5 Days Kibale Chimpanzees & Semuliki National Park Safari
5 Days Kibale Chimpanzees & Semuliki National Park
5 Days Kibale Chimpanzees & Semuliki National Park Safari is one of the best safaris in Uganda that starts and ends in Kampala. The safari will take you to Kibale National Park which is also known as the primate capital. This is so because it harbors about 13 primate species including over 1500 chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, blue monkeys, and vervet monkeys among others. While in Kibale National Park you will engage in Bigodi swamp walk and chimpanzee trekking. You will get an opportunity to spend time with the chimpanzees. During the safari, you will also visit Semuliki National Park which is known for harboring different bird species. In addition, the park has primates like red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, Debrazza monkeys, olive baboons, mammals like elephants, buffaloes, leopards, hippos, and chimpanzee trekking activity.
Highlights
- Pick up and transfer to Kibale National Park
- Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
- Transfer to Semuliki National Park
- Chimpanzee trekking in Semuliki National Park
- Departure to Kampala
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale National Park
Depending on your arrival time on day 1 of the 5 days at Kibale Chimpanzee and Semuliki National Park Safari our driver guide will pick you up and transfer you to Kibale National Park in the western part of Uganda. You will pass via Mityana and stop in Fort Portal for lunch. After lunch, you will continue the journey with spectacular views of beautiful scenery, tea plantations, and crater lakes among others, and upon arrival, you will continue to check into the lodge, have an evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Lodging: Kyaninga Lodge/Chimpanzee Guesthouse/ Isunga Lodge
Meal plan: Half board
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a briefing about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek, a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the jungle and then start trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they are mobile and like to move from one place to another in search of food.
During trekking, you will be able to spot other wildlife species including bird species, primates like red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, and some mammals among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment which allows you to learn more about their behaviors, and lifestyle, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, hunt, fight, jump up in tree branches, take great photos and record the moments to show people back home after the safari. After the one-hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk
After lunch you will go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi wetland sanctuary where you will be able to view different bird species such as the great blue turaco, yellow spotted barbet, Brown crowned Tchagra, superb sunbird, black bishop, black and white shrike flycatcher, western nicator, primates like red-tailed monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, animals like bushbucks, sitatungas, view colorful butterflies, enjoy the cool breeze among others. After the swamp walk you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Lodging: Kyaninga Lodge/Chimpanzee Guesthouse/ Isunga Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 3: Transfer to Semuliki National Park
After breakfast on day 3 of the 5 days Kibale Chimpanzee and Semuliki National Park safari you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Semuliki National Park which is located in Bundibogyo district at Uganda’s border with Democratic Republic of Congo. The national park harbors animals like buffaloes, hippos, leopards, primates like chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, and different bird species. The journey takes about 4 hours and upon arrival, you will check into the lodge and have lunch.
Nature walk
After lunch, you will go for a guided nature walk. Here you will follow different trails to Sempaya hot springs through the woodland. You will have great views of primates like red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, and black and white colobus monkeys among others. Sempaya hot spring has both a female and male hot spring with bubbling water that boils from rock at a very high temperature above 103 degrees Celsius which is tested by dropping in raw eggs and plantain that instantly gets ready for consumption. After the guided nature walk you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Lodging: Nytati Game Lodge/Semuliki Game Lodge/Hotel Vanilla
Meal plan: Full board
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and afternoon game drive
After an early breakfast on day 4 of the Kibale Chimpanzee and Semuliki National Park safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge. Transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing, you will have a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. Then start trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours.
During trekking, you will have great views of other primates like red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus monkeys, birds like yellow-throated tinkerbird, honey guide greenbul, blue-breasted kingfisher, forest hornbill, fraisier’s ant-thrush, views of colorful butterflies, mammals among others. Once you find the chimpanzees, you will spend one hour with them. This allows you to learn more about their habits, and behaviors, and watch them feed, breastfeed, and play among others. After spending time with chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters. Here, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for an interesting game drive in the savannah grassland. Have great views of animals like waterbucks, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, Uganda kobs, and leopards. View different bird species among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Lodging: Nytati Game Lodge/Semuliki Game Lodge/Hotel Vanilla
Meal plan: Full board
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
On this day, you will check out of the park and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kampala. On the way, you will have an en-route lunch in Fort Portal. Thereafter proceed to Kampala where your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight or at any place of convenience.
Tour includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permits
- Park entrance fees
- English-speaking driver guide
- Accommodation
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
- Meals
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses include buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, and tips.
Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a Local tour operator based in Uganda with its head offices in Entebbe. Moreover, Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a business for Ugandan natives. We specialize in life-changing experiences, sustainable tours, and holidays for all East African countries. Also, we are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators and with registration from the Uganda Tourism Board. We have a good and long working relationship with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. We are making booking your gorilla permits and gorilla trekking safari easy. Safari Vacations and Travel Services is also high in Trip Advisor reviews.
