By ropani

Kibale Forest Safari Uganda

Kibale National Park.
Kibale Forest Safari Uganda could easily be called the primate capital of the world. It is a home to a host of wildlife although mostly famous for it 13 species of primates including chimpanzees. Kibale national Park lies close to the tranquil Ndali-Kasenda crater area and is a half a day’s drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rwenzori mountains, and Semiliki National Park and the Toro-Semiliki national Reserve
Wildlife
Chimpanzees might be the main attraction in the park but there are twelve other types of primates that have been recorded in this

park. Some of these include: the black and white colobus, red-tailed monkey, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey, olive baboon, bush baby and potto.Although rarely seen there are other mammals living in the park these include; forest elephant, buffalo, leopard, bush pig, and duiker. You could also catch sight of reptiles and amphibians and a colourful array of butterflies.
Kibale National Park has an impressive number of bird species. It has a record of about 325 bird species some of which are;  the black-capped apalis, blue-headed sunbird, collared apalis, purple- breasted sunbird and many others.
Game viewing time
Game viewing is good all year round in Kibale National Park, however its best in the dry seasons of November to February, and June to September. Chimpanzee trekking is best during these months.
Although some of the trails are very difficult to traverse during the rainy season, the park is open all year round and you can still track chimpanzees. You can also view other wild animals although they are harder to see because of the thick vegetation.
What to do in Kibale national park
There are quite a number of fun activities to do in Kibale National park.  There are forest hikes usually restricted to the dry season, there is a cultural heritage and nature trail- a 2-6 day trail through the forest and you can of course go chimpanzee trekking. You can also visit the Bigodi Wetland sanctuary and the Sebitoli Forest camp.  There are children’s activities such as pond dipping, photography and batik making. So people who travel with their children do not have to worry about the children getting bored while the adults go of tracking chimpanzees.
The chimpanzee habituation experience gives you an opportunity to accompany Kibale’s researchers and habituators as they follow chimpanzees throughout their daily activities. This has been proven to get the chimpanzees used to human presence without interrupting their daily activities.  Visitors get the chance to follow a chimpnazee’s day from about 6am in the morning till 7pm in the evening.  Tracking chimpanzees in Kibale is definitely an experience all on its own and one of the best things to do on you safari tour in Uganda.

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By ropani

Gorilla Permits in Uganda

Gorilla Permits in Uganda

How do gorilla permits work? And who sells them?

You need a permit for each day that you track mountain gorillas in Uganda. The Uganda wildlife authority is the one that issues these permits. But you need to secure one for yourself way ahead of your trip because they are in high demand. UWA has 96 gorilla permits available ach day. 8 of these are for Mgahinga gorilla national park, and the remaining 88 are for Bwindi impenetrable forest. So you see there is limited supply and high demand. The Peak seasons June, July, August, September, December, January, and February are especially a hard time to obtain gorilla permits. The permits are sold locally on cash basis at the UWA offices in Kampala. Sometimes the response from UWA is quite slow and can be frustrating, hence the need to buy one ahead of time.

How can I buy a permit early before I make my trip is they are only sold  locally?

This is where experienced Ugandan safari companies like Insight safari holidays come into the picture. If you hire a safari company like us to manage and organise your Uganda safari and subsequently your gorilla trekking adventure, you can hire us to book and purchase a permit for you. For most safari companies it can be included in the wholesome quotation if they know you are interested in gorilla trekking or you can pay for it separately. It is possible to pay for a permit after you get here but the hustle and delays that you might encounter are not worth it. Safari companies in Uganda know the ins and outs of securing a gorilla permit and will do it quickly and efficiently. When you hire a safari company to book and organise your gorilla safari for you, there might be a few deviations from the plan every now and then, say you could get a permit that is valid for a day later than you wanted because the other were all booked out, but one thing is certain you will enjoy your gorilla experience hustle free. Securing a gorilla permit is only one step of organizing for your Uganda safari; there are other things like booking lodging, travel arrangements and so much more. But after you have secured your permit you can rest easy and organise your trip knowing you will get the experience you are hoping for

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By ropani

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

Classic gorilla trekking, a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounter

Departing from one of the four trailheads on the perimeters of the forest (Buhoma, Nkurongi, Rushaga, and Ruhija), you join a group of a maximum of eight other visitors for a guided trek into the forest in search of one of 11 habituated gorilla families.

Led by experienced, specialized Uganda Wildlife Authority guides, you will be introduced to the ecology of the forest and the changing landscape as you trek to the gorillas. Your guides are in communication with the team of trackers who will have been shadowing the gorillas since daybreak. The trackers direct your guides to bring you to the gorillas.

You should be prepared to walk through a challenging terrain of steep ridges and valleys, following animal paths through tangled undergrowth for about three hours to reach this point. Although sometimes contact can be made after 45 minutes and other times six hours.

Once contact has been made, you have up to one hour in which to observe the gorilla family from a distance of 7 meters. However, you should also be prepared for relaxed mums or inquisitive young to close this gap considerably! The trackers will remain in charge of the contact, telling you what to do in order to remain safe and enjoy the experience to the full.

The number of gorilla permits each day is strictly limited and so the peak season months of June to September and January and February sell out well in advance of travel. It is therefore recommended that you plan your visit about a year in advance, if not earlier. Gorilla permits are non-refundable, but if you trek and do not see a gorilla, the Uganda Wildlife Authority will refund 50% of the permit cost. This happens very rarely. Gorilla can be trekked also from Mgahinga National Park.

 

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By ropani

COVID-19

Testing requirements

COVID-19

Tourists must have a negative COVID‑19 PCR test done within 72 hours before departure from their first embarkation point. The 72 hours start when the sample is collected, and tourists must not display any signs and symptoms of any infectious disease before boarding.

The COVID‑19 PCR test must be taken at a laboratory approved by the country where the tourist’s journey starts.

Testing of incoming tourists will be carried out upon arrival at the airport at a cost of USD 65 at the tourist’s expense.

A tourist who shows signs and symptoms of an infectious disease on arrival will be taken to an isolation centre.

If a tourist tests positive for COVID‑19 he/she will be taken to a COVID‑19 treatment centre, or repatriated for treatment outside Uganda at their own cost following COVID‑19 medical evacuation procedures.

Parents/legal guardians who are travelling with a child between the age of 3 and 12 need to present a negative COVID‑19 PCR test result.

The COVID‑19 PCR requirement also applies to vaccinated tourists.

Exemptions

Babies/infants 3 years and below are allowed to travel without a COVID‑19 PCR test as long as the legal guardians/parents carry a negative COVID‑19 PCR test result.

Effective 17 September 2021, all tourists will also be subjected to mandatory PCR testing upon arrival, at a cost of USD 65, irrespective of their vaccination status, at their own cost.

Quarantine

There is no mandatory quarantine requirement for tourists who have a valid negative COVID‑19 PCR test certificate on arrival and do not show any symptoms of COVID‑19.

COVID-19

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