Top Premier Activities to do in Kibale National Park
Top Premier Activities to do in Kibale National Park: Kibale Forest National Park is a popular spot known for its unique and luxurious activities that draw travellers from around the world, especially to see the unique chimpanzees. It offers high-end travellers various luxury lodges in different parts of the park. Located in western Uganda, Kibale is called the primate capital of the world because it has over 13 primate species, some of which are not found anywhere else in the country.
Top premier activities in Kibale Forest National Park are curated for luxury visitors who travel on a luxury basis seeking for comfort, leisure and adventure. With a diverse wildlife living in Kibale Forest national park, there is a lot of activities to do by premier tourists while on a luxury excursion in the park, and this article, is here to give you an insight about the luxury activities that are offered by the park.
Luxury activities to do in Kibale Forest national park
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is the top reason that draws tourists from different parts of the world to Kibale Forest national park. Chimpanzee trekking is one of the most exciting and interesting activity where all types of travellers are catered for including those that prefer premier luxury activities. For travellers to participate in chimpanzee trekking, you simply need a document known as the chimpanzee trekking permit which is obtained from Uganda Wildlife Authority, the state body responsible for issuing out trekking permits in the country’s national parks.
A chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale Forest national park costs $250 for non- foreign residents, $200 for foreign residents, and UGX150,000 East African member states. On the day of tracking, you will present your trekking permit at Kanyanchu Visitor centre and then be part of the briefing session with other travellers going for trekking.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park take tourists through various trails looking for where the chimps in their natural habitats. The search for chimpanzees may last for 2 to 6 hours and while searching you have the opportunity of encountering several other wildlife species such as monkeys like the red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, red colobus monkey, black and white colobus monkey, L’hoest monkey among others. Upon seeing them, you will spend a maximum of one hour with these chimpanzees as you watch them do their routine activities activities, take photos and learn about their behaviour.
Chimpanzee habituation
Chimpanzee habituation is the activity where semi habituated chimpanzees are trained to get familiar to human presence. Similar to chimpanzee trekking, where visitors need a tracking permit but this time round, you need a chimpanzee habituation permit that costs for $300 for non- foreign residents, $250 for foreign residents, and UGX250,000 citizens of East Africa. The chimpanzee habituation experience is better than standard chimpanzee trekking because trekkers have the opportunity of interacting with chimpanzees for a whole day and even get chance to make them get used to the human presence.
Bird watching
Birdwatching is another premier popular leisure activity for tourists, especially birdwatchers, in Kibale Forest National Park. This park has over 372 bird species, making it an excellent spot for birding. Bird watching takes place in specific forest areas and nearby Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary due to its diverse bird species that attract avid birders and nature enthusiasts.
Bird watching in this pristine wilderness of Kibale forest national park will offer you an opportunity to see a diverse bird species such as the Brown illadopsis, black bishop, African pitta, African firefinch, Green Breasted Pitta, papyrus canary, green-breasted pitta, Abyssinian ground thrush, great blue turaco, black bee-eater, superb sunbird, speckled tinkerbird, thick-billed honeyguide, greater honeyguide, red faced barbet, African cuckoo, woodland warbler, red chested owlet, barn swallow, plain nightjar, among others.
Where to stay in Kibale Forest National Park
Visitors that are looking for premier activities in Kibale Forest national park deserve luxury accommodation options and there fore the park offers unique and premier luxury facilities to travellers who would love to spend a night or two and more after the thrilling adventure activities. These luxury facilities are both within and out side the park and these include Chimpundu Safari Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Primate Lodge, Trackers Safari Lodge, Kibale Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, and among others.
Best time to visit
You can visit Kibale Forest National Park for luxury activities year-round. However, some months are better than others, but the best times are during the dry seasons from June to September and December to February. These months receive little rainfall, making trekking trails and roads easier to use.
Travellers can visit Kibale Forest National Park for luxury activities during the rainy season from March to May and October to November. Though it’s not the best time to visit the park, because the rainy season makes trails muddy and roads impassable, together with unclear views of wildlife.
Get there
Luxury travellers to Kibale Forest National Park can use road or air transport. Air travel is the fastest option, requiring a booking with an airline like Aero Link Uganda, Pearl Sky, Bar Aviation Uganda, and landing at Kasese Airstrip, where you will meet a safari driver ready to take you to the park in less than 2 hours.
Tourists can reach Kibale Forest National Park by road in 6 to 7 hours using good safari vehicles. Routes include Kampala to Mityana, Mubende, Kyenjonjo, Fort Portal, or via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and Kasese.
