Kibale Forest National park
Kibale Forest is located in Kabarole District, some 50 kilometers north of the equator, on the eastern side of the Rwenzori Mountains. Kibale Forest is a 180-kilometer wildlife corridor that connects Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park’s southern part to Sebitoli in Kibale Forest’s northern section. This enables wildlife to freely move between the two parks. Kibale Forest is 1,110m to 1,590m above sea level. The eastern boundary of the rift volcanic belt, with its succession of volcanic vents, lies nearby. The park is commonly referred to as the “primate capital of the world”. Kibale has become one of Uganda’s most famous national parks because of the chimpanzees. However, the park is home to 13 primate species. In addition to the chimps, grey-checked mangabeys, blue monkeys, L’hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, and potos are some of the primates in the park.
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When Should You Visit Kibale Forest?
A tropical forest, to some extent, creates its own climate patterns. Because of this, as well as Uganda’s tropical location, you should always expect rain throughout your visit. Having said that, the wet months are still April and May, as well as November. January and December are the warmest months. The dry months offer ideal conditions for trekking through the forest. Because the nation is tropical, temperatures are consistent throughout the year, and rainfall is common. Weather patterns are also changing. Therefore strict seasonality is becoming obsolete.
Getting to Kibale forest
Kibale is a 6-hour journey from Entebbe by road. The journey from Murchison Falls National Park takes around 7 hours. The travel from Kibale forest to Queen Elizabeth takes roughly three hours. By air, scheduled local flights take you from Entebbe to Kasese where you can connect to the forest. Flights also connect Kasese to Murchison falls and Kihihi and Kisoro, the access points to Bwindi forest.
Safari activities in Kibale Forest
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest
The chimps are Kibale’s major attraction. Chimpanzee trekking is far less difficult than gorilla trekking. Kibale is the most popular area in Uganda to monitor chimps due to the enormous number of chimps, and the accessibility of the forest. Although sightings are not assured, they are more than 90% likely in Kibale. Unlike gorilla trekking, chimp tracking in Kibale does not need you to be exceptionally athletic or able to trek for lengthy periods of time. Typical tracking trips run for around three hours and involve a maximum of an hour with the chimps. Here you will reach within 8-10 meters of them.
Permits are necessary to trek the chimps, and you will be part of a group of up to eight people guided by Uganda Wildlife Authority Rangers. The rangers will guide you through the forest in search of the chimps in their natural environment. The tracking expeditions leave twice daily, one at 8:00 am and 2:00 pm. Morning departures are popular since many itineraries include a tour to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary in the afternoon.
Chimpanzee habituation.
For those with a larger curiosity are need more than an hour with the chimpanzees, you can accompany the habituation team for a half-day or full-day in the forest, away from the busy trails. You will walk deeper into the forest with the habituation study team. Because these chimpanzees are less accustomed to human presence, the experience is unexpected and can be difficult if the chimps decide to relocate fast. This adventure is available as a half-day or full-day excursion. For those trekking for the entire day, you will join the chimps when they leave their nests around 6:30am and stay with them until they nest again for the night around 7pm.
Visit to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
Bigodi is excellent for birding and primate watching. However, a stroll here is also a great chance to support a fantastic community tourism program. The Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development manages the sanctuary, and all earnings benefit education and income-generating efforts at the Bigodi Cultural Centre. Guided hikes run for around three hours and are available in the morning and afternoon. Birders are encouraged to participate in the early hikes to see Bigodi at its finest.
While you may not see many species, those you do see will be quite distinctive since they live on the edge of the forest and in swamp dwellers and West African species near the eastern end of their range. The magnificent big blue turaco is frequently observed. The papyrus gonolek, yellow-billed, yellow-spotted barbets, yellow-rumped barbets, double-toothed barbets, speckled, yellow-throated tinker barbets, yellow-bill, and black-and-white casqued hornbill are all highlights. A wide variety of monkeys inhabit the canopy. Red colobus, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, black-and-white colobus, and grey-cheeked mangabey are all frequent. If you’re lucky, you could witness chimps feeding on the swamp boundaries, scaring away the elusive sitatunga antelope.
Exploration of the Crater Lakes
The crater lakes provide a stunning attractive contrast to Kibale’s forest and wetlands, and they are accessible from all angels. Experience them as part of a guided day trip or from crater-rim resorts. More than 30 crater lakes are found in the Toro area, which stretches for 10 kilometers along the park’s western border. It is highly farmed yet there are still beautiful areas of forest. The lakes are a combination of saline and freshwater, and some are bilharzia-free, providing for an unforgettable wild swimming experience. Canoeing, mountain biking, and walking paths are available at the lodges in this region, such as Kyaninga and Ndali, providing a more active experience of this magnificent environment.
Attractions in Kibale Forest National Park:
Attractions in Kibale Forest National Park:
Primates
An estimated 1500 chimpanzees live in the tropical forest. They share the 795 square kilometers of protected habitat with 13 primate species, including the vulnerable red colobus monkey and the uncommon L’Hoest’s monkey. Kibale’s ecosystems make it the finest spot in Africa to watch primates.
Wildlife
The park is home to 70 mammal species. The elephant is the biggest of them, with 500 said to live in the forest, with buffalo, leopard, warthog, bush pigs, golden cats, and duikers. The forest elephants are smaller than their savannah elephants.
Birds
The Green-breasted Pitta, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Joyful Greenbul, Red-winged Francolin, Woodland Warbler, and Orange-tufted Sunbird are among the 375 species documented in Kibale. Four species have never been seen in another national park: Nahan’s francolin, Cassin’s spinetail, blue-headed bee-eater, and masked apalis. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and the woodland on both sides of the road leading to the Kanyanchu Tourist Centre are usually the most fruitful birding areas.
Flora
The forest has been protected since the 1930s as a logging reserve, and since 1993 as a national park. The park has over 351 tree species, the oldest and tallest exceeding 200 years old and 55 meters in height. Kibale’s vegetation is made up of 75% forest, with grassland savannah occurring on hills and ridges. The type of the forest is determined by the geography, with marshy sections in the valleys and drier vegetation on the hills.
Accommodation Options in kibale forest national park
The Kyaninga Lodge
Kyaninga Lodge is a fantastic safari accommodation that is located on the Kyaninga crater and offers spectacular views of the forest, the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains, and the crater lake. The lodge has a rich history since it was made from big logs of eucalyptus by self-taught builders.
The Primate Lodge
Of course, many guests prefer to stay in the forest, to experience the shift between night and day, to become immersed in the infinite sounds of bird chirping, insects, and wildlife. If this describes you, Primate Lodge is the lodge for you. Primate is a very pleasant lodge in the center of the jungle, just a short walk from where the chimp hikes begin. When the sun shines, each thatched cottage looks out onto its own piece of the forest, while the wide dining area and lounge overlook a forest full of butterflies.
The Ndali Lodge
Ndali Lodge is one of the most popular alternatives in the Toro Crater Lakes area. The lodge has a quaint, English-country house character and is built on a tea plantation founded by the same family in the 1920s. It boasts excellent views of the snowcapped peaks of the Mountain Rwenzori. These small-scale, locally-owned resorts are very unique. The staff at Ndali go an extra mile to make your stay enjoyable. The cuisine is always superb, and the views are just breathtaking. Straightforward, unpretentious, and consistently over-delivers.
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