Can you fail to get Kibale chimpanzee permits?
Can you fail to get Kibale chimpanzee permits?: Kibale national park has got two seasons which are the high season when the park is receiving a lot of visitors and the low season when the park is receiving a few visitors. Chimpanzee permits are available in Kibale forest national park all throughout the year. The chances of failing to get the chimpanzee permits are high during the high season and low during the low season.
During the high season which occurs from June to September and December to February, travelers can fail to get chimpanzee trekking permits if they delay with the booking and this is because a lot of tourists are visiting the park due to good weather conditions. During the high season getting a permit 1-2 months to the trekking date is always a chance therefore you need to book as early as possible.
During the low season which happens from March to May and October to November, travelers can’t fail to get chimpanzee permits because a few travelers visit the park. The park is always empty during the rainy season and tourists don’t visit the park simply because of the heavy rainfall which destroys the whole trekking activity.
Tourists need to know that Kibale forest national park is the most loved chimpanzee destination and this is because it has the highest number of chimpanzees and it has a variety of wildlife species compared to any other chimpanzee park in the country. A lot of travelers love Kibale forest and with only 72 chimpanzee permits they get can be sold out quickly.
If you fail to get the chimpanzee permits for Kibale forest national park especially those that want to visit the park in the dry season and fail what you do is change the safari dates. You can postpone your safari to the next dry season or come during the rainy season when permits are always available.
In order not to miss getting chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale forest national park, it’s better you do an advance booking. Tourists need to book their chimpanzee trekking permits 3-4 months earlier in advance to avoid missing out on permits. 3-4 months before the safari, there are high chances of finding the permits.
How many chimpanzee permits are in Kibale forest national park?
There are 84 chimpanzee permits in Kibale forest national park every day. 12 permits are for chimpanzee habituation which is done the whole day while 72 permits are for chimpanzee trekking where you stay 1 hour with chimpanzees. The 72 permits for chimpanzee trekking are shared in the morning and evening shifts.
The cost of chimpanzee permits in Kibale
The cost for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest national park is $200 for foreign non-residents, $150 for foreign residents, and UGX150,000 East African citizens. The cost of a chimpanzee habituation permit in Kibale forest national park is $250 for foreign non-residents, $200 for foreign residents, and UGX200,000 for East African citizens.
How to book chimpanzee permits for Kibale forest national park?
Tourists can book chimpanzee permits for Kibale forest national park using a local tour operator or directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority. Travelers that use local tour operators while organizing safaris for Kibale can always leave the booking process to the tour operators.
To book with a local tour operator, you need the dates of the month and year you want to trek the chimpanzees and then contact your local tour operator via email. These shall be used to check for the availability of the permits with the reservations office at Uganda wildlife authority.
Once the chimpanzee permits are available, you will be sent an email to provide your personal details and banking details where you will deposit some money. Your chimpanzee trekking permit shall be purchased you will be sent a scanned copy for proof. On arrival in the country for the safari, your permit will be with your guide.
