Kibale forest National park
Kibale forest National park
Kibale National Park is referred to as Primate Capital of The World covering about 766 square kilometers. It was first gazetted as a reserve in 1932 and established as national park in 1993 with vegetation types including tropical forest, semi-deciduous forest, woodland, grassland and tropical climate
The park has diverse range of attractions including wildlife animals about 70 mammal species like elephants, buffaloes, serval cats, warthogs, leopards, gaint forest hog, about 13 primates like chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, about 325 bird species like collared apalis, red faced woodland warbler, dusky crimsonwing, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul, African pitta. The activities include chimpanzee trekking, bird watching, nature walk and cultural encounters
LOCATION OF KIBALE NATIONAL PARK
It is located in South Western Uganda about 348 kilometers between 5 to 6 hours drive from Kampala depending on the traffic conditions, 26 kilometers from South Eastern Fort Portal. It spans in districts of Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Kamwenge and Kasese
ATTRACTIONS IN THE KIBALE NATIONAL PARK
The park offers a variety of attractions that tourists can spot during there visit. The attractions include the following;
WILDLIFE ANIMALS
The park is a home to a diverse wildlife amimals including about 70 mammal species like elephants, buffaloes, serval cats, golden cats, warthogs, gaint forest hog, about 13 primates like about 1500 chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys
BIRDS
The park is a home to about 325 beautiful bird species like African gey parrots, blue breasted kingfisher, white naped pigeon collared apalis, red faced woodland warbler, dusky crimsonwing, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul, African pitta that birders will spot
LOCAL CULTURE
Kibale National Park is also a home to Batooro, Bakiga immigrants. These people have different traditional lifestyles that can attract tourists to see and listen to like dances, songs, story tellings, traditional healing among the Batooro by traditional healer, local church that they may want to learn about.
ACTIVITIES IN THE PARK
There are many activities that tourists may engage in and bring excitment on their face while on their visit. The activities include;
CHIMPANZEE TREKKING
This is the main activity that pulls most of the tourists across countries to visit Kibale National Park. It involves tracking and observing about 1500 chimpanzees in their habitants in kibale Forest. Tourists are first briefed about the dos and don’ts while trekking at Kanyanchu
CHIMPANZEE HABITUATION
This involves training chimpanzees to get familiar with people in their habitants while observing and interacting with them. It begins with briefing of tourists about the do and don’ts while carrying out chimpanzee habituation very early in the morning. After the briefing the park ranger or tour guide leads the tourists to start the activity.
BIRD WATCHING
There are about 325 beautiful bird species like African gey parrots, blue breasted kingfisher, white naped pigeon collared apalis,red faced woodland warbler, dusky crimsonwing, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul, African pitta that birders and adventure seeker may spot
NATURE WALKS
Naturewalks are carried out during both day and night whereby tourists spot about 13 primates like chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, bush baby, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, about 325 beautiful bird species with different attractive colours like African gey parrots, blue breasted kingfisher, white naped pigeon collared apalis,red faced woodland warbler, dusky crimsonwing, yellow spotted nicator
CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS
Tourists engage in community activites like music, dance among other performances with local people including batooro, bakiga immigrants and get to learn about their traditions like traditional healing in batooro, local church, dances, songs among other performances
ACCOMMODATIONS IN KIBALE NATIONAL PARK
The park offers a wide range of accommodation facilites such as lodges, camps with comfortable rooms, friendly staff and delicious meals. Accommodation facilites range from luxury to budget;
THE LUXURY ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES
These include Nadali Lodge found adjacent to Kibale National Park, Primate Lodge Kibale found in Kibale Forest, Kyaninga Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Chimpundu Lodge
THE MID RANGE ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES
These include Isunga Lodge found beside a lush rainforest, Kibale Forest Camp found outside South of Kibale Forest, Chimpanzee Forest Guest House found on the edges of Kibale Forest, Mountains of The Moon Hotel
THE BUDGET ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES
These include Rwenzori View Guesthouse found in Fort Portal, Tinka’s Homestead found in Bigodi Community, Lake Nature Reserve and Community Campsite found about 19 kilometers South of Fort Portal, Tooro Fairway Hotel, Fort Heights Homestay, Kibale Forest Lodge
TIME TO VISIT THE PARK
Tourists can visit the national park through out the year however the best time is during dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January, February trails are drier and ease to navigate making chimpanzee trekking and forest walk easily carried out. During wet season birding can be carried out by birders in Bigodi Swamp sanctuary in the months of March, April and November
HOW TO GET THERE
Tourists can reach there by road or air . Air transport means are the fastest means of transport that can be used. They can fly from Entebbe to Kasese using charted air craft and then hire a private vehicle to Kanyanchu the headquarters of the park however tourists can use means of road transport means like private vehicles between 6 hour to 7 hours drive using Mbarara road, Kamwenge road. The routes that lead to the park;
