Can I trek chimpanzees in Kalinzu twice?

Can I trek chimpanzees in Kalinzu twice? If you book chimpanzee permits for morning and afternoon or different days, the answer is yes. Kalinzu forest is located at the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park with quite a large crowd of chimpanzees that can be seen all year round. After Kibale National Park, Kalinzu Forest is Uganda's second-best chimpanzee trekking destination. Kalinzu forest has about 320 chimpanzees, with 50 of these being habituated. Trekking chimpanzees in Kalinzu is carried out in two sessions, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, which means you can trek chimpanzees twice in Kalinzu in a day if you want to.

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Chimpanzee trekking is the main activity that is carried out in Kalinzu forest, where tourists get to trek through the forest in search of chimpanzees that live in the forest. Besides Kalinzu forest, chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is carried out in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Murchison Falls National Park in Budongo Forest and Kaniyo Pabidi. 

Kalinzu forest is a better chimpanzee trekking destination than Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and it is less strenuous than it is in Kibale National Park. Unlike other chimpanzee destinations, Kalinzu trekking does not have a specific time set for trekking, although you should note that there are two sessions held per day. The trek can begin as soon as you get to Kalinzu forest after the briefing, or it can start later on, depending on your preferences.

The trek starts early morning at the headquarters with a briefing from the tour guides about what to do and expect while trekking the gorillas. The trek will start immediately after the briefing, with the guides leading. Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu can take between 30 to 4 hours, and this depends on the location of the chimpanzee family that you have been allocated to because they keep moving from place to place, searching for food. During the trek, you will be able to see other primates found in Kalinzu, including red-tailed monkeys, L'Hoests monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and different bird species.

Once you have located the chimpanzees, you get to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, learn about their behaviors, how they care for their young ones, hunt for food, and take as many photos as possible.

Booking a chimpanzee trek permit in Kalinzu forest

Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu is only possible if you have a chimpanzee trekking permit, and this can either be booked directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority or a local tour operator. After getting in touch with the tour operator, we check to find out if the permit is available and then proceed to book the permit. A scanned copy will be sent after confirmation of payment. 

The cost of a chimpanzee trek permit in Kalinzu depends on the category you belong to. Foreign non-residents pay $50, foreign residents pay $50, and East Africans pay 30,000 UGX per person, and these permits are valid for only a day. Note that a chimpanzee permit costs do not include accommodation and transport, which need to be booked separately.

Other activities carried out in Kalinzu Forest

Apart from chimpanzee trekking, several other activities are carried out in Kalinzu, and these include the following:

Bird watching

Kalinzu forest has about 379 recorded bird species, both endemic and migratory, making it an ideal place for birders. Birding in Kalinzu can be carried out all year round, but the best time is during the wet season, which is March to May and October to November. Some of the bird species you should look out for a while in Kalinzu include the black-billed Turaco, black and white casket, casqued hornbill, cuckoo birds, sunbirds, Great blue Turaco, shoebills, African green broadbill, Doherty's Bushrike, Short-tailed warbler, Green-breasted Pitta, African fish eagle, African finfoot, Grey crowned crane, Long-crested Eagle, Herons, Honey birds, Rwenzori Turaco and many more other species. 

Forest walks

Forest nature walks in Kalinzu are done with an experienced guide who knows the right routes to use when taking nature walks. These guided walks allow you to explore the forest and all it has to offer closely. Kalinzu has four routes that are used for trekking, and these are the palm trail, valley trail, River trail, and waterfall trail. Each of these gives you a different trek experience around Kalinzu forest. The waterfall trail takes you to the Kilyantama waterfalls; the valley trek trail is good for primate and bird watching, taking you through the valley ridge; the River trail is the best for elephant viewing, and the palm trail takes tourists around the different tree species that are found in the Kalinzu forest. 

River trail

This is a short trek route at two and a half kilometers, making it the shortest hike route in the Kalinzu forest. The trial takes you through several tree species known as the Parinari excelsa and the River Kajojo, a hub for elephants, and it will take you an hour to trek along the River trail.

The valley trail

 The valley trail is 3 kilometers and a half, taking you around a circular form and offering great views of the valley and the ridge. It takes 2 hours to trek the valley trail, and this is the place where the famous Viagra tree is found.

The palm trail

The palm trail takes 2 hours to trek, and it is 5 kilometers long. Different primate species are found along the route, including red-tailed monkeys and chimpanzees, and the special tree species located along this route include the Dragon tree, Raphia palms, and the Fame tree, among others. 

The waterfall trail

The trek along a few hilly terrain. The trail is 11 kilometers long and takes between 4 to 5 hours. There is much to discover when using this route, including the backcloth used to make different types of clothes, several tree species, and the Kilyantama waterfall, locally known as the sheep eater.

Nature walks in Kalinzu forest are best carried out during the dry season from December to February and June to September. Depending on your preferred choice, forest walks in Kalinzu can take an hour, half a day, or the full day with lunch breaks in between. When going for nature walks, make sure that you follow the guidelines of the tour guide, put on neutral-colored clothes to easily blend in with the forest, strong and comfortable hike boots, snacks, and bottled drinking water.

Chimpanzee trekking rules and regulations in Kalinzu

Several activities are carried out in Kalinzu, but when it comes to chimpanzee trekking, some rules and regulations were set up by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and forest authorities to protect the chimpanzees and their habitat. The regulations that you need to know before traveling to Kalinzu include the following:

• Stay on the trek trails while in the forest. This is to prevent attacks from the wildlife within the forest, so you are to keep with your group throughout the trek.
• A maximum of 6 people is allowed to trek a chimpanzee group per session in the forest. chimpanzee families that have been habituated are still few, so few people trek per session.
• Make sure that you do not litter the forest. Carry all your rubbish until you can put it in the right place.
• You are not allowed to feed the primates even when they follow you.
• Use low tones or whispers while communicating, and you are in the vicinity of the primates.
• Turn off the flashlights from your camera while taking photos.
• Stay with the group, and do not wander around if you do not want to be surrounded by chimpanzees.

Packing list for a Kalinzu forest safari

• When planning for a chimpanzee trek, the packing list for Kalinzu forest is one of the most important things you should focus on when preparing for the safari. The right packed gear reduces the excess luggage, and below is a list of essential items that we know you will need for the safari to Kalinzu forest.
• Waterproof day backpack: This is an essential item where you keep all the things you need while trekking, like snacks, bottled water, and other personal items. It should be waterproof to prevent whatever is kept inside from getting wet and spoilt.
• Clothes: long-sleeved shirts and trousers, both of which should be of neutral color so you can easily blend in with the jungle. Avoid colors blue, which attracts tsetse flies, and black, which soaks in all the heat. When it comes to trousers, we advise that you avoid jeans because they usually soak through during the wet season, making it hard and slow to trek in.
• Bottled water and snacks: These are necessary, and during the trek, the tour guides will give you a chance to eat and refresh in specific spots because eating and drinking are not allowed when you are close to the chimpanzees.
• Gadgets: A camera and binoculars are a must when planning a chimpanzee trek to Kalinzu forest, as they will help you keep your memories from the safari. It would be best if you carried extra batteries and lenses for your gadgets and protective gear for when it is raining.
• Strong hike boots: The trek boots do not necessarily need to be new, but you need shoes that fit correctly and will not cause any blisters on your feet as you trek through the forest. If you are to get new hiking boots, make sure that you put them on and try walking around in them to make sure that you have the right fit.
• Garden gloves and thick socks: The garden gloves protect your hands from scratches and blisters as you trek through the forest, and the thick socks not only keep you warm but are also used for tucking in trousers to avoid scratches and insects crawling up your pants.

Accommodation in Kalinzu forest

Unfortunately, there are no accommodation facilities within Kalinzu Forest. Still, there are several facilities within close range of the forest. These include Katara Lodge, Enganzi Safari Camp, Marafiki Safari Lodge, Elephant Hab Lodge, Lake Chibwera Camp, Kitandara Hippo Hill Lodge, Kasenyi Safari Cottages, Park View Safari Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Kyambura Tented Camp, King Fisher Lodge Kichwamba, and Mweya safari lodge among others.

How to get to Kalinzu Forest

Kalinzu forest is located along the Mbarara-Kasese highway right, and there are various ways in which one can get to the forest. Tourists can use public or private transport to get to the forest, but if this is your first time, we suggest you use private means because it is safer and more convenient. 

The local tour operators can arrange private transport. Usually, 4x4 safari vehicles are used from Kampala to Kalinzu, and it can take 5 to 6 hours to get to the forest. For those using public transport, there are taxis and buses from the terminal that you can use, and you are supposed to get off at the Butare stage and then walk for a short distance to the forest reserve. You can also get to Kalinzu forest from Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector which is home to the climbing lions. Kalinzu is about 40 kilometers from Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

 In conclusion, tourists can trek with chimpanzees twice a day, but you need to know that wildlife experiences differ each day, and there are no guarantees that you will be able to see the chimpanzees. You will read about the experiences of other trekkers, but expect yours to be different because we are dealing with wildlife that is unpredictable and is always on the move. So, if you successfully trek chimpanzees in Kalinzu, you are one of the lucky tourists who have had a successful chimpanzee trek experience. 

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