Kalinzu forest chimpanzee trekking

Kalinzu forest chimpanzee trekking; Kalinzu forest is one of the destinations that offers the interesting chimpanzee trekking activity where visitors move into the tropical rainforest in search of the habituated chimpanzees and once found spend one hour with them in their environment. Kalinzu forest is located in western part of Uganda in Bushenyi district near Queen Elizabeth national park and it’s a home of different wildlife species including six primate species like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys among others, over 378 bird species, 262 butterflies, 414 tree species among others.

Apart from Kalinzu forest, chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is also done in Kibale forest national park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park and Budongi forest in Murchison falls national park.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest

Chimpanzee trekking in Kalizu forest is done in two sessions that is the morning session which starts at 8:00am and the afternoon session which starts at around 2:00pm and each session starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and start trekking in the forest which takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other wildlife species and once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to watch them carry out their daily activities, learn about their behaviours, take photos and record videos.

Best time to go for chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest

Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest can be done anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February because during this period there is little rainfall in the forest therefore chimpanzee trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes chimpanzee trekking easy.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest can also be done in the low/rainy season during the months of March, April, May, October and November because during this period there are few people therefore you will be able to enjoy chimpanzee trekking with less crowds and some lodges offer discounts as a way to attract clients which favours budget travellers.

Cost of chimpanzee trekking permits in Kalinzu forest

Chimpanzee trekking permits in Kalinzu forest cost 130 USD per person for foreign non-residents, 65, USD per person for foreign residents and 65 USD per person for East African citizens.

How to book chimpanzee trekking permits in Kalinzu forest?

Chimpanzee trekking permits in Kalinzu forest can be booked through a trusted tour operator like Achieve Global Safaris where you will contact us with the date, month and year when you wish to visit the chimpanzees. After contacting us we will check for permit availability from Uganda Wildlife Authority and if there are permits, you will be asked to make a deposit for the permit. Once the payment has been made, we will be able to acquire the chimpanzee permits on your behalf.

What to pack/carry for Kalinzu forest chimpanzee trekking

There are various items that you should pack or carry when going for chimpanzee trekking safari in Kalinzu forest including long sleeved shirt and trouser, hiking shoes, insect repellent, waterproof rain jacket, long socks, camera and extra batteries, a pair of binoculars, energy snacks and drinking water, walking stick, warm sweater, back pack among others.

Other activities in Kalinzu forest

Apart from Chimpanzee trekking, Kalinzu forest offers other interesting activities that tourists can engage in during the safari such as forest walks where you will explore the forest on foot, bird watching where you will be able to view variety of bird species, wildlife viewing where you will be able to view different animals, butterfly identification where you will be able to spot colourful butterflies among others.

How to get to Kalinzu forest

Kalinzu forest is located in western part of Uganda and can be accessed by road transport means where you will drive from Kampala via masaka, Mbarara, Bushenyi and then to Kalinzu forest which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive.

Kalinzu forest can also be accessed by air transport means where you will book domestic flights with Aerolink Uganda from Entebbe international airport to Kasese or Mweya airstrips and then connect to Kalinzu forest by road which takes about 2 hours drive.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu forest is an exciting activity that can be combined with gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park. For more information about Kalinzu forest chimpanzee trekking, you can reach out to us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website for affordable chimpanzee trekking packages.