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Chimpanzee Trekking in Murchison Falls National Park

Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison Falls National Park takes place in Kaniyo Pabidi forest, which is located in Budongo forest, which is located in the park’s southern sector and is Uganda’s biggest natural forest.

Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison Falls National Park is done in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest and Budongo Forest. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest and most visited national park in Uganda, located in northern Uganda. The park has a total land area of 3,840 square kilometers and is divided into two sectors: the northern sector, which has a high concentration of animals, and the southern section. Murchison Falls National Park is home to 76 creatures, including the big five mammals elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, and rhinos, which may be seen in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary before visiting the park headquarters.

There are other animals in the park including waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeest, hyenas, hippos, primates like chimpanzees, baboons, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, 450 bird species such as the elusive shoebill stork, Abdims stork, goliath heron, white-faced whistling duck, secretary bird, yellow-billed stork, long-toed plover, grey-headed kingfisher, Abyssinian ground hornbill, black-bellied bustard, marabou stork among others.

Chimpanzee trekking at Murchison Falls National Park takes place in Kaniyo Pabidi forest, which is located in Budongo forest, which is located in the park’s southern sector and is Uganda’s biggest natural forest. Chimpanzee trekking is one of the most popular and exciting activities in Murchison Falls National Park, which entails people traveling into the bush in search of chimps and then spending one hour with them in their natural surroundings. Other sites for chimp trekking include Kibale Forest National Park, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kalinzu Forest in southwestern Uganda.

Chimpanzee trekking in the park takes place either in the morning at 7:30 am or in the afternoon at 2:00 pm, and begins with a briefing at the park headquarters regarding the park’s expectations, rules, and regulations. Following the briefing, you will be divided into groups of eight and assigned a park guide who will share facts about the chimpanzees while hiking. Chimpanzee trekking can take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the location of the chimps, since they tend to go deep into the forest in search of food, especially during the dry season.

Once the chimpanzee family is located, visitors spend one hour with the chimps learning about their routines, mannerisms, and lifestyle while shooting several images with a flashless camera and documenting the events. Apart from chimps, you may see other primates such as olive baboons, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and bird species while trekking, making your chimpanzee trekking safari unique.

Those who want to trek habituated chimpanzees in the Kaniyo Pabidi forest must first get a chimpanzee trekking permit, which is provided to those above the age of fifteen. For international non-residents, a single chimp trekking permit in the Kaniyo Pabidi Budongo forest costs $130 and is good for one day. Chimpanzee trekking permits at Murchison Falls National Park are available directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters in Budongo forest or via Great Lakes Safaris in Kampala.

You can also contact your trusted tour operator company like Laba Africa Expeditions to obtain the permits for you; however, this is the best option to use because we will not only obtain the permits for you but will also plan your entire safari, including transportation, accommodation, and other activities such as nature walks, birding, and game drives, among others.

Chimpanzee trekking in Murchison falls national park may be done at any time of year, although it is best done during the dry season, which runs from June to September and December to February. Because there is less rainfall in the park during the dry season, chimp trekking paths in the forest and park access roads will be open.

However, chimpanzee trekking in the Budongo forest is also possible during the wet season, from March to April and October to November. Due to severe rainfall during the wet season, there will be a lot of food for the chimpanzees, which means they will be easy to find and you will not be able to hike for lengthy hours.

This is, without a doubt, the most pleasant activity in the park. Although game drives may be done alone, the presence of a park ranger makes it a more educational activity since they can assist identify the sorts of birds and mammals or guide you to the best spots to find them. Expect to see buffaloes, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, Hippopotamus, Leopards, lions, Monitor lizards, Side Striped Jackals, Spotted Hyenas, and warthogs on a three-hour game drive to Murchison Falls. Among the antelope species found in the park are the Bohor Reedbuck, Bushbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Hartebeest, Oribi, and Uganda Kob. Baboons, Black and White Colobus, Patas Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, and Chimpanzees may be found in the Rabongo and Budongo Forests.

Reptiles such as the African rock python, mambas, cobras, and various smaller snakes may also be seen in the park. In addition to day game drives, tourists can choose for a two-hour night game drive. The chances of encountering predators like as hyenas, lions, serval cats, and especially leopards increase during the night game drive. The rangers move with flashlights to ensure that no activity is missed. The night game drives begin late in the evening or when it begins to become dark.

A boat cruise tour at Murchison Falls National Park may be done on either the Nile or the Delta. The timetables and time spent on the journey differ, but they provide almost the same experience as Murchison Falls National Park.

The Nile boat cruise tour in Murchison Falls National Park begins at Paraa jet and a Nile boat cruise trip will take you to the foot of the falls, which is the beginning place for climbing to the top of the falls, and then you will be carried back to the Paraa after two to three hours. The Nile boat operates in two sessions: the morning session, which begins at 9:00 a.m., and the evening session, which begins at 2:00 p.m.

While on the Nile boat cruise trip, you will get the opportunity to see a variety of exotic creatures such as elephants sipping water on the river banks, Nile crocodiles, hippos, zebras, and waterbucks, among others. Visitors will also get the opportunity to see wildlife birds such as the red-throated bee-eater, hornbills, and malachite kingfisher on the riverbank.

This takes a long time compared to the Nile boat, which takes roughly 4-5 hours and departs from Paraa jet on several times throughout the day. The Nile Delta boat is the greatest way to appreciate it, especially for bird watchers. During the Nile Delta boat cruise, you will have the opportunity to see various bird species such as the African fish Eagle, African jacana, saddle-bellied, yellow-footed kingfisher, papyrus gonolek, open-billed stork, and goliath heron along the river bank as well as the Murchison fall gorge.

A boat tour safari will allow you to see many of the park’s wildlife wonders and species, including the Nile crocodile, a large population of hippos, elephants, Uganda kobs, African buffaloes, zebras, and waterbucks, among others. The Nile Delta boat excursion provides you with the opportunity to see views of the Congo’s mountain ranges, as well as fishermen catching fish and the wonderful vistas and lovely scenery of the Murchison Falls.

The area just below the Murchison Falls is one of the greatest sites in Uganda for fishing. Nile perch measuring more than 200 pounds may still be captured in this section of the Nile. Tiger fish and Tilapia are two more common species collected here. Visitors may go fishing by boat on the Nile or stand at the bottom of the Murchison Falls and cast their line. Fishing can also be organized at the Karuma Falls or one of the riverfront ponds. Visitors must get a fishing license and carry their own fishing equipment. To catch the Nile Perch, smaller fish must first be caught and used as bait.

Hiking to the top of the falls is one of the most exciting and fascinating activities in Murchison Falls National Park. Kabalega National Park is another name for Murchison Falls National Park. The park is well-known for being the location of the magnificent Murchison Falls. This is one of the park’s main attractions, attracting visitors from all over the world. Hiking to the top of the falls allows you to explore and experience the jewel of Africa’s hidden secret charms in the natural and spectacular canyon of the park waterfall, which is a small and narrow trench through which the Nile water under very high pressure forces its way.

Because ascending the top of the falls begins at the bottom of the falls, this exceptional adventure excursion is paired with the Nile boat trip safari on the Victoria Nile. As a result, any visitors interested in trekking to the top of the fall must schedule a Nile boat trip that will transport them for two hours to the beginning point of the hike to the top of the fall. The experience is incredible and a once-in-a-lifetime adventure because it allows travelers to first enjoy the wildlife animals and birds that can be seen on the Nile banks and along the magnificent gorge, such as the Nile crocodile, a large population of hippos, elephants drinking water, water-bucks, zebras, and warthogs, among others.

Hiking to the top of the falls is led and accompanied by a professional park ranger guide who will delve into the historical accounts of Sir Samuel Baker’s discoveries and exploits during his Murchison exploration. The guides will also educate you about the wildlife creatures that are likely to be observed while trekking to the top of the falls, as well as the bird species and trees that you will see on your trip to the top.

Murchison Falls National Park is one of the top spots in Uganda for bird watching. The activity can be carried out on nature hikes or in a safari vehicle. Murchison Falls, as a big park, offers several possibilities and sites to go birdwatching. It might begin immediately outside your resort and go through the Savannah grasslands, woods, and the Nile River.

The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is located on the road from Kampala to the Murchison Falls National Park. Rhinos no longer wander Uganda’s national parks due to widespread poaching. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was developed to conserve the remaining rhinos and increase their numbers via careful breeding before returning them to larger parks once they reach a reasonably large number. There are currently 38 rhinos in the sanctuary. The major activity here is rhino tracking on foot, which is normally overseen by sanctuary rangers.

The Rangers provide information on the rhinoceros, the sanctuary’s history, the breeding program, and overall conservation activities. They then take tourists on a feeding tour of the huge creatures. Aside from rhinos, the large refuge is home to tiny primates and bird species. Nature hikes are also available for visitors to witness species such as the Shoebill Stork. All admission fees are donated to rhino conservation initiatives.

Murchison Falls national park has a wide range of accommodation facilities ranging from budget to mid-range and luxury lodges. Some of the lodges that visitors can stay at during a chimpanzee trekking safari in Murchison Falls national park include; Parkside safari lodge, Budongo Eco Lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Heritage Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Murchison River Lodge, Twiga Safar Lodge, and Tilenga Safari Lodge among others.

By Road

Because the park is separated into two sections, northern and southern, by the Victoria Nile, there are various gates that tourists can utilize, some in the northern sector and others in the southern sector. When traveling by vehicle, you will drive from Kampala to the park headquarters through Karuma, Pakwach road, and branch off after Karuma bridge, which takes approximately 4 to 5 hours, and from Entebbe airport, it takes about 6 hours. Visitors arriving from Gulu and Kidepo Valley National Park can also reach the park’s northern gates.

Visitors can also utilize public transportation, as there are buses that run daily from Kampala to Masindi, so you can catch a bus and then rent a private cab to the park headquarters.

By Air

Murchison Falls National Park may also be visited by air, as domestic airlines such as Aerolink and Bar Aviation provide regular and chartered flights from Entebbe airport/Kajjansi airfield to the southern sector’s Pakuba/Chobe airstrip and Bugungu airstrip. Aerolink and Bar Aviation flights fly daily, leaving Entebbe at 12:05 p.m. and landing at Bugungu/Pakuba airport at 13:00 p.m. The return flights leave Bugungu/Pakuba airstrip at 13:20 p.m. and arrive at Entebbe airport at 16:30 p.m.

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Chimpanzee Trekking in Murchison Falls National Park