This 4 days Kibale chimpanzee trekking and birding expedition finds you having close encounters with chimps, in addition to exploring bird species in Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale National Park is 795 square kilometers in size and is located in southern Uganda. Located in western Uganda, the park is mostly tropical rainforest, with extensive woodlands and Savannah. Kibale is home to over 1,500 chimps and 12 other primate species, over 300 bird species, 60 mammals, and 351 tree species. The Park is not just the best place to trek chimpanzees but also a popular birding paradise.
Your 4-day chimpanzee trekking tour in Kibale includes chimpanzee trekking, birding, community visits, and a primate walk.
Tour Highlights;
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, meet with our company representative and get acquitted. The driver will then transfer you to your hotel in Kampala for the night as you prepare for your Uganda safari to Kibale Forest National Park. Dinner and overnight at Karibu Guest House. Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Travel to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast at your hotel, embark on your 4-hour journey to Kibale Forest National Park. You will proceed to Fort Portal town via Mubende, where you will have lunch. Fort Portal is one of Uganda’s most beautiful towns. It is also known as the tourism city of Uganda. And if you have time, you will explore some of the town’s historical and cultural sites. The beautiful scenery of cater lakes and the Rwenzori Mountains en route to Kibale will awe you. When you arrive at the park, you will be taken to your lodge. Relax at your lodge and later go for a guided nature walk in the Bigodi swamp.
The Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is one of the best places in Uganda to see birds, with over 178 bird species. It also supports a variety of primates and wild animals, including the Sitatunga antelope, bushbucks, bushpigs, mongooses, and otters among others. Bird species to expect in Bigodi include Papyrus Gonolek, Kingfishers, Hornbills, Cuckoos, Weaver Birds, Waxbills, Flycatchers, Turacos, etc.
Dinner and overnight at Isunga Lodge. Meals: Full board
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking & Birding in Kibale Forest
Wake up early and have a hearty breakfast in preparation for your chimpanzee trekking experience. And this will embark with a briefing about chimp trekking at the Kanyanchu tourism center. You will also be assigned a chimp group to trek, and a ranger to guide you. By 08:00 am, chimpanzee trekking will start. The Rangers will help you track the group down by listening for their hoots and calls. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale is more predictable than anywhere else in East Africa because here, chimp groups are more easily accessible.
Chimpanzee trekking lasts 1 to 4 hours, depending on the location of the group you are assigned to. When found, you will have an hour to spend time with them. While you observe these apes in their natural habitat, be prepared to follow them as they swing from tree to tree, among their various other behaviors. Aside from the chimps, the trek will introduce you to the park’s primates, including pottos, Grey-cheeked mangabey, Vervet Monkeys, Red colobus monkeys, Olive baboons, and Black and White Colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Blue monkeys, and Red-Tailed Monkeys, among others. Return to your lodge after and have lunch.
In the afternoon, you will go birding in Kibale Forest via the boardwalk. The Guide will inform you about the forest, its history, and the creatures that live there. You will also be awestruck by the amazing encounters of Kibale’s forest birds including the forest’s endemic Green-breasted Pitta. More bird sightings include; Pin-tailed Whydah, Tropical Bulbul, and Slender-billed Weaver among many others. Dinner and overnight at Isunga Lodge. Meals: Full board
Day 4: Return to Kampala
After a relaxed breakfast, check out of your lodge and drive back to Kampala. Appreciate the breathtaking scenery in and around Fort Portal, as well as this part of Uganda with en-route lunch in Mubende. Look out for the rugged hills, tea plantations, and local communities. When you arrive in Kampala, the driver will either drop you off at a Kampala location or Entebbe the airport. Thus, the end of your 4 days Kibale chimpanzee trekking and birding expedition.
Inclusions;
Exclusions