Frequently asked questions about kyambura gorge

Kyambura gorge lies on the floor of the rift valley about 100 meters deep. River Kyambura that flows into Kazinga channel eroded it. This is one of the only homes of the chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth National park.

You must obtain a chimpanzee trekking permit for Kyambura gorge from Uganda wildlife Authority. Chimpanzees have about 98% human DNA bringing them to the closest position of the relative of humans in the animal kingdom.

Most Popular Safaris

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• 5 day gorilla habituation and chimps
• 3 day Bwindi double trek via Kigali
• 5 days gorillas & game safari

How To Book Kyambura Gorge Chimpanzee Permits

You must know the date when you wish to do chimpanzee trekking and the number of permits you hope to buy and do this Kyambura gorge activity.

When you enquire from us, our safari consultant checks availability from Uganda wildlife Authority about the status of the chimpanzee trekking permits.

In case it’s positive, we advise our clients to purchase their chimpanzee trekking permits as soon as possible because most slots get filled up very fast because of high demand worldwide.

When Is the Best Time To Book Chimpanzee Trekking Permits For Kyambura Gorge

Chimpanzee trekking is open all year round but the drier months that is June to September and December to January are most preferred.

The humidity of the forest is less and the rains are not so severe. You can hike to where the chimpanzees are residing.

This area of Kyambura gorge has other primates like blue monkeys, black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, and others.

The low seasons that is March to May normally attract lesser tourists and the way to locate the chimpanzees is more slippery because of the heavy downpour. You must have some level of fitness to enjoy the entire chimpanzee trekking experience in Kyambura gorge.

Chances of having discounted chimpanzee trekking safari packages are high during the low season when there is less demand. Some service providers offer discounted prices on their facilities which may enable you to save some money on your experience or use services for a higher cost with a limited budget.

How Much Is The Cost Of a Chimpanzee Trekking Safari to Kyambura Gorge

The most important cost is the chimpanzee trekking permit for Kyambura gorge which costs $50 per person per trek.

Other factors that determine the gross cost of chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge include

The number of people on safari

The more paying people on safari, the less the safari cost per person. This is because all safari members get to share some costs like vehicle hire, gas, driver guide fees, in case you use twin rooms, and much more. When you travel as a solo tourist for chimpanzee trekking, you bare the entire safari cost alone.

Number of days on a chimpanzee trekking safari

 The more days you spend in Queen Elizabeth doing chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge the higher the total cost of the safari. This is because most service providers charge per-day costs when you hire them

Timing for booking the chimpanzee trek

The peak seasons normally have high costs on hired services like accommodation, vehicle hire, driver guides, and others. This is because they are shared with other activities in Uganda as this is a high tourism season generally.

Number of other activities to add to chimpanzee trekking

The more activities you include in chimpanzee trekking, the higher the gross cost of the safari. You may combine chimpanzee trekking with game drives, launch trips, birding, and others.

The number of times you do chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge also matters in the gross cost whereby the more time you do chimpanzee trekking, the higher the gross cost of the entire safari package.

What Is the Cost Of Chimpanzee Trekking Permits For Kyambura Gorge

The prevailing cost of chimpanzee trekking permits for Kyambura gorge is $50 per person. This cost includes the ranger guide fee, and conservation support fund, and 20% of the annual profit got from chimpanzee trekking is given to the local community to make up for the chimpanzee destruction that they cause to their gardens when they stray. This money is used to support community projects like road maintenance, water source set up, and others.

The cost of chimpanzee permits for Kyambura excludes park fees. This fee is paid by everybody entering the Uganda National park. This is used for park maintenance.

What Accommodations To Book For Chimpanzee Trekking In Kyambura gorge

Queen Elizabeth National Park has a range of accommodations that range from luxury. Midrange and budget facilities.

Some of these facilities include Mweya safari Lodge, Elephants lodge, Katara lodge, Jacana Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, Bush Lodge, and others.

How Long Does Chimpanzee Trekking In Kyambura Gorge Take

The time for locating the chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge depends on many factors, especially those prevailing in the forest like the proximity of their food, in case they fight with other chimpanzees, the physical fitness of the trekkers, and others.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge may take between two hours to more time. Only one hour is allowed with the chimpanzees when you locate them because they have been habituated to be in the presence of humans for just that time.

What Is the age Limit For chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge?

Children 12 years and below are not permitted to do chimpanzee trekking because of the dos and not of chimpanzee trekking. The first glance the chimpanzees may scare the child. Even the trek to locate the chimpanzees in the gorge is strenuous at times which a child below this age may not withstand.

How Many people are allowed to do Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge

6 people are allowed to do chimpanzee trekking per troupe in Kyambura gorge. Two sessions are allowed per day in Kyambura gorge that is in the morning and afternoon. You must wear the right chimpanzee trekking gear like safari boots, safari attires, insect repellants, and others.

How Dangerous Are The chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge

Chimpanzees have s life similar to humans so they get mood swings too. They are very exciting primates but this doesn’t mean try and provoke them. They are very conscience of intruders in the environment and try to keep a spy network to detect unfamiliar occurrences in their presence.

Although habituated chimpanzees are used to the presence of humans, you must remember they are wild animals that get angered in case they observe something odd in their presence.

Try to follow the rules of chimpanzee trekking as presented during the briefing and the instructions given by the ranger guide escorting your group.

How Difficult Is Chimpanzee Trekking In Kyambura Gorge

The trek to locate the chimpanzee in Kyambura gorge is quite challenging because you have to hike at least 100 meters stopes. The chimpanzees during the severe rain seasons love feeding from up the trees.

Expect to walk through slippery slopes when it rains and find huddles on the way, especially when undergrowth grows.

You must equip yourself with the right chimpanzee trekking gear when packing so that you are not hurt while in the forest.

Carrying a pair of binoculars gives you a better look at the chimpanzees when they hide up in the tree. Have an open mind too so that you can enjoy other forest dwellers and not focus on only the chimpanzees

What To Wear For Chimpanzee Trekking In Kyambura Gorge

• Safari boots that are comfortable enough to go through the jungle and walk over the harsh conditions in the forest.
• Warm sweater or poncho to wear early morning and late afternoon when the weather changes in the morning or afternoon.
• Foldable hat with a large brim to protect your hair from getting wet when it rains and the dew that falls from the trees.
•  Raincoat to wear when it rains while trekking to locate the chimpanzees.
• Safari shirt and convertible trousers to wear in the jungle and protect your body from insects that can cause harm to you.
• Camera to protect memories of your experience with the chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge. Only one hour is allowed with the chimpanzees when you meet them.
• Pajamas to wear at night. They must be warm because this area gets so cold in the morning.
• Garden gloves protect your body from getting prickets in case you go through harsh conditions.
• A pair of stockings to tack to your clothes so that insects do not creep into them.
• Insect repellant to keep away stinging insects in the jungle.
• A pair of binoculars to get a clear view of the chimpanzees and other interesting forest dwellers at a far range.
• Toiletries for you to use in case your lodge doesn’t provide them.
• Duffel bag to pack in your belongings so that you can ably carry them in case no one is available to help you.
• A light bag to put in your shoes in case they get dirty and you have no time for cleaning them. This is to prevent them from staining your clothes.
• Bug spray to spray in your lodge in case the room is attacked by these bugs
• Backpack to carry with your belonging so that you do not lose them in the jungle.
• Travel adapter and charger in case you need to recharge your electronic gadgets
•  Extra batteries to exchange with in case one runs low.
• A torch to use in the night when lights go out. In this area, solar power is the main source of power even for heating water to shower.
• Some limited hard cash that you will exchange into local currency in case you need to purchase anything like souvenirs. Credit cards are rarely used because of the lengthy process of getting money from them.
• First aid kit to use in case you need emergency assistance while in the forest.
• Energy bites to munch on when you are hungry and tired
• Flip flops to change into after a long time of wearing closed shoes. You need to refresh and feel great while on safari.
• A journal to note down all the great moments of your day. these you can flash back when at any other time.

Rules Of chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge

• In case you have a communicable infection like flu, cough, Corona Virus Volunteer to stay behind. Chimpanzees are highly susceptible to human communicable infections.
• Do not spit on the vegetation or soil that would spread infections to the chimpanzees. Their diet is full of foliage like fruits, soft stems, leaves, and others.
• Stay in a tight group when you meet the chimpanzees and try not to surround them. They will feel uncomfortable with your presence.
• The use of flash photography is forbidden because chimpanzees are scared of new occurrences in their presence. Even the overwhelming lighting may be hard for them to withstand.
• Littering in the forest is forbidden because it alters the nature of the forest where chimpanzees feed from.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the chimpanzees when you locate them. This is one of the ways to prevent them from spreading an infection to you and you to them.
• Never enter the forest without an escorting ranger guide because you may encounter unhabituated fellows.
• Provoking the chimpanzees is forbidden because it may not rub well with them. They may start hooting and cause a stampede in the forest.
• Only one hour is allowed with the chimpanzees when you locate them.
• Children aged 12 and below are not allowed to do chimpanzee trekking for conservation reasons and the time you take to locate the chimpanzees is unknown.
• In case you need to defecate ask the ranger to dig a hole for you at least 30 cm deep and cover everything well beyond recognition. This is to prevent other forest dwellers from exhuming what you have buried.
• Never eat while in front of the chimpanzees because they may be forced to pull it from you and eat it. Chimpanzees are wild animals that must not depend on human provision but on the forest.
• Wearing a clean mask is very vital when you locate the chimpanzees so that you do not spread any possible infection to them

Contact us for more information.