Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda; Chimpanzee trekking is an interesting and the second best done activity in Uganda after Gorilla trekking and it involves tourists moving into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their habitat. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is done in different destinations namely Kibale forest national park which harbors the highest number of chimpanzees, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park, Kalinzu forest in Budongo forest and Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park.
Chimpanzee trekking in all destinations starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules, regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be subdivided into groups of 6 people where each group will be allocated a park guide and a habituated chimpanzee family to trek. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are found because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species like black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey checked mangabey, view variety of bird species, plants among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, lifestyle, habits, watch the chimpanzees feed, breastfeed, hunt, play, fight, mate, rest, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
Uganda also offers chimpanzee habituation experience where the wild chimpanzees are trained to get used to human presence for trekking. Chimpanzee habituation experience is only done in Kibale forest national park and it takes a period of 2 o 3 years to be complete. The habituation experience involves a team of researchers, park guides, rangers, chimpanzee doctors among others and visitors interested in chimpanzee trekking experience will be allowed to spend four hours with the chimpanzees.
Best time to go chimpanzee trekking in Uganda
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park, Kalinzu forest, Kyambura gorge and Budongo forest can be done 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. During the dry season, there is less rainfall therefore access roads to the chimpanzee destinations and chimpanzee trekking trails will be passable which makes trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the trails ae muddy and slippery which makes trekking difficult.
Cost of chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda
Chimpanzee trekking permits are legal cards that are issued to visitors above the age of 15 years allowing them to visit habituated chimpanzee families and spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. Cost of chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda vary according to the destination you wish to visit for example a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kalinzu forest and Kyambura gorge costs 50 USD per person for foreign non residents, 40 USD per person for foreign residents and 30,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale forest national park costs 200 USD per person for foreign non residents, 150 USD per person for foreign residents and 150,000 UGX per person for East African citizens.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Bundongo forest costs 130 USD per person for foreign non residents, 120 USD per person for foreign residents and 85 USD per person for East African citizens.
How to book chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda
Chimpanzee trekking permits in Uganda can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) or booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month, year and chimpanzee destination that you wish to visit. After contacting us we will check for permit availability and if there are permits available on your desired dates, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once we receive the payment, we will be able to acquire the chimpanzee trekking permits on your behalf.
What to pack for a chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda
When going for a chimpanzee trekking safari in Uganda, there are a number of items that you should pack or carry including hiking shoes, garden gloves, long cotton socks, long sleeved shirt and trouser, waterproof rain jacket/ poncho, bottled drinking water, camera and extra batteries, insect repellent, walking stick, a hat and sunscreen, a pair of binoculars, waterproof backpack among others.
Chimpanzee trekking is an exceptional activity in Uganda that can be combined with wildlife viewing in Lake Mburo national park and for more information, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for various chimpanzee trekking packages.
