The ultimate double chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale Forest

The ultimate double chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale Forest is another once-in-a-lifetime activity most travelers dream of. In Uganda, this activity can be best done in Kibale Forest National Park, which is said to be the host of the highest number of chimpanzees in the world. Kibale Forest National Park is located in Fort Portal, the western part of Uganda, covering an area of 776 sq.km.

Kibale Forest National Park, being a host of the highest number of chimpanzees, has attracted lots of tourists from different parts of the world. Among these are those who want to see the chimpanzees more than once. Double chimpanzee trekking is something that can be allowed in Kibale as long as one secures two trekking permits.

Double trekking in Kibale Forest National Park may be done on the same day by energetic travelers who are willing to visit the jungle twice a day. Others can double trek chimpanzees by booking trekking permits on different days. Double trekking increases the time around the chimpanzees, which may enable one to take more pics, videos, see how they live their day-to-day life, and much more.

Double chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park

To double trek chimpanzees of Kibale Forest National park, one needs to secure two trekking permits. These are documents sold by Uganda Wildlife Authority to tourists who are interested in visiting these primate species in their natural habitats. Double chimpanzee trekking can be carried out the same day, morning, and afternoon, as well as once a day for two days.

Kibale Forest National Park has two habituated troops, namely Kanyanchu and Braiga, which are all open for visits every day. Trekking any of these chimpanzee families starts early in the morning with a briefing from the park headquarters at Kanyanchu, where trekking permits are verified, and then trekkers are taught the rules and regulations of the activity.

After a briefing, trekkers are grouped and armed ranger guides are assigned to lead the groups in the jungle. Driver guides transfer trekkers to the starting points of the jungle, where they are left with the armed ranger guides. Different trekking trails are used to search for where the chimpanzees could be, and while doing so, there are opportunities of spotting some of the forest attractions like the monkeys, birds, forest elephants, and unique vegetation cover, among others.

After 1 to 4 hours of searching, trekkers discover the chimpanzees carrying out daily activity, and the rangers give them 1 hour around them. This time comes with an opportunity to watch them play, hunt, nest, feed, breastfeed, or even rest. Trekkers are allowed to capture videos and photos for future memories. Once the time is done, trekkers move away from the chimpanzee troop and trek back to the starting point to meet their driver guide.

Trekkers who are carrying out double chimp trekking will go through the same procedure even on their second time they are heading out to the forest to search for these chimpanzees. Briefing is a must for every trekker as ot helps in knowing what to do and what not to do during the chimpanzee trekking. Pone may choose to trek the same chimpanzee troop, while another one may choose to trek different troops.

What is the cost of two trekking permits in Kibale Forest?

To double trek chimpanzees of Kibale Forest, two trekking permits are needed, and these need to be for different times. One may be for day one and another for day two, or one for morning and another for afternoon. Each trekking permit costs $250 for foreign non-residents, $200 for foreign residents, and UGX180,000 for citizens of East African Member States.

When to double trek chimpanzees of Kibale Forest National Park?

The driest months of the year would be the best to go double trekking in Kibale Forest National Park. June to September and December to February are the best times to visit these chimpanzees in their natural habitats. The vegetation is short, enabling everyone to have a clear view of the chimpanzees. The trekking trails are less muddy, making it easy to walk through, which makes it easy for trekkers to locate the chimps.

The rainy season can also be used to visit chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park. This happens from March to May and October to November, and the months are characterized by too much rainfall and little sunshine. The trekking trails tend to be muddy and slippery, and the vegetation is tall with unclear views of attractions, which may result in poor photography.

What to pack for a double chimpanzee trek in Kibale Forest?

To have the best of chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park, one needs to travel with a number of essentials that are used during the activity. These include long-sleeved shirts, long pants, waterproof hiking shoes, long cotton socks, a pair of gaiters, a proof jacket, garden gloves, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, a pair of binoculars, a camera, energy-giving snacks, and a drinking water bottle, to name a few.

Where to stay around Kibale Forest National Park

On a chimpanzee trekking safari, tourists have a lot of accommodation options to stay at, and these range from budget to mid-range to luxury options. Among these include Chimpundu forest lodge, Bweza Lodge, Isunga Lodge, Rubalika Farm Lodge, Turaco Tree Tops, Kibale Forest Lodge, Kibale Lodge, Primate Lodge, and Chimpanzee Forest Lodge, to mention but a few.

Getting to Kibale for double chimpanzee trekking

Kibale Forest National Park is located in the western part of Uganda in Fort Portal district, an area that can be accessed by road transport. Tourists from Entebbe and Kampala are able to reach the forest in 5 to 6 hours when they use road transport. From Entebbe, they drive through Kampala, Mityana, Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, and finally Fort Portal, where the park is found. The journey comes with stopovers where tourists get an opportunity to see tea plantations and crater lakes.