Top 5 Must-Do Activities While in Kibale Forest National Park
5 Must-Do Activities While in Kibale Forest, set in the western side of Uganda and mainly marked by a dense tropical rainforest, Kibale Forest is a natural wonder and treasure trove. This 795-square-kilometer Protected Area is a spectacular slice of Mother Nature and Paradise on Earth that’s a haven to some of the country’s most sought-after wildlife species including the endangered chimpanzees, our closest cousins in the animal Kingdom. The dense Tropical rainforest of Kibale officially became a Forest Reserve in 1932 before finally attaining its “National Park” status in 1993 to protect the vast Area of natural rainforest. This Park is presently home to over 70 mammal species, of which 13 are primate species (that include chimpanzees, grey-cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and Olive baboons among others). Are you a birder? Just know Kibale Forest exists for you because it has about 350 species, 6 of which are endemic to the forest and several being endemics of the Congo-Guinea biome among others. Book Now
Are you searching for the top 5 must-do tourist activities while in Kibale Forest National Park? Check these out;
Chimpanzee Tracking and the Habituation Experience
A paradise for chimpanzee trackers christened the “Primate Capital of the World”, Kibale Forest National Park offers some of the most incredible chimpanzee tracking tours. Here, 5 chimpanzee communities have been habituated and opened for tracking by 6 visitors, twice a day (morning and afternoon session). Visitors interested in tracking and getting up close with our closest cousins in the animal Kingdom have to be 12 years of age and possess a valid tracking permit issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. These permits go for $200 only per person for foreign non-residents and $150 for foreign visitors and Shs. 150,000 for the East African residents. With this adventure, travelers have only one hour with the Great Apes upon sighting them. However, if you wish to spend more time in the life of these primates (a full day) watching and studying them from the time they wake up, play, rest, forage, mate, and groom each other until they make their nests for overnight, then you have to book for the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience. In Rwanda, Nyungwe Forest is well known for Chimpanzee trekking tours.
Guided forest walks
If you are interested in discovering more of Kibale Forest National Park- its mammals, birds, tree species, butterflies, reptiles, and Amphibians that call it home, then you will need to undertake guided forest walks. The Park is filled with phenomenal hiking trails running through its rainforest and other ecosystems thus introducing visitors to its unique attractions. Be careful though, during the rainy seasons trails become a bit muddy and slippery hence it’s advisable to wear strong and comfortable hiking boots.
Bird watching in Kibake Forest.
Kibale Forest National Park is undeniably teeming with a wide array of animals on the ground, but if you take to the canopies, tree branches, and the skies, you will be mind-blown by its bird diversity. No less than 350 bird species call the beautiful Kibale Forest home. From the most sought-after green-breasted pitta who every birder longs to see to the globally threatened Great blue Turaco and Papyrus gonolek. Also look out for the Nahan’s francolin, yellow-spotted nicator, African emerald cuckoo, Dusky crimsonwing, and Black bee-eaters, to mention but a few.
The Crater Lakes tour
Another exciting and most dramatic must-do activity for Kibale visitors is the spectacular Crater Lakes, accessed along the famous “Crater Lakes trail/drive”. Here you will explore the Ndali-Kasenda Crater Area where endless jaw-dropping views, thrilling cultural and natural formation stories will be heard and even lots of bird species. Time permitting, you will discover the beautiful Lake Nyabikere (literally translated as the lake of frogs), Lake Nkuruba (famous for its Africa’s map shape), the stunning Lake Nyinambuga that exists on Uganda’s 20,000 shilling note, Lake Lyantonde, Lake Nyanswiga, to mention but a few.
Visit the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
The magnificent Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, just a stone’s throw from Kibale Forest National Park can’t be missed during any tour of this Park. This wetland is home to over 200 bird species, especially wetland-inhabiting as well as over 8 primate species that include the vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and others. While on a guided walk through this community-based project, you will discover different plant/tree species of special interest.
While tours of Kibale Forest National Park offer unforgettable experiences, you will be more awe-inspired when you spice your trip with a visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to track the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat as well as guided forest walks and Batwa community, to Queen Elizabeth National Park for the big game, especially the mysterious tree climbing lions sighted via game drives. Also offered here are experiential tours including lion tracking experience and hippo census, boat cruises along the Kazinga Channel, bush walks, and helicopter tours among others.
