Mgahinga Forest National Park
The premier chimpanzee trekking experience in East Africa.
Overview
Kibale Forest National Park is a total venue with its open savannah connecting into woodland, and both tropical and evergreen rainforests, creating one of the last expanses of land in Uganda boasting both lowland and montane forest. Every trek into Kibale Forest is an amazing adventure where you can take part in a Chimpanzee Trekking adventure in the marvelous forest with the highest diversity and concentration of primates found on the entire continent; ranging from the chimpanzees, L’Hoest monkeys, red colobus monkeys, and other endangered primates. It is located in the Eastern part of Uganda’s snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, and offers a scenic forest habitat. The area is home to 13 species of primates, including chimpanzees, some families of which have been habituated.
There is a large wildlife corridor linking Kibale Forest National park to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with African elephants roaming freely between both sanctuaries. The park is located close to the calm Ndali Kasenda crater area, Rwenzori Mountains and Semuliki National Parks along with the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve.
Wildlife
Kibale Forest National Park boasts the greatest density and diversity of primates in the whole of Africa with 13 species of primates. These include 1450 chimpanzees, the L’Hoest monkey (which is a very rare primate, the endangered Red Colobus monkey, the Black & White Colobus, Red-tailed Monkey, Blue Monkey, Olive Baboon, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Bush Baby and Potto. Other mammals consist of buffalo, leopard, bush pig, elephant and duiker alongside amphibians, reptiles and a colorful variety of butterflies.
The park consists of 325 bird species, including 6 Albertine Endemics, Dusky Crimsonwing, Black-capped Apalis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Collared Apalis, Red-faced Woodland Warbler and the Purple-breasted Sunbird. Other marvelous creatures in Kibale Forest Park are the Green-breasted Pitta, African Pitta, Black Bee-eater, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Yellow spotted Nicator, Little Greenbul, Black-eared Ground Thrush, Brown-chested Alethe, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, and the crowned eagle.
Chimpanzee Habituation
Chimpanzees are habituated for a period over 2 years before they become accustomed to humans. Once this happens, chimpanzee trekking can begin for these groups. Here along with the rangers and research staff, you watch chimpanzees leaving their overnight nests before they start their daily activities of feeding, hunting, copulating, breastfeeding, patrolling and resting until they break off for the night by building new nests at about 7pm.
Chimpanzee Trekking
This experience provides you with the opportunity to venture into the natural jungle and spend a number of hours tracking these gorgeous Chimpanzees. When you encounter the primates, you will be allowed an hour to observe them swinging from one tree to another, feeding, playing about or progressing speedily on the ground right in front of you.
Chimpanzees are the prime attraction for many visiting Kibale National Park. Before setting out on your trek, you will receive a briefing from the ranger guide, which covers the expectations while in the forest and information about the wildlife in the park.
How To Get There
By Road
It is around 320kms from Kampala to Fortpotal and then approximately an hour to the forest on Kamwenge road.
This route is regarded as the main and direct route which is paved all the way from Kampala.
By Air
Those who prefer not to take long tiresome drives can opt for scheduled flights from Entebbe Airport to Kasese Airstrip and then drive to their respective lodges or to the park.
When To Go
The park is open year-round and can be visited anytime of the year with the best time to visit being during the hot/ dry months of January and February as well as June, July and August when animals will stay near the water.
However, during the rainy season, which runs from September to December and March to May, roads are difficult to use with the trails in the park likely to be muddy, slippery and impassible. But it will be still be possible to see the chimpanzees because the landscape is not mountainous.
Other Activities
Birding
Bird watching in Kibale Forest is a rewarding experience and is home to a variety of birds including the Albertine Rift endemics including the Green breasted Pitta, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Grey-winged Robin, Crested Flycatcher, Blue shouldered Robin Chat, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Black-billed Turaco, White-napped Pigeon, Red-chested Fluff tail, White-collared Olive back, White-bellied, Masked Apalis, Nahan’s Francolin, Tiny Sunbird and many more.
Night walks.
You can opt for night walks to see the nocturnal animals. When the other forest inhabitants rest, they are on the move searching for food. The rangers use powerful torches to seek nocturnal species such as the Bush Baby, Hyrax, Potto and occasionally Serval cat and Civet. The walk lasts 2.5hours beginning at 7 pm.
Why Travel With Us?
At Safaris By Jon, we guarantee a seamless travel experience and premium service throughout your unforgettable journey to Uganda. We are a globally partnered travel company that provides expert travel advice before your trip and some of the best guides in the industry throughout the entire duration of your stay in Uganda. We have over 10 years experience working in the tourism industry in Uganda and strive to ensure that Uganda remains a viable.
“I have gone on five safaris with Jon over the past five years, and each time has been incredible. I've taken groups of volunteers with me, as well as my own family. He's that good!”- Henry, USA (Tripadvisor)
“Perhaps the most important and my favorite part of the trip was the fact that Jon really put us in touch with the rich and beautiful culture of Uganda. The people are so wonderful and amazing. It really distinguished the trip from others I had taken. Go to Uganda. It’s the most breathtaking place I’ve ever experienced. And when you go to Uganda, go with Jon.”- Bryan, USA (Tripadvisor)
“John was a fantastic guide for our trip, first to the Bwindi and then onto Jinja. He has very professional throughout the 6 days we spent together and always ensured that we were being looked after. His knowledge of the country, the people and the wildlife was first rate and always interesting to listen to. He would continually ensure that we achieved everything we wanted to on our trip. He was an absolute pleasure to get to know over the days of our trip and is a true ambassador for Uganda. Strongly recommend using him for your adventures.”- Paul, USA (Tripadvisor)
“We had the pleasure of travelling part of Uganda with Jon earlier this month. He was incredibly knowledgeable and made the trip for us. The trip ran incredibly smoothly and he made extra effort to make our experience the best possible. We traveled to Murchison Falls NP, Queen Elizabeth NP, and Bwindi NP, and we tracked gorillas and chimps. Honestly could not recommend Jon enough, if you want a truly memorable amazing experience in Africa this is the company to go with! 5 star!”- Ashley, USA(Tripadvisor)
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