Activities in kibale national park.
Chimpanzee tracking and habituation.
Chimpanzee tracking and habituation is the best attraction done in kibale national park due to its tropical forest. The park inhabits over 13 primates, wildlife and various bird species. Chimps are known to be close relative of humans due to 98% DNA just like Gorillas. visits for chimp tracking and habituation are expected to pack cameras, rain coat, comfortable hiking boots, long trousers, long t-shirts, water &snacks and many more.
Before tracking, rangers brief visitors about dos and don’ts of tracking and habituation. Children above 15 years are allowed to track, visitors are given one hour visit with chimps where visitors for habituation are given four fours, visitors are allowed to use cameras without flashlights and many more.
Birding.
Despite the fact that kibale national park is a tropical forest, it makes the place a birding paradise for bird lovers. The park is a home of over 350 bird species which some of them include grey crowned crane, great blue turacos, kingfishers, long horned billed bird, wagtail, blue-headed bee-eater, Green-breasted pitta , African pitta , Abyssinian ground-thrush, spurfowl, white egrets, vultures, owls, African pitta, black billed turaco, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul, black billed weaver, and many more.
Birding can be done morning hours taking either full day or half day however birds move from one place to another and can be spotted even during chimpanzee tracking and nature walk around kibale national park. Bird lovers are expected to pack binoculars, cameras, comfortable hiking boots, water & snacks, rain coat, long trousers, long t-shirts and many more.
Nature walks.
Nature walk is an activity that involves footing with the help of guides taking visitors through the local communities. Kibale national park is surrounded by local communities who are batooro people who are natives and bakiga who are migrates. Despite the fact that guides are community based, they know what is best for visitors including taking them to local markets where they may do shopping, taking them to traditional entertainments, visiting traditional doctors, visiting rest in bananas where ripped banana is squeezed into juice, visiting bigodi wetland sanctuary where various primates and birds will be spotted as well as local farming activities.
Nature walk activity is always done after chimpanzee tracking or birding to spice up the day as you explore the beauty of the tropical forest as well as crater lakes and wildlife.
Culture encounters
Despite the fact that kibale national park is located in toro kingdom, the park makes it to be the best destination for cultures. Batooro people are the natives in the park and believe in kingdom that is led by King Oyo. Although the kingdoms were abolished way back, the were restored and visitors in kibale national park will get a chance to visit the Toro palace where they will be welcomed with traditional dances and welcoming local languages. Visitors will be told traditional tales about the kingdom as well as getting a chance to meet traditional doctors and many more.
How to access there?
Kibale national park can be accessed either by road transport or air transport. Air transport from kampala always starts from kajjasi or Entebbe international airport to kasese airstrip which takes about one and a half hours then 2 hours drive from kasese to kibale national park.
By road transport, visitors will drive 5 hours using mupende- fort portal route. Although the journey seems to be long, it is worthy it due to beautiful sceneries spotted along the way like tea plantation, various bird species and many more.
Where to stay in kibale park?
Kibale national park accommodates luxury, mid-range and budget lodges to visitors who would like to stay for a night. Some of the lodges in kibale include kyaninga safari lodge, Ndali safari lodge, turaco tree top, chimpundu safari lodge, primate safari lodge, kibale forest camp, Isunga lodge, papaya lake lodge, crater safari lodge, and many more. Some of these lodge are self- contained with flushing toilets, hot and cold showers, laundry, slippers, mosquito nets, towels,comfortable beds and many more. Some lodges allow camping and provide camping equipments like tents, mattresses, chairs, and many more,
Kibale national park lodges range differently for visitors to afford as they explore the beauty of the park as well as other areas on Uganda safari like queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls national park, semuliki national park, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga national park, kidepo valley national park, Mountains of the moon national park, Mount Elgon national park and many more.
