Kibale Forest Camp is located adjacent to Kibale National Park boundary and it is 2km away from the park tourist center Kanyanchu. The camp is located in a patch of evergreen forest, just outside the southern part of the national Park. It borders the Magombe swamp, known for the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and it is a mere 10 min drive to Kanyanchu visitor center, the place where chimp tracking starts from.
The environment around the camp is better to capture the thrill of howling black and white colobus monkeys, while listening to the wood owl calling his partner. This is all from the comfort of your tent in Kibale Forest Camp. Get absorbed by forest smells and sounds, spot primates swinging through the trees and observe the rare birds and beautiful butterflies fluttering around. You will have a break from your daily concrete jungle life and experience the real thing.
Kibale Forest Camp offers an affordable classic canvas experience in the form of 10 African safari style tents tucked away in a lush forest. A budget alternative is lazy camping on the campsite. Complemented by excellent food served in a cozy grass thatched restaurant, the camp forms your perfect base if you are looking for an affordable and comfortable place from where to explore the area.
Safari Tents at Kibale Forest Camp
Kibale Forest Camp offers a budget friendly accommodation in form of seven non-self-contained tents. These are well furnished with comfortable beds, a bedside table and a power outlet for charging your electrical equipment. All tents are placed under a grass thatched roof. The tents share a communal ablution block with showers and flushing toilets. No need to worry about linen as all bedding and towels are provided
Kibale Forest Camp consists of 10 African safari style tents, comfortably furnished with twin or double beds. Each unit has its own private ensuite bathroom with a flush toilet, a dressing room and a hot water shower. Seated from your own verandah, the red or black and white colobus can often be observed in the dense camp surrounding.
Restaurant
The bar and restaurant are situated in a beautiful wooden grass-thatched building. The open structure blends perfectly in the surroundings and overlooks a lush colorful garden. It is in this cozy restaurant that your breakfast, delicious two course lunch and four course dinners will be served. Due to logistic reasons, quality products are difficult to get in the area so they come from Kampala. We work with set menus, but if you inform us on time, it will be our pleasure to cater for your request and dietary requirements.
A little secret… do not hesitate to ask for a coffee or tea with your early wake-up call as there is no better way to awaken than with a cup of coffee on the terrace of your tent.
Tourist Activities Around Kibale Forest Camp
Kibale National Park covers an area of about 795 km and is located between 1,100 and 1,600 meters in elevation. Despite encompassing primarily moist evergreen forest, it contains a diverse array of landscapes. It is a habitat to many forest wildlife including 13 species of primates. Activities are varied and limitless. From chimpanzee tracking in the forest to birding in the swamps, explore the beauty of the crater lakes or take a hike through the tea estates.
Chimpanzee Tracking: The most favorite of Kibale’s walks embarks from the Kanyanchu Visitor center at 08.00 & 15.00 and lasts 2 to 3 hours. With over 95% chance of seeing the chimps, Kibale Forest is the best destination in the whole of East Africa for seeing the chimpanzees.
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience: A lifetime experience that allows you to accompany Kibale’s research and habituation team on their daily activities. You will spend a full day with the chimpanzees and witness them de-nesting, feeding and plays, while getting first hand explanation from the experts. Prior bookings are a must for chimpanzee habituation since a special permit should be obtained.
Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary: Rich in biodiversity and beautiful scenery, the wetland is a birder’s paradise with about 138 species. Located outside the park in Magombe Swamp it hosts eight species of primates. The walk is an initiative of the villagers of Bigodi. The revenues go towards community projects.
Children’s Forest Walk: This walk in the national park is specially designed for children who are too young to participate in chimp tracking. While the parents enjoy their chimpanzee experience, the young ones will go for a forest walk and learn more about the ecosystem, followed by creative activities and games.
Birding: Apart from the Bigodi Wetland sanctuary, birding hikes can be organized in the national park or through our private forest trail. Of the 325 that are recorded in this national park, 6 species of birds are endemic to the Albertine Rift region
Night Walks: A one and a half to 2 hours walk through the forest in search of nocturnal forest residents like the bushbaby, potto, nightjar
Exploration of the crater lakes: The stretch between Fort Portal and Kibale Forest is known as the crater lakes region. Here you can simply enjoy the beauty of the numerous small lakes and the stunning views.
Mahoma Waterfalls: Visit the hidden Mahoma waterfall as you walk through the villages from the Batoro tribe
Visit to the Tea Estates: Kibale Forest is surrounded by large, green tea plantations. A visit to the area cannot go without a stop in one of the tea estates. Learn how the leaves are processed and transformed into tea.