Trekking chimpanzees in Kyambura and Kalinzu Forest

One of the most well-liked tourist spots in Uganda is Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Western area of Uganda, including the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri, are home to Queen Elizabeth National Park. With an approximate land area of 1,978 square kilometers, the park ranks second in size behind Murchison Falls National Park. The park area include the Kazinga canal, which links Lake George and Lake Albert in the northeast and southwest, respectively. In commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit, Queen Elizabeth National Park was renamed in 1952 after it had originally been established as Kazinga National Park.

In addition to the well-known tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, other animals that can be spotted include elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hippos, and various antelope species in the Kasenyi area. Chimpanzee trekking is also possible in the Kyambura Gorge and Kalinzu Forest, and bird watching is possible while taking a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel in the Mweya Peninsula.

Situated in Bushenyi District, Kalinzu Forest is 416 square kilometers in size. The distance from Queen Elizabeth National Park is about 25 kilometers. Chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, and over 261 bird species are among the many species of animals that call this forest home.

With about 320 chimpanzees and about 50 habituated chimps, Kalinzu Forest is the second finest place in Uganda to do chimpanzee trekking, behind Kibale Forest National Park. The primary activity luring tourists to Kalinzu Forest is trekking with chimpanzees. One of the biggest chimpanzee communities is found in the Kalinzu Forest.

Early in the morning, chimpanzee trekkers in Kalinzu Forest receive a briefing on the guidelines and protocols they must adhere to. Following the briefing, a knowledgeable park guide with familiarity with the forest’s pathways will be assigned to you. Since chimpanzees prefer to roam around in search of food, traveling with them in the Kalinzu Forest can take hours, depending on where they are. You may see different primates while hiking, such as olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. Additionally, you will see many plant, tree, and bird species.

You will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat after they are located. Here, you will be able to spot some of them, observe them feeding and nursing, hunting, playing, resting, grooming their young, and taking pictures.

The price of a trekking permit to see chimpanzees in Kalinzu Forest

For foreign visitors, a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kalinzu Forest costs USD 50 per person; for foreign residents, it costs USD 40; and for East African citizens, it costs UGX 30000.

A tropical forest called Kyambura Gorge is located in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kyambura is roughly 1 kilometer long and 100 meters deep. It is an expansion of Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Kyambura Game Reserve. The vast tropical rain forest that covers the Kyambura Gorge is home to many different kinds of birds, monkeys, and mammals, including elephants and hippos.

Kyambura Gorge links to Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Kazinga Channel, a wetland.

Chimpanzee trekking is the most alluring activity available in Kyambura Gorge. It is well known that chimpanzees are more intelligent than most other primates. They can walk like people do on two legs, but they don’t like to move very far on their four limbs.

There are two sessions for chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura Gorge: morning and afternoon. The first session begins early in the morning with a briefing at the visitors center near the gorge on the laws, regulations, and expectations. Following a briefing, you will be split up into groups of six and begin your jungle journey with a professional park guide who is well-versed in both the chimpanzees and the various pathways.

Since chimpanzees migrate in search of food, particularly during the dry season, traveling among them in the Kyambura Gorge can take some time, depending on their current location. Trekking offers a range of wildlife viewing opportunities, including diverse bird species, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and many plant and tree species.

You will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees after they are located, giving you the opportunity to snap pictures of them and learn about their habits, way of life, and how they go about their regular lives—playing, nursing, feeding, hunting, resting, and caring for their young, among other things.

What it costs of trekking chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge

Any visitor above the age of 15 is granted a chimpanzee trekking permit, which enables them to see a habituated chimpanzee family in the Kyambura Gorge. For non-resident foreigners, chimpanzee hiking permits in Kyambura Gorge cost USD 50 per person; for residents, they cost USD 40; and for East African citizens, they cost UGX 30,000 per person. Compared to Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls, a chimpanzee trekking permit in Kyambura Gorge is less expensive.