Safari Overview
Kibale Forest National Park protects an ever-green rainforest found in the western part of Uganda in the district of Kabalore. The forest is mostly known for hosting the highest concentration of primates in Africa with over 12 different species of chimpanzees and the main tourist attraction in this park is the chimpanzee tracking with several habituated chimpanzee families. Tourists to Kibale Forest National Park can also participate in the chimpanzee habituation process to know more about how they make these primates friendlier to tourists.

The 3-day self-drive chimpanzee tracking safari gives you the chance to enjoy the amazing experience of primates tracking in Kibale Forest and spending a full hour with them observing them as they do their day-to-day activities as you taking photos and recording videos. Since the forest is believed to host over 325 different species of birds, the chimpanzee tracking will be accompanied by an incredible bird-watching experience.

Brief itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – Depart to Kibale Forest National Park.
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and Nature walk.
Day 3: Drive back to Kampala.

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by an agent from Safari Car Rental Uganda Ltd who will help you carry your bags to your safari vehicles and then he will give you the chimpanzee permits and brief you and show you how to operate the vehicle. Then after you will inspect the vehicle for damages, ask questions where you don’t understand, and then lastly after knowing the everything is in order, you will sign the car rental contract and then the agent will have to see your passport and driving permit/license and then when all is done, you will be set to start your self-drive chimpanzee tracking safari by and transfer westwards to Kibale Forest National Park. The journey will take about a 5-7 hour drive with the view of farms, tea estates, pine tree plantations, and traditional homesteads. You will reach the lodge in the evening hours and check in to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options include; at Ndali Lodge or Primate lodge.

Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest National Park

Enjoy breakfast at the lodge and then get your packed lunch and transfer to the Kibale Forest National Park headquarters with your chimpanzee tracking permits, there you will get a short briefing from the ranger guide on how you have to behave when you will chimpanzees in the jungle. Then after you will be accompanied by the ranger and then continue to the starting point for the chimpanzee tracking process, from there you will enter the jungle with a ranger and an armed guard and the actual chimpanzee tracking starts. The time you will spend while tracking these primates is unpredictable but it can range from 3 – 8 hours depending on how the chimpanzee moved in the jungle in search of food and shelter. These primates are in their natural habitat meaning they can move anyhow as they are searching for food and this makes the tracking time change every day. Along the track, you will get a chance to vies other 12 primates species like the colobus, Olive baboons, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, the L’Hoest’s, Red-tailed monkeys, Bushbabies, Vervet monkeys, and over 325 different species of bird. The ranger guide will give information on both flora and fauna.

After this amazing experience, you will return to the lodge for lunch, unwind as you wait for an evening visit to the crater lakes region near Ndali, and later feast; you will be entertained in some of the cultural dances of the country.

Day 3: Drive back to Kampala

Have breakfast and depart for a nature walk in Bigodi swamps adjacent to Kibale Forest. The walk rewards you with about 325 bird species, 8 primates, and several antelopes.

Return to the lodge for early lunch and embark on our picnic drive back to Kampala.

End of the tour