Explore the Kibale Forest National Park
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Kibale National Park( The Primate Capital )- A Visitors Guide:
Kibale National Park is situated in the south of Fort Portal district, in Kabarole and Kamwenge districts of the pearl of Africa It is 358 kilometres for Kampala making it a rough estimate of 8 hours via Masaka road and 7 hours via Mpami.
It is a forested park, 795 kilometres squared in area, known as the primate capital of the world because it harbors the enormous number of primates in the world, chimpanzees included.
The park was established as a forest reserve in the 1940s and later was upgraded to a national park status in recognition of a biodiversity that includes 350 tree species, 11 species of mammal and 370 bird species.
The park is surrounded by a wealth of traditional attractions. Visitors take time to explore the beautiful scenery of crater lakes along the western margin of the park, tour the tea factory, drive down onto the rift valley floor to the hot springs in Semuliki National Park.
Further, they hike on the Rwenzori Mountain, and view the big game on the grasslands of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The park is best known for its primates which chimpanzees, the localized red colobus and L’Hoest monkeys. Kibale National Park has two major tourist 9attraction that include:
- Kanyanchu, which is the primary site, situated 35km south east of Fort Portal on a newly tarmacked road leading to Kamwenge and Ibanda.
- Sebitoli, the secondary site is located 16km east of Fort Portal on the Kampala Road.
The park’s vegetation is tropical forest. It further hosts 1500 chimpanzees of Uganda and other 12 species of primates.
The Wildlife in Kibale National Park
The park doesn’t only contain chimps, but also a variety of wildlife life such as elephants, lions, leopards, bushbucks, warthogs, marsh mongoose, serval cat, among others.The park also has an enormous number of butterflies, approximated to be 250 colourful species
Chimpanzees
these are numbered over 5000 living in different forest reserves in the country and the park itself has 1500 chimpanzees living in 13 communities. It makes it the best place in the world to watch wild chimpanzees
Birds
Birds in Kibale National Park include the blue turaco, African Pitta, green breasted Pitta, Black-bee eater, Eastern Nicator, Yellow-spotted Nicator, Yellow rumped tinkerbird, African grey parrot among others
Vegetation
Vegetation is also another tourist attraction in Kibale National Park. It is characterised by thick moist evergreen and semi deciduous forest covering a sum of 250 tree species namely: cordia milleni, entandrophragma, angolense, lovoa, swynnertonni, among others. Other species include the pine and eucalyptus
Culture
The visitors have an opportunity to interact with the two groups of local people that dwell near Kibale National Park.
These are the Batooro and Bakiga who offer genuine African cultural activities such as songs, dances and hand made crafts through their association in the name of Kibale Association of Rural Environment Development (KAFFRED).
Ntali- Kasenda Craters
These offer one of the best breath-taking sceneries one can just imagine before getting there. These can be added to one’s safari in Kibale National Park, thus making more beautiful memories in Uganda.
These include Lake Ntambi, L. Mubiro, L. Nyanswiga, L. Kifuruko, L. Lyantonde, L. Nyinambuga, L. Nyamasingiri, among others.
The surroundings of these lakes are the breathtaking thick vegetation that tourists enjoy viewing. The butterflies and monkeys, Rwenzori ranges and panoramic views of tea plantations are a bonus to the sight.
Activities In Kibale National Park
1. Primate Walk (Chimpanzee Tracking)
It gives tourists a chance to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Kanyanchu’s groups are accustomed to human presence and some have been observed for over 25 years and the chance of locating them is over 90%. The walks take 2-5 hours.
Early arrival for this activity is crucial to allow registration and briefing is recommended. Contact time with chimpanzees is an hour, group size is limited to 6 visitors, participants must be aged 16 years and over.
2. Chimpanzee Habituation
enables visitor to accompany researchers into the forest. The chimp groups involved are less accustomed to human presence than those visited on the primate walk and following and viewing them is both intriguing and challenging. The sessions are available on a full or half day basis starting at 6:30 am
3. Nature Walks
This gives visitors an opportunity to enjoy East Africa’s finest with no pressure to locate chimpanzees.
The walks in Kibale National Park start from either Kanyanchu or Sebitoli. These nature walks see you transerve the villages surrounding the forest like Kikoni, Nyakalongo and Naibanda. As you make your way through the villages, one gets to interact with the cultures and the local people.
Extended walks and hiking safaris can be organized for travellers where one spends almost the whole day and come out in the evening to rest and relax in the camp sites that are set up in the surrounding villages of Nyakalongo, Nyaibanda and Kikoni.
From these villages porters can be hired to help the travellers carry their luggage and make their nature walks easier.
4. Birding
Kibale National Park has 372 forest, grassland and swamp species including local endemics and Central African special making it a paradise for bird enthusiasts. They can be sought with the help of a guide, on the forest trails at Kanyanchu and Sebitoli tourism sites. This visit is combined with a visit to Bigodi wetland Sanctuary to add to forest edge and swamp specials to the list.
Best times to visit Kibale National Park
The dry season from June to early September and December to February.
This is so because there is minimal rainfall, thus making the nature walk trails passable, accompanied with good weather
Kibale Forest National Park Fees
Foreign Non Residents USD | Foreign Residents
USD | EAC Residents
UGX | |
Park entrance | 40 | 30 | 20,000 |
Chimps tracking | 250 | 200 | 180,000 |
Chimps Habituation | 300 | 250 | 250,000 |
Guided Nature walks for children | 5 | 5 | 10,000 |
Painting and artwork | 10 | 10 | 20,000 |
Children scouts adventurous activities | 10 | 10 | 20,000 |
Accommodation in Kibale National Park
There are different types of accommodation such as luxury, mid-range and budget. These include: Baranko Villa, Kemrose, Sydney- Bali Sanctuary, Tabebuia Spa and Safari Resort, Kaswa lodge, mid-ranges that cost $100-200.
The budgets, which are from $10-90 include: Rock Nature Safari Lodge, Little Monkey Camp, Kibale Eco Campsite, Sarai Hotel.
The primate capital therefore becomes one of Uganda’s mostly and must visit places for anyone with an intentional trip to the Pearl of Africa.
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