Kibale National Park - The Jungle Park in Uganda

Information and Facts about Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda

Kibale National Park – The Primate Capital of East Africa – Top Destination for Chimpanzee Trekking & Habituation Experience

Things to Do and See in and Near Kibale Forest National Park

Chimpanzee Trekking

Kibale Forest Park is primarily known for chimpanzee trekking. After Bwindi Gorilla Park, it is the favorite Primate Park to visit in Uganda certainly one of the highlights for many visiting Uganda.

Chimpanzee Trekking is where you track the Chimps and get to spend just one hour with them. You choose to either do it in the morning starting at 8am or the afternoon program staring at 2pm. The rangers take you in to the group of 6 - max and you trek inside the forest after finding the chimps you are allowed to spend one hour viewing them – if you are lucky to find them on ground, you walk around watching them eat, nursing each other, relaxing and taking care of the babies. It’s an amazing experience and feels like a family visit.

Over 1500 chimps found here making Kibale Forest Park the best place for tracking chimpanzees in the East Africa. Comparing Chimpanzee Trekking elsewhere in Africa with the experience in Kibale can mistakenly cause you to think that all the chimps here are habituated. Kibale Forest is the best Chimpanzee Trekking spot in East Africa and at least none of our Clients have missed out on seeing the Chimpanzees on their Trek.

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Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX)

Chimp Habituation Experience works in a similar fashion as chimp trekking EXCEPT it's limited to a small group of 4 participants plus of course the rangers, starts at the crack of dawn and runs for 4 hours. It used to be an all-day experience but was cut down to 4 hours in effective July 2020. Chimp Habituation is a 2-year process of getting the chimpanzees oriented to human presence while in their natural habitat – your visit is an essential part of the process. With the standard chimp trekking, the chimps you visit have already gone through the habituation process.

Chimp Habituation Experience is one of the several guided activities offered by the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers in Kibale National Park. This park offers the best opportunities for Chimpanzee Trekking or the Chimpanzee Habituation in East Africa.

Like the Gorilla and the Golden Monkey Habituation Experience, this is a hands-on learning experience where you learn from the Researchers and the Chimpanzees as you observe them.

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Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary Walk

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is community sustainable Tourism project where visitors have the opportunity to see a Jungle Swamp. Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is unknown to most visitors to Uganda. Many travellers would probably just accept visiting this place because it’s suggested by a tour operator as part of their time at Kibale Park. Those who have been there realize that it is one of Uganda Must-Visit Places.

A visit to Kibale National Park is primarily for the Chimpanzee Tracking. On the Chimpanzee tracking, the focus is entirely on tracking the chimps – NO attempt to pause, track or identify other inhabitants of the forest. Going on a leisurely Bigodi Swamp walk offers you the opportunity to spot other primates and lots of birds! This is a long and scenic tour and you learn a lot about the wildlife and the local people. – Its simply an excellent sanctuary for bird lovers, primate lovers, entomology lovers and plant life.

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Night Walks in Kibale Forest Park

When chimps and other forest residents rest up at dusk, a nighttime shift of rarely seen creatures becomes active. This is a 1½ to 2-hour hikenight in Forest where you explore the forest and the creatures of the night, the nocturnal creatures, the birds of the night such as Owls, - Wood Owl, Scops and Pearl-spotted Owlet can often be seen in trees sitting very still - these and all the things that move at night. Bush Babies (Galagos) are fairly routinely seen in most places at night. Even in the trees above your cabin or tent if your lodge is in the forest. Other creature include - the potto, nightjar, cricket and tree hyrax, with its chilling shriek, as well as the occasional civet or serval cat.

Nocturnal Forest Walks in Kibale Forest takes place after you have dinner at your lodge (7:30pm). You walk through the dark forest - using battery powered torches/flashlights to illuminate the trail and spot animals, birds and other creatures of the night that you encounter. Each walk is different. That is what is so special.

Also consider buying a "Trail Camera", learn how to use it and position it somewhere where people passing won't set it off. Leave it out overnight and you will be surprised what may wander by when you are sleeping. Other things we suggest include one liter of water, boots, long trousers, tuck them into the heavy sock which gives protection against insect bites and scratches, long-sleeved shirt, a light rain jacket and wear a hat. Use an insect repellent.

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Kibale Forest Hiking and Nature Walks

Kibale forest activities are mostly built around Hikes and Nature walks. The forest offers a number of walking and hiking safaris experiences that ranged from the traditional guided walks inside the forest to more sophisticated seasonal forest walk up to 12 kilometers. This 12-km journey is restricted to only the dry season months of mid-November to February and June to September. It highlights the diverse habitats of the national park including tropical rainforests, riverine forest, swamp and grassland. Visitors can you can see the varied habitats found in the forest, rivers, swamp, grassland, and the tropical rainforest, all making up Kibale Forest. 

The walk start at 8.00am and ends at the elephant wallow around 2pm. Picnic lunch while on this 12km walk is a must and just don’t forget to ask for one if travelling on a self organized tour. There is even a hike that traverses the length of the park.

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Amabere Caves (Amabere ga nyina mwiru)

Amabere ga Nyina Mwiru simply means “the breasts of Nyina Mwiru". With the help of a local guide, the place can be described using local legends or geographical formations (stalactites). Its a combination of legends and nature. You will hear the stories of old and see nature at work as you are guided on the hike to the caves and the waterfall.

Historically, this is where the leader of the Chwezi dynasty stayed and it explains how the 'Mabere' were formed. Here you learn about King Bukkukku, his daughter Nyina Mwiru and Nyina Mwiru's son Ndahura. Geographically, these are stalactites and are made up of calcium carbonate. It is a short visit that takes less than 2 hours. There is a waterfall and a picnic and camping site.

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The Nakayima Tree - Witch’s Shrine

Mubende is home to the Nakayima Shrine, said to hold the spirit of Ndahura, a former Bacwezi king. The site, is about 4 kilometres outside of the central business district – marked by the Nakayima tree. Large root buttresses, which form nooks and fissures, lie at the base of the tree.

from Kibale to Kampala. Nakayima tree - A tree of Mysteries Amazing things happen here. Its believed that a beautiful spiritual Princess called Nakayima who disappeared in the tree which is to date believed to be possessing supernatural powers for healing, giving fertility in women, wealth, solves problems and gives good health to people that go and worship it.

The shrine is located on top of Mubende Hill, rising 213 metres (699 ft) above the surrounding terrain to a peak of 1,533 metres (5,030 ft) above sea level. The hill has a flat top where an ancient palace once stood. The shrine is visited by people paying homage to the matriarch Nakayima of the Bachwezi, believed to be semi-gods, whose dynasty ruled this region in the period prior to 1,300 AD.

A tour guide will give you insight into the site, the current cultural practices, and the oral history of this ancient tree and the reason it became an artistic site many years ago. Break your drive-time from or to Kampala or Entebbe with a visit to the Nakayima Cultural site.

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Accessing Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda, 26km south-east of Fort Portal town. Kanyanchu River Camp, the primary centre for tourism activities, can be reached from Kampala either from the north, via Mubende and Fort Portal, or the south through Mbarara and Kamwenge. The northern approach is shorter and quicker, with a 300km paved roadway running to Fort Portal followed by 36km on graded road to Kanyanchu. Sebitoli Forest Camp, a secondary tourism centre, is even easier to reach. This stands directly on the Kampala road, 16km before Fort Portal. Public transport runs throughout the day between Kampala and Fort Portal (passing Sebitoli) and Fort Portal and Kamwenge (passing Kanyanchu).

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