3 DAYS CHIMPANZEE TREKKING SAFARI IN KIBALE UGANDA, CHIMPS HABITUATION IN KIBALE FOREST

Transfer to from Kampala to Kibale National Park. Visit the Amabere Caves, hike the Fort Portal Crater Lake field and transfer to Kibale National Park

After breakfast, drive in the company of your driver guide to Fort Portal 300km about 5 hours’ drive from Kampala. You drive along the impressive countryside landscapes of Mubende including the scenic Inselbergs. The small towns en route including Mpigi, Mityana, Mubende, Kyegegwa and Kyenjonjo offers you sights of the rural towns of Uganda. You arrive in Fort Portal town for lunch after which you connect to the Fort Portal Crater Area for amazing scenic views. You tour the Amabere g’ Nnyinamwiru Caves which are ancient historical feature that locals believe to be breasts of Nnyinamwiru – the daughter of Bukuku a self-enthroned King of Bachwezi. Nyinamwiru had been denied a chance to breast feed her son Ndahura as her father had been told that the offspring of Nyinamwiru will take over his throne. Though Bukuku worked tooth and nail to prevent the over throw, it was destined to happen and Ndahura became a famous Muchwezi ruler who is credited to have expanded the Chwezi Empire to the areas on northern Tanzania, Rwanda and east of DR Congo while using Uganda as the center. It is rewarding to listen to such stories being told by the locals themselves. You retreat from the caves and embark on the hike to the Fort Portal Crater Lake field where you summit the famous Kyeganywa hill to gain remarkable views of the craters including the empty hollows and those that have been filled with water to form lakes including Lake Saaka, Lake Kigere and Lake Bikere. The summit of the hill offers scenic views of the area and distant views of Rwenzori Mountains beyond. Retreat from the activity and connect to Fort Portal town from where you will drive 26km to Kibale National Park for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation:

Up market / Luxury: Ndali Lodge

Midrange / Standard: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Budget / Basic: Rwenzori View Guesthouse /Wild Camping

After breakfast, embark on the chimpanzee trekking encounter in Kibale National Park. In you gather at Kanyanchu tourism Center for briefing at 8am by the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers after which you head to the prehistoric forest in search of your closest cousin. Kibale National Park offers great flora concentration with 351 Species of trees some of which are 200 years old and over 55m tall. The park also supports 70 species of mammals and 13 species of Primates among which include the common chimpanzee, Black and white colombus and red tailed monkey. The 375 Species of birds thieve in the park including the impressive western green tinker bird, two species of pitas (African and green-breasted), olive long-tailed cuckoo, African grey parrot and the endemic ground thrush (Turdus kibalensis). Thus makes the search for the chimpanzees beyond the ordinary. Upon encountering the chimps, you have an opportunity to see them munch fruit, hunt, patrol, copulate, young ones playing, make pant hooting calls among other interesting aspects for one full hour. The exciting moments with the chimps will leave you with no other option but to be active with your cameras to make a reserve of remarkable photos that will always take you back to the memories of this wonderful moment. Retreat from the activity and connect to the starting point where you connect with your company guide, settle for your packed lunch after which you connect to Bigodi wetland sanctuary for an afternoon walk. Bigodi wetland is an eco-tourism project developed and managed by the community sheltering a count of 138 bird species which include the Great Blue Turaco. The swamp also supports the swamp dwelling sitatunga antelope but importantly features a heritage encounter to the local people and craft center that enables you to explore the local way of life. Retreat from the 2 hours walk back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight

NOTE:

One can opt for a full day Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Kibale Forest at only 220$ per person for the day

Accommodation:

Up market / Luxury: Ndali Lodge

Midrange / Standard: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Budget / Basic: Rwenzori View Guesthouse

Wild Camping

After a relaxed breakfast, you embark on a drive back to Kampala. You can opt to undertake a cycling encounter in Mpanga tea estates to explore the impressive undulating green tea estates where you can also engage on tea plucking encounter with the estate staff after which you embark on the transfer to Kampala. You will make a stop in Mubende to visit the Nakayima heritage tree which dates far back to the Bachwezi and is named after the Wife of Ndahura Nakayima. From this tour, you connect to Kampala arriving in the afternoon to mark the end of the tour.