Chimpanzees in Budongo forest
Chimpanzees in Budongo forest : Chimpanzees in Budongo forest are among the primate species which can be encountered during a tour in Uganda. The Budongo forest reserve is located in north western Uganda and there are over 600 chimpanzees found in the forest. Habituated groups of chimpanzees can be visited during chimpanzee trekking excursions in Budongo forest. The forest is located in the southern part of the famous Murchison falls national park which is the oldest national park of Uganda. Budongo forest is located on the way from Masindi to Murchison falls national park.
Apart from chimpanzees, Budongo forest is home to other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabeys, vervet monkeys as well as different bird species. The chimpanzees can be seen in different parts of Budongo forest reserve which include Kaniyo Pabidi, Busingiro and Sonso. Budongo forest also consists of mahogany trees and many other tree species which act as habitat for the chimpanzees.
Tourists can also see attractions such as River Sonso, River Kamirambwa, River Waisoke and River Siba which flow through Budongo forest reserve as well as different mammal species and a variety of butterfly species.
When visiting Uganda, chimpanzees can also be seen in destinations such as Kibale forest national park, the Kyambura gorge in south western Uganda and also in the Ngamba island chimpanzee sanctuary located on Lake Victoria.
Items to pack for chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest include long sleeved shirts, long sleeved pants, waterproof jacket, a hat, socks, hiking shoes, sunglasses, gloves, sunscreen, insect repellant, hand sanitizer, cameras among others.
During tours in Budongo forest, tourists can stay in lodges such as Budongo ecolodge or spend the night in the luxury, midrange or budget accommodation facilities around Murchison falls national park.
Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest
The chimpanzee trekking experience in Budongo forest is done in the morning and in afternoon and starts with a briefing at Kaniyo Pabidi. The briefing is done by ranger guides who also lead the search for the chimpanzees in the forest.
Chimpanzee trekking permits for tours in Budongo forest cost 130 USD per person for foreign nonresidents, 120 USD for foreign residents and 85 USD for East African citizens.
It takes about 3 to 4 hours to search for the chimpanzees in Budongo forest and tourists spend 1 hour upon finding the chimpanzees. The 1 hour spent with the chimpanzees allows tourists to observe them, take pictures and record videos.
Before heading for the chimpanzee trek, tourists are divided into groups to search for a group of habituated gorillas in the forest. Children below the age of 12 years are not allowed to engage in chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest. Many other rules and regulations to be followed during the search for the chimpanzees are communicated during the briefing.
The chimpanzee trekking experience takes place anytime of the year but the months of June, July and also from October and January. The dry season is considered the best time for seeing the chimpanzees due to the good weather.
Booking the chimpanzee permits in advance is recommended for tourists to avoid missing out on the treks in Budongo forest because limited permits are issued out every day. Apart from chimpanzee trekking tours in the forest, tourists can also engage in chimpanzee habituation in Budongo.
Other activities to do around Budongo forest
Budongo forest offers many other activities for tourists to take part in during their safaris in Uganda and they include guided nature walks, bird watching among others.
- Guided nature walks in Budongo forest involve exploring the forest on foot with ranger guides and start from Kaniyo Pabidi.
During these nature walks through the Budongo forest, tourists learn about the forest and the different species that live there including the chimpanzees and they can also encounter wildlife species such as bushbucks, oribis, Uganda kobs while exploring the forest which can take up to about 2 hours.
- Bird watching in Budongo forest is an exciting experience and there are over 360 bird species found at the destination and they include Northern Puffback, Splendid Starling, White Wagtail, Little Crake, Black necked weaver, Lesser Grey Shrike, Tropical Boubou, Yellow Billed Oxpecker, Fan tailed Widowbird, Lemon-Billed Crombec, Black billed Bluebill, Yellow throated Greenbul among others.
The Royal Mile is one of the spots for bird watching in Budongo forest and bird watching can be done for a full day.
- Chimpanzee habituation can also be done in Budongo forest and can be done during the different months of the year.
This activity is under the Jane Goodall institute and chimpanzee habituation involves getting the tourists used to the presence of humans in their natural habitat and can take a whole day when visiting Budongo forest.
Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest can also be combined with tours to Murchison falls national park including morning and afternoon game drives, boat rides, hiking and viewing of the Murchison falls, bird watching.
Game drives around Murchison f alls national park involve searching for different wildlife species such as elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, giraffes, hippos, waterbucks, hartebeests, warthogs among others. Different trails are followed during game drives around the park including the Albert track, Buligi track, Victoria track.
Boat rides are also part of the wildlife safari during tours in Murchison falls national park and they take about 2 hours as tourists enjoy views of the park and also spot wildlife species by the water shores. The bottom of the falls boat tour can be done in the morning and also in the afternoon.
The Murchison falls are one of the strongest waterfalls in the world and a key attraction in Murchison falls national park which can be seen during hiking to the top of the falls or viewing of the top of the Murchison falls.
How to get to Budongo forest
Budongo forest can be accessed by driving from Kampala via Masindi which takes about 5 hours. Flights can also be booked from Entebbe airport to Pakuba airstrip, Bugungu airstrip or Chobe airstrips.
