Ngamba Half day Tour

Ngamba Island Half Day Tour

Not many adventures in Uganda come handy with two hours on water. Thinking of crossing the Equator on Lake Victoria, sighting a few birds as well as meeting both human strangers and close to human strangers! As the saying goes, “a stranger is simply a friend you have never met” Ngamba Island is a proof ground for such a saying.

What always seems like a discovery of new places and new people often ends up as a realization of destiny if not a stepping stone and a mark of our new perception of the world. The morning journey to Ngamba Island starts from wild frontiers dock in Entebbe taking you about 45 minutes to land on the Chimp Island.

45 minutes come handy with spotting a few bird species commonly the cattle egrets and little egrets never miss out. Unlike sailing upon rivers, lakes are a little beat bumpy but with a speed boat; the effect of the waves tends to vanish away as the boat picks up speed. The real effect of the waves is only felt when the engine is shut down at the equator for a moment.

The sound of the boat and the flashing waters calibrate your senses to only think of the stillness amidst of all this noise. It would be right to say, it is a mark of true adventure that comes with untimely showers from the waves. It is for this particular reason why the rain jackets never miss out on the boat.

If you are the picky kind, carrying your own rain jacket would save you the irritation that comes with sharing jackets with strangers. But getting a little beat wet would also be a special experience of its kind.

Right on the shores, you are welcomed by a guide but your eyes obviously straw to the wooden sign post with a writing “Welcome to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee sanctuary…..” To any eco traveler; the first thing that strikes your mind is ‘couldn’t they find a more eco-friendly sign post other than a wooden signpost!’

The beauty with all eco tourism complaints is they call for you to get involved, which is part of the talk the guide gives you during the briefing concerning partnership with Chimpanzee Sanctuary and wildlife conservation Trust.

At this moment you come to learn of the chimpanzees that have been named after individuals or companies that have committed to take care of the chimpanzees for a life time. The partnership mainly covers the feeding fees for the chimpanzee.

Unlike the chimpanzees at the zoo which are mainly fed by the zoo, the chimps at Ngamba Island have almost 100 acres to range for food with the handouts from the sanctuary simply as supplements.

While at Ngamba, you will learn of the progress in terms of experiments and tests. Of course whenever people hear of experiments, they often think of surgical operations. But at Ngamba island, the chimpanzees’ IQ is tested, their mathematical ability among other human realities. Most of your questions about chimpanzees will be answered in this place.

All the briefing often ends in the mid-late morning, and at this time, the inhabitants of the Ngamba forest come out of all their hidings because of the feeding routine. It is at this time that you get ready to see some exchanges among the big guys in the group; food commonly brings out the animalistic nature of every creature.

However much fights arise among the chimpanzees, a few females more so those in their heat season receive favors from the guys; while those who have already coupled up also show care to their beloved. The little ones befriend the strong guys in the group to always have something to crunch on.

On the half day tours, feeding marks the end of your tour, thus slowly sloping back to the shores to catch the boat back to the wild frontiers dock. It is always a day well spent; full of explorations and friendships that only last for minutes unless an intentional pursuit is considered.

While at the boat, you can’t imagine yourself leaving this fresh environment full of jolly people; always willing to answer each of your questions. As the island fades away, you left thinking of a full day tour with a night stay at cottages that have amazing honeymoon tales. It is a natural phenomenon to be happy, that is why it is often harder to articulate the experience of encountering happiness through an un tampered environment experience.