Activities in Kibale National Park | What to do
Activities in Kibale National Park are the things that one can engage in when visiting the national park. These are the key ventures that make the safari of travelers / tourists interesting. There are many activities, and below we list a number of those that might make your trip worth it.
Chimpanzee Trekking
This is a main activity in Kibale National Park and the main reason for conserving this area. Among all other sites in Uganda where chimpanzees are found, Kibale has a denser population of these humble primates, amounting to more than 1,500 primates.
For one to do chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, they are required to pay a fee of USD 150 for the chimpanzee permits. Other popular chimp trekking destinations also include Nyungwe in Rwanda and Gombe National Park in Tanzania.
Chimpanzee Habituation
This is close to chimpanzee tracking, only that it’s more expensive and the travelers get a chance to spend more time with the primates. Chimpanzee habituation in Uganda is one of the most sought-after primate safaris.
Nature walks and hiking
These are guided walks through the forest of Kibale where one can get to feel the presence of natural air and learn about different flora & fauna species.
During these nature walks one gets to learn about different bird species and also different primates that are spotted. A maximum of 6 travelers are allowed to do these nature walks and they are scheduled for morning, afternoon and evening.
The nature walks are very interesting and some travelers can even request the extended walks, which take about 2-6 days.
Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
This is a jungle swamp that happens to be a project of the local community to preserve nature and to improve their standards of living through putting the jungle swamp out as a tourist attraction.
This swamp has a lot to offer, including bird watching, mammal species and the vegetation cover. The swamp is visited by tourists who travel to visit Kibale National Park and the charges levied on them to have access to the swamp are used to improve the well-being of the people in the communities around.
Schools have been built, water accessibility improves, health centers and the general infrastructure of these villages around Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary have been improved.
Birding in Kibale Forest
Kibale Forest is a big sanctuary for bird species, harboring over 150 bird species. The bird watchers in Kibale wake up as early as they can because they are required to start the bird watching at around 7:00 am in the morning.
Some of the most common bird species that are spotted include the white-spotted flufftail, white-tailed ant-thrush, black-and-white shrike-flycatcher, superb sunbird, and yellow-billed barbet, among others.
Crater Lakes Tour
Once you are done with the safari in Kibale National Park, the Crater Lakes tour is also one of the key activities that a traveler would love to engage in on their itinerary.
During this tour in Fort Portal town, you will be led on foot to hike different steep volcanic slopes, which in the end turn out to be interesting to the eye.
You will be able to see different crater lakes from the bird’s-eye view. Other features one can notice after climbing to the top include the forests of Kibale, the mountain ranges of Rwenzori, and the amazing landscape features.
Visit to the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru
These are rocks located in a cave a few meters away from Nyakasura School in Fort Portal-Kabarole District.
The visit to these rocks includes having to pass by certain amazing waterfalls that welcome you. The Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru are natural features that are a result of the formation of stalagmites and stalactites, though the Batoro tribe has a strong cultural attachment to these rocks.
They have a belief that these are the breasts of a young girl called Nyina Mwiru, which were cut off by her father, the king, for refusing to marry a spouse he had chosen for her. Tourists flock this place to learn about these features and have contributed greatly to the tourism industry and the community around.
