Reason to book your Uganda and Rwanda chimp permit in advance during high season

Reason to book your Uganda and Rwanda chimp permit in advance during high season. Reserving the chimpanzee permit for Uganda or Rwanda before the high season helps you make quick plans for your African primate safari. The Uganda and Rwanda tourism season normally runs from June to September and December to January, when the influx of foreign and local tourists is at its peak. 

Most Popular Safaris

5 Day Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife

11 Days Gorilla Tracking Safari

19 Day Best of Uganda Safari

6 Days Nyungwe & Lake Kivu

18 Day Ultimate Uganda Safari

5 Day Gorilla Habituation & Chimps

5 Days Gorillas & Nile River Source

14 Day Uganda Safari via Kigali

4 Days Gorillas & Golden Monkeys

5 Day Rwanda Gorillas & Culture

For one to participate in any wild chimpanzee activity in the National Parks, the Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board requires you to possess a permit. For conservation reasons, gorilla permits are limited to 6 tourists per troop per session. Chimpanzees live in communities under the leadership of an alpha male whose leadership is often checked by community members. He has to impress the community members to be seconded, especially the female chimpanzees. Each day, the chimpanzee community subdivides into troops for better feeding.

During the peak season, the demand for chimpanzee permits is overwhelmingly high. Sometimes, the authorities concerned are forced to open some chimpanzee research reserves like Kalinzu Forest Reserve chimpanzees at the periphery of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda.

Uganda currently hosts about 5,000 chimpanzees and is endowed with a variety of chimpanzee habitats. Kibale National Park is the largest chimpanzee habitat, with approximately 1,500 chimpanzees. Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kaniyo Pabidi in Murchison Falls National Park, to mention but a few. Rwanda has Nyungwe National Park as its only home to the chimpanzees. At the periphery of this park is Cyamudondo, where another community of chimpanzees is living.

You can do chimpanzee trekking or chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda or Rwanda.

What is chimpanzee trekking?

Chimpanzee trekking is an adventure where tourists can search for a fully habituated chimpanzee troop and stay with them for one hour. Only 6 tourists can follow a chimpanzee troop per session, as morning and afternoon sessions are conducted daily in Uganda and Rwanda.

What is chimpanzee habituation experience?

The Chimpanzee habituation experience is an adventure where you follow a semi-habituated chimpanzee troop and spend four hours with them. Maximum 4 tourists are allowed to attend chimpanzee habituation per day. In Uganda, chimpanzees habituation happens in Kibale National Park and Kaniyo Pabidi Forest in Murchison Falls National park.

Why Book Uganda Or Rwanda Chimpanzee Permits For The Peak Season In Advance?

Avoid last-minute panicking to acquire chimpanzee permits.

Chimpanzee permits get scarce during the peak season when demand is overwhelmingly high, yet supply is limited for conservation reasons. Sometimes, even the chimpanzee habitats reserved for research are opened to public booking because of high demand, like those in Kalinzu forest reserve on the outskirts of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. It’s best to reserve your chimpanzee permit at least 3 months upfront to avoid the hassle of trying to find availability at the last minute.

Reserve accommodation to use during chimpanzee safari in Uganda or Rwanda in advance

A part of the chimpanzee safari, in the forested areas where chimpanzees live, are other activities sought after by different participants like birding, botany, and others. They, too, book accommodations that those going for chimpanzee safaris also book. You must secure yours in advance to ensure you have an accommodation of your choice during the chimpanzee safari.

You can only secure where to spend your chimpanzee safaris after

a permit, like a ticket allowing entry into the Uganda or Rwanda chimpanzee safari destinations.

In case of installment chimpanzee permit purchase

Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rwanda Development Board accept installment chimpanzee permit purchases on the condition that you buy your permits before 90 days of the trekking date. You are required to top up your permit 90 days after the trekking or habituation date or receive a penalty. It’s best to secure your chimpanzee permit in full to remember to top it up. Reserve it in advance to take advantage of the chimpanzee permit installment purchase.

To get the preferred chimpanzee trekking session

When you purchase your chimpanzee permit in advance, you can suggest whether the morning or afternoon session. Some tourists are comfortable traversing the forest for chimpanzee adventure in the early mornings when forest life unfolds, while others prefer the afternoon session. To get the best opportunity to do chimpanzee trekking or habituation at your best time, you must reserve the chimpanzee permits upfront. Late chimpanzee permit booking leaves you with no choice but to attend available safari sessions.

Allow advanced chimpanzee safari preparations.

You cannot prepare for what you are unsure what to happen, so booking the chimpanzee permit in advance gives you time to make the necessary preparations for a chimpanzee safari. You need to book chimpanzee safari gear and do pre-safari exercises to keep fit and not get muscle pulls while you trek to meet the chimpanzees. Even when you have children accompanying you for a chimpanzee safari, you must take them through what they may expect during the adventure. The age limit for chimpanzee safaris in Uganda and Rwanda is beyond 12 years.

When is the best time to book Chimpanzee Permits For Rwanda and Uganda?

Booking the chimpanzee permits at least 6 months to a year upfront is the best decision for the peak season. You can still find chimpanzee permit availability three months before the safari date; however, chances are minimal.

Chimpanzee permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and the number is limited to a maximum of 8 per troop.

Most tourists prefer going chimpanzee trekking in the dry season, normally in June, July, August, September, December, and January. This also acts as the peak Uganda or Rwanda tourism season. This is because the chimpanzees are more active, plus other forest dwellers like the monkeys, olive baboons, birds, and butterflies, to mention but a few. The dry season of these tropical forests is full of life, and traits are clearer and passable since less undergrowth is protruding to obstruct your path.

How aggressive are chimpanzees in Uganda or Rwanda?

Before a chimpanzee troop is opened to human presence, they have first habituated fully or semi habituation. These chimpanzees undergo mock tests to ensure they do not harm visitors. Chimpanzees have a DNA of about 98% to that of humans, which means they possess mood swings too. When angry, chimpanzees hoot, beat tree trunks through fruits, and dash into the deep forest. When you notice something odd about these chimpanzees, do not panic but wait for the ranger guide to observe what may be wrong. Sometimes, these chimpanzees have community fights and much more. When you rash into scattering in the forest and making noise, you may scare other forest dwellers, causing unnecessary chaos.

How Long Is chimpanzee trekking or habituation?

Each day, two chimpanzee safaris happen in the designated destinations; however, finding the chimpanzees may depend on factors like

The proximity of their food, the death of a member, weather conditions prevailing in the day, and the pace of fellow tourists

, to mention a few. When you locate the chimpanzees during chimpanzee trekking, only one hour is allowed before them and four hours for the chimpanzee habituation experience.

How difficult Is chimpanzee Adventure in Uganda or Rwanda?

The topography of the forested areas where chimpanzees live is fairly flat. However, you have to walk in the jungle to get to the chimpanzees. These wild chimpanzees are free to move through the forest without stopping their movement. Since the time to find the chimpanzees is unknown, you need to have some fitness that can support you in the forest until you locate these primates. The ranger guide also carries a machete to trim

the overgrown undergrowth and create a path for you to move into the forest. Carry a pair of binoculars for better observation if the chimpanzee spends their day in the trees, especially on a cold,

rainy day. 

Is Chimpanzee Trekking Or Habituation Experience Safe?

Chimpanzee trekking or habituation experience is safe as trained ranger guides escort a team of tourists. The ranger guide follows the pace of the slowest trekker so that nobody is forgotten in the wilderness. One ranger guide carries a machete while another carries a rifle to protect you from any possible forest attacker like the forest elephants. Other Rwandese or Ugandan security agencies are in place to keep law and order. It would be best if you minded personal safety by not entering the forest without an escorting ranger guide; in case your lodge is within the park, do not walk outside alone in the dark, and stay close to the people you are trekking chimpanzees with.

How Sure Can I Be To See The Uganda or Rwanda Chimpanzee During Chimpanzee Trekking Or Habituation Experience?

Seeing the chimpanzees in the wilderness in Uganda and Rwanda is about 98% chance. These chimpanzees are first habituated to human presence for a reasonable time. They are monitored by earlier daily trackers who rise to establish where the chimpanzees may have spent the night or their possible feeding area. Rangers use these clues to guide tourists so they only wander in the forest with directions. When you fail to find chimpanzees, the Uganda Wildlife Authority or Rwanda Development Board invokes the refund policy attached to chimpanzee safaris.

Which is the best country for chimpanzee safaris, Uganda or Rwanda?

Uganda has a variety of chimpanzee trekking destinations, including Kibale National Park, Kaniyo Pabidi Forest, and Kyambura Gorge, to mention but a few. Rwanda so far has only one chimpanzee safari destination called Nyungwe National Park.

Rwanda is limited to additional safari activities to combine with chimpanzee trekking, while Uganda is rich with activities to connect with chimpanzee safaris.

A Rwanda chimpanzee trekking permit costs $90 per person per trek. At the same time, Uganda offers a variety of chimpanzee permit costs, such as Kibale National Park permits, which cost $200, Kyambura Gorge, which costs $50 per person, and others.

Is A chimpanzee permit worth the money?

The chimpanzee permit for Uganda and Rwanda is worthwhile as chimpanzee trekking, or chimpanzee habituation, is one of the ways to collect funds to support the survival of these endangered primates. When with the chimpanzees, you feel like you have visited the lost relatives. They show traits similar to humans and keep you entertained with them.

What are the dos and Don’ts of Chimpanzee Habituation Safaris?

• Protecting the chimpanzees and their habitats is the number one priority during any safari. To enjoy every experience, you need to adhere to the rules one with a communicable infection like covid-19, cough, or flu is allowed to access the chimpanzees.
• These primates are highly susceptible to human infections. When with the chimpanzees, try not to surround them as they feel ambushed. Remain in a tight group.
• Keep a distance of about 8 meters from the chimpanzees to reduce the chances of passing an infection to the chimpanzees.
• When you locate the chimpanzees, you have only one hour with them during the trekking and four hours during the chimpanzee habituation experience.

• Never use flash photography when with the chimpanzees, as this may cause them to get scared.

• No smoking or chewing when standing before the chimpanzees as you may entice these primates to grab it from you, yet they are wild animals that must search for their food.

• In case you need to sneeze or cough, do it away from the chimpanzees to prevent chances of passing an infection to them.

• Burry all feces in a hole dug at least 30 centimeters beneath and covered well beyond recognition.

• Littering the forest is forbidden as it alters the nature of the forest where these primates live.

• The age limit for chimpanzee safaris is above 12 years, and children’s activities with a trained children’s ranger guide are in place to teach them about the biosphere in Kibale National Park, Uganda. 

Contact us for further information if you are interested in chimpanzee habituation or trekking experience.