Kibale, the "Primates Capital of Africa"

Kibale Forest National Park is the largest home to chimpanzees and 12 other species of primates. Located in the Kabarole District, Western Uganda, Kibale National Park is known to offer unmatched chimpanzee trekking experiences. Kibale Forest National Park offers the highest chance for tourists to see chimpanzees than any other African safari destination.

Kibale was formed in 1993, and today, it makes up part of the vast Kibale Conservation Area. The park occupies an area of 795 sq. km and is set at an altitude of 1200 to 1650m. It is surrounded by many other spectacular conservation areas: the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semuliki, and others.

At Kibale National Park, there are exceptionally distinct attractions that make it stand out. The Park holds a diversity of species, including approximately 351 tree species. The trees in this Park grow up to a height of 55m and take about 200 years.

The Attractions to See in Kibale National Park

Within the scenic Kibale Forest National Park, there reside diverse attractions for tourists to explore. The major attractions in this Park comprise several primates, reptiles, butterflies, bird species, and more.

The Various Wildlife to Explore

The diverse wildlife or animals to see while in Kibale National Park include 13 primate species, which comprise over 1500 chimpanzees. Other diverse diurnal monkeys that survive in this Park include the grey-cheeked mangabeys, bush babies, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, Uganda red-colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, pottos, and black & white colobus monkeys. Within the Kibale Forest, there are also other animals to see, including bush bucks, warthogs, elephants, leopards, bush pigs, sitatunga, buffaloes, golden cats, duikers, and many giant forest hogs etc.

The bird species

Kibale National Park is blessed with about 375 bird species, which include resident and Albertine Rift endemic species. The different birds to spot include the brown twin spot, papyrus canary, black-eared ground thrush, Cameroon Sombre greenbul, Abyssinian ground thrush, African wood owl, black-headed oriole, Blue-shouldered robin chat, grey-headed olive back, double-toothed barbets, white-breasted chinned prinia, zebra waxbill, singe cisticola, papyrus gonoleks, Northern puff backs, and black-billed weaver birds.

Additional birds to find on a birding tour in Kibale include red-faced crimsonwing, scaly-breasted illadopsis, little greenbul, purple-breasted sunbird, barn swallow, African fire finch, Nahan’s francolins, speckled mousebird, yellow-rumped tinker birds, and more.

Top Tourism Activities in Kibale

Kibale Forest National Park offers a myriad of captivating experiences, including chimpanzee habituation, chimpanzee trekking, bird-watching, and forest walks. Below is a detailed list of the safari activities to enjoy on a tour in Kibale National Park.

Chimpanzee tracking/trekking

Chimpanzee tracking or trekking is the unqiue experience that Kibale National Park is most popular for. A guided chimpanzee trek in Kibale Forest is enjoyed during the morning or afternoon session, with the morning walk often done at around 8:00 am after a briefing on rules and regulations. The afternoon chimpanzee trekking begins at around 2:00pm, and both sessions begin from the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre. The entire walk with chimpanzees takes about 2 to 5 hours and includes one hour for you to enjoy observing these primates as they play, socialize, feed, and also take photos. Visitors go to visit Kibale chimpanzees in sub-groups of 6pax, and each group is led by an experienced guide.

During the chimpanzee trek, expect to explore the already habituated chimpanzee communities. In Kibale National Park alone, about four communities have been opened to the public. The amazing part of the Kibale National Park chimpanzee trek is that visitors also have the opportunity to observe other primates and bird species. To visit Kibale chimpanzees, you need a valid permit, and each costs US Dollars 250 per visitor (international tourists/foreign non-residents), US Dollars 200 for foreign residents, and UGX 180,000 for East African citizens. The permits cover the entrance fees to Kibale National Park and ranger guide services.

Chimpanzee habituation

Visit Kibale to enjoy the unforgettable chimpanzee habituation experience. This is a unique opportunity for you to embark on the search for the semi-habituated chimpanzee community. The habituation experience mainly attracts scientists, researchers, environmentalists, and conservationists. Visitors engage in half-day or full-day interaction with Kibale chimpanzees, where you have a chance to follow and observe the daily behaviors of these apes.

The chimpanzee habituation adventure begins at around 6:00 am till late in the evening when chimpanzees start making new nests to sleep. Permits for the chimpanzee habituation are available for booking at US Dollars 300 per person (international visitors/non-residents), US Dollars 250 (residents), and Shs. 250,000 per person (Ugandans/East African citizens). Like the traditional chimpanzee trekking, even habituation permits can be booked through a reliable tour company –talk to your expert, Maranatha Tours and Travel, to book one early.

Forest walks & birding.

A guided birding and forest walk in Kibale Forest National Park introduces you deeper into the jungle to search for diverse birds and other species. The park is endowed with 375 bird species, and they include the Kibale forest robin, green-breasted pitta, blue-breasted kingfishers, double-toothed barbets, Afep pigeon, yellow-billed barbets, Cassin’s hawk eagle, yellow-rumped tinker birds, red-bellied paradise, and little greenbul, etc.

Activities to do in the surrounding Kibale Forest National Park

It is also possible to have additional experiences in the adjacent areas to Kibale National Park. The popular activities that you can consider enjoying on a tour around Kibale include Bigodi swamp/wetland walk, the Crater Lake walk, Amabere G’Nyina Mwiru cave tour, farm tours, and community/cultural tours.

When is the best time to travel to Kibale Forest National Park, Uganda

Kibale tours can be arranged at any time of the year. But the ideal time to travel for chimpanzee trekking is during the peak dry season, that is from June, July, August, to September or during the short dry months, December to February. The dry season experiences minimal/no rainfall with the trails kept drier and passable. The wet season (rainy months) is also available, and you can plan a tour to explore Kibale, especially for birding. The wet or rainy season is recorded from March to May and October-November.

Where should you stay in & around Kibale Forest National Park?

The available lodges that you can consider for overnight stay include Kibale Forest Camp, Isunga Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, Kibale Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, and Crater Safari Lodge. Other lodging options include Ndali Lodge, Turaco Treetops, and more.

How to reach the park

Kibale National Park is located in Kabarole, Western Uganda and reaching there takes about 6 hours. Visitors can drive from Entebbe or Kampala through Mityana to Mubende, then Fort Portal city, and reach the Park via Kamwenge tarmacked road. The easier access to Kibale Forest National Park is best done in a 4WD safari car. Alternatively, you can take flights to have a quick connection from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) to Kasese Airstrip. From Kasese airstrip, you can safely drive to Kibale National Park.