East Africa has five countries where you can see the chimpanzees, that is Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania but chimpanzee trekking in East Africa is mostly done in two countries that is Uganda and Rwanda due to the intense number of these primates that is found in the different parks. Uganda is a home to more than 5000 chimpanzees and that is why it is the top destination for all those who want to go for trekking and if you want to enjoy your chimp trekking experience you will need to book earlier and avoid the peak seasons as the permits will be highly priced and the parks will be over crowded.
Best Chimpanzee Trekking Safaris in East Africa
Chimpanzee Trekking Destinations in Africa
Chimpanzees are known to be the closest relatives to the human race with a percentage of 98.7%. Most of the habituating places where one can see the chimpanzees and also get to enjoy the numerous chimp treks are found in the two countries of Rwanda and Uganda. You get a chance to see these primates and with the help of the different trackers, you will learn more about the primates.
There are several things that you need to carry when one decides to go for a chimpanzee trekking experience and some of these include the following:
• Long sleeved clothes as this will help shield you from tree scratches as you are trekking and insect bites from the tropical insects especially during the wet season.
• A permit will be needed after paying a specified amount of money and this will be given to you by the game park where you want to go for your trekking.
• A wide brimmed hat and sunscreen to use especially during the dry season because the heat can be unbearable sometimes.
• Trekking shoes, you will need to get strong trekking shoes as these will help you not to slip especially during the times when the trekking routes are a bit slippery.
• Garden gloves, these will help grip the trees properly without getting your fingers scratched.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda
Uganda is a diverse country that has a lot of things you can see and do and the one of the best things to do is chimpanzee trekking. The minimum age for all those who always want to go for chimpanzee trekking in most parks is fifteen years apart from Kalinzu forest where it is twelve years. It is done in specific places and some of the places where chimpanzee trekking is carried out from include the following.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is the best destination for chimpanzee trekking in East Africa. Located in the western part of Uganda, Kibale national Park is a home to 1500 chimpanzees including other primates that are located in the Park. There are thirteen different chimp species that are found in the Kibale National Park and other primates. There are also other wild animals that can be seen in the park including a variety of bird species that can be found in the park.
Trekking in Kibale Park is done mostly for one hour for each group of tourists who go for trekking and the group consists of five to six people who are always escorted by an experienced tour guide and there can be over six groups in a day that go for trekking since the trekking process takes only one hour for each group. Most of the people who go to Kibale are advised to put on long sleeved clothe since the park is densely populated with trees to avoid tree branch scratches and insect bites. The chimp trekking in Kibale has two sessions that is the morning session that begins t 7:00am and the second session that begins at midday.
Chimp trekking is not as hard as it might look in Kibale because the chimps can easily be seen up the trees eating fruits and for as long as you follow the rule and regulations that are given to you.
Chimpanzee Trekking at Budongo Forest
Budongo forest is located near the famous Murchison falls in the northern part of Uganda and you can join your Murchison safari with a chimpanzee trekking safari to Budongo. Budongo is a large forest that is filled with mahogany trees that cover up most of the forest and was preserved to prevent people from a
Once you visit Budongo forest you will be able to go for chimpanzee and habituation. Habituation is the process of getting the chimpanzees used to the humans who keep on visiting the area and the two activities can be joined.
There are a lot of chimpanzees in that they will be the first thing that you will see when you go to Budongo and the trekking is mostly done in the mornings. If you are planning to go to Budongo for trekking the best thing to do is spend a night at nearby lodges so that you get an early start.
Chimpanzee Trekking at Kyambura Gorge
Kyambura gorge is located in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in the western part of Uganda and it is known to be one of the top chimpanzee trekking destinations in Uganda and East Africa. It is locally known as the valley of apes due to the presence of a small family of chimps that is about twelve of them that live in the area. You will have a guide who will take you on the trek and you will be able to interact with the chimps since habituation has been done at the Kyambura gorge. Trekking is also mostly done in the mornings and you can couple it with some other activities that are carried out in the Park.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu Forest
Kalinzu forest is also located in Queen Elizabeth National Park and it is a top and unique destination for all those that love chimp trekking. The forest has about 300 chimpanzees 40 of which are habituated and all these can be seen with just a visit to the forest. The Kalinzu forest is also a home to other species that can be found in the park including a number of bird species. The permits at Kalinzu are a bit cheaper than in other places and if you cannot get the permit you can just inform the park rangers of the day when you will be able to go for the trekking and you will be sorted. you can also be able to see other primates as you enjoy your trekking in Kalinzu and the minimum age for people who can participate in the trekking is twelve years here.
Semiliki Wildlife Reserve
Semiliki conservation reserve chimpanzee trekking is another place where you can go and enjoy the chimp trekking in the area. It is a gazette area which was put up to conserve the Kobs and
Other wild animals that were leaving in the area. It is located in a valley and is covered with acacia woodland which houses most of the chimpanzees in the Reserve. The chimpanzee trekking takes place in the morning and it takes three to four hours in the reserve.
Chimpanzee trekking is on the rise and is one of the top safari destinations in East Africa. These human like primates behave like humans and that is why most people are attracted to come and see how they look like physically, their different behaviors and the how they take care of each other. Remember that they live in groups and it is very hard for these groups to sleep in the same place twice. They keep on moving to the different places in search of food and water.
Therefore you should not miss the chance of getting to know these wonderful primates. Grab yourself a ticket and permit and come enjoy chimpanzee trekking in East Africa because this is an experience you do not want to be told about but it needs you to come and physically feel it.
Chimpanzee Trekking In Rwanda
Chimpanzee trekking is done in Nyungwe National park and Cyamudongo National Park which are located in the south Western part of Uganda. The minimum age for one to take part in the trekking in Rwanda is sixteen years and in each of these parks have a tour guide that will take you through on this wonderful journey.
Nyungwe national Park
Nyungwe National park has a large number of chimpanzees that amount to 500 registered chimpanzees and one troop has been habituated. The chimps keep on changing their resting places every night and that is why when you go for chimp trekking in Nyungwe, a tracker will first go before your group too find out exactly where they spent the night so that you do not have to trek in the wrong direction.
The park has three Centres where tourists gather before they go for trekking at 4:30 or 5:00am in the morning and these Centres include the Gisakura, Kitabi and Uwinka. It is almost nearly impossible to see the chimps due to the dense forests but you will be able to see a few of them.
Cyamudongo forest
Cyamudongo National Park is located in the south western part of Rwanda and is near the Nyungwe national park. It is much easier to trek the chimps in the Cyamudongo more than in Nyungwe since it is not densely filled with trees although the number of chimps here is a little bit limited. One of the habituated troops of chimps is located in Cyamudongo forest and you can go and interact with them and get to know more about the chimps.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Tanzania
Tanzania might not be the top destination when it comes to chimp trekking but that does not mean that they one cannot enjoy a chimp trek safari when they visit the country. Chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania is mostly done from.
Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale mountains national park is located near Lake Tanganyika and it is considered to be one of the most scenic game parks in Tanzania. The Park can already be accessed by boat and it has a number of chimps that amount to 800 and these are divided into different groups. The best time to go for trekking in the Mahale Park is between October and it is a good experience that can be good only on foot. Some of them are habituated and therefore you can get a closer feel of these primates when you visit Tanzania.
Gombe National Park
Gombe national park is the smallest National Park in Tanzania and is located in Kigoma and you can get a flight from Arusha. Gombe Park can be accessed by use of a boat and it is famous because that is where Jane Goodall conducted her research on the chimpanzees. The most common troop of chimpanzees in the area is known as the Kasakela and it was the same troop that the research was carried out on and there are several books explaining her experience with these primates.
It has quite a number of chimpanzees that are located in the area and the trekking normally takes place in the mornings and mid afternoons. Some of the chimpanzees are also habituated which gives tourists a chance to get a closer look at the primates and get to know more about their behaviors from a personal feel.
Chimpanzee Trekking In Kenya
Kenya is not a native home to the chimps but a few of them can be found in the Sweetwater chimpanzee sanctuary. It was opened in 1993 when Jane Goodall saved some chimpanzees from Burundi and brought them to be conserved in Kenya and up to now many chimpanzees some of which arrive in Kenya when they are wounded or near death but they are nursed back to health so that they do not become extinct.
So far there are 37 chimpanzees in the sanctuary and during the chimp trekking, you will get to see the different chimps and learn more about them and how they can be saved from the poachers.
