Kibale National Park

Yes, there’s stunning birdlife, forest elephants and colobus monkeys, but for us, Kibale National Park, which covers over 750 square kilometres, is chimp central. This is one of the best places for chimpanzee trekking in Africa, where the thrill of hearing a far-off whoop is beaten only when you come face to face with man’s closest relative.

As well as chimpanzees, Kibale has the greatest concentration of primates in East Africa, so you may also see L’Hoest monkeys, red colobus monkeys and olive baboons swinging through the ancient forest trees. These towering trees provide a perfect canopy for the profusion of rainforest life, including hundreds of bird species. Even though you may only rarely see them, the park is also home to the largest population of forest elephants in Uganda, as well as buffaloes, civets and antelopes including the Ugandan kob, waterbucks and bushbucks.