Is Chimpanzee Habituation Experience in Uganda Worth The Money?

The unique opportunity the chimpanzee habituation experience presents to visitors to immerse in the forest from dawn to sunset, seeing a wild troop of chimpanzees eating, grooming, traveling, and sleeping, makes the money well worth it.

Although the usual chimpanzee trekking period is one hour watching the chimpanzees, the whole-day guided tour offers a more in-depth journey with a wild chimpanzee band still suffering their innate anxiety for human interference.

Uganda offers an unusual journey in two world-class protected forest reserves for a mear fraction of the gorilla trekking permit cost: Budongo Forest in the northwest and Kibale National Park in the west. The encounter provides a peek into the everyday routine of the chimpanzee, our closest surviving ape found in African tropical rainforests.

Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall popularized viewing chimpanzees in their natural habitat by pointing out that many of our behaviors, once thought to be uniquely human, may have been inherited from the common ancestors we shared with chimpanzees six million years ago, so reflecting a mirror, if a blurred one, to our own species. Worth every dollar you will spend, the chimpanzee habituation experience is like a walk along Goodall’s paths.

Experience with Habituation in Chimpanzees

Heads into the bush at the crack of morning, the chimpanzee habituation experience group catches the chimpanzees as they leave their overnight nests to begin their day hunting, social, and traveling activities.

Well above the earth, secure from predators, chimps live by day and sleep at night in a nest built with branches and vines on a tree. Your little group will follow their tracks and sounds until you catch up with them and attempt to keep with their motions all through the day.

Under the direction of wild chimpanzee living and working guides, the chimpanzee habituation experience is the most fascinating approach to understand how Jane Goodall’s early findings altered our perspective of human uniqueness. The journey into Goodall’s footsteps is pretty reasonably priced and well worth the investment.

Like seeing a live wilderness television documentary, except this time will you be in it; your guide and primate specialist will provide precise facts about the group with the style of a reality TV pundit. A rare real wilderness experience in Uganda’s woods, a day beneath the humid forest canopy will help you to see the great parallels between chimps and humans in intellect, tool usage, hunting, personality, and social interactions.

Ideal locations for the encounter

Kibale National Park, the primate capital of Africa, and Budongo Forest in the Murchison Conservation Area northwest of the city of Uganda represent the ideal locations for the chimpanzee habituation experience worth your money.

Kibale National Park

If you want to have the finest personal interaction with chimpanzee colonies in Africa, most primate enthusiasts first choose Kibale National Park. With 766 square kilometers, The Forest is the final bastion with highest primates density worldwide. Among 13 primate species found there are more than 1500 chimpanzees.

By road, Kibale is the most easily accessible Ugandan park around 330 kilometers west of Kampala capital city. For your experience of chimpanzee habituation, it offers a fantastic range of suitable lodging options. Usually spending a night or two in Kibale, encounter the chimpanzees, then go south to the gorilla trekking sites in the extreme southwest of the nation.

Every morning from Kanyanchu center, chimps in Kibale go through habituation experiences with a limited number of visitors.

Budongo Jungle

Found en-route to Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo Forest is a somewhat less-visited area of the Murchison Conservation Area Among Uganda’s best attractions, the mahogany-rich forest is ideal for birdwatching, following chimpanzees kept by primatologists, and guided nature walks.

Although only accessible during the low seasons of January–June, and October–December, a new chimpanzee group in Budongo Forest is ready for the chimpanzee habituation experience Still, half-day chimpanzee treks abound all year long.

Apart from Kibale National Park, Budongo Forest is the only area in Uganda providing chimpanzee habituation experiences worth the money and the least expensive.

Experience’s worth in terms of price

Experience with chimps in Kibale National Park costs USD 300 day per person. At Budongo, the same permit runs USD 230 day per person. Though you may leave whenever the whole group agrees with you, the permit offers you a full-day experience and includes a professional guide and armed ranger(s).

The habituation permit is well worth the $300 in Kibale and $85 in Budongo that lets you just spend one hour among the chimpanzees.

Although permits may be bought at the UWA headquarters in Kampala, it is advised to engage a licenced local operator to assist you negotiate the local bureaucracy. Let us know at email when you would like to enjoy this unique experience. Katland Safaris handles local logistics and safari management; we will assist you book the permits.

Remember that you will have to pay for more than just the permit cost for the gorilla habituation trip in Uganda. Your vacation will include lodging, transportation, food, and occasional excursions like gorilla treking. You would therefore want a local operator like Katland.

When would be the ideal time to visit?

Though chimpanzee habituation experience may be done all year long, it is most suited in the Dry season of November to February and mid-year during the brief light rain of June and July. These periods make chimpanzee habituation, chimp trekking, and birdwatching great fun on the dry hiking paths.

The chimpanzee habituation experience in Uganda is worth the money as it is the delight of the lengthy, exciting hunt enveloped in the lush embrace, calling me with birdsong and pant-hoots. When then are you planning to arrive?

Book with us when ready at email. A private consultant will walk you through the whole booking process and oversee your trip, including securing your gorilla trekking permits and locating the finest lodging for your adventure.

With my $1500, should I go for gorilla trekking in Rwanda or gorilla habituation in Bwindi?

Should I choose gorilla habituation in Bwindi or gorilla treking in Rwanda with $1500 for a permit? One needs to be sure they made the correct decisions before spending too much on trip as economy is having some difficulties and people are impacted due of COVID 19.

Thanks to the availability of vaccinations in many areas of America, Asia, and Europe, many travellers will look at maximising any charge paid and also minimizing any required expenses if there is no value for money as the globe expands up. Making the correct decisions and acting morally would save a lot, most importantly while considering whether to visit Uganda for gorilla habituation experience or Rwanda for gorilla treking.

Trekking Rwanda’s gorillas against Bwindi gorilla habituation experience

Before making any travel plans, one should do adequate study to guarantee that he or she receives value for money and essential knowledge to aid in decision making because many dollars will be involved. Gorilla trekking vacations to Africa are among of the most costly tourist activities.

Two gorilla safari activities one might arrange while on safari in Africa but before one does that: gorilla trekking in Rwanda and gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi. He or she should therefore take some consideration below.

Considerations for choose between Rwanda gorilla trek and Gorilla Habituation Experience

• Gorilla habituation and Rwanda gorilla permit price contrasted
• Time spent with mountain gorillas
• Possibilities of seeing gorillas and overall knowledge
• Daily maximum count of individuals
• Approaching Volcanoes National Park from Bwindi impenetrable National Park
• About the experience with Gorilla Habituation
• About mountain gorilla walking in Rwanda
• Comparative price of a Rwanda gorilla permit and Gorilla habituation.

Any kind of gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda requires a gorilla permit. A gorilla permit entitles you or offers you permission to enter, respectively Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda.

A gorilla permit in Rwanda to see habituated mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park costs $1500 per person each trip and offers just one hour with these amazing creatures. Included in this cost are a certificate after gorilla trekking, one hour with mountain gorillas, a guided walk under a well-trained ranger guide, park admission costs, and security while in the jungle.

Also costing $1500 per person each trip, a gorilla habituation permit lets you spend four hours with mountain gorillas under habituation in the southern section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Included in a gorilla habituation permit payment is four hours with gorillas, services of professionals in making sure wild gorillas become acclimated to human people, certificates, and park entrance costs.

One now has to decide where to invest his money as the cost for Rwanda gorilla permit and Gorilla habituation experience permit is the same. Go for gorilla habituation experience in Uganda if you would rather spend more time with wild mountain gorillas as you will get this in one day quite inexpensive. How inexpensive is this?

Alright, let us suppose you want to spend four hours among mountain gorillas in Rwanda. You will first require four gorilla licenses, each for $1500 per hour daily. You will therefore have to leave with $7000 (4x$1500=$7000).

Apart from paying $7000 for gorilla permits, you would have to spend more time in Volcanoes National Park, so expense on accommodation (lodging and meals) will be significant as you will require six to seven days and five to six nights there. This makes the entire trekking mountain gorilla activity in Rwanda very costly most specifically if you like to spend more time with mountain gorillas.

If the same $7000 is spent on gorilla habituation experience in Uganda as is for Rwanda, one would receive 16 hours with mountain gorillas in Bwindi, thus so high and rewarding and the opposite is true.

Uganda rates highly based on time spent with mountain gorillas because you pay less on lodging and transportation but receive more hours with mountain gorillas that the same amount of money would not provide in National Park volcanoes of Rwanda. Gorilla habituation experience thus scores higher than Rwanda gorilla permit if you want longer time with gorillas on a single permit.

Details on booking Uganda and Rwanda gorilla permits are found here.

Time spent in Bwindi on a gorilla habituation trip or on a Rwanda tour

Time spent with mountain gorillas defines the main distinction between gorilla habituation in Uganda and gorilla trekking in Rwanda. Although the cost of a permit is the same ($1500), they restricted the Volcanoes National Park gorilla walk to just one hour; gorilla habituation experience for the same cost of $1500 provides you up to four hours. Time spent with gorillas indicates Uganda still is unparalleled. Visit Rwanda gorilla tours and see here example gorilla habituation safaris.

How likely is it that one will plainly notice gorillas? Uganda Chapters Rwanda?

Rwanda is number one in the whole globe for possibilities of finding mountain gorillas without effort. There is no argument about this; rather, the kind of flora in Volcanoes National Park and the manner mountain gorillas have been settled help to explain this. You have 99% probability of spotting mountain gorillas and obtaining clear images and videos on a Rwanda gorilla hike.

Though odds of sighting mountain gorillas are over 90%, gorilla habituation experience would really provide you extra hours. This is so because the families visiting for this experience are semi-habituated and still adjusting to the presence of others.

Their actions might obscure sight. Their unexpected decision to relocate or conceal might have an impact on your video capture or picture taking. Still, the amount of hours you have available to keep trying will help offset this so you obtain decent images.

Therefore, for gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, undoubtedly fully habituated mountain gorillas in Rwanda are more friendlier than semi-habituated mountain gorillas.

Allowance for each gorilla family in numbers

Only 8 persons are permitted to see a specific habituated mountain gorilla family in Kilimanjaro National Park; yet, the government of Rwanda via Rwanda Development Board chose to cut the number of visitors to 6. Covid 19 is the reason for this. This is probably going to alter the moment they get vaccinations.

Due to the fact that these gorillas are not yet entirely habituated to humans and thus limited numbers are required, only four individuals are permitted to visit a gorilla family under habituation in Bwindi impenetrable National Park.

This therefore makes Rwanda gorilla trekking more favorable than gorilla habituation experience in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park if you are a larger group and want to walk together.

Getting to Bwindi impenetrable National Park and Volcanoes National Park

You have to take national park accessibility into account while deciding whether to conduct Rwanda gorilla trekking or Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi By far the most conveniently located gorilla national park in Africa is Volcanoes National Park. Just a two to three hour trip from Kigali International Airport by road lies Volcanoes National Park.

This makes this one of the readily available National Parks in Africa suitable for gorilla walking. Conversely, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is nine- Eleven hours drive from Entebbe International Airport by car.

Actually, Bwindi impenetrable National Park is much closer to Rwanda’s Airport than it is to Entebbe International Airport, the primary Uganda entrance point. Scheduled and charter flights from Entebbe International Airport to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip let those wishing to bypass the lengthy trek. You are in Bwindi impenetrable National Park when these flights last one hour or so.

An overview of mountain gorilla habituation experience trips in Bwindi

Have you ever wanted to spend four hours among African mountain gorillas? Experience with gorilla habituation that offers you such a possibility. First one must define gorilla habituation and then learn how and why one should engage or schedule a trip to spend four hours with mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park.

Mountain Gorilla habituation is the process wherein wild mountain gorillas are daily educated for two or more years to get habituated to the presence of humans. This is accomplished by a team of professionals including well-trained ranger guides, trackers, and Park workers.

To help anyone who would like to spend more time with mountain gorillas and also participate in the real habituation process, Uganda created and started this demanding but worthwhile four-hour gorilla habituation experience.

Gorilla habituation on the other hand extends beyond observation and photography to other activities like making calls, gathering samples, testing, identifying, mimicking and so much more, whereas the typical one-hour gorilla trip includes a walk to locating and shooting mountain gorillas for one hour.

They pay $1500 including services of trackers, rangers, and specialists in gorilla habituation, therefore limiting gorilla habituation to only 4 persons each unlike gorilla trekking. Along with park taxes, security, and a certificate after your trip, this cost covers Please provide us dates and months to reserve your gorilla habituation permit so we may verify availability. Once located, we will reserve your permits, bill you ($1500), pay and obtain your permit. Only 4x 2 permits are daily so speed is a matter of urgency and they awarded these permissions on first come first.

Should you be interested in one of our Tailored Gorilla Habituation Experience safaris, be ready to fly or drive to the southern portion of Bwindi impenetrable National Park as this is the area where families seeking this experience live. You will wake up rather early in the morning to begin your gorilla habituation adventure either in Rushaga, Nkuringo, or Rubugiri.

From scheduling gorilla habituation permits, lodging, and transportation to and from the southern portion of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Katland safaris will handle all your needs. Please get in touch with us for more information regarding gorilla habituation.

An overview of Gorilla Trekking inside Volcanoes National Park

When it comes to gorilla treking, Rwanda is the most well-known and promoted African nation. One cannot discuss mountain gorillas without bringing Rwanda first. Rwanda’s popularity as a gorilla trekking destination in Africa has several different causes.

Rwanda ranks well in part because the nation treats conservations of these popular but threatened primates with great seriousness. Rwanda is the only nation that dropped numbers from 8 to 6 persons visiting a mountain gorilla family during the Covid 19 epidemic to lower the risk of the lethal covid 19 virus spreading.

From the briefing when coffee and tea are provided, traditional dances are performed before heading to the park for the real gorilla walk, Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda presents an amazing experience. Because popular vegetation is bamboo giving you enough visibility compared to the dense tropical rainforests of Virunga and Bwindi in Congo and Uganda, respectively, Rwanda gorillas in Volcanoes National Park offer great chances to shoot nice videos and photos.

With a gorilla permit presently retailing at $1500 per person, Rwanda is the most costly place for gorilla trekking in Africa (this price might change anytime, please contact us). Although Rwanda costs the most for a gorilla permit, many still yawn and book gorilla visits to Rwanda merely because the nation has perfected the art of marketing its tourism, as shown by specials conducted via Arsenal and PSG Football Clubs.

After reading what we have prepared for you, your choice for Rwanda gorilla trekking or Uganda gorilla habituation experience will define you. Katland safaris will cover everything should you decide on Rwanda safaris or Gorilla habituation experience vacations.

What To Expect on a Chimpanzee Trekking Trip to Nyungwe National Park.

With exceptional adventure experiences like gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking, Rwanda has clearly outperformed the African tourism destination development curve in the previous ten years. If you are considering visiting Rwanda, it must be for one of the two excursions focused on protecting the threatened species, their habitats, and the nearby human populations.

Although Rwanda is home to monkeys—colobus, golden, L’Hoest’s, owl-faced, Dent’s, blue and vervet—and olive baboons and nocturnal primates like potto and bushbabies, Rwanda may have put it on your trips list thanks to the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees.

Expect to sail throughout the urban culturally rich Kigali metropolis on a standard Rwanda safari. Then drive northwest to see the gentle mountain gorillas and capstone the journey with a chimpanzee trekking adventure in the primate-rich Nyungwe National Park situated in the country’s south.

What Should One Expect on a Trekking Trip to Nyungwe National Park for Chimpanzees
Primate exploits in the little nation inspire people’s conversations. They compile the list of best things to do before you pass away. We will, however, concentrate on what you should anticipate on a chimpanzee trekking trip to Nyungwe National Park. Let us so start right now.

Nyungwe Forest National Park

Found in Rwanda’s southwest hilly area along the border with Burundi, Nnyungwe depends on Kibira National Park (on the side of Burundi) and lies between Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyrika. Blessed with animals and strikingly gorgeous, Nyungwe is among the oldest rainforests in Africa.

Though the park safeguards an amazing array of rare species, its tiny chimpanzee population is the major draw. On a chimpanzee trekking trip, however, you will come across one of the 15 other primate species—L’Hoest’s monkey native to the Albertine Rift.

A great explorer wouldn’t go Nyungwe National Park in search of the chimpanzee. One of the 1,068 plant species—especially one of the 140 orchids—may catch the eye of a plant geek. Even you may not be able to avoid the multicoloured feathers of any of the 322 bird species and 150 butterfly species that could cross your path to the chimpanzee troops.

One of the benefits of trekking into the untouched woods of Africa is the surprises that shock your adrenaline and bring you alive once more. Under its magical forest canopy, Nyungwe has more than seventy creatures. Expect at one time for any of the shy residents—serval cat, mongoose, leopard—to cross your way.

Luckily, experienced trackers and armed security accompany all trips to prevent unwelcome surprises. Surely, such an encounter is worth going across seas for.

Though chimpanzee treking is worth visiting Nyungwe National Park, the forest is a hiker’s paradise. Trekkers should anticipate more than just seeing of the antics of our evolutionary relatives.

Chimpanzees Trekking

We find observing chimpanzees to be rather interesting as scientists found that they are 98% human DNA, quite similar to ourselves. Spending even a little time in the outdoors will help us to understand them and ourselves as well as appreciate the natural environment.

The closest to such experiences is chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe National Park. On a chimp trip, then, expect to connect with the oldest untamed wild in one of Africa’s oldest rainforests.

In numerous regiments or tribes, Nyungwe Forest supports more than 500 chimpanzees. You will be following only two of the groups—two that are habituated for human visits.

At five in the morning, small groups of hikers set out to locate one of the regiments accompanied by armed and experienced guides. Since the chimpanzees might go anywhere within the 340 sq mi radius, the duration of reaching them could be anywhere between 20 minutes and hours.

Luckily, you will be strolling with professional trackers that could easily follow their movements and anticipated paths. Once you locate them, you will be allowed spend at least one hour. The duration might be limited to stop you from overstaying your invite. Wild, you know; above the limit to what our primitive relatives can handle!

Anticipate a difficult journey in the tough jungle terrain. Before you go and pack to suit the terrain—which may be steep, slippery, and muddy—traking over dense foliage to reach the chimpanzees—you should increase your degree of fitness. Along with some degree of athleticism, appropriate shoes are very vital.

Although the RDB office ($90 per person) may schedule your permit, we encourage you to get yours via Katland Safaris. Ground office certified to handle the permission on your behalf is here. Besides, you might choose to leave things to us and avoid the logistical mess.

Walking in Nyungwe, a canopy walk

The demanding terrain of Nyungwe National Park appeals to trekkers. There are more than eleven beautiful hiking paths in the park. For at least a week, expect this rainforest to treat you with its pleasures on a guided hiking trip. If you are monitoring gorillas in the well-known Volcanoes National Park, you should give Nyungwe some thought for outdoor activities.

The most well-known of Nyungwe’s paths on the 2.1-kilometer Igishigishigi Trail will lead to breathtaking views over the Canopy Walkway. The massive tree ferns strewn over the Igishigishigi Trail are the inspiration for its name.

You are hurrying the path, hence it feels shorter. kindly not! At least combine it for a dramatic encounter with the lengthier Imbaraga or Umuyove Trails. The admission fee for Nyungwe hiking will run you $60 each.

Hiking the paths of Nyungwe National Park will thrill birders to cross off a list of 322 bird species including 29 endemics to the area. The Red-collared Babbler is what most birders want to find. This amazing flier naturally finds Rwanda the most suitable habitat.

Among other specialties are Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Nightjar, Grauer’s Warbler, Regal, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Blue-headed, Purple Breasted Sunbirds, and Neumann’s Warbler. Under direction from the park’s knowledgeable bird guide, you will find all these from any of the well-kept birding paths.

How one arrives to there?

Assuming your main point of arrival in Rwanda will be Kigali International Airport. In such circumstances, you can plan to travel almost 300km/154mi across the nation to the southern border in order to locate the visiting center of Nyunge National Park in Rusizi. From Kigali via well-paved roads, the travel takes five to seven hours.

Imagine you are combining gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park in the north with your chimpanzee vacation to Nyungwe. So, across the eastern Lake Kivu coast, anticipate to travel 4-6 hours between Rusizi and Ruhengeri. An amazing drive that will rejuvenate you.

Where would one stay?
Nyungwe offers something for everyone from affordable hostels for adventurous trekkers to luxurious woodland living. Let Katland assist you with your lodging for chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe if you are not expecting to handle the excessive logistics.

For a luxurious stay with first-rate conveniences, however, you may reserve One&Only Nyungwe House, or Nyungwe Forest Lodge. For the mid-range third-tier visitor, Gisakura Guesthouse and Nyungwe Top View Hill are something.

The closest towns provide a large selection of guesthouses and homestays should you choose to go below the mid-range price. Along the paths of the park, campers may also access any of the accessible sites and pack their own equipment.

When should I visit?
All year long, Nyungwe National Park welcomes hiking and chimpanzee treking. Anytime qualifies as a nice time.

But because October through May is the rainy season, chimpanzee trekking expeditions in Nyungwe would be most ideal. When the park is covered with abundance of food during the rain, you will find chimpanzees really quickly.

In the dry months, from June to September, general trekking and finding other monkeys may be easier.

Shall we leave?
Funding the preservation of our threatened relatives most successfully comes from chimpanzee trekking. They need us to get that permission and visit them to learn about their suffering in trying to escape extinction like we have done for other creatures.

Come with Katland to handle all the ground logistics and oversee your anticipated chimpanzee trekking adventure in Nyungwe National Park. Now to reserve your place, send us an email.