Budongo forest is also a chimpanzee hub in Uganda, though most Uganda chimpanzee trips are done in Kibale Forest National Park. Click here to view mountain gorilla trekking safaris 

Budongo Forest offers an extraordinary experience that satisfies demand at affordable rates. This rain forest is located in northwestern Uganda, en route to Murchison Falls National Park. Budongo Forest’s major tourist attraction is chimpanzee tracking.check this recommended mountain gorilla trekking tour

Budongo is Uganda’s biggest mahogany forest, comprising the Busingiro site, the Kaniyo Padidi site, and the Padidi site. Budongo forest chimpanzee tracking rotates within six chimpanzee groups, with each group having about 80 individuals and having two memorable best sessions that are either in the morning at 7:00 a.m. or in the afternoon at around 15:00 p.m. before they set off to look because sometimes it takes about 30 minutes or the whole day to see them. A combination of these gives you unforgettable experiences in Uganda.

Chimpanzee remarks in Budongo Forest 

Budongo Forest has the best sites for viewing chimpanzees in Uganda; each day, eight chimpanzee permits are issued per shift. So only 16 permits are issued daily; you can book your permit directly, or you can trust Devine African Safaris to book all your permits on time. Due to high demand, travelers book their permits three months in advance.

Chimpanzee habituation in Budongo Forest

Chimpanzee habituation is the process of introducing chimpanzees to humankind slowly and gently, where they allow tourists to go with researchers and guides, among others, to study and learn the behaviors, happiness, and anger of these apes.

The habituated communities in Budongo Forest include the Kaniyo Padidi chimpanzee community, the Sonso chimpanzee community, the Waisoko chimpanzee community, and the Waibira chimpanzee community. Each of these communities is different in terms of formation, history, location, and size.

Bird watching 

Budongo Forest is a special place to see two unique bird species that can never be seen anywhere else in East Africa: the yellow-footed flycatcher and the illadopsis puvell. Budongo Forest is blessed with over 370 bird species. Budongo being a birds’ haven, its best bird watching has two sessions.

Travelers can decide to bird watch in the morning or afternoon during nature walks in this magnificent forest while enjoying the sweet melodies being sung by these birds up in the trees. Binoculars are a must-have item for bird lovers.

Budongo forest bird species include the African dwarf kingfisher, little green sunbird, pita neihenow, Pamoptila woodhouse, grey-headed sunbird, brown twin-spotted crowned eagle, African pied wagtail, black kite, white-spotted flufftail, white-thighed hornbill, fork-tailed drongo, and others.

Budongo Forest Reserve takes about 3–4 hours from Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, or Entebbe International Airport. Budongo is en route to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s oldest and largest national park.

In most cases, Budongo chimpanzee tracking is a complementary product to Murchison Falls wildlife experiences such as boat cruise, game drives or some clients prefer to fly from Kajjansi airstrip to Pakuba airstrip because of the distance and time. 

Budongo forest chimpanzee tracking age limit

One is only allowed to track chimpanzees when he or she is above 15 years of age; anyone below that age is considered vulnerable, so they can’t handle moving in the forest in search of these apes.

Chimpanzee tracking requires one to be physically fit, in good health, and free of communicable diseases like flu, cough, and TB because chimpanzees (our human cousins) are also vulnerable to contracting diseases like humans.