Glimpse at chimps: The top 7 places to track chimps in the wild

Glimpse at chimps: The top 7 places to track chimps in the wild

Wanderlust the original travel magazine ranks the top 7 places to track Chimpanzees in the wild with the best three being in Uganda. East and Central Africa are the best places to track Chimpanzees in the world. Discover the best acnes across Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania for seeing these lively apes. Chimpanzees are in deterioration across their range: in parts of Africa they are tightfitting on by their fingertips. But well-managed eco-tourism has the power to help defend the forests that are vital to their endurance.

The Albertine Rift valley, where East Africa meets the jungles of the Congo, is an excellent spot for a primate-tracking adventure. Truly massive in its biodiversity, it harbours most of Africa’s chimps as well as more endemic wildlife species than any other eco-region on the continent.

Uganda is debatably the pick of the lot, due to its prime habitats not only for chimps but for mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and other primates. But it’s not the only option, as travellers to these regions will discover…

UGANDA

Kibaale Forest National Park

Best for: Photography

Kibale is the world’s eventful chimp tracking location. Accommodation is bountiful and the topography is mostly flat and easy, with little undergrowth. One-hour with them can feel jam-packed, with groups taking turns, but it’s also possible to book a full-day Habituation Experience year-round. This may yield sightings that, though less predictable, are lengthier and quieter. There’s a chance that you may meet elephants in the park, too, which can be unnerving, but you’ll be with an armed guide who can fire a warning shot if necessary.

2 Budongo Forest Reserve Kaniyo Pabidi

Best for: Eco-friendliness and niche appeal

Located close to Lake Albert and deep within the Murchison Falls National Park, this outstanding wildlife reserve has over 600 chimps and a rustic eco-lodge with links to a research station. The terrain is fairly flat and tourists can either set out for a half-day, watching a habituated group for an hour, or during low season (January–June and October–December) they can spend an entire day in the forest. It’s an excellent experience, even though the canopy is denser than Kibale, and for photographers its heaven

QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK, KYAMBURA GORGE

Best for: Chimps in big cat country

Kyambura Gorge is a deep, forested gash in a Savannah Plain with a beautiful riverside path at its bottom. Its small community of chimps have a heartbreaking story: isolated from the main Maramagambo forest by an overgrown village and grasslands where predators such as lions and hyenas lurk, they’re already showing signs of inbreeding. You have the option of booking a guided walk in the gorge during your stay, and even if you only catch a glimpse of the chimps, the walk itself is glorious.

The rest destinatinations are Tanzania, Gombe Stream National Park, Nyungwe National Park, Cyamudongo Forest

Burundi and DR Congo respectively