a chimp trek in Uganda.
Nobody wants to over pack for a safari because it
can make it difficult to enjoy the experience while carrying all the extra
stuff. When it comes to chimpanzee trekking, you need to make sure you have
everything that is deemed necessary, which includes the following:
·
Repellent for insects
· hiking boots that are waterproof
· bottled water for consumption
· Shirts and pants with long sleeves to prevent
scrapes on your body.
· A walking stick to make hiking easier
· Binoculars and a camera
· A compact backpack for carrying a few trekking
necessities, such as backup batteries and cameras.
· Sunblock and a sun hat.
·
Trekking rules and
regulations
There are rules and guidelines that you need to
follow in order to have a good chimp trekking experience. These were set up by
the Uganda wildlife Authority to protect both the primates and the visitors.
Some of the regulations that you must follow include the following:
·
You are not allowed to trek in case you feel
sick, especially with flu and cough
· You are to keep a distance of 8 meters between you
and the chimps
· You should always follow all the guidelines
that are given to you by the tour
guides
· No one is allowed to feed the chimps
· Visitors are not allowed to eat or drink near the
chimpanzees.
· Do not urinate and poop in the park as this might
cause the animals to fall sick. In case you want to poop, you must dig a hole
of about 30cm deep and after that bury everything including the toilet paper.
· The minimum age for chimp trekking in Uganda is 15 years.
· The only people who can help you gain access to the
Park for trekking are the tour guides
· Make sure that the camera you are using does not
have a flashlight
·
Do not make noise
while trekking because this irritates the chimps and they end up migrating to
another place.
Chimpanzee
habituation
Several hours of up close and personal time with
chimpanzees is required for chimpanzee habituation. The practice of training
chimpanzees to become accustomed to human presence at all times, including
during tracking, is known as chimp habituation.
It takes two to three years for chimpanzees to reach
actualization; in Uganda, this has been accomplished in the Kibaale National
Park. The habituated chimps are released to begin interacting with people following
three years of training.
The cost of a specific permit for chimpanzee
habituation is approximately $150 for non-foreign residents, $70 for citizens
of East Africa, and $220 for foreign residents. To ensure that you have a
pleasant habituation experience, the permits must be reserved in advance.
Packing list for trekking with chimpanzees in
national parks in Uganda.
We suggest bringing the following materials with you
so that you can track the chimps and have the most memorable experience
possible: –
·
A rucksack a
lightweight backpack suitable for holding essential goods such as cameras,
binoculars, refreshments, and extra clothing
· Boots for hiking: Water resistance, strong traction,
and durability are requirements for the shoes. You will be ascending muddy, slick
hills.
· Put on clothes and stockings: A rain jacket and
cold-weather appropriate attire are required.
· Long-sleeved shirts and shorts will shield you from
insects and jagged grass. Water resistance, quick drying, and woolen properties
are desirable in stockings.
· It is important to remember to carry bug repellant.
Tropical rain forests are home to a wide variety of insects. Though most are
harmless, they will nonetheless because you trouble if they manage to get near
you.
· Binoculars and a camera: A high-quality camera to
record those unique moments with the chimps and a binocular to identify them
via when they are still perched in the trees. The weight of the camera and
binoculars should not be too much to wear you out. To take quality pictures of,
the camera has to have good zoom lenses.
·
Water and a packed
snack are essential in case the activity lasts longer than anticipated and you
become thirsty or hungry.
There are many lodging choices in Kibale National
Park, offering low-cost, mid-range, and upscale amenities. Several of them
consist of:
Primate
Lodge:
This is the spot to go if you want to see a real
African wilderness because of the amazing beauty in the area. For those who are
interested in chimpanzee trekking and the experience of habituation, this is
the ideal location.
The lodge has solar-powered rooms and was
constructed using local resources. Primate Lodge has sixteen accommodations,
including regular and luxurious cottages. All of the self-contained cottages
have a veranda, free Wi-Fi, and room service. Laundry services and a small
library are among the amenities offered to residents. In the evening, residents
can visit the bar for refreshments or go for a campfire. The resort returns the
favor to the surrounding.
Crater
Safari Lodge:
Seven
kilometers from the park lies an award-winning eco-lodge. This is probably
among the greatest locations to stay the night if you intend to take a
chimpanzee tour. The Crater Safari Lodge provides a genuine sense of nature.
There are 21 rooms total, and all of them have balconies with breathtaking
views of crater lakes. The lodge features a restaurant, lounge, bar, and
swimming pool. In the evenings, it hosts campfires where guests may tell tales
of their time spent in Uganda.
Kyaninga
retreat:
Situated above Lake Kyaninga, one of Uganda’s
deepest crater lakes is this opulent retreat. The lodge features nine large,
independent private cottages that are intended to provide guests with a genuine
sense of peace and a sense of being in the African bush.
The Rwenzori mountain ranges are visible from the
balcony of each house, which also features cozy mattresses with plush pillows.
Both hot and cold showers are available in marble-topped bathrooms. The lodge
has a main restaurant and room service that serves both local and foreign
cuisine. In the summer, you can visit the bar for soft drinks or Ugandan beer,
or swim in the pool.
Chimpanzee
Forest Guest House:
This is one
of the most popular budget and mid-range lodges used by visitors to Kibale National
Park. The Guesthouse was built close to the visitors Centre of the Uganda
Wildlife Authority. Chimpanzee Guesthouse has amazing views of the sprawling
tea plantations and forest. The rooms are self-contained and visitors can take
a swim in the large swimming pool.
The
differences between trekking chimpanzees and gorillas
Chimpanzee trekking, like gorilla trekking, involves
a small group hiking with professional rangers to visit and spend time with a
troop of chimpanzees in the wild. Although they clearly differ from gorillas in
many ways, chimpanzees and gorillas are similar in many other aspects as well.
The fact that gorillas reside on the ground and chimpanzees live mostly in
trees is one of the key distinctions between trekking with gorillas and chimpanzees.
Chimpanzees are therefore a little more difficult to
see and photograph. The optimal seasons for trekking with chimpanzees are the
same as those for going with gorillas: November through February and June
through October. This makes completing both hikes while visiting Rwanda simple.
Cost:
Gorilla trekking is far more expensive than trekking with Chimpanzees.
• Because of the height, the conditions of the
jungle, and the uncertainty surrounding the family’s whereabouts in the bush,
gorilla trekking can be more taxing.
• Chimpanzee trekking is normally less difficult on
flatter ground, but you may need to be ready to move rapidly at times if you
need to keep up with the chimps’ rapid movements through the jungle.
• Chimpanzee trekking is typically more tranquil
than chimpanzee viewing, which involves the boisterous, occasionally
unpredictable, and frenetic behavior of the animals as they demonstrate their
amazing acrobatic skills as they navigate through the canopy.
• There will be no more than eight people in your
trekking party for a gorilla hike, compared to perhaps 10–12 people for the
chimpanzee viewing.
Tracking
Gorillas and Chimpanzees: Some Similarities
• For both hikes, you will have up to an hour from
the time the group first spots them (this is to ensure they are not overexposed
to human presence).
•For both activities, a permit is needed.
• A knowledgeable ranger will serve as your group’s
leader.