Kibale National Park

Kibale Forest National Park in western Uganda spans a total land area of around 795 square kilometers and on altitude ranging between 1,100 meters to 3,600 meters above sea level. Kibale Forest National Park was first gazetted in the year 1932 and established later, in 1993. This is a biodiversity hotspot and renowned for its healthy population of over 1,400 chimpanzees, the most in Uganda. Other wildlife species include over 71 mammal species, over 12 species of primates, over 370 bird species and 350 tree species. Primates include grey-cheeked mangabeys, L’hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bushbabies and blue monkeys etc.

Mammals found in Kibale Forest National Park include bushbucks, giant forest hogs, bush elephants, warthogs, serval cats, otters, bush buffalos and sitatungas. Bird species include the African pitta, blue-breasted kingfisher, black bee-eater, and little greenbul. The forest ecosystem is dominated by medium altitude moist evergreen forest and moist deciduous semi-deciduous forest. Kibale Forest National Park also has a number of crater lakes including Nyinabulitwa, Nyinabuga, Nyabikere, Nkuruba etc. Other habitats include river, streams, swamps and tea plantations.

What to do in Kibale Forest National Park

Exploring the lush jungle of Kibale Forest National Park promises numerous activities for you to enjoy as follows,

Chimpanzee trekking tour

Track and spend an hour with a habituated chimpanzee group in its natural habitat during this unique trekking tour. Starting from Kanyanchu, you will be accompanied by an experienced ranger guide to track a habituated chimpanzee group in the dense jungle. While this adventure is desired by millions of people throughout the world, only those aged 12 and above are allowed to acquire chimpanzee permits and trek. This demanding tour experience also requires that you are fit physically since a chimpanzee group is quite mobile, therefore can move to quite a longer distance. The trekking tour may last between 3 to 4 hours, depending on their location.

Chimpanzee habituation experience

For visitors not fully satisfied with only an hour in the presence of the wonderful habituated chimpanzee group after a chimpanzee trekking tour, you can instead opt for the habituation experience. This involves a half day or full day tracking and spending more than an hour with a semi-habituated or unhabituated chimpanzee group in their natural habitat. You will watch these adorable primates in the company of researchers and expert trackers. You must also be in great physical shape to enjoy your walk into the forest. A chimpanzee habituation experience also requires you to have a permit to enjoy your adventure.

Birding tour

There are a variety of habitats in Kibale Forest National Park that offer shelter for at least 372 species of birds. A guided birding tour in either Kibale forest or Bigodi wetland sanctuary offers a unique chance of encountering the masked apalis, great blue turaco, African pied wagtail, tropical boubou, Cassin’s spine tail, Nahan’s francolin, purple-breasted sunbird, brown-chested alethe, dusky crimson-wing, black-capped apalis and African pitta etc. There are quite a number of birding trails at either Kanyanchu or Sebitoli tourism sites where you will be led into the forest by an experienced birder who is a ranger guide to spot these colorful bird species.

Community tours

Just adjacent to the pristine Kibale Forest National Park, you will encounter the Batooro and Bakiga people. These are communities of welcoming and beautiful people, with quite distinct histories, cultures and practices among others. Interacting them will expose you to their way of life and how they interact with the forest which has enhanced their livelihoods both directly and indirectly for years. This guided tour will also offer entertainment and a perfect opportunity to purchase their craft and pottery items to take home as lovely souvenirs.

Nature walk or forest walk

You can have a thrilling forest walk experience in the lush rainforest of Kibale Forest National Park or a nature walk in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. A forest or nature walk in Kibale Forest National Park involves a ranger guide leading you on a forest trail that may even go up to 12 kilometers and a duration of 5 to 6 hours. These are guided tours that offer opportunities to encounter numerous species of birds, primates, animals, plants, insects, amphibians and others. These include the red-eyed doves, L’hoest’s monkeys, forest elephants, great blue turacos, African giant swallowtail butterflies, charcoal tree and olive baboons.

Best time to travel to Kibale Forest National Park

Although visitors can explore the thrilling Kibale Forest National Park throughout the year, the dry season is the best time to go there. This season offers comparatively perfect weather conditions for the outdoor activities like chimpanzee trekking and birding tours. Kibale Forest National Park experience a bimodal dry season during June to September and December to February. During this period, the trails and roads are drier and easy to navigate while on a chimpanzee trek, community walk and nature walk. The forest undergrowth is also less dense to increase visibility within the forest. The dry season also experiences low precipitation thus offer uninterrupted tours.

Getting to Kibale Forest National Park

The best way to directly get to Kibale Forest National Park is by using road transport. The road distance from Kampala is about 277 kilometers. The scenic drive westward is enjoyed for 5 to 6 hours through Mubende and Kyenjojo. Alternatively, you can reach Kibale Forest National Park using air transportation. This is a faster mode of transportation that takes time ranging between 1.5 to 3 hours from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese Airfield. AeroLink offers the domestic flights. But when you arrive at Kasese Airfield, you will need to reach Kibale Forest National Park using road transport. This is a 1.5-hour drive, covering 51 kilometers along Fort Portal-Mpondwe Road.

Packing List for Kibale Forest National Park tour

A thrilling tour in Kibale National Park is captivating if your packing list has the following essential items,

• Lightweight long trousers and long-sleeved shirts
• Chimpanzee permit
• A pair of trekking gloves
• Strong hiking shoes/boots
• Gaiters
• Head sock and scarf
• Light rain jacket
• Sweater
• Refillable water bottle
• Light snacks
• Backpack
• Sunglasses and suncream for sun protection
• Hat/cap
• Camera or a smartphone
• A pair of binoculars
• Cash to buy craft products as souvenirs
• Basic first aid kit