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Combining Game Drive with Chimpanzee Tracking in Uganda

Game Drive with Chimpanzee Tracking. Combining a game drive with chimpanzee tracking in Uganda offers an exciting and diverse wildlife experience. This combination can be enjoyed in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale National Park.

Start with Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you can embark on game drives through the vast savannahs. The park is home to diverse wildlife, including elephants, lions (famous for tree-climbing), buffaloes, antelopes, leopards, and hippos. A game drive through the Kasenyi Plains or the Ishasha sector offers excellent opportunities for spotting wildlife in their natural habitats.

Afterward, head to Kibale National Park, the best place for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda. Known as the “Primate Capital of the World,” Kibale has one of the highest concentrations of primates, including over 1,500 chimpanzees. Trekking through the dense forest in search of these intelligent primates is a thrilling experience, as you observe them up close in their natural environment, learning about their behavior and social interactions.

This combined safari provides the best of Uganda’s wildlife diversity—big game on the savannah and an intimate encounter with chimpanzees in the forest. The rich biodiversity and variety of landscapes make it a memorable adventure for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.

How long does a Game Drive take?

A typical game drive lasts between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the park and the time of day. The duration can vary based on the wildlife activity and the specific game drive package chosen by visitors. Game drives are usually scheduled for early morning or late afternoon when animals are most active.

Morning game drives, often starting around 6:00 AM, are ideal for spotting predators. These include lions, leopards, and hyenas, which tend to be more active during the cooler hours. The morning light also provides excellent opportunities for photography, with animals emerging from their nighttime resting places.

Afternoon game drives, typically from around 3:00 PM, focus on seeing a number of wildlife. They include; herbivores like elephants, buffaloes, and antelopes as they graze in open savannahs. This time can also offer a chance to see animals returning to waterholes to cool off. The changing light toward sunset enhances the scenic beauty of the landscapes and wildlife.

Some parks offer night game drives, lasting around 2 hours, where visitors can see nocturnal animals such as leopards, civets, and bush babies.

Best time to do a game drive and boat cruise in Uganda.

The best time you can do a successful game drive in Uganda is morning. During this time, you have a chance to see and encounter a number of animals. For example, if you want to see the hyenas, the fact that they are shy animals, they always come out during the night, and so early morning. Here you have chances of seeing them as they go back to their dens. Same applies to leopards because they are shy animals and so sighting them early morning before they hide would be a good deal for your game drive. You also have a chance to see other animals like Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, Antelopes and many others. This is good as you see them before they start getting thirsty and they go look for shade and drinking water.

If you want to have the best boat cruise, afternoon boat cruise is the best because it offers you a chance to see a number of animals. Most of the animals like Elephants, Buffaloes, and others as they come to drink water in the afternoon. You will also have a chance to see other animals like Hippos, Crocodiles, water birds like the African Fish Eagle, Kingfishers, Hamerkops, and many others.

How Long does a Chimpanzee Tracking Safari take?

A chimpanzee tracking safari lasts between 2 to 4 hours, depending on the location of the chimpanzees and the difficulty of the terrain. The actual tracking time can vary, as chimpanzees are highly mobile and move through the forest in search of food. Treks usually begin early in the morning and can involve hiking through dense forest. They are always led by experienced guides who follow signs such as vocalizations, broken branches, and fresh nests.

Once the chimpanzees are located, visitors are allowed to spend up to one hour observing them in their natural habitat. This hour provides an incredible opportunity to witness their behavior, including feeding, playing, grooming, and interacting with each other.

How long does Chimpanzee Tracking Take in Kibale Forest National Park

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park takes between 2-6 hours, depending on various factors such as the location of the chimpanzee groups and the terrain. The experience begins at the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, where tourists receive a briefing before setting off to allocate chimpanzees. The guided walk through the forest takes approximately 2-3 hours to locate the chimpanzees, though the time can vary.

Once the chimpanzees are spotted, visitors are allowed to spend one hour observing them in their natural habitat. This limited interaction time ensures minimal disturbance to the animals. The entire tracking experience can last anywhere from a total of 2-6 hours depending on conditions such as wildlife activity and weather.

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest national park is done either in the morning and afternoon. The morning chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park starts at 08am with a morning briefing from the park rangers before you head in for a chimpanzee walk. Then the afternoon chimpanzee trekking begins at 02pm with a briefing and then you head in to the forest for chimpanzee tracking.

The best session for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park is morning. This provides a cool and amazing experience with cool temperatures. Here you find the chimpanzees still fresh, feeding, because when the day opens up, they sometimes climb up in the trees.

How many days do i need to do a Chimpanzee Trekking and Wildlife Safari in Uganda?

To fully experience chimpanzee trekking and a wildlife safari in Uganda, a minimum of 5 to 7 days is recommended. Here you visit key national parks like Kibale National National Park for chimpanzees and Queen Elizabeth or Murchison Falls National Park for safaris.

A typical itinerary might include 2 days in Kibale Forest for chimpanzee trekking and exploration of the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, followed by 2-3 days in Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives, boat safaris on the Kazinga Channel, and possibly a visit to the Kyambura Gorge.

This time frame ensures a well-rounded adventure, offering a chance to see primates. You also see big game, and Uganda’s stunning landscapes while enjoying a mix of trekking and traditional safari activities.