Have an exploration of Kyambura forest within Kyambura gorge in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park to trek the lively chimpanzees in their natural habitat. With about 23 individual chimpanzees habituated for trekking, you will have a memorable encounter with man’s closest relative. Kyambura gorge contains a tropical rain forest and spans around 157 square kilometers with an 8 kilometers strip that grew along the Kyambura river banks to connect the gorge and the Kashoya-Kitomi forest reserve.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest is not as demanding as in Kibale National Park because there is only one chimpanzee group to locate in a relatively smaller place. Nevertheless, you need to be in good physical shape to walk up and down the steep terrain of the Kyambura gorge. Also, before your trekking tour begins ensure that you are free of any contagious illness that may spread to the endangered chimpanzees. Besides a chimp trek, Kyambura forest offers chances for birding, photography, wildlife viewing and nature walks.
Acquiring a permit for chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest
You need an authentic permit issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to do a chimpanzee trek in the Kyambura forest. You can acquire this permit through a licenced tour operator like Monteero Safaris to have a worthwhile chimpanzee trekking tour. The chimpanzee permit costs US$100 and is inclusive of nature walk and guide fees minus entrance fees. The minimum age for trekking chimpanzees in Kyambura forest is 12 years. For more information about acquiring and rescheduling your chimpanzee trek and more, consult us at Monteero Safaris.
How chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest is done
The 2 to 3 hour guided chimpanzee trek is often done after a session conducted by a park ranger. You are led into the forest by an experienced tracker and armed ranger, to look out for their residual fruits, dung, housing nests, vocals, and knuckle and foot tracks. Once you encounter the chimpanzees, you will be allowed to spend an hour with them. You will watch them and their unique behaviors like foraging, locomotion, playing, fighting and mating. You will also be allowed to take their photos before hiking back to the starting point for debriefing.
Time to do chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest
There are 2 scheduled times to do chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest. The first starts at 08:00 and the second at 14:00. Monteero Safaris however recommends that you go for your chimpanzee trekking tour in the morning, when the primates are still feeding in a particular place. During this time, the day is not as warm as in the afternoon, so you can have a much more comfortable trek in the cool temperatures in the forest. Other primates include black and white monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys and blue monkeys.
Best time to do chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest
Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest can be done throughout the year, but the ease of seeing them clearly depends on a few factors. For example, during the dry season, the trails are easier to traverse because they are dry and less muddy, in addition to the sparser undergrowth. But the dry season also causes the general abundance of food to become scarce, thus making the chimpanzee groups to be very mobile. The dry season occurs during the months of December to February and June to August.
Alternatively, the rainy season which brings heavy rains to saturate the forest makes trekking through the muddy trails much more challenging. However, during this time, the chimpanzee group has plenty of food thus staying in a particular place to facilitate viewing. The vegetation is also much denser than in the dry season thus affecting visibility. Chances of your chimpanzee trek being disrupted by rainfall during this time is much higher. But, on the plus side, you can take excellent shots of the chimpanzees with the luxuriant vegetation on the background.
How to reach Kyambura forest for chimpanzee trekking from Kampala
You can select either road or air transport to reach Kyambura forest depending on your preference for budget, schedule and needs. Road transport offers a scenic drive from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park in the southwest. The distance to cover via Kampala, Masaka, Mbarara and Kasese to Kyambura gorge is over 380 kilometers. This journey takes 7.5 to 8 hours depending on the road conditions and traffic congestion. Monteero Safaris can arrange your transfer on a comfortable safari vehicle and driven by one of our knowledgeable guides.
The second option is the faster air transport from Entebbe International Airport to Mweya Airstrip. This is a 2-hour flight that guarantees aerial views of Uganda’s beautiful landforms and other physical features. AeroLink provides domestic flights that have to be booked in advance. Your trusted tour operator, Monteero Safaris will book on your behalf for a seamless travel experience. Once you are at Mweya Airstrip, a representative from Monteero Safaris will transport you to Kyambura Visitor center, 34 kilometers away.
What to pack for chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura forest
While planning to travel to Kyambura forest for chimpanzee trekking, deliberate thought should be put on packing the following essential things,
- Lightweight dull colored wear, particularly long trousers and long-sleeved shirt
- Sun protection including wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and suncream
- Refillable water bottle to have sufficient drinking water
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Waterproof hiking shoes with good traction
- Gaiters
- Insect repellent
- Backpack
- Chimpanzee permit
- Camera/smartphone
- Pair of binoculars
- Warm sweater