Kibale is one in all the most attractive national parks in Uganda with tropical rainforest, and a multiplicity of animals. Kibale Forest harbors the principal figure of chimpanzees and more than 1,450 are protected inside the park. At Kanyanchu, a community chimpanzee has been habituated for 16 years. This gives tourists a chance to see the great apes in their natural environment at this exclusive Uganda safaris. Threatened red colobus monkeys and the rare I’hoesti monkey are found in the park. At the same time the forest has one of the highest diversity and density of primates in Africa

ACCESS
Kibale Forest will rarely be a singular destination, but probably a stop among other parks on a tour of Uganda. Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda, 22km / 14mi southeast of Fort Portal town and 360km/224mi from Kampala.

ACCOMMODATION

Kibale forest national park has primate lodge for luxury, chimp’s nest for midrange, sebitori forest camp for budget and others. Besides that, you can visit Kibale while spending a night in fort portal or at the crater lakes.

ATTRACTIONS

Forest Hikes

It’s a 12km hike and usually done in the dry seasons. The months are mid Novermber-Fedruary, June and September. Hiking helps discover the park’s assorted habitats such as river line forest, swamp, grassland and tropical rain forest.

Cultural Heritage & Natural Trail

The nature walk begins from Kanyanchu or Sebitoli and it takes about 2-6 days. The enroute will help discover the forest and late rest in the community-run campsites close to the villages of Kikoni, Nyakalongo and Nyaibanda..

Birding, Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

It’s located outside the park in Magombe Swamp. It’s famous for wildlife such as chimpanzees, red colobus, black and white colobus, red tailed monkey, bush buck as well as mongoose. It has about 138 bird species and these can be seen during the nature walks. The sanctuary was set up to preserve the exclusive environmental features along with the wetland.

Local Communities around Kibale Moist Forest

The people living around the park are mainly Batoro and Bakiga. The Batoro are indigenous to the area while the Bakiga are immigrants from the densely populated southwestern part of Uganda. The Batoro take pride in the cultural heritage of the Toro Kingdom, a scion of the ancient kingdoms of Africa’s Great Lakes region. The Omukama (king) and the kingdom embody the traditional and cultural values of the Batoro. The Bakiga immigrants still maintain their tradition and culture as expressed in their folklore, dance, and language. The park plays an important role in the lives of the local people who enjoy a variety of benefits from the forest. The forest provides them with many traditional forest products such as wild coffee, food, fuel wood, building materials and herbal medicines.
Primates walk (Chimpanzee tracking)

The most popular of Kibale’s walks starts from the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre at 08.00 and 15.00 and lasts 2-3 hours. Ch are the primate most sought after by visitors, but you sl look out for the black and white Columbus, red tailed monkey ( grey cheeked mangabey. Your guides will point out pitas and other bird species and will explain the tradit of plant species within the forest. This walk is for six PE group. Advance booking is essential during Peak Sea:

Children’s Activities

Children of 12 years and below who are not all owe, the chimps or go into the forest can instead enjoy echo forest walks of 1-2 hours duration followed by creative Parents can enjoy their forest walks in the knowledge that their children are occupied in a worthwhile activity with trained ranger guides. The children visit the forest and learn about the ecosystem and its inhabitants through short interesting walks, games and creative activities which include pond dipping, cyanotype, photography and batik making.

Sebitoli Forest

Sebitoli is located 12km from Fort portal town on the Kampala-Fort portal road. this part of the forest offers excellent bird and primate viewing in moist evergreen forest with a semi-closed canopy of stratified tree crowns.

Cultural Heritage and Nature Trail

Referred to as the former Long Distance Walk, an adventurous visitor can follow a 2-6 days trail through the forest. The full walk starts or finishes at either Kanyanchu or Sebitoli. The route explores the forest during the day, emerging in the evening to sleep in community-run campsites near the villages of Kikoni, Nyaibanda and Nayakalongo. These provide the opportunity to meet the local people and gain insights into their Batoro and Bakiga cultures. Porters can be hired at the trail heads to carry equipment. Groups of up to 6 people can undertake the walk. However Pre-booking is essential for effective organization of the walk.

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

Bigodi wetland sanctuary is situated just outside the park in Magombe swamp. This is known for a wide range of wildlife that includes primates, such as chimpanzees, red colobus, black and white colobus monkey and other mammals such as sitattunga, bush buck, otter and mongoose. The wetland is also home to 138 bird species. These can be seen during guided walks from viewing platforms and a boardwalk trail.

The sanctuary is a community-run initiative aimed at conserving the unique biodiversity and environmental values of the wetland.

Kihingani Wetland

Guided walks, similar to those at Magombe, are conducted in the Kihingani wetland, just outside the national park near Sebitoli.

ACTIVITIES IN KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

Kanyanchu River Camp is the centre of the major tourism activities. The friendly and experienced tour guides will share their knowledge with you on primates, birds, elephants, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians, trees, medicinal plants and of course the chimpanzees.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
Chimpanzee habituation experience is an ongoing activity that entails following up the chimpanzees to make them get used to human presence without necessarily altering their natural behavior. While on habituation, you expect to experience the chimps de-nesting (coming out of nests) between 5:30am and 6:30am and you can then follow them up in their daily activities up to nesting (making nests and going to sleep) time between 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Therefore, a visitor has to be ready to start on this activity by 5:30am from Kanyanchu River Camp.

Primate Walk
This starts from Kanyanchu River Camp at 8:00am or 3:00pm. It lasts for 2-4 hours and is the most popular walk, highlighting the diversity of different animals and plant species within the forest. This walk is restricted to four groups of four persons each, in the morning and the same number in the afternoon.

Forest Hike
This is a seasonal 12km hike that is restricted to the dry seasons (mid-November to February and June to September). It highlights the diverse habitats of the park including tropical rain forest, Riverine forest, swamp and grassland. Visitors will have the chance to see a variety of birds and monkeys and sometimes duikers and bush pigs. The walk begins at 8:00am and ends at the elephant wallow around 2:00pm, packed lunch can be made with the canteen.

Cultural Experiences
For the adventurous visitor who wants to enjoy more in the forest, you may take a 64km guided walk, which starts from either Kanyanchu or Sebitoli and end at either site, passing through different habitats and local communities over a period of 2-6 days, camping at the community camp grounds. Community campsites at Kinoni, Nyaibanda and Nyakalongo offer local dishes, traditional dances and walks to community shambas. Visitors can hire a porter(s) to carry their bags.0am and ends at the elephant wallow around 2:00pm, packed lunch can be made with the canteen.

Children’s Activities
There are educational walks that last 1-2 hours followed by creative activities. This especially caters for children under 12 years of age that are not allowed to view the chimps. This enables visitors to enjoy their chimpanzee experience or nature walk or forest hike whilst their children are supervised, educated and entertained by experienced ranger guides. This is done by ranger guides who form the education team. The children access the forest and learn about the ecosystem and its inhabitants through interesting walks, games and creative activities such as pond-dipping, paper-making, cyanotype, photography and batik making.

Sebitoli Forest Centre
On Kampala/Fort Portal road 12km from Fort Portal, there is a new tourist site within the park called Sebitoli Forest Centre. It offers bird and primate viewing and a forest walk to the water falls. Visits to the Tea Estates can also be arranged

Conservation Value of Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is an important site for conservation and research. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, with assistance from the Jane Good all Institute, started the Kibale Primate Habituation Project, which focuses on habituating the chimpanzees to human presence. This has increased the chances of viewing chimpanzees to over 90%, allowing visitors the fantastic opportunity to view these great apes in their natural environment. Funds generated through tourism help to further protect the park and its biodiversity, carry out research and support local community projects.

Kanyanchu River Camp is the centre of the major tourism activities. The friendly and experienced tour guides will share their knowledge with you on primates, birds, elephants, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians, trees, medicinal plants and of course the chimpanzees.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
Chimpanzee habituation experience is an ongoing activity that entails following up the chimpanzees to make them get used to human presence without necessarily altering their natural behavior. While on habituation, you expect to experience the chimps de-nesting (coming out of nests) between 5:30am and 6:30am and you can then follow them up in their daily activities up to nesting (making nests and going to sleep) time between 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Therefore, a visitor has to be ready to start on this activity by 5:30am from Kanyanchu River Camp.

Primate Walk
This starts from Kanyanchu River Camp at 8:00am or 3:00pm. It lasts for 2-4 hours and is the most popular walk, highlighting the diversity of different animals and plant species within the forest. This walk is restricted to four groups of four persons each, in the morning and the same number in the afternoon.

Forest Hike
This is a seasonal 12km hike that is restricted to the dry seasons (mid-November to February and June to September). It highlights the diverse habitats of the park including tropical rain forest, Riverine forest, swamp and grassland. Visitors will have the chance to see a variety of birds and monkeys and sometimes duikers and bush pigs. The walk begins at 8:00am and ends at the elephant wallow around 2:00pm, packed lunch can be made with the canteen.

Cultural Experiences
For the adventurous visitor who wants to enjoy more in the forest, you may take a 64km guided walk, which starts from either Kanyanchu or Sebitoli and end at either site, passing through different habitats and local communities over a period of 2-6 days, camping at the community camp grounds. Community campsites at Kinoni, Nyaibanda and Nyakalongo offer local dishes, traditional dances and walks to community shambas. Visitors can hire a porter(s) to carry their bags.0am and ends at the elephant wallow around 2:00pm, packed lunch can be made with the canteen.

Children’s Activities
There are educational walks that last 1-2 hours followed by creative activities. This especially caters for children under 12 years of age that are not allowed to view the chimps. This enables visitors to enjoy their chimpanzee experience or nature walk or forest hike whilst their children are supervised, educated and entertained by experienced ranger guides. This is done by ranger guides who form the education team. The children access the forest and learn about the ecosystem and its inhabitants through interesting walks, games and creative activities such as pond-dipping, paper-making, cyanotype, photography and batik making.

Sebitoli Forest Centre
On Kampala/Fort Portal road 12km from Fort Portal, there is a new tourist site within the park called Sebitoli Forest Centre. It offers bird and primate viewing and a forest walk to the water falls. Visits to the Tea Estates can also be arranged

Conservation Value of Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is an important site for conservation and research. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, with assistance from the Jane Goodall Institute, started the Kibale Primate Habituation Project, which focuses on habituating the chimpanzees to human presence. This has increased the chances of viewing chimpanzees to over 90%, allowing visitors the fantastic opportunity to view these great apes in their natural environment. Funds generated through tourism help to further protect the park and its biodiversity, carry out research and support local community projects.