Trekking chimpanzees in Bugongo Forest
Trekking chimpanzees in Budongo forest is one of the prominent tourist activities that are done in Uganda. Budongo Forest Reserve in Murchison Falls National Park is one of the best destinations in Uganda that provides visitors with the chance to trek chimpanzees and also engage in the chimpanzee habituation experience. Budongo forest reserve is one of the largest natural forest reserves in Uganda, if not in the whole of Africa. While in Murchison Falls National Park, you will need to drive for only thirty minutes from the Kichumbanyobo gate up to the visitors’ information center that is enshrined within the Budongo Forest Reserve. The forest sits on about 500 square kilometers and is also a component of the Murchison Falls conservation area. Most of the mahogany trees left in Uganda are located in the Budongo forest.
The chimpanzees of Budongo forest are not under the management of the Uganda wildlife authority as it is for other chimpanzees found in the country, but these chimpanzees are managed by the Jane Goodall Institute for research. Visitors opting to visit the Budongo forest can engage in the chimpanzee habituation experience, which is usually done during the low season. Few visitors are allowed to engage in this great activity in order to observe the behavior of the chimpanzees. Visitors may occasionally spot cuts resembling lions within the forest, but this is extremely rare. Once you are tracking the chimpanzees in Budongo forest, you are advised not to leave the group because the area is a stronghold for lions since the forest is within the great Murchison Falls Conservation area. Other than the Budongo forest reserve, one can also trek the chimpanzees from other destinations in Uganda, such as the Kalinzu forest in Bushenyi district, the Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Kibale Forest National Park in Uganda, and the Nyunghwe Forest National Park in Rwanda, among other areas.
In Budongo Forest National Park, chimpanzee tracking is done in two sessions, as it is in Kibale Forest National Park. The first session starts early in the morning at around 7 am, while the last session starts at around 3:00 pm. While you are booking the chimpanzee trekking safaris in Bugondo in Murchison Falls National Park, you are free to choose which session you would like to attend. It is up to you to choose the session of your choice. The chimpanzee tracking starts with your driver-guide picking you up from your hotel or accommodation in the morning and driving you to the visitor information center for a briefing about the chimpanzee trekking rules and regulations and all the things you ought to do or not to do when trekking chimpanzees in Budongo Forest National Park. The briefing in Budongo Forest Reserve takes place at the Kaniyo Pabidi eco site, where you will be clearly briefed about chimpanzee tracking.
After the briefing, the visitors will head into the forest through the established trails, and please make sure that you get the ranger guide whenever you are doing anything related to walking within the forest.
In Budongo, chimpanzee trekking lasts only 3 hours, and these hours include the one hour of seeing the chimpanzee, the hours of trekking, and also getting back to where you started the journey of chimpanzee trekking from. At times, visitors can find the chimpanzees shown here. They are near the eco-lodge in Budongo forest. In the dry season, the chimpanzees can be found deep in the forest in order to find food, which becomes scarce during the dry season. Thus, you will need to travel further deep into the forest for this great adventure safari activity. The dry season, however, remains the best time to see the chimpanzees in Budongo forest.
Remember that any visitors who wish to trek chimpanzees in Budongo forest must have the chimpanzee trekking permits that can be picked up from the UWA, and the chimpanzee trekking allows only 8 people who move in a group once. As a result, only sixteen chimpanzee trekking permits are routinely distributed, and each chimpanzee permit costs USD85 per day per individual or per person. The cost of chimpanzee following licenses varies according to the seasons. The following licenses will be more expensive during the peak chimpanzee season compared to the low season, when there will be little cost. To be aware, chimpanzee adjustments are only performed during the low season, and the cost of adjustment licenses is slightly more than the cost of chimpanzee follow-up grants. Nonetheless, chimpanzee trekking safaris can be accompanied by extracurricular activities such as nature walks in Budongo Forest, bird watching, and tours along the chimpanzee trail. The cost of chimpanzee tracking permits will be irrelevant after the encounter because the action is enjoyable as you spend an hour learning about the chimps’ habits.
Who should trek the chimpanzees in Budongo Forest?
Tracking chimpanzees in Budongo forest is easy but not very easy for people, especially children who are younger and below 15 years old. Therefore, you will be able to trek with chimpanzees only if you are over fifteen years old. Wildlife Authority of Uganda officers are sometimes required to acquire birth confirmation details, which confirms, as best as possible, the convention of chimpanzee tracking at Murchison Falls National Park’s Budongo woodland and forest. You can book the chimp trekking permits at any time of year. Visitors can also book low-season chimpanzee permits for the Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park, and possibly take advantage of low-season convenience. At exclusive safaris, we are happy to help you book the chimpanzee trekking permits and all other components of the safari to Budongo Forest Reserve.
