Kibale chimpanzee trekking in November

Kibale chimpanzee trekking in November: Chimpanzee trekking is the main activity done in Kibale forest national park and it’s done all throughout the year. Tourists who get time in November can still visit Kibale because the park is open for all activities including chimpanzee trekking. Over 1500 chimpanzees are living in Kibale forest national park and about 13 groups can be found here.

Kibale forest national park is home to over 13 primate species making it the best primate destination in Uganda. The national park is also home to 70 mammals, and 372 bird species that live within the tropical rainforest. Nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation, and bird watching are the main activities done in Kibale and each of these will give you an opportunity to see the wildlife that lives here

Chimp trekking in Kibale forest national park is done on one fully habituated family which has more than 100 individuals. Over 72 people can visit this chimpanzee family at different times of the day and the time given around them is strictly 1 hour. November is one of the rainy season months that close the year and budget trekkers use this opportunity to visit the park with an aim of enjoying discounts on accommodation facilities.

How is the chimpanzee trekking in November?

Chimpanzee trekking in November is very difficult that is all we can say. First of all the park receives rainfall which is heavy at any time of the day. The rainfall can delay the activity if you haven’t started trekking and if it finds you in the jungle it rains on you until it’s done. During the rainy season, the trekking trails are very muddy and slippery and if you don’t have a walking stick you can easily fall down.

Finding the chimpanzees in the month of November is very difficult because it’s not a fruiting season so food is very scarce. The chimpanzees move from the morning until evening looking for enough food to eat. Chimpanzees move too far points from the starting point meaning that finding them takes long hours. Afternoon chimpanzee trekking is one we can’t recommend because the chances of meeting chimpanzees are 80%.

Tourists that are trekking chimpanzees in Kibale forest national park during the month of November should know that the area is very cold due to too much rainfall received all throughout the day. Finding chimpanzees takes longer because they are far looking for what to eat. Early morning chimpanzee trekking has higher chance of seeing chimpanzees than afternoon chimpanzee trekking.

The chimpanzee trekking activity in November

The trekking activity starts with moving to Kanyanchu visitors center where you register and sit in the briefing room. At the briefing room is where rangers teach about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity and group trekkers not exceeding 8 people. After the briefing, you are driven to the starting point with your armed ranger guide.

At the starting point where you enter the forest, the armed ranger guide will do a little briefing and you will start your walk into the jungle. Inside the jungle, you move around looking for where the chimpanzees could be. The armed ranger guides know different trees where the chimpanzees normally hang so they will love checking each of them.

The search takes 2-6 hours in Kibale forest during November and other months. Armed rangers keep following where they passed or where they ate food from until they locate them. They even communicate with other rangers in the jungle to see if they have seen them. The moment the chimpanzee family is spotted, the trekkers follow rules and regulations of the activity and come close to them for 1 hour.

During the 1 hour given to be around chimpanzees, trekkers are able to learn about their habits, take photos, and record videos. The trekkers get to watch the chimpanzees doing daily activities like nesting, playing, hunting, feeding, and coupling among others. Tourists will be able to learn how these chimpanzees behave, and more facts about them. After 1 hour with the chimpanzees, trekkers move out of the jungle and get back to their cars for a drive to the next destination.

Cost of chimpanzee trekking permits for Kibale forest national park in November?

The Cost of chimpanzee permits for Kibale never changes meaning most the same each month of the year. A single chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale forest national park costs $200 for foreign non-residents, $150 for foreign residents, and  the cost of chimpanzee permits for Kibale for east African citizens isUGX150,000 . Tourists who want whole day chimpanzee habituation get permits at $250 for foreign non-residents, $200 for foreign residents, and UGX200,000 East African citizens.

What to pack for Kibale chimpanzee trekking in November?

During the month of November, Kibale forest national park can receive plenty of rainfall every day. Tourists that are intending to visit Kibale forest national park in November for chimpanzee trekking should therefore pack waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, a pair of gaiters, gardening gloves, a rain jacket, a warm sweater, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, insect repellents, sunscreen, a camera, a pair of binoculars, drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks among others.

Accessing Kibale forest national park

Tourists visiting Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking in November can access the region using road transport and air transport in a single day.

Accessing Kibale forest park by air transport, tourists can access Kibale by flying from Entebbe international airport and Kajjansi airstrip to Kasese airstrip where they connect to Kibale using road transport in less than 2 hours. To fly to Kibale forest national park you must book in advance with airline companies like Aerolink Uganda and Bar Aviation Uganda.

Accessing Kibale forest park by road transport, travelers can get to Kibale forest national park in 6-7 hours including stopovers. There are two routes that can lead one to Kibale forest national park and the first one is from Kampala/Entebbe via Mityana, Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kyenjonjo, and Fort Portal to the park. The second route is from Kampala/Entebbe via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and Kasese to the park.

Accommodation in Kibale forest

Tourists that are visiting Kibale forest national park in November have a lot of accommodation facilities where they can stay. The lodges are so many compared to the number of visitors and this forces them to even reduce the prices. Lodges to use while in Kibale forest national park include Turaco Treetops, Primate Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp, Kibale River Camp, and Rweetera Safari Camp among others.