Tours around the Kalinzu forest : The Kalinzu forest is among the locations in Queen Elizabeth national park where chimpanzees can be seen during safaris.
There are also different primate species found in the Kalinzu forest and they include chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and many others.
Different bird species which are over 380 can be seen during tours around the Kalinzu forest in Queen Elizabeth national park which also has various bird species and butterfly species and also different tree species.
The forest is part of Kalinzu forest reserve which is located in Bushenyi district and it covers about 137 square kilometers and consists of a tropical rainforest which acts as habitat for different wildlife and bird species.
Activities to do around the Kalinzu forest
Kalinzu forest is a place where different activities can be done during safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park and they include the following;
- Chimpanzee tracking
Chimpanzee tracking in the Kalinzu forest can be done in the morning and in the afternoon during tours around Queen Elizabeth national park.
Tourists can search for the chimpanzees during the chimpanzee tracking experience in Kalinzu forest for about 3 to 4 hours. During the chimpanzee tracking experience, tourists spend time with the chimpanzees and watch them closely in their natural habitat.
A briefing is done at the park headquarters before tourists engage in chimpanzee tracking in the Kalinzu forest and ranger guides are assigned to accompany the tourists during the activity.
Another location where chimpanzee tracking can be done in Queen Elizabeth national park is the Kyambura gorge where it costs 100 USD for foreign nonresidents, 80 USD for foreign residents and 50,000 Uganda shillings for East African citizens.
- Guided nature walks
Tourists can also engage in guided nature walks during their tours around the Kalinzu forest which is home to different wildlife and bird species.
The Kalinzu forest can be explored on foot and during these nature walks, tourists can encounter various primate species as they follow different trails through the forest such as the valley trail, waterfall trail, river trail and also the palm trail.
The guided nature walks take about 4 to 6 hours depending on the trail used by tourists as they explore the Kalinzu forest. Some of the primates which can be seen during the nature walks through the forest include black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkey, blue monkeys among others.
- Bird watching
Bird watching is another activity which is carried out when visiting the Kalinzu forest which is home to over 414 bird species.
Some of the birds found in the Kalinzu forest include the Great Blue Turaco, Red Chested Sunbird, Black-Billed Weaver, Green Breasted Pitta, Purple Headed Starling, Yellow Billed Barbet, Crowned Eagles among others.
Tourists can enjoy full day birding experiences when visiting the Kalinzu forest in search of the different bird species.
Other activities to do in Queen Elizabeth national park
Many other activities can be done during safaris around other parts of Queen Elizabeth national park and they include game drives, boat safaris, lion tracking experiences among others. These activities can be combined with tours around the Kalinzu forest.
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth national park can be done in the morning and afternoon in search for wildlife species found at the destination such as elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, waterbucks, impalas, bushbucks, reedbucks, Uganda kobs, hippos, hyenas, warthogs, mongoose, topi among others which can be seen in different parts of the national park.
Boat safaris can also be done when visiting Queen Elizabeth national park and the activity is done along the Kazinga channel which is among the key attractions at the destination. Tourists enjoy boat rides in the morning and afternoon along the Kazinga channel and see various bird and wildlife species like elephants, buffalos by the shores and hippos, and Nile crocodiles in the water.
Lion tracking is another activity that takes place in Queen Elizabeth national park during safaris and it is done in the Kasenyi plains where tourists together with ranger guides and researchers drive into the plains in search for lions. This activity is an experiential form of tourism and tourists can see many lions during the activity since they can be monitored and located in the wild by following the trackers attached to the collars of the lions.
Mongoose tracking can also be done when visiting Queen Elizabeth national park and it takes place during safaris around the Mweya peninsula where many other wildlife species like elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks among others can be seen.
Community tours during visits to Queen Elizabeth national park involve interactions with people in the villages surrounding the national park and getting to know more about their culture and experience their way of life through storytelling, food preparation, traditional dances among other activities.
Best time for tours in Kalinzu forest
Tours in the Kalinzu forest can be done at any time of the year including the dry season from June to October and December to February as well as during the rainy season around March, April and May and also during the month of November.
The dry season is considered the best time to take part in tours around the Kalinzu forest and engage in activities such as chimpanzee tracking.
Places to stay around Kalinzu forest
There are different lodges where tourists can stay during their tours around the Kalinzu forest and they include budget, midrange and luxury lodges.
Some of the lodges around the Kalinzu forest include Mweya safari lodge, Kitandara lodge, Buffalo safari lodge, Queen Elizabeth safari lodge, Aardvark safari lodge, Kasenyi safari camp, Twin lakes safari lodge, Elephant hab lodge, Kyambura gorge lodge, Enganzi lodge among others.
How to get to Kalinzu forest
The Kalinzu forest can be accessed using flights to Mweya airstrip and also the Kasese airstrip in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Another way to get to Queen Elizabeth national park is by driving to the destination using the Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Bushenyi route or using the Kampala-Mubende-Fort Portal route.
