What is the best time to access Kibale Forest by Flight
What is the best time to access Kibale Forest by Flight: Kibale National Park is a remarkable primate destination famous for chimpanzees together with several other primates, which draw tourists from different parts of the world. The park offers various adventure activities for visitors who are passionate about wildlife safaris, including primate trekking and many others. However, accessing Kibale Forest National Park depends on the traveller’s choice and budget, because the park can be accessed using either air or road transport.
Travellers who prefer travelling by air can also get to the park at any time of the year. However, some months are more ideal than others; the dry season is more convenient for travellers who are planning to visit Kibale Forest for a unique and exciting adventure safari. The dry months of June to August and December to February offer the best experience for travelers since they are characterized by a unique environment that is free from torrential rains and their outcomes.
The dry season is not only the best time for travelers to visit the park but also the best time to take flights there. This is because the weather is so conducive since the country generally is receiving intermittent rainfall with clear skies for flights. More still, during this period, the park is always dry with little to no rainfall, making the trekking trails dry and accessible, the vegetation short with clear visibility of wildlife species, and the roads connecting to the park dry.
On the other hand, travellers can still accessWhat is the best time to access Kibale Forest by Flight National Park by air during the rainy/wet season when the weather is more favorable. Although the park is open all year round, and the lodges offer huge discounts during the rainy season. The rainy season is not the best period to access Kibale Forest National Park by flight because too much rainfall doesn’t favor flights; inside the park the vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and chimpanzee trekking trails are muddy and slippery.
How convenient is the flight safari to Kibale Forest National Park
What is the best time to access Kibale Forest by Flight: Luxury travelers and those on a tight schedule can easily access the park using the flight means of transport compared to the road transport. Travelers planning to visit Kibale Forest for adventure safaris, such as primate safaris, should note that the flight from Entebbe can cover about 233 km and last 1 hour and 15 minutes, with the exclusion of airport transfers; the entire journey may take about 2 hours and 30 minutes, all inclusive. Flying safaris to Kibale Forest are faster than traveling by road, which may take about 6 to 7 hours.
Accessing Kibale Forest National Park by air
Chartered flights are available to Kasese and Mweya airstrips, but visitors are advised to contact the airline company in advance to book a seat. If you are using a local tour operator for your safari, they will calculate the total cost and ask for a deposit. Part of this deposit will be used to book your flights. Flights are scheduled based on your chosen travel dates with Bar Aviation Uganda or Aerolink Uganda. If seats are available, some money will be sent to the airline to confirm you are booking so you can fly to the park on the safari day.
Chartered flights to Kibale Forest National Park
Aerolink Uganda, Pearlsky, and Bar Aviation Uganda offer chartered flights to various national parks in Uganda, including Kibale Forest. Since there is no airstrip in Kibale Forest National Park, tourists use Mweya airstrip or Kasese airstrip. Flights to these airstrips begin at Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe International Airport and take about 1 hour and 15 minutes. There are three daily flights to Mweya/Kasese during the dry season and two flights daily in the rainy season.
Top Activities to Do on a Fly-In Safari to Kibale Forest National Park
Chimpanzees experience
Chimpanzee trekking and chimpanzee habituation are the main activities done in Kibale Forest National Park. Tourists have a chance to interact and to have a close encounter with these intelligent apes, especially those who want to experience being near chimps that are closely related to humans. To join these activities, you need a chimpanzee trekking permit for one hour with the chimpanzees or a chimpanzee habituation permit for a full-day experience with these primates. Activities begin with a briefing at the Kanyanchu visitor’s center on rules for trekking. Groups for trekking have a maximum of 8 people, while habituation groups have up to 6, led by armed ranger guides.
Birdwatching
Kibale Forest National Park is a top destination for bird watching, home to over 370 recorded bird species. Visitors can enjoy bird watching on foot in the forest or at the nearby Bigodi Wetland. Many interesting bird species can be seen, including the green-breasted pitta, Cassin’s spinetail, tropical boubou, papyrus canary, slender-billed weaver, great blue turaco, crowned eagle, African pitta, and papyrus gonolek, among others. This experience offers tourists a chance to discover a diverse range of avian life in a beautiful setting.
Nature walks- What is the best time to access Kibale Forest by Flight
Kibale Forest National Park offers day and night nature walks for tourists to explore the wilderness on foot, guided by armed rangers. During these walks, visitors can see various mammals, primates, birds, water sources, and vegetation. One walk goes to Nyamirima Hill, featuring over 5 crater lakes.
Accommodation in Kibale
Accommodations in Kibale Forest National Park vary from budget to midrange to luxury options, and these include Primate Lodge, Kibale Lodge, Turaco Tree Tops, Guereza Canopy Lodge, Rweteera Park Camp, Kibale Forest Camp, Kibale Forest Lodge, Chimpanzee Capital Lodge, Tinkerbird Safari Lodge, Bahundu Safari Lodge, Kyaninga Lake Resort, and others.
