Walking safaris in Kibale

Walking safaris in Kibale: Kibale forest national park is located in western Uganda and loved for harboring endangered chimpanzees. The national park covers a total are of 776sq.km that are full of different attractions and wildlife. The best way to see the different things in and around Kibale forest national park is by taking part in nature walks and hiking activities.

The national park and lodges of Kibale forest national park organize walking safaris for tourists who would wish to explore the area on foot during their free time or even after a major activity like chimpanzee trekking. There are different atrsil with in the park and areas around the park for tourists to use while carrying out nature walks.

The nature walks activities in Kibale forest national park are done in different areas some of which are inside Kibale forest and others are outside the forest. All these places have different things and which trail to take it’s better you tell what you are interested in seeing. Nature walks in Kibale forest national park are carried out in areas which include the following.

Forest walks

Forest walks are done in specific areas of Kibale forest national park and it’s the armed ranger guides that lead tourists all throughout the walking. Kibale forest walks are carried out during the day and night hours for tourists that love nocturnal animals. The forest walks are done for 1-5 hours depending on the route used and the tourists are able to see different mammals, birds, and plants.

The forest hike in Kibale forest national park starts at Kanyanchu visitor’s center and it’s a 12km walk through the forest and swamp. The forest hike takes 3-5 hours to get completed and tourists do get a chance of passing through an area that is filled with so many elephants, tourists get to meet different bird species, primates, and mammals.

Sebitoli forest walk.

One of the areas where walking safaris in Kibale forest national park are done is Sebitoli forest walk. This is part of Kibale forest national park when coming from the side of Fort Portal and is dominated by evergreen forest. The area is home to a high number of bird species and the walks here are usually done by bird lovers.

The walking trail in Sebitoli forest walk is 12 km and it takes 3 to 5 hours to get completed. During the Sebitoli walk, you will get an opportunity to see so many species of primates among which include olive baboons, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, Uganda red colobus, and vervet monkeys among others.

On Sebitoli forest walk, the bird lovers this is a perfect trails to use because you will encounter bird species such as nahan’s francolin, green-breasted pitta, black bee-eater, little greenbul, blue-breasted kingfisher, red-faced warbler, collared apalis, crowned eagle, African pitta, yellow-footed flycatcher and African greenbul among others.

Crater walks in Kibale

There are so many crater lakes in Kibale therefore during your nature walks you can visit a number of them. Some crater lakes in Kibale are near the lodges, others are close to each other but which one to visit depends on your location while in the park. During the walking safaris around the crater lakes, you will learn how they were formed.

The crater walks in kibale will give you an opportunity to spot several bird species if you are good at birding. Some of these bird species include those seen in Kibale forest national park for example the African pitta, African pied wagtail, brown illadopsis, crowned eagle, little greenbul, grey parrot, blue-headed bee-eater, cassin’s spinetail, Rwenzori apalis, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, western nicator and many more.

During the crater walks in kibale, you will bump into small mammals, primates, reptiles, and different plant species. The guide will be knowing most of these things and he will be ready to answer different questions. Crater walks in kibale will give you a chance to explore these craters on foot which is way different when you are in the safari vehicle.

Crater lakes in kibale forest national park include lake nyinambuga, lake kifuruka, lake nyabikere, lake nkuruba, lake kyaninga, and lake nyamirima among others. There are walking trails to the top of these lakes and up there you will be able to see the Rwenzori mountains.

Bigodi wetland in kibale

Bigodi wetland in kibale is located a few kilometers from Kibale forest national park and it offers guided nature walks to bird lovers. The swamp is home to 138 bird species which are better seen during nature walks. Bigodi wetland in kibale is also a home to different animals most especially the primates such as olive baboons, vervet monkeys, black and white monkeys, and blue monkeys to mention but a few.

Bird lovers to Bigodi wetland kibale will see bird species such as the great blue turaco, African pitta, black-capped apalis, brown-chested alethe, white spotted fluff tail, purple breasted sunbird, brown crowned tchagra, black gonolek, western nectar, Abyssinian ground thrush, brown-throated wattle eye, and bocage’s bush shrike among others.

Where to stay

Accommodation is a very important thing on a safari if you are intending to spend a night or more in the area. Kibale forest national park has a lot of accommodation facilities where tourists can stay and they range from budget to mid-range to luxury options. The lodges include Papaya Lake Lodge, Crater Safari Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Primate Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, Kanyanchu River Camp, Turaco Treetops, Crater Safari Lodge, and Chimpundu Lodge to mention but a few.

The most appropriate time for walking safaris in Kibale

The dry season is the best time to have walking safaris in Kibale forest national park. This season happens from June to September and December to February when the park is receiving little or no rainfall. During the dry season, the walking trails are dry and easily passable. Tourists can access most of the areas within and around the park.

During the rainy season which happens from March to May and October to November, tourists can still visit Kibale forest national park for nature walks but it’s not the best time. This period favors the budget travelers because the lodges and tour operators reduce the prices. Imagine doing walking safaris in Kibale forest national park and it’s raining. I don’t think that the experience will be good.

During the rainy season, the walking safaris are muddy and slippery because of the heavy rains. The vegetation is very tall and thick with unclear views of wildlife and some attractions. During the rainy season, getting to the park takes long because safari vehicles can even get stuck in muddy roads and this gives the worst experience.