Activities to do in Kibale Forest National Park : Kibale forest national park is among the destinations to visit for primate encounters and it is located in the western part of Uganda.
There are over 1500 chimpanzees found in Kibale forest national park which is also home to 12 other primate species and a variety of bird species and butterfly species which can be seen during tours around the destination.
Tours around Kibale Forest National Park can be done at anytime of the year with the dry season around June, July, August, September and October being the best time for activities like chimpanzee trekking. The wet season which is around March to May and also in November is a time during which tours can be done around the destination.
Some of the activities to do during tours around Kibale forest national park include the following;
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is among the activities which are popularly done during tours around Kibale forest national park.
Tourists enjoy chimpanzee trekking experiences in the morning and also in the afternoon. During the chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale forest national park, tourists spend time observing the chimpanzees closely in their natural habitat.
The chimpanzee trekking experience starts with a briefing at the park headquarters before tourists are assigned ranger guides to move with them into the Kibale forest to search for the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Different trails are followed during the chimpanzee trek in Kibale forest national park. Tourists get to spend 1 hour with the chimpanzees and observe their behavior. Tourists visit the chimpanzees in groups and spend time with the habituated chimpanzees.
To engage in chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park, tourists are required to have chimpanzee permits which are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The chimpanzee permits cost 250 USD per person for foreign nonresidents, 200 USD for foreign residents and 180,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park is done by children above the age of 12 years who are allowed to visit the chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Apart from Kibale forest national park, chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is also done in Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park and also in the Budongo forest which is among the attractions in Murchison falls national park.
Chimpanzee habituation
Chimpanzee habituation is another activity which takes place during tours around Kibale forest national park.
During the chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale forest national park, tourists can enjoy interacting with the chimpanzees going through the habituation process to get them used to the presence of humans in their natural habitat.
The chimpanzee habituation experience is done for a full day during tours in Kibale national park and is also carried out with rangers and researchers who obverse the behavior of the chimpanzees which can be seen around the forests, in the trees and also on the ground.
More time is spent with the chimpanzees during the chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park. Permits for chimpanzee habituation cost 300 USD for foreign nonresidents, 250 USD for foreign residents and 250,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
Guided nature walks
Guided nature walks can also be done when visiting Kibale forest national park and they can also be done in the morning and in the afternoon.
During the guided nature walks around Kibale national park, tourists can get closer to the natural surroundings in the forest and see different attractions including the different tree species, see different bird species and butterfly species.
Ranger guides accompany tourists during the nature walks in Kibale national park since they are knowledgeable about the different trails to follow in the forest. Different primates like black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, baboons, L’hoest monkeys and bird species of a variety.
The Bigodi wetland sanctuary is among the locations where tourists can engage in guided nature walks around Kibale forest national park. This experience involves a board walk to the wetlands which are part of a community based initiative.
During visits around the Bigodi wetlands, tourists can also enjoy interacting with the local community. The wetlands are also one of the best places for bird watching during tours around Kibale forest national park.
Tourists get closer to nature during the nature walks in Kibale forest national park and the activity can be done by both children and adults visiting the destination.
Bird watching
Bird watching is one of the popular activities that tourists engage in during tours around Kibale forest national park.
Over 375 bird species can be seen during tours around Kibale forest national park which has different birding spots. Different bird species including Albertine rift endemics are found around the national park.
During bird watching experiences around Kibale forest national park, some of the bird species which can be spotted include the African Pitta, Great Blue Turaco, African Emerald Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Grey-throated Barbet, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Black-capped Apalis, Green Breasted Pitta, Black bee-eater, Dusky Blue Flycatcher, Rwenzori Turaco, and Rwenzori Batis among others.
The best time for bird watching experiences in Kibale national park is during March to May when the migrant bird species are at the destination. The bird species can also be seen during the dry season around June to October.
Community tours
Community tours are also part of the activities that tourists can do during tours around Kibale Forest National Park.
Some of the locals to interact with during tours around Kibale forest national park include the Batoro and also the locals around the Bigodi community. These community tours involve getting to know more about the way of life of the locals, enjoying traditional dance performances, trying out local food and learning how to prepare food among other experiences.
In the neighboring town like Fort Portal, tourists can also engage in community tours and learn about the Batoro people and their culture, visit the Tooro palace, learn about the pet names such as Amooti, Atwooki, Araali, Abwooli among others, enjoy traditional dance performances among other activities.
