Tucked away in the western region near Fort Portal town, Kibale Forest National Park contains one of the most varied tracts of tropical rainforest in Uganda.
Its northern and central parts are dominated by forest covers that are interspersed with patches of grassland and swamps.
The park adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park to the south creating a 180km long corridor for wildlife between the Ishasha sector and Sebitoli in its north.
Moreover, Kibale National Park is close to the Ndali-Kasenda crater area. It requires a half day to drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semliki National Park and Rwenzori Mountains to the primate capital.
It houses 70 mammal species in the Park of which 13 are primates. Among the primates, chimpanzees are the most famous. The total number of chimpanzees in Kibale is estimated to 1450 individuals.
Other than Chimpanzees, Kibale is a great home to the threatened red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, red colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabey.
Other animals exist in the Park although there are rarely seen. Over 500 elephants are in Kibale together with leopards, duikers, buffalos, warthogs, and bush pigs. Some shift from the nearby Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Adding to 375 bird species, over 250 species of butterflies live in the Park, reptiles and amphibians.
Getting there.
You can easily get to this Park by road transport. It is about 310 km and takes about 5-6 hours for a drive from Kampala to Kibale Forest National Park.
From Kampala or Entebbe you drive via Kampala – Mityana – Mubende – Fort Portal highway. You pass by road side sceneries like rolling hills, valleys, grasslands, savannah, farmlands and more.
Activities in Kibale.
Chimpanzee Tracking and Habituation
Without doubt, chimpanzee tracking and habituation are the main reasons for most trips to this Park in the western part of Uganda.
For chimpanzee tracking, a specified group of tourists are allowed to meet Chimpanzees in the Jungle to have up close encounters.
Only one hour is allowed to be in the presence of these primates. Then for habituation experience you are allowed to follow them for four hours or full day in the Jungle.
Kanyanchu primate walk is the trail head followed during the tracking. You can sight other primates on the way like monkeys.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale is offered in three sessions including morning, afternoon and late noon. The first session usually starts at 8:00 am and lasts for about three hours.
Birding in Kibale
Other than Chimpanzee tracking, Kibale is a wonderful spot for birding safaris in Uganda. It is endowed with plenty of species including the rare ones. All birding excursions start at Kanyanchu tourism Centre. You are advised to book in advance.
The main locations for bird watching in Kibale include sebitoli, kihingami and bigodi wetland. During the expeditions in Bigodi, travelers wander around via boardwalks heading to multiple viewing points.
Nature Walk
This is awesome for those who desire to appreciate awe-inspiring views of different allures in the Park including plant life, animals, insects, reptiles and birds. In Kibale, you can do nature walks during day or at night.
At night, a guided nature walk through the forest exposes you to nocturnal creatures like nightjars, tree hyrax, bush babies, civets and serval cats. These walks start at 7:30 pm and last for about one to two hours.