Kibale forest national park in December
Kibale forest national park in December is one of the top visited tourist destinations in Uganda. Tourists visit Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking experience. Kibale forest national park is visited for different activities at any time of the year including the month of December.
December in Kibale forest national park is that time of the year when the national park is receiving little or no rainfall. It’s a dry season month and a lot of tourists visit the park because of the good weather conditions. The grass during December is still greener and this gives tourists a great opportunity for photography.
During December the wildlife in Kibale forest is easily easy because the vegetation is short due to some sunshine which dries it up. Tourists visiting Kibale forest national park during December will experience little or no rainfall that won’t disrupt their activities like it happens in the rainy season.
During the month of December, Kibale forest national park is good for bird lovers because it’s one of the months when the park is receiving a lot of migratory birds. The migratory birds in Kibale forest include the African green pigeon, black-billed weaver, African emerald cuckoo, chubb’s cisticola, African shrike flycatcher, alpine swift, and much more.
The number of travelers visiting Kibale forest during December is very high and this is because most people are in holidays and others want to celebrate the new year in another country. For travelers visiting Kibale forest national park in December, it’s better to book early in advance of 3-4 months or more.
What needs to be booked earlier are the chimpanzee permits because those are the most needed documents on a safari in Kibale forest national park. The chimpanzee permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and they are sold on a first come first serve basis. The local tour operator is always available to help you with the booking.
The lodges in December tend to get fully booked so fast and this is because a lot of tourists are planning to have their holidays in Uganda. Tourists that want to stay at the best hotels or hotels they have used before must do the booking in advance and pay a certain amount of money to reserve their stay at the hotel.
Kibale forest national park during December especially starting from 20th is overcrowded due to so many tourists in the area. Trekkers can be over 70 every day and each trekking group can reach a maximum of 8 people. Tourists during December can make new friends but those that hate crowded places must wait until march when it’s a low season in the park.
The chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale forest national park in December.
On the morning of the chimpanzee trekking, you wake up to a morning breakfast at your lodge and move to Kanyanchu visitors center where the briefing takes place. During the briefing, trekkers are taught about the rules and regulations of the trekking activity, grouped not exceeding 8 people, and given an armed ranger guide to lead them into the jungle.
There is a short drive to the starting point of the trekking and when tourists get there the armed range guide leads them into the jungle. The search for chimpanzees starts here and armed ranger guides will take you to different trees where chimpanzees normally hang. Searching can go from 2-6 hours and during the search, trekkers are able to meet different mammals, primates, birds, and tree species.
After hours of searching and meeting chimpanzees, trekkers are given 1 hour to be around the apes ad this enables them to learn about their habits, take photos and watch them do daily activities among which include nesting, hunting, playing, coupling, breastfeeding, eating and much more. Trekkers will later find the shortest route to their car and move to Kanyanchu for their trekking certificates before heading to the next destination.
The price of chimpanzee permits for Kibale during December
The price of chimpanzee permits in Kibale forest national park is the same from January to December. Each chimpanzee trekking permit costs $200 for foreign non-residents, $150 for foreign residents, and UGX150,000 East African citizens. The chimpanzee trekking permit costs $250 for foreign non-residents, $200 for foreign residents, and UGX200,000 East African citizens.
How is Kibale forest national park in December
Kibale forest national park in December has little rainfall received on some days. The trekking trails are dry and easier to navigate due to good weather conditions, the vegetation is drying up so it’s short and scattered with good views of the wildlife, and the roads leading to the park are easily passable so tourists will get there in time.
Chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale forest national park in December doesn’t take long and this is because the trails are easily passable. The trekking trails are dry and passable because there is little or no rainfall received in the park. The trekkers are given walking sticks to help them balance while passing on slippery areas.
What to pack for Kibale national park safari in December
Travelers that are visiting Kibale in December should know that the park is still receiving some rainfall so they should go well prepared with waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton stocks, gardening gloves, a pair of gaiters, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, a rain jacket, a hat, sunscreen, insect repellents, light backpack, a camera, a pair of binoculars, energy giving snacks and a drinking water bottle among others.
Where to stay in Kibale national park during December
There are a lot of lodges in Kibale forest national park where you can stay. These lodges are of budget, mid-range, and luxury options so where to stay depends on your travel budget and the time of booking as some lodges are all booked in December. The lodges to use in Kibale include Turaco Treetops, Chimpundu Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Primate Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp, Papaya Lake Lodge, Rweetera Safari Park, Ndali Lodge, and Kyaninga Crater Lodge among others.
