Things to do Kyambura Gorge

Things to do Kyambura Gorge : Kyambura gorge is located in the North Eastern part of queen Elizabeth National Park that is the second biggest National park in Uganda and is considered as the most visit visited National park among all the 10 National parks in Uganda.

Kyambura Gorge is known as the “Valley of Apes” and the local people pronounce it as Chambura. It was formed by the water flowing from River Kyambura  which is about 100 meters deep and visitors get to explore on the beautiful  landscapes which offers them with breathe taking beautiful views. Kyambura Gorge is very close to the equator, which crosses over the Kyambura.

Kyambura Gorge is famous for being recommended as one of the best destinations that tourists can visit for chimpanzee trekking and it being a home to the biggest 5 mammal species in the country such as; Buffaloes, leopards, lions, elephants  and several primate species like; Olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red Columbus monkeys. More so, it also harbours variety numbers of bird species such as; greater flamingoes, fly catchers, African Skimmer, Eagle, owl lesser and many others and other wildlife species like; hyenas, elands, Uganda Kobs, spotted hyenas, warthog, and bush babies . Kyambura Gorge also offers its visitors with classic views of the tropical rain forests and the savannah grasslands surrounding Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Activities done in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Bird Watching.

Kyambura Gorge is seen as the destination for bird lovers to visit because it harbours variety numbers of different bird species because the environment around Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park is surrounded by rivers, forests, savannah plains that favour the stay of these birds.  In addition, these bird species include; African broadbill, African skimmer, Papyrus canary, Verreaux’s eagle owl, pink backed pelican, Chapin’s flycatcher and many others.

Bird lovers pack their cars and walk through the forests to get clear views of the birds or some of them use binoculars to get classic views of the birds in the sky. During the bird watching activities, tourists are always accompanied with park guides who help tourists to identify what type of birds while in their presence.

Chimpanzee trekking.

Kyambura Gorge is famous for harbouring chimpanzees and many tourists travel to Queen Elizabeth National park and run to kyambura Gorge to engage themselves in chimpanzee trekking activities. These chimpanzees always go through the Habituation process in order to train them well to get used to human beings and this makes it easy for tourists to have a great moment while in their presence. Chimpanzee trekking activities always go for about 2-3 hours or even longer depending on where the chimpanzees are located but after the chimpanzees are being located, tourists are being given one hour to spend with the chimpanzees in their natural habitats and during this process, tourists get to learn their behaviours and characters, watch how they feed and breast feed their young ones.

Things to do Kyambura Gorge

Tourists interested in Chimpanzee trekking are advised to book their trekking permits from Mweya visitors centre which cost 50USD per person for foreign non-residents and 30,00ugx for the East African citizens and this activity is done in two sessions, in the morning session and the afternoon session, which begin at 8:00am in the morning and 2:00pm in the afternoon. However, tourists are advised to always arrive at the visitors centre an hour before where they first go through the registration process and a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow while trekking for example they are encouraged to keep a 7 meters distance while in the presence of the chimpanzees and not to maintain a direct eye contact with the species.  Later they are put in groups with a maximum number of eight people depending on which group they are going to trek and given well-trained and experienced park guide who leads them through the trekking.

However, tourists on their chimpanzee trekking safaris can also get to see other primate species such as Olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys and many others.

Guided Nature Walks.

Tourists on a safari in Kyambura Gorge take guided nature walks through the dense forests using different trails that lead you through. During the nature walks they are accompanied with the park guides lead them to different spots where they will get a chance to sight see different  bird species which include; Blue-headed, bee-eater, Godwit, greater and less flamingoes, Marital Eagle, African skimmer and primate species such as; Baboons, monkeys, hyenas, chimpanzees, elephants, antelopes, hippos and many more.

Flora and Fauna. 

Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park is known to be richly blessed with a wonderful biodiversity that involves 13 different habitats for the wildlife animals. Tourists are likely to see several rare plant species, which are found in the hot savannah plain wetlands, bogs, and in the rain forests within the park. More so, tourists will see the Kyambura River, which is considered, as an important water source in Kyambura gorge.

Accommodation facilities where to stay while in Kyambura Gorge.

Tourists visiting in kyambura gorge, which is found within Queen Elizabeth National Park, are offered accommodation facilities, which range in different classes such as; from Budget, Luxury and Mid-range. And these accommodation facilities include; Park view lodge, Queen Elizabeth bush lodge, Kasenyi safari camp, Queen Elizabeth safari lodge, Kyambura Gorge lodge, Mweya safari lodge, jacana safari lodge, Bandas kazinga channel, Marafiki safari lodge.

However, tourists can also get lodging facilities near Kyambura Gorge and these include; Savannah resort hotel, Victoria gardens and Uganda safaris, Crane resort hotel, Western Meridian hotel and many others.

How to get to Kyambura Gorge.

Tourists planning to travel to Kyambura George, which is located in the northeastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, can opt to use Air or Road transport

Road transport.

Travelers using road means of transport can take a drive which about 6-7 hours from Kampala city via masaka-mbarara covering a distance of 420 kilometers or they can also take a drive from Kampala city via fort portal to queen Elizabeth national park which is also considered as the short route because it covers a distance of 410 kilometers and takes about 6 hours.

Air Transport.

Tourists who wish to skip the long trips can decide to book their chattered flights from Entebbe International airport to Mweya peninsular, which is located in Queen Elizabeth national park and then connect to Kyambura gorge, which is covers a distance of 30 kilometers.