Ngamba Island Travel Guide

 
by DAO
 
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    by DAO
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  •   Things to Do
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Pro

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  WILDLIFE CLOSE UP 


Con

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  My stay was too short! 


In a nutshell

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  Where else can you give a chimpazee a piggy back ride? 

 

Explore Ngamba Island

Things to Do  

CROSS THE EQUATOR - TWICE!

CROSS THE EQUATOR - TWICE!, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  They did not even tell me that we were crossing the Equator in the boat journey here until we were returning. Yes, you have to cross the Equator here twice to and from Ngamba Island. You are now in the very middle of the world. The guys on the boat tell you that when you... 

PERSONALITIES

PERSONALITIES, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  Before you start your tour the guide will tell you about the different personalities you will meet. Pay attention! One of the chimpanzees was a sort of pet/freak show who used to go to bars with his ‘owner’ and smoke. He still makes gestures like he has a cigarette. One of... 

HOW TO GET HERE

HOW TO GET HERE, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  All tours to Ngamba island are set up through Wild Frontiers. They are the only people allowed to land a boat on the island. Prices can change, so please go to their website via the link below. It is not cheap, but you can see how your money is spent when you get there. If... 

THE CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY TRUST

THE CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY TRUST, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  THE CHIMPANZEE SANCTUARY & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST (CSWCT) owns and maintains Ngamba Island. The Sanctuary was established in October 1998 to care for Chimpanzees confiscated by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. There are orphans from Bush Meat/Poaching as well as animals... 

FEEDING TIME

FEEDING TIME, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  These guys eat god and they eat often. They are fed 7 times a day! And their food looks and smells delicious. Ripe, and I mean ripe, pears, bananas, oranges, melons, the works. All this stuff gets thrown at them from a great height, but it ends up being a game. Yep,... 

Lunchtime Again!!

Lunchtime Again!!, Ngamba Island

 kentishgirl Says:  Its just so amazing how like a human a chimp is, when we watched them being fed, the chimps actually held their hands out for the food - the also fought each other if they wanted the other chimps food.....as you can see this chimp was very pleased with himself!!! 

Chimps at Ngamba Island....

Chimps at Ngamba Island...., Ngamba Island

 kentishgirl Says:  When you arrive and walk up onto the island there is a small shop and an area for refreshments and some toilets.Then you continue up onto a wooden walkway which takes you past numerous information boards in English. These boards introduce every chimp who is here, telling you... 

Chimps Get Their Lunch!

Chimps Get Their Lunch!, Ngamba Island

 kentishgirl Says:  When watching the Chimps feeding time its amazing and a funny sight really!The Chimps make such a noise, running around and squaking at the top of their voices! They were so excited to be getting fed that they just run around their compound at high speed! 

Chimps Chimps and More Chimps!

Chimps Chimps and More Chimps!, Ngamba Island

 kentishgirl Says:  These Chimps are so lucky to have this amazing view out across the lake from their tall bamboo table like contraptions that they climb up on.Dont underestimate the Chimp - these animals are very intelligent and can be very aggressive too, in fact they are one of the closest... 

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria, Ngamba Island

 kentishgirl Says:  Ngamba Island is set on Lake Victoria.During the boat ride from Entebbe we saw locals on fishing boats on the Lake, other small islands that make up the Lakes population with people, houses and boats on their beaches.The boat ride for us was smooth and took around 2 hours... 

Walking with chimpanzees

Walking with chimpanzees, Ngamba Island

 emeybee Says:  If you can afford this (it's fairly expensive), DO it! It's the only place in the world where you can give a chimpanzee a piggy back ride! It's so incredibly fun to be able to interact with, feed, and play with the chimps. They are incredibly human-like and I felt like I was... 

Restaurants  

BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND SNACKS

BRING YOUR OWN FOOD AND SNACKS, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  The island is small and only has a little shop selling a few souvenirs. If you are not staying overnight they only have coffee and tea. There is a small snack bar near the dock before you leave, but that ran out of food when I was there. I had to quickly go to a local store... 

Transportation  

Speedboat to Chimpanzee's

Speedboat to Chimpanzee's, Ngamba Island

 Zanzibargirl Says:  Several types of boats are available for visits to the island, depending on the budget and size of the group. Most operators will depart from Entebbe or Gaba (Kampala).¨ Speedboats (approx. 45 minutes travel time)¨ A traditional Ssese boat with a motor (1 ½ - 2 hours travel... 

YOU GUESSED IT !

YOU GUESSED IT !, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  Yep – boat. They provide the floatation jacket and wet gear. You are going to get wet. If you get sea sick, sit in the middle of the boat. If you like to have fun and try and hand on for dear life like I did – ride on the back! Only one person has ever fallen out. No it... 

Local Customs  

CHIMPANZEE FOOD

CHIMPANZEE FOOD, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  What do the chimpanzees eat here? Well, have a look. Lots and lots of very nice ripe fruit. What do they eat in the wild? Just about anything really. Primarily they are herbivores, or vegetarians. Life is a little rough in the wild so they go for insects, bird eggs and even... 

THE EQUATOR - A FEW FACTS

THE EQUATOR - A FEW FACTS, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  Welcome to the centre of the Earth! A few facts:• You are at 0 degrees latitude• You are now 6025 miles (9640 km) form the North & South Poles• The sun rises and sets right here• Water pours straight down here. It goes anti-clockwise in the North Hemisphere and clockwise in... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

THE THREAT TO CHAMPANZEES

THE THREAT TO CHAMPANZEES, Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:  Chimpanzees need the companionship of other Chimpanzees literally to survive. They also need a place to live. The main threats to them today are: Deforestation, Snare Hunting, 'Bush Meat' and the 'Pet' Trade. There are many reasons for this from slash and burn agriculture to... 

What to Pack  

W.A.T.E.R.

W.A.T.E.R., Ngamba Island

 DAO Says:   This is the Equator and it doesn’t get any hotter than here. You need to buy water in either Kampala or Entebbe before you get here. They only seemed to have coffee and tea on the island. I recommend 2 litres per person just to be on the safe side. You will drink most of... 

Favorites  

Birds 6

Birds 6, Ngamba Island

 grets Says:

Birds 5

Birds 5, Ngamba Island

 grets Says:

The Place

Plan a Ngamba Island vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Ngamba Island locals

Experience Ngamba Island
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The People

 
Our Members Say
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 There are various means of transfer from Entebbe to Ngamba, we chose speed boat and were whisked to the island in little over 30 minutes. 

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  Would it be safe to bring a computer with us? 

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A: You have to ride a bumpy boat and will get wet. They give you wet weather gear to try and keep you dry. It's your call. They have electricity, but no internet. It is a... 

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Top Ngamba Island Writers

1

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary

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 Ngamba island was established in 1998 as a sanctuary for abandoned and orphaned chimpanzees. Located 23 km from Entebbe in Lake Victoria, Ngamba Island is 100 of rainforest 

2

MONKEY BUSINESS

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  Located on Lake Victoria, this small island is a refuge for orphaned and abused chimpanzees. They live together in a protected environment until one day, hopefully, they can return to the wild.  

3

Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary

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 Ngamba Island is a sanctuary for chimpanzees that were orphaned, usually due to poaching and people trying to keep them as pets. The goal of the sanctuary is to help the chimps transition back into...... 

4

Chimporama!

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  Ngamba Island is a small island in Lake Victoria in Uganda. It takes approx 2 hours to reach the island from Entebbe depending on which boat you take to the island. Ngamba Island is a sanctuary for... 

5

Chimpanzee Island

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 Ngamba Island, or as it is also known "Chimpanzee Island" is a 100 acre sanctuary that was established for orphaned chimps in 1998. Its located approximately 23 km's from Entebbe by boat across Lake... 

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