Top 5 Reasons To Visit Ngamba Island, Uganda : Imagine going through the jungle with a playful chimp by your side. This is just one of the many encounters tourists can have with these amazing monkeys at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a 100-acre sanctuary for over 50 orphaned and rescued chimps. On this rainforest island in Lake Victoria, you’ll learn about our monkey cousins and contribute to their care in their natural environment.
All of the chimps here have been rescued, some from poachers, some from illness or mistreatment; none of them will ever be released back into the wild. They are cared for, allowed to roam freely, fed twice daily, and given medical treatment and love on Ngamba Island.
When you arrive on the island via speedboat or canoe, one of the sanctuary’s caregivers will personally introduce you to the chimps. Everyone here knows each of the chimps’ names and personal histories. You will also have the opportunity to join the feeding team and get up close and personal with the chimps as they compete for your attention!
The island refuge is an initiative of the Chimpanzee Refuge and Wildlife Conservation Trust, and you can arrange a half-day, full-day, or even three-day chimp safari through them. Take a speedboat to the island for a 50-minute round-trip journey. Alternatively, take a 90-minute motorized canoe ride to this equatorial island.
The island is mostly made up of tropical vegetation, but it also has some grassland. In addition to these cheerful rescued chimps, you may encounter giant monitor lizards, over 120 bird species, crocodiles, and hippos. The half-day trips to the island depart from the Entebbe port at 9:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Return excursions leave at 12:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Entebbe, Uganda’s primary international airport, is less than an hour away by boat from Ngamba. Today, this island is one of the most popular and lucrative tourist destinations in the country. Here are five reasons why we believe it should be included on any Uganda safari itinerary.
- The chimps
Ngamba offers possibly the best opportunity in Africa to watch chimpanzee behavior and interaction up close. More than 95% of the island is designated as a wooded refuge. A population of 50 chimpanzees forages and roams freely here. The tiny visitor center is separated from it by an electric fence. Visitors can witness and photograph the chimps’ twice-daily feeding sessions from an elevated viewing platform.
It’s a remarkable experience to watch these black-coated apes. They feed, groom, squabble, play, and otherwise behave as seasoned actors in an unscripted soap drama. Humans are more closely connected to chimpanzees than to any other living species. Because of their close genetic link, many of their acts, mannerisms, and facial expressions are easily recognizable. While there are other areas in Uganda where chimps can be followed in the wild, none are as consistent as Ngamba.
- Bird watching and other wildlife
The tropical island serves as a natural haven for a variety of other creatures. Despite its modest size, Ngamba Island is home to around 150 different species of woodland and aquatic birds. In the lakeshore trees, the gorgeous African fish eagles play thrilling high-pitched duets. In the reedbeds, many different species of weaver (mainly yellow) nest. African paradise flycatchers, brightly colored turacos, loud hornbills, and other colorful species are less visible but more spectacular. Photographers with patience can try to catch photographs of some of these birds from a shoreline hide. There are also frequent sightings of the massive Nile Monitor lizard and the charming spotted-necked otter.
- Overnighting in Ngamba is a fabulous back-to-nature alternative to Entebbe or Kampala.
Uganda’s only international airport is located at Entebbe. As a result, practically all safaris begin and end with a stay there or in the nearby capital, Kampala. The small but luxurious Ngamba Eco-Lodge is a significantly more enticing option for nature lovers. There are four cottages and 15 standing tents directly on the water’s edge. A sumptuous outdoor meal will be served, followed by a colorful cultural experience of Ugandan music and dancing around the campfire. Then drift off to the sound of lapping water and chirping frogs, occasionally interrupted by the pant-hoot sounds of the island’s resident chimps.
- A thrilling 45-minute boat trip across Africa’s largest lake
The boat ride from Entebbe to Ngamba takes you across Lake Victoria. This massive freshwater lake has an area of 60,000 km2/23,200 m2. This is around the size of the US state of Georgia and twice the size of Belgium. The Nile, the world’s longest river, is also fed by Lake Victoria. It emerges from the northern shore near Jinja. Furthermore, the lake’s equatorial location implies that the short boat ride from Entebbe truly crosses from the northern to the southern hemisphere. Overnight visitors can enjoy a quiet sunset boat or a more vigorous angling adventure in search of a monster Nile perch.
- Tourist visits to Ngamba help fund other conservation efforts and environmental education.
The Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary is essentially an animal orphanage. It offers its convicts decent living circumstances, a welcoming social environment, and world-class medical care. However, it is not a breeding facility. All adult females are implanted with a contraceptive implant that prohibits them from reproducing while not interfering with normal sexual behavior. It also makes no attempt to reintroduce the chimps into the wild. Despite this, Ngamba is critical to the overall conservation of chimpanzees. It is the flagship project of a Jane Goodall Institute-affiliated conservation charity. The sanctuary supports an ongoing census of Uganda’s wild populations as well as snare-removal activities. It also supports education and other community engagement efforts.
