3 Day Chimp Habituation or Trekking In Kibale

General Information About the 3 Day Chimp Habituation

Our 3 Day Chimp trekking safari will make you think that spending one hour with chimps on a traditional chimpanzee tracking safari is exhilarating, but wait untill you spend a whole day with these Chimps while on our 3 Day Chimp Habituation. The 3 Day Chimp Habituation (CHE) and or chimpanzee tracking safari is a great alternative to the 3 day gorilla trekking safari especially considering the cost.

You will spend almost ten hours in the jungle just following the movements, studying the habits, games and resting with the Chimpanzees. While Chimpanzee tracking, where you spend one hour with a habituated chimp group you pay US$200, for the habituation experience, you will spend US$250 only. When compared to the cost of a gorilla trekking permit of US$700, this amount is quite affordable for a budget traveler.

But, what is chimp habituation experience?

Chimp habituation experience is the activity where travellers are allowed to join researchers (from the Uganda Wildlife Authority) on their day’s quest to habituate a chimpanzee group in their natural habitat, by following the chimp group throughout their daily routines, from break of dawn when they wake up to start their day until evening when they start to build their nests to retire to at the end of the day.

One does not only stop at seeing and photographing the chimps, but he/she participates in all activities involved in habituating these our closest relatives. A whole day of such an experience is definitely worth trying on your Uganda safari.

Highlights

You’ll go to Uganda
This tour starts and ends in Entebbe (Uganda)
You’ll visit Kibale Forest National Park
Activities: Chimpanzee Habituation, Chimp Tracking
Getting around: open-sided 4×4 vehicle & pop-up roof 4×4 vehicle
A transfer from and back to the airport (or hotel) is included
Additional accommodation before the tour departs and on the last day can be arranged for extra cost

Things To Consider for the 3 Day Chimp Habituation

Accommodation is exclusive.
Chimp Permit $200, Habituation Permit $250
Small Group Safari: Max 6 People per group
Tour Can Depart any day
Tour can be customized
Solo travelers can join this tour
Age Limit: 15 years and above

Arrival

You’ll be picked up from the airport (or hotel)
Accommodation before the tour departs can be arranged for extra cost

Day 01 | Travel to Fort Portal – Kibale Forest

Depart Entebbe\Kampala for a 5 hour picturesque drive through western Uganda to Fort Portal Town. A beautiful drive with scenic views of tea plantations, green mountain backdrops and the people and their cultures along the road.

Once in Fort portal, you can decide with your private Chimp Habituation driver/guide to visit the amazing caves that are surrounded by the creator lakes. Inside these beautiful caves are historical myths about the Bachwezi people with associated geographical features such as the breast-like pointed pillars stalactites and the stalagmites locally called the “Amabeere ga Nyinamwiru”. This mythical story about the Bachwezi people and their culture that will blow your mind. You’ll retire to your booked lodge and prepare for the following day which will equally be an exciting day as you spend time with the Chimps.

Main Destination: Kibale Forest National Forest

Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House – Budget lodge located just outside Kibale.(Not included)
Meals: Lunch & Dinner (Breakfast Not Included)
Drinks: Drinking Water( Not included)

Day 02 | Chimp Habituation Experience or Chimpanzee Tracking

After breakfast head to Kibale Forest National Park headquarters for a briefing and you be assigned a chimp group that you’ll either be tracking or going for a habituation experiencing. For Chimpanzee habituation, you’ll really have to wake up very early to able to meet the Chimps before they wake up from their nests to embark on a breakfast foraging. You will then follow these animals throughout the day.

This 3 Day Chimp Habituation or Trekking tour will expose you to Chimpanzees, the black and white colobus monkeys, the bush baby, grey checked mangabey, red tailed monkeys as well as the different bird species that you encounter along your trekking journey. There are about 138 species of birds including the black bee eater and the crowned eagle that have been recorded in Kibale National Park.

You will have a late lunch at your lodge (particularly for who will have opted for Chimp tracking). After lunch, you will visit the Bigodi swamp which is privately owned by the local community. This swamp is habitat to more than 10 primates species and is also an excellent place for bird watchers. Some animals like the Warthogs can also be seen in this swamp. Since this walk in Bigodi wetland is designed and managed by the local community surrounding the park, all the fees you pay for the walk directly goes to benefit the local community living around Kibale National Park. As Encounter Africa Safaris, we encourage our clients to take part in this walk as the money raised from it helps the communities to sustainably manage and utilize this wetland

Main Destination: Kibale forest National Forest

Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House, Kibale Forest Camp

Day 03 | Drive to Entebbe/Kampala or Entebbe Airport

After your breakfast, you will be driven to Kampala or Entebbe for your post tour accommodation or you may choose to fly out of Uganda today. You will use the same route enabling you to have a second stop over at the Equator.

Main Destination: Entebbe or Airport

End of 3 Day Chimp Habituation