Facts about Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura

Looking for facts about Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge. Chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge live on the floor of the Rift Valley. When you do Chimpanzee trekking in the depths of Kyambura Gorge, expect some hiking because the gorge is about 100 meters deep. Kyambura Gorge results from the erosion of River Kyambura as it flows towards Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

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Uganda currently holds about 5000 chimpanzees, of which Kyambura Gorge hosts part of this number.

You need a chimpanzee trekking permit for Kyambura Gorge before gaining access to this chimpanzee habitat. Kyambura Gorge is part of the contiguous Queen Elizabeth National Park and is neighbored by Kyambura Wildlife Reserve.

Queen Elizabeth National Park lies on the Rift Valley floor with diverse wildlife that can delight any tourist. The park lies 914 meters above sea level at about 5100 meters on thes foot of Rwenzori mountains. Queen Elizabeth National Park vegetation is composed of open savanna, acacia woodland, closed forest and vast forest.

During game drives in the tracks of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you may spot lions, leopards, waterbucks, bushbucks, herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, topis, warthogs and so much more.

Each day, two chimpanzee trekking sessions happen in Kyambura gorge that is morning at about 0800hrs and afternoon starting 1400 hours from fig Tree Camp.

How To Book Chimpanzee Trekking Permits For Kyambura Gorge?

Select the date when you hope to do Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura and the session most comfortable for you in the morning or afternoon.

At Encounter Africa Safaris, we can assist you in securing the chimpanzee trekking permit for Kyambura as long as you provide us with details like the date and the number of Chimpanzee permits you hope to book.

Upon receiving the Kyambura chimpanzee permit availability, our safari consultant will get back to you as soon as possible. The number of chimpanzee permits open per troop is 6 per session so advance booking is required.

Purchase your chimpanzee trekking permit as soon as possible to avoid last minute disappointment when they sellout. 

For identification, forward some personal details to be added to your chimpanzee permit card like your full names, nationality, date of birth and other details.

How much is the chimpanzee trekking permit for Kyambura gorge?

The cost of the chimpanzee trekking permits for Kyambura Gorge is currently $50 for foreign nonresidents, $100 for foreign residents, and 50,000 for East Africans.

The cost of chimpanzee trekking permits for Kyambura Gorge covers ranger guide fees, security during the chimpanzee trek, chimpanzee conservation, government tax, and community support.

Exclusion in the cost of chimpanzee permit are park entrance fees, tips, accommodation, transport and other personal expenses.

Is Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge strenuous?

The search for chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge is quite challenging because of the nature of the topography of this forested area. Kyambura Gorge is carved by the Kyambura River as it flows towards the Kanzinga channel. The gorge has quite steep escarpments which are more challenging during the wet season.

To do Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge, you need some gear, such as safari boots, a safari hat, a sleeved shirt, insect repellant, sunglasses, sunscreen, a drinking water bottle, a backpack, and other gear.

Having some level of fitness saves you from getting tired while you trek to find the chimpanzees. 

When is the best time to do Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge?

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge is all year round, but the dry season is most appealing to the majority of tourists. The dry season which is normally June, July, August, September, December and January is most preferred and is the peak Uganda tourism season too. Even the scenery on the floor of the Rift Valley in Queen Elizabeth National Park is eye-captivating.

During the dry season it is easier to navigate this forested part of the park as trails are quicker to walk through. This season being peak time, the demand for chimpanzee permits is high, yet their availability is limited to 6 permits per session per troop. This is to minimise on the after effects of having so many people in the wilderness where chimpanzees thrive.

The wet seasons of March, April, May, and November may have less demand, opening chances for last-minute chimpanzee permit availability. In case you have a limited budget for your chimpanzee safari, the low season may give you chance to discounts on especially the amenities like vehicle hire, accommodations, driver guide fees and other expenses. The escarpments of the gorge are quite steep so during the wet season they get slippery and quite challenging to hike.

How long Is Chimpanzee Trekking in Kyambura Gorge?

The duration of Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge may take between two hours to three hours from the starting time. From the start of the chimpanzee trek, you need to be able to endure the conditions in the forest.

Finding the chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge is determined by factors prevailing in the wilderness like proximity of the chimpanzee food, weather conditions prevailing in the day, in case of a fight, and others.

When you finally find the chimpanzees, you are only allowed to spend one hour with them. Chimpanzees are vulnerable animals that need to be conserved and so they need to be given enough space to carry on with there day today activities like feeding, combing each other's hair, , grooming other activities.

Some level of patience is necessary to complete the chimpanzee trekking safari in Kyambura Gorge.

How dangerous are chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge?

Chimpanzee communities opened for trekking are first habituated for some time until proven ready for public visits. Chimpanzee habituation is a process by which a team of researchers and ranger guides help a wild chimpanzee community to get used to human presence without altering there nature.

The process of chimpanzee habituation takes unknown time and the chimpanzees have to also undergo mocks.

To trace the way about of the chimpanzees, the tourists are asked to look out for some clues like fresh dung, freshly chewed on foliage, hooting sounds, tree beating and so much more.

When you trace the chimpanzees, only an hour is allowed with them as they are habituated to be in the presence of humans for just that time. The time with the chimpanzees is limited to minimise on the after effects of human presence on the chimpanzees as they may get agitated.

How sure can you be to find the chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge?

There are about 97% chances finding the chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge. During chimpanzee trekking, tourists are taken to the trail leading where the chimpanzee troop was last seen. Chimpanzees are more mobile primates compared to their counterparts, the mountain gorillas, so expect to move faster.

The chimpanzees live in communities and can only move from a location after their food source runs low. When the chimpanzees move, they can also be traced by the clues they leave behind on their way to the final destination. They are often monitored by the ranger's guides to establish their possible destination even though they are in the wilderness.

What Else Can I Combine With Chimpanzee Trekking In Kyambura Gorge?

Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a biosphere reserve where you can enjoy stunning game drives along the tracks with in the park. While on the game drive, you may spot animals like herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, topis, lions, warthogs, hyenas and several others. Look out for a variety of birds that grace the park including foreign migrants especially along the shores of Kazinga channel.

Launch trip on Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Relax on a 3 hours return launch trip while sailing on Kazinga channel. Along the way, you may spot animals like herds of elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, leopards, cape buffaloes and other animals that love quenching thirst from the showers of the channel. From the launch trip, you enjoy the best view of Rwenzori ranges that stand up straight almost as though to touch the sky. Watch the sun set behind the horizon on a bright new day.

Crater Lakes visit in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The wet and dry craters on the floor of the Rift Valley in Queen Elizabeth National Park are adorable. You may notice outstanding lakes like Lake Nyamunuka, which has a putrid smell all year, Lake Katwe, Uganda's ancient salt mining industry, and Blue Copper Lake, among others.

Forest walk in Maramagambo forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

Taking a walk in Maramagambo forest of Queen Elizabeth National Park is incredible. As you may have an opportunity to spot primates like the black and white colobus, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys and several others. Look out for several birds that linger in the forest. The depth of the Maramagambo forest contrasts starkly with the sunny plains around the Kazinga channel. It is one of Uganda's tracts of tropical forest. As you emerge from the forest, you spot Lake Nyamusingire where you may find a number of wild animals often.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park

If you are obsessed with chimpanzees, you can proceed to have a moment with the chimpanzees in Kibale National Park which is about an hour away. Kibale National Park hosts the largest chimpanzee population in Uganda, and from here, you can do chimpanzee trekking and experience chimpanzee habituation.

You need to secure a chimpanzee permit for Kibale National Park from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Gorilla safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

From chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can connect to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking. The drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is about 64 kilometers from the Ishasha sector and 105 kilometers from the Mweya area. You may not arrive in time to catch up with the start of the gorilla safari but do it the following day.

In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you can do gorilla trekking or habituation experience.

Gorilla trekking is an adventure where tourists follow a fully habituated gorilla family to spend one hour with them.

Gorilla habituation experience is an adventure where tourists follow a semi-habituated gorilla family in company of researchers and trackers to spend four hours with them.

What are the Chimpanzee trekking guidelines?

• Never enter the forest without an escorting ranger guide because you may encounter other forest dwellers not habituated for human presence. 
• Do not provoke the chimpanzees because they may charge at you when you agitate them. Chimpanzees have mood swings just like humans.
• No feeding the chimpanzees because wild animals must look for their own meals. In case you wish to eat, do it in about 250 meters from the Chimpanzee.
• Spitting on vegetation is prohibited because it is food for primates in the forest.
• Dumping wraps or any other waste damages the natural setting of the forest so no dumping. Rwanda is also pro-ecotourism and very strict about throwing garbage in any way to keep the environment as clean as possible.
• In case you wish to ease yourself, ask the ranger guide to dig a hole for you about 30 meters deep and cover everything beyond recognition.
• Only one hour is allowed to be with the chimpanzees so that they can be left free to eat.
• Try not to surround the chimpanzees because this makes them feel ambushed.
• In case you wish to sneeze or cough do it away from the chimpanzees in order not to spread any infections to them. Volunteer to stay behind in case you catch any infectious illness like flu or COVID-19 just before the chimpanzee trekking.
• Never use flash photography when taking photographs during the chimpanzee safari because this may cause them to run into hiding. They are scared of unfamiliar occurrences in their environment.

As you get away from the chimpanzees do it stealthily so as not to appear suspicious. Chimpanzees are often scared of intruders in their vicinity, so they operate a spy network in their community to warn the rest about your presence. This is why you need obey the rules of chimpanzee trekking.

We have the best team ready to plan your safari to visit the chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge. Contact us for more information.