Top things to do in Kibale forest national park
Things you should do in Kibale Forest National Park: Kibale Forest National Park is one of the most popular national parks in Uganda. It is in the western area, in the Kabarole district. There are over 1,500 chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, and other primate species that live in Kibale Forest National Park. It is also known as the primate capital. There are also many kinds of birds and animals in Kibale Forest National Park, such as forest elephants, bush bucks, antelopes, and others. There are many things to do in Kibale Forest National Park.
The best things to do in Kibale Forest National Park
Trekking with chimpanzees
When people go on vacation to Kibale Forest National Park, one of the best things they can do is go chimpanzee hiking. Early in the morning, around 8:00 a.m., chimpanzee hiking in Kibale Forest National Park starts with a talk about the rules and laws that trekkers must follow. After the lesson, you will go on a hike through the forest with an expert park guide to find the chimpanzees that have become accustomed to people. The hike will take between 2 and 5 hours, dependent on where the chimpanzees are because they like to move around looking for food. Once you find the chimps, you will have an hour to spend with them in their natural environment. During that time, you can learn about their habits and behaviors, take pictures and movies, and watch them go about their daily lives.
The habituation process of chimpanzees
A lot of people come to Kibale Forest National Park to do the chimpanzee habituation experience. Like chimpanzee trekking, the experience starts very early in the morning with a talk about the rules, regulations, and what to expect at the park headquarters, which is called the Kanyachu visitors center. Following the briefing, you will begin your trek through the forest to find the chimpanzees. Once you find them, you will spend four hours with them in their natural environment, where you can learn about and observe their behaviors while watching them eat, hunt, play, rest, patrol, groom their young, and take pictures and record the special moments.
Seeing birds
It is one of the best places in Uganda to go birdwatching because it is home to over 370 kinds of birds, including unique birds from the Albertine Rift and forest birds and migrating birds. Along with an experienced bird guide, you will be able to see many different bird species, such as the Green-breasted Pitta, the Red-faced Woodland Warbler, the Purple-breasted Sunbird, the Masked Apalis, the Dusky Crimsonwing, the Cassin’s Spinetail, the Black Bee-eater, the Papyrus Canary, the Black-headed Gonolek, the Papyrus Gonolek, the Little Greenbul, the Great Blue Turaco, the African Pitta, the Pied Kingfisher, the White Collared Oliveback, the Woodland Kingfisher, the Black-billed Turaco, the Blue-throated Roller, the Black-headed Gonolek, the Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, and the Slender-billed Weaver.
Birds of Kibale Forest Nature walks are some of the best things to do in Kibale.
One great thing to do in Kibale Forest National Park is go on a nature walk. This is when tourists can explore the park on foot with the help of an experienced park guide and armed park guards. A guided nature walk in Kibale Forest National Park begins early in the morning at the Kanyachu tourists center with a talk about the park’s rules and what to expect. After the lecture, you will go hiking in the forest, which will take between 2 and 5 hours. During the nature walk, you will see different kinds of primates, hear birds singing in the trees, and enjoy the cool breeze, among other things.
Tours of culture
In Kibale Forest National Park, a cultural tour is a fun thing to do because it lets tourists meet people from nearby villages and learn about their culture, history, way of life, and traditions. They can also visit their homes and schools, eat traditional foods, watch traditional shows, and buy craft souvenirs, among other things.
Walks in the forest at night
Night walks in Kibale Forest National Park begin at around 7:00 pm with a briefing at the park headquarters. You will then go hiking with armed ranger guides and spotlight torches to see animals that come out at night, such as bush babies, pottos, serval cats, civets, tree hyraxes, night jars, and more.
When is the best time to visit Kibale Forest National Park?
You can visit Kibale Forest National Park at any time of the year, but the best time is during the dry season, which is from June to September and December to February. This is because the park doesn’t get as much rain during these months, so the hiking and trekking trails will be dry and easy to use. This makes chimpanzee trekking and guided nature walks easier than they are during the rainy season, when the trekking trails are muddy and slippery, making chimpanzee trekking harder.
Where to stay in Kibale National Park
During your trip, you can stay in a number of different places in Kibale Forest National Park. Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Isunga Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Kibale Safari Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp, Papaya Lake Lodge, Primate Safari Lodge, Rwetera Safari Park, Turaco Treetops, Mountain of the Moon Hotel, Fort Motel, Chimpanzee Capital Safari Lodge, Nyaika Hotel, Rubalika Safari Lodge and Farm, Guereza Canopy Lodge, and many more are available.
How to get to the national park of Kibale forest
The Kibale Forest National Park is in the western part of Uganda. To get there, you can drive from Kampala to the park offices, going through Mubende fort gate or Masaka Mbarara. The drive takes about 6 to 7 hours.
To get to Kibale Forest National Park by air, you can book regular or private internal flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe International Airport to Kasese or Semuliki airstrips. From there, you can take a road to the park offices.
You can also drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Kibale Forest National Park. The drive takes about 6 to 7 hours.
