5 Day Gorilla & Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

Gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experiences are a few most exclusive primate adventures awaiting you to take part on a Uganda tour. Both gorilla and chimpanzee habituation guarantee visitors captivating encounters with different primates in their natural habitat. Gorilla habituation mainly allows you to enjoy encounters with mountain gorillas, whereas chimpanzee habituation lets you enjoy the sights of chimpanzees.

A 5-day gorilla and chimpanzee habituation experience involves exploring two different primate destinations. The 2 primate safari destinations to explore to enjoy gorilla & chimp habituation include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Kibale National Park.

Where to visit for gorilla & chimpanzee habituation experience

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Lying in the Southwestern end of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is where you can experience the best gorilla habituation adventure. Gorilla habituation in Bwindi is mainly done in the Rushaga sector, also most popular as a region with the highest concentration of habituated gorilla groups.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is where the highest profusion of habituated gorilla groups reside and currently, over 25 of them exist in this park alone. Gorilla habituation and normal/standard treks can be enjoyed together in Bwindi.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was officially established in 1991. Today, the 331 sq. km Bwindi protects not only gorillas but also other mammals, reptiles, birds, butterflies, and more. In addition to gorillas, Bwindi also supports other species of animals including chimpanzees, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, colobus monkeys, bush pigs, duikers, buffaloes, elephants, giant forest hogs, and over 350 species of birds.

To explore Bwindi further, there are 4 regions or sectors worth visiting. They include Rushaga, Ruhija, Buhoma, and Nkuringo. Each of these sectors contains gorilla families and other attractions worth exploring.

 

Kibale National Park

Kibale is the best place to experience chimpanzee habituation. Kibale National Park lies in the Kabarole district just nearby Fort Portal tourism city. Over 1500 chimpanzees call Kibale Forest National Park their home and tourists can embark on normal chimp treks or extensive chimpanzee habituation experience.

 

Budongo Forest

Budongo Forest Reserve is one of the most preferred places for chimpanzee adventures in Uganda. Budongo offers amazing chimpanzee habituation experiences to enthusiastic primate adventure seekers on the Uganda tour. Budongo is set in the Southern part of the vast Murchison Falls National Park, Northwestern Uganda.

 

Gorilla Vs Chimpanzee Habituation

Gorilla habituation mainly involves exploring wild mountain gorillas. It is the initial stage of making wild gorillas get used to human presence before they are officially opened for trekking. Mountain gorilla habituation takes you about half a day or a full day of following gorillas in their habitat as you take note of how they behave and also take photos. This primate adventure is only offered in the Rushaga sector in Bwindi.

Chimpanzee habituation focuses on chimpanzees and you get to know more about their behaviors in their natural habitat. Chimp habituation also involves following wild chimpanzees for a full day with trackers and lunch is had in the wild. In Uganda, you can have chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale National Park and Budongo Forest.

 

Gorilla & chimpanzee habituation permits

Gorilla habituation permits cost USD 1500 per person for foreign nonresidents, USD 1000 for all foreign residents, and UGX 750,000 for East African citizens. Chimpanzee habituation permits for Kibale National Park cost USD 300 per person for all foreign non-residents. Foreign residents pay USD 250 while East African citizens UGX 250,000 per person. Gorilla and chimpanzee habituation permits can be booked through a reliable tour operator –contact us at info@adventureugandasafaris.com.

A visitor above 15 years is eligible to book a gorilla habituation permit in Uganda. The chimpanzee habituation permits are open to persons above 12 years. Take note, you can enjoy the best of gorilla or chimpanzee habituation experience when you are physically fit. It is ideal to begin early practice as a way to make yourself fit enough before you embark on the actual search for gorillas or chimpanzees.

You may also consider packing right for the two-primate adventure. The packing list should have waterproof hiking boots, a daypack, a sweater, a camera, long-sleeved shirts, a rain jacket, and others.

 

Breakdown of the 5-Day Gorilla and Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

Day 1 –Transfer to Kibale National Park

A visitor can use day one to connect from Kampala or Entebbe to Kibale National Park which is about 6 hours drive. The journey to Kibale involves navigating via lush countryside featuring extensive banana and tea farms. Arrive at Fort Portal Tourism City for a lunch break and later proceed to Kibale National Park to check in the lodge.

 

Day 2 –Chimpanzee Habituation

Today, you can embark on the actual chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale National Park. This begins with assembling at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for briefing and allocation of park ranger guides/trackers. Visitors can spend a full day or half a day while following chimpanzees and observing how they behave. Lunch is usually had in the wild and you continue with the search for chimpanzees then return late in the evening.

 

Day 3 – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi is accessible within a 6-7 hours’ drive from Kibale National Park. Transferring from Kibale to Bwindi allows you to make a stopover at the Equator in Kikorongo and then proceed via Queen Elizabeth National Park. As you proceed to Bwindi, expect to appreciate the beauty of Kigezi featuring misty hills.

 

Day 4 –Gorilla habituation

Gorilla habituation begins in the Rushaga sector in the Southern part of Bwindi National Park. Expect to embark on a journey to search for the semi-habituated group of mountain gorillas in the Rushaga region. A maximum of four hours are given to visitors to observe how gorillas behave and also to take pictures. Gorilla habituation is a special primate adventure and allows you to enjoy more time in the wild with the massive mountain gorillas.

 

Day 5 –Departure

Visitors can depart on day 5 and it marks the end of the gorilla and chimpanzee combo in Uganda. This involves driving from Bwindi to Kampala or Entebbe or you can cross to Kigali through the Chanika or Katuna border.