Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, also known as the “Valley of Apes,” is another tourist hub in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The reserve is commonly known as home to many primates, but the most outstanding ones are the habituated chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are some of the endangered creatures that live in the deep green forest covered by riparian woodland, which forms a cloudy cover of the forest.

Within the forest is a gorge with a depth of 100 meters and a length of 11 kilometers. The Kyambura River flows through the gorge, serving as a buffer zone between the reserve and neighboring communities. In the dry season, animals often come to this place to drink water. The gorge has steep slopes that are said to have been formed by the river’s fast-flowing waters years ago.

What to expect at Kyambura gorge?

When you visit the Kyambura forest reserve, you we have experimental tourism that will give you closer interaction with chimps as they always come down the trees when they see people so you can get clear study and observation of their behavior as you take photos at closer range.

The Kyambura Wildlife Reserve is home to chimpanzees, as well as other primates such as red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, and several bird species.

 Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge.

Chimpanzee tracking is carried out in Kyambura Gorge which is also part of the large Kyambura Wildlife Reserve. Chimps are close human relatives with high intelligence compared to other primates. They can walk on two legs and always live in groups. They build nests in the afternoon for evening and night shelter by bending branches of trees to form a comfortable nest. Chimps mainly feed on fruits though at times they kill small antelopes and other smaller primates to supplement their diet.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge is done in two sessions, the morning and afternoon taking 2-3 hours. Each session begins with a briefing at the visitor center close to the gorge. For one to track chimps in the Gorge, he or she should have a tracking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority or the Park offices in Mweya.  Trekkers must be physically fit as it involves sloping and hiking into the gorge for longer distances. After the briefing, trekkers are grouped into 8, given walking sticks, and led into the gorge by experienced game guides.

chimpanzee trekking experience

Chimpanzees are very vocal and can easily be identified by following their hoots. Once you spot them, you will be allowed to stay in their presence for one hour as you watch them feed, play, mate, and some fight. see the amazing way they make their nests in the branches and take memorable photos at a close distance. After that festive hour with the amazing apes, you will move back to the visitor center for trekking certificates then proceed to other activities in the park.

The cost of a chimpanzee tracking permit in the Kyambura Gorge is $150 and the age limit for tracking chimpanzees is 12 years.

Hiking into the Gorge exposes you to unique biodiversity with rare vegetation and plant species mammals and other primates.

Other things to do in Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

Apart from chimpanzee tracking, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve offers more activities like:

Viewing other primates and other wildlife

The gorge is home to other primate species like baboons, Vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and red-tailed monkeys.  Mammal species that can be spotted in the gorge include buffalos and forest elephants. At the edges of the valley, the savannah grassland scenery is so beautiful and when you go down the valley, expect to encounter forest elephants, buffalos, leopards, antelopes and hippos that occasionally visit the gorge.

Birding at Kyambura gorge

Bird watching is another attraction in the reserve.  The reserve is home to many bird species that keep singing high above in the tall trees in the gorge.  These offer a great expedition to bird lovers. Some birds are always attracted by the fruits and insects on the trees while others love staying near water bodies.

The reserve has three large crater lakes that attract a huge number of flamingos that are not common on the shores of most lakes in Uganda.  Some of the bird species that can be spotted in the area include martial eagles, falcons, African skimmers, African finfoot, White-tailed lark, Chapin’s flycatcher, Papyrus canary, Pink-backed Pelican, papyrus gonolek, white-winged warbler and flamingos among others.

Nature and forest walks

This is one way of exploring the park on foot. Guided nature walks through the forest and park savanna bring close to different plant species and wild animals. The nature walks can be done alongside chimpanzee tracking or separately. The nature walk will expose you to the cool underground of the forest canopy and other amazing creatures.  the park guides will fully explain to you the history of the park, the valley formation, and more information about the animals found in the area.

Nature forest walks are carried out in two sessions, in the morning and afternoon. Only four people are allowed to take part in each session with the guidance of experienced game guides.

The Gorge itself is another attraction in the area

The name Kyambura means “I cannot see it”.   locals believed that the river in the gorge did not have a name until it flooded, and water took away their property, when they moved to search for their belongings, they returned empty-handed saying I cannot see it hence the name of the river and the gorge at large.

The Gorge is 11km long and 100m deep at the Kichwamba escarpment pouring into Kazinga Channel.  Many tourists are attracted by the size of the gorge and its wonderful features.

The best time to visit the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

The best time to visit the reserve is the dry season in December to February and June to September. This is because the tracking trails are dry to be easily traversed.  Still, during this period, many animals gather around the water sources to drink water.

Accommodations close to Kyambura Wildlife Reserve

Close to the reserve are several accommodations, that favor different travelers’ budgets ranging from luxury, and mid-range to the budget including camping sites. Some of the accommodations include Park View Lodge in Kyambura, Mazike Lodge (former Kyambura Gorge Lodge), Buffalo Safari Lodge, Katara Lodge, Kingfisher Camp, and Pumba safari cottages among others.

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