Kibale National Park is a classic, pristine African rainforest with towering indigenous trees, a vast wetland, and huge stands of creaking bamboo.
On your foray into its jungles, you can participate in a chimpanzee trek, an adventure which lasts an average of 2-6 hours out of which your time with the habituated apes will be limited to one hour. Alternatively, you can go for a ‘habituation’ adventure where you can spend up to close to 8 hours in the jungle, out of which 4 will be with these mysterious cousins of ours.
The main difference between the two is that while the former entails encountering chimps that have already been habituated, the latter offers you a more intense experience. During this lengthier activity, you will chase around the forest behind a group of chimpanzees that are less used to human presence considering they haven’t been exposed to many before. However, this doesn’t apply to all. Some are less wary of human presence. Upon finding them, you will spend hours quietly observing how they socialize, prank each other, harvest wild fruits, fight off rivals, bond by grooming one another, and engage in politics.
Beyond primates, Kibale is equally popular for having one of the highest densities of birds, boasting more than 370 recorded species. This includes 6 Albertine endemics namely the Dusky Crimson wing, Black-capped Apalis, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Collared Apalis, and the green-breasted pitta, one of the most sought-after birds by birders.
If you have time on your hands, don’t hesitate to drop by the adjacent Bigodi woodland/wetland for a leisurely nature walk. It offers a great way to stretch muscles. You are likely to see numerous monkey and bird species, and if luck is on your side, even chimpanzees.