Trekking Kibale chimpanzees from Canada

Trekking Kibale chimpanzees from Canada: Kibale forest national park is the best area to trek chimpanzees in the world. The national park is loved because it has the highest population of chimpanzees and the highest number of primates in the whole world. Kibale is a tropical rainforest area located in the western part of Uganda in Kasese and Fort Portal districts.

Trekking Kibale chimpanzees from Canada

Are you in Canada and you would love to trek chimpanzees, Kibale forest national park is the right choice because chimpanzee sightings are guaranteed? Chimpanzee trekking from Canada will bring you to Kibale forest national park the most visited area when it comes to chimpanzee trekking.

There are 13 chimpanzee families in Kibale forest national park but travelers from Canada will have access to only one family that is open for trekking. This family can be trekked by a maximum of 72 people on a daily basis in the morning shift and evening shifts. A traveler from Canada will only need a chimpanzee trekking permit to get access to a chimpanzee community in Kibale.

The cost of chimpanzee trekking permits in Kibale from Canada

when trekking Kibale chimpanzees from Canada, Travelers from Canada get chimpanzee permits at the same price like any other person from another country in the world. A single chimpanzee trekking permit for Kibale forest national park from Canada costs $200 for foreign non-residents, $150 for foreign residents, and UGX150,000 East African citizens. While booking a chimpanzee permit you will have to provide your travel details to help in knowing which category you belong to.

To book chimpanzee trekking permits from Canada, you need a local tour operator who in most cases is the one organizing your safari or you can book directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority. To book the permit you need the dates of the month and year you want to trek chimpanzees and these will be used to check for the availability of the permits.

Once the permits are available, you are asked to pay the money for the permit using the different banking details given. After sending the money, you will need to send proof of payment and your personal details for your chimpanzee permit to be booked. If you booked with a tour operator, you will find your permit with the safari guide and if you booked directly with UWA, you will find it at their offices in Kamuwokya.

The chimpanzee trekking exercise in Kibale from Canada

On the day of chimpanzee trekking, all tourists including those that are from Canada will gather at Kanyanchu visitor’s center in the morning or evening hours for a briefing before heading into the jungle to search for already habituated chimpanzees. At the briefing center, tourists get to learn about the rules and regulations for the safety of the chimpanzees and the trekkers.

Trekking chimpanzees begins right away after the briefing and tourists are driven to the starting points. Here the armed ranger guides lead the trekkers into the jungle where they start searching for the whereabouts of the chimpanzees. Searching takes 2-6 hours and during the search, trekkers are able to meet different wildlife species that live within the jungle.

After hours of searching, trekkers will automatically meet the chimpanzees and armed ranger guides will give them 1 hour to be around the apes while following the rules and regulations of the activities. The trekkers will get an opportunity of learning about the behaviors of the chimpanzees, take photos and watch them do daily activities such as nesting, hunting, feeding, breastfeeding, grooming, and much more.

What to pack for Kibale chimpanzee trekking from Canada?

Travelers that are visiting Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking from Canada must pack the right essentials to get the best out of the activity. What to pack should include waterproof hiking shoes, a pair of gaiters, long cotton stocks, gardening gloves, a light backpack, long-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shorts, a sweater, a rain jacket, sunscreen, insect repellents, a camera, a pair of binoculars, drinking water bottle and energy giving snacks to mention but a few.

When to visit Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking from Canada?

Travelers from Canada can visit Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking at any time of the year however certain months are better than the rest. The dry season months from June to September and December to February are the best to visit Kibale forest national park for chimpanzee trekking from Canada because the park is receiving little or no rainfall, the trekking trails are dry and easier to navigate, the vegetation is short and thin with good views of wildlife and roads leading to the park are passable.

Travelers from Canada especially budget travelers can visit Kibale forest national park during the rainy season from March to May and October to November. During this period, lodges and local tour operators reduce their prices to attract a few travelers that are intending to visit the park. The rainy season is not the best to travel to Kibale for chimpanzee trekking and this is because there is heavy rainfall which makes the trekking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are impassable.

Where to stay on your chimpanzee trekking safari in Kibale from Canada

Travelers that are coming from Canada don’t have to worry about where they will stay because there are a lot of accommodation facilities within and outside the park. Where to stay while on your safari depends on your travel budget because these accommodation facilities are of mid-range, budget, and luxury options. The lodges in Kibale include primate lodge, Ndali Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Rweetera Safari Park, Turaco Treetops, and Papaya Lake Lodge among others.

Getting there

Travelers from Canada will have to first fly to Uganda for them to access Kibale forest national park. There are two ways travelers from Canada can get to Kibale forest national park – by road transport or by air transport. By road transport, travelers can get to Kibale forest from Entebbe/Kampala via Masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi, and Kasese to the park or from Kampala/Entebbe via Mityana, Mubende, Kyenjonjo, and Fort Portal to the park.

By air transport, if you are in Canada and y want to fly to Kibale you will have to inform your tour operator earlier in advance so that the book for you a seat with airline companies such as bar aviation Uganda and aero link Uganda. There is no airstrip in Kibale forest national park but travelers can fly to Kasese airstrip and drive to the park in less than 2 hours. Flights begin from Kajjansi airstrip or Entebbe international airport and last for 1 hour and 15 minutes.