Kalinzu forest chimpanzee trekking; Kalinzu forest is one of the chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda located in southwestern region in Bushenyi district close to Queen Elizabeth national park and Maramagambo forest. Kalinzu forest is a home of different wildlife species including over 379 bird species, six specie of primates including chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys over 261 butterfly species, 414 tree species among others.
Chimpanzee trekking experience in Kalinzu forest
Chimpanzee trekking is one of the most popular activities and it’s a home of over 320 chimpanzees and about 50 habituated chimpanzees. Chimpanzees trekking in Kalinzu forest can either be done early in the morning at around 8:00am or in the afternoon at around 2:00pm and each session starts with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated an experienced park guide and start trekking in the forest which takes about 2 hours to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located 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 able to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, hunt, fight, rest, take photos and record videos to show people back home.
Cost of a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kalinzu forest
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kalinzu forest 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.
How to book a chimpanzee trekking permit
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kalinzu forest can either be booked directly through Uganda Wildlife Authority where you will contact the park offices via telephone or email. A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kalinzu forest can also be booked through a tour company like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to travel.
Booking chimpanzee trekking permits through Achieve global safaris is the best option to use in that we will not only book the permits on your behalf but also plan for your entire safari which include transportation, accommodation, services of an experienced driver guide, other activities to engage in after chimpanzee trekking and other destination to visit during the safari.
Best time to go for Kalinzu forest chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu 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 this time there is less rainfall in the park therefore access roads and chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy compared to the rainy season when the trails are muddy and slippery which make chimpanzee trekking difficult.
How to get there
Kalinzu forest is located in southwestern part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi and then to the park headquarters which takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive.
Kalinzu forest can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book scheduled or charter flights with Bar Aviation or Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kasese or Mweya airstrip and then connect by road.
Other activities to do
Apart from Chimpanzee trekking, Kalinzu forest offers other interesting activities that travelers can engage in during the safari including Bird watching where you will be able to view different bird species, guided nature walks where you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species, wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, giant forest hogs, hippos, lions, leopards, hyenas among others.
What to carry for chimpanzee trekking
There are various items that travelers should carry when going for chimpanzee trekking safari including hiking shoes, long sleeved clothes, insect repellent, camera and extra batteries, warm sweater, garden gloves, a pair of binoculars, walking stick, long socks, backpack, energy snacks and drinking water among others.
Chimpanzee trekking is an interesting activity in Kalinzu forest that can be combined with wildlife viewing, boat cruise, horseback riding, sport fishing among others in Lake Mburo national park.
