Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
4.5
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 AM
About
Surrounded by the peaceful waters of Lake Victoria, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is home to 49 orphaned chimps rescued from throughout Uganda. Island facilities offer day trips and overnight trips which provide exceptional opportunity to closely observe and interact with these fascinating great apes in this unique setting.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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- Lorraine CHoniara, Solomon Islands117 contributionsIsland refuge for wonderful chimpsThis island refuge for rescued chimps is a real marvel. So much care and concern for these wonderful animals. Saving them and providing a safe place to live freely in the forest in the day and have safe places to come and get fed and sleep and allow preservation of the forest. . Dedicated staff share their knowledge and stories of individual chimps. Each has a name and all are family. It is possible to stay overnight or two snd do some volunteer caring for the chimps. Great endeavour that combats the challenges chimps face.Visited September 2023Travelled with friendsWritten 13 October 2023
- nanwnerCincinnati, Ohio51 contributionsAmazing up-close experience with chimpanzees!Hillary was a great guide and wonderful teacher! Although it is a little pricey, I'm very glad we stayed overnight on the island (one night is plenty!), so that we got to interact with the chimpanzees more and learn so much. So many beautiful birds too! We got to tour the facilities, meet the keepers and vet on staff, talk with visiting researchers, take a brief boat ride around the edge of the island, and feed the chimpanzees at three separate feedings. All of the staff were friendly and knowledgeable!Visited February 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 6 February 2024
- RRNew York City, New York126 contributionsThe best wildlife experience and staff in UgandaI truly cannot recommend Ngamba Island enough. I volunteered there for a week and had the most wonderful special experience with the entire staff and all of the chimpanzees. Truly the most lovely staff in all of Uganda who went out of their way to make me feel at home and make my volunteer experience special. It’s very clear that the entire staff have a deep appreciation of wildlife and Ngamba. The facilities are what you would expect for a wildlife volunteer experience. They met all the basics and the sleeping quarters were comfortable and nice. We took a day trip to Myende to see how the locals live. We visited their hospital and school which was very jarring. I highly recommend bringing local currency to donate to the school and hospital, or bring any type of school materials for the teachers. I hope to come back soon to see my brothers and my sweet Sophie 🐵 Ladybug missed you all! 💛Visited June 2024Travelled soloWritten 3 July 2024
- Allisson ESydney, Australia110 contributionsMust do!We cannot fault this amazing experience. We enjoyed the full day tour which allowed us to be involved with 2 feedings plus an experience with the chimps from the water. The trip to the property was quick and the water very smooth. The staff at the sanctuary were all so lovely and helpful. Their knowledge of the chimps was very welcomed and you can see their love for these amazing and smart animals. We also got to enjoy a very nice lunch as part of the tour. If in Entebbe I would consider this a must do activity is you have a full day to spend! The booking process was easy and the staff were very happy to answer all my questions!Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 25 July 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
264 reviews
Excellent
186
Very good
50
Average
21
Poor
4
Terrible
3
Kathryn
Portsmouth, UK5 contributions
Mar 2022 • Couples
We felt the price was incredibly high for the duration and quality of the visit. There were 8 of us on our trip each paying 88usd which is a significant price, for a half day you are travelling almost an hour each way on the boat (which is nice and scenic but nothing is pointed out en route so largely uninteresting if you don't know the area). The visit on the island is about 2 hours, you have an intro from Amos which was good but having visited gorillas and chimps already we found the quality of information quite limited compared to other tours we've done in Uganda and Rwanda. The chimp feeding itself is about 30 mins which was fascinating watching them eat, interact and clap (!) whilst holding their hands up to get more food. It didn't sound like there was any clear plan to actually rehabilitate the chimps which we found a bit strange and the facilities were all a little tired and needed some work (perhaps a COVID impact) so whilst it's great to see the chimps up close if you go on a good trek you will probably see them much more closely for the same or lower price with much more included. The food options after chimp viewing were also limited (3 choices) and very overpriced - the most expensive meal we ate in 2 weeks in Uganda and not the best! All in all, we felt the money paid was high given the facilities but hopefully as things get busier they can do some improvements and maybe reduce the cost for larger groups!
Written 5 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margaret H
Manchester, UK173 contributions
Aug 2022
There were good and bad things about this day out. First, it was very complicated trying to book a half day trip to the sanctuary. The web site is not clear. It is best to have someone go to their office in Entebbe and find out which days there are already people planning to go as this makes it MUCH cheaper.
The trip out was actually frightening - the boat was tossed around by the wind, rain and waves and because of the bad weather the trip took twice as long as usual. We arrived soaking wet and cold.
They did give us hot drinks on arrival, then a talk about the chimps before watching a feeding session from high up a tower outside an eletric fence. The guide was good, interesting and informative. Happily the lake was much calmer when we returned to Entebbe,
The trip out was actually frightening - the boat was tossed around by the wind, rain and waves and because of the bad weather the trip took twice as long as usual. We arrived soaking wet and cold.
They did give us hot drinks on arrival, then a talk about the chimps before watching a feeding session from high up a tower outside an eletric fence. The guide was good, interesting and informative. Happily the lake was much calmer when we returned to Entebbe,
Written 13 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John H
Westmount, Canada493 contributions
Jan 2020
The concept of the Sanctuary is honorable. The set-up on the island is both professional and interesting. It is all about the chimps, and it is interesting to learn and see them. We also had a very nice lunch at the island dining room. The trick is the boat ride for about 45 minutes out into Lake Victoria. It is a nice escape, but one also needs to be comfortable on the open water (in case of motion sickness).
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alli1804
Newtown Square, PA77 contributions
Jan 2022
Visited the Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary on a trip to Ugnada where we had tracked gorillas and chimps. Ngamba Island gave us an opportunity to see rescued chimps that are being rehabilitated to hopefully one day return to the wild. The trip started with a boat ride on beautiful Lake Victoria to the island. We were greeted by Amos at the dock and he explained the purpose and history of the island. We were greeted with tea in the gift shop where we were able to buy some items to help support the island and the local community. Amos gave us a little more information about the chimps and then we went to view their morning feeding. We watched the chimps come out of the forest to get their morning snacks. The island partners with University of Michigan to study behavior so some of the keepers were taking notes during the feeding. Amos answered all of our questions and then at the end of the feeding we returned to the boat for the ride back. During the ride back we crossed the equator and the captain let us know exactly where that was. Friends of mine had adopted one of the chimps for my 50th birthday and Amos was able to show me Sara and tell me more about her. It was a great way to finish up our experience in Uganda.
Written 30 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie F
4 contributions
Feb 2023 • Business
I fully recommend a visit to Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary and if possible an overnight visit. The island is a forest sanctuary not only for the chimpanzees but also for birdlife. Sunset on the beach as the birds return from the lake to roost, bats emerging for the night and the sound of the chimps settling down for the night is magical, as is spending the night in a cabin on the beach.
The staff are very knowledgeable and work hard rehabilitating the chimpanzees rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Watching the chimpanzees being fed and hearing their stories was a highlight of my trip.
In addition to caring for the chimpanzees on Ngamba island the trust also supports communities on the nearby islands and in western Uganda to address human-wildlife conflict challenges.
A fantastic organization to support with dedicated staff.
The staff are very knowledgeable and work hard rehabilitating the chimpanzees rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Watching the chimpanzees being fed and hearing their stories was a highlight of my trip.
In addition to caring for the chimpanzees on Ngamba island the trust also supports communities on the nearby islands and in western Uganda to address human-wildlife conflict challenges.
A fantastic organization to support with dedicated staff.
Written 21 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffercakes
Peterborough16 contributions
Feb 2020
Really good half day trip with Ngamba Island.
Our guide was hugely knowledgeable and friendly. He answered our many questions excellently, and knew so much about the individual chimps.
Watching the chimps interact with each other and feeding was excellent. We also had the option of throwing the chimps food ourselves.
Our guide was hugely knowledgeable and friendly. He answered our many questions excellently, and knew so much about the individual chimps.
Watching the chimps interact with each other and feeding was excellent. We also had the option of throwing the chimps food ourselves.
Written 24 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Guest,
Greetings from Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary,
Thank you so much for sharing the positive feedback and memorable experience while you visited the island. Hopefully next time you will visit full day or spend a night and have more time at the island.
Once you visit the sanctuary you become one of our ambassadors,we kindly request you to recommend more friends and family to visit the Sanctuary and learn more the chimpanzees.
#Stay safe and Cheers
Written 12 May 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PawelJK
Pennington, NJ130 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
On Ngamba Island chimps are in an enclosure. You see them from behind a tall fence only during feeding. So it is a long boat ride, then less than an hour watching them fed (fruits thrown over the fence) and another boat ride back. Considering how expensive is the experience (we paid $200 per person) it was not worth it. Especially after seeing chimps in the wild in Kibale NP.
Written 18 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Johanna P
10 contributions
Sept 2023 • Family
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is a must go to place in Uganda, the whole experience there is impressive and amazing. Already the boat drive to the island is great, with a beautiful view on the lake and other islands. The atmosphere at the island is very welcoming and relaxing. You can see lots of birds, monitor lizards, crocodiles and of course the amazing chimps. The whole staff is very friendly, competent and cares about you. All of them are happy to chat with you and ask you if you need something. We did a one night stay there, we can just recommend to stay there at least for one night. Because then you can spend more time with the chimps, attend more different feedings and you can see and learn more about them. Because of our overnight stay we were allowed to feed them through throwing food into their area, this was an amazing experience. We were also able to attend the feedings in the evening and morning, therefore observe how they go to bed and wake up in the morning. In the afternoon we did a little boat cruise to see the chimps in the forest, they came to the beach to eat the fruits our guide brought for them. It was very amazing to see them in such a different surrounding. They fished out food of the water. We enjoyed this experience of our overnight stay. The food is delicious. For sunset they prepared us popcorn and a vine bottle we could choose. During our stay we had a guide, Amos, who was responsible for us. He showed us the whole area such as the chimp area or food storage. He was very competent, knew so much interesting stories about every chimp, you could see he loved all of them and cares about them. In the evening they made a campfire. Even some memebers of the stuff joined us and for exampke Amos told us impressive stories about his work and the chimps. We highly recommend to go to Ngamba Island and even do a overnight stay there. The whole experience was relaxing, we only heard nature sounds. It was heartwarming to see and experience the chimps and learn about all of their stories and how they managed to overcome their tragic stories and become happy chimps.
Written 23 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Totosfamily
Dunedin, New Zealand196 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
I get why the reviews are mixed but we did the full day option and paid full whack. After all, the excursions are a fundraiser for a fantastic conservation project. We were fortunate that we shared the boat over with Joshua (humble, informative and turns out CEO) and peppered the poor bloke with questions. Hilary was our earnest and informative guide. We learned a lot from him. The real highlight was feeding the Chimps on the beach which is only part of the full day experience. Without that, the day would have been less impressive I suspect. Lunch was awesome. Boat ride back fortunately calm. All up recommend the full day version. Price difference was basically $15 each for lunch.
Last tip - save yourself $100 taking the slightly longer canoe and then sponsor a Chimp. Love ya Tam Tam.
Last tip - save yourself $100 taking the slightly longer canoe and then sponsor a Chimp. Love ya Tam Tam.
Written 6 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RR
New York City, NY126 contributions
June 2024 • Solo
I truly cannot recommend Ngamba Island enough. I volunteered there for a week and had the most wonderful special experience with the entire staff and all of the chimpanzees. Truly the most lovely staff in all of Uganda who went out of their way to make me feel at home and make my volunteer experience special. It’s very clear that the entire staff have a deep appreciation of wildlife and Ngamba. The facilities are what you would expect for a wildlife volunteer experience. They met all the basics and the sleeping quarters were comfortable and nice.
We took a day trip to Myende to see how the locals live. We visited their hospital and school which was very jarring. I highly recommend bringing local currency to donate to the school and hospital, or bring any type of school materials for the teachers.
I hope to come back soon to see my brothers and my sweet Sophie 🐵
Ladybug missed you all! 💛
We took a day trip to Myende to see how the locals live. We visited their hospital and school which was very jarring. I highly recommend bringing local currency to donate to the school and hospital, or bring any type of school materials for the teachers.
I hope to come back soon to see my brothers and my sweet Sophie 🐵
Ladybug missed you all! 💛
Written 3 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Get contact them. You will love everything. We enjoyed it very much!!!
Written 11 July 2019
Hallo Silberrücken 07 ich hätte Interesse an eine oder mehrere Übernachtungen auf Ngamba Island.
Ich finde aber nirgendwo eine Adresse wo ich direkt in der Chimpanzee Sanctuary buchen kann. Wo hast du das gebucht?
Lg Turtle Spider
Written 4 December 2018
Es tut mir Leid. Es ist ganz warscheinlich zu spät zu antworten. Wir waren mit einem localen Tour und sie hatten alles gebucht für uns.
Verzeihung für die Verspätung in der Antwort : ich hatte nicht gesehen dass ich eine Frage hatte
Written 6 February 2019
Wo kann ich die Übernachtung buchen ?
Was für Impfungen benötige ich ?
Wann sind die Abfahrtszeiten der Boote ?
Written 28 January 2018
Wer kann mir sagen wo ich Ngamba Iland buchen kann?
Wann sind die Abfahrtszeiten der Boote?
Written 28 January 2018
Wo kann ich Ngamba Iland mit Übernachtung buchen ?
Wann sind die Abfahrtszeiten mit dem Boot ?
Written 26 January 2018
Go to the Ngamba web page and request information and timings - boat leaves at 8am
Written 9 April 2018
I would like to know how much it costs to stay overnight at Ngamba Island. I am a solo traveler. I have emailed the Sanctuary but received no reply. I am not in Uganda so I am unable to phone.
Written 17 September 2017
Dear Teddy,
Hope this finds you well,
Sorry for not receiving any response on time but we haven't received any mail on our side.May you please forward the mail to the mail account on our website,its not allowed on this platform to send an email Thank you
Written 19 September 2017
What was the cost for the family staying over night? I wanted to do this with my 2 friends...did you get to interact with the chimps at all? or only viewing them from the bridge?
Written 17 May 2016
I spent two nights there several years ago. My husband and I were able to go on a walk-about with all of the juveniles - it was the most amazing experience I have ever had with wildlife.
Written 31 May 2018
You can take a taxi from Kampala from the the old Taxi Park and then the ferry over to the island. However, many people book through a travel firm and they are picked up from the hotel and taken to the island and back. If an independent traveler - use a taxi to Entebbe, a special hire or boda boda to the island. It would be best to contact the sanctuary first before travelling.
Written 18 August 2017
Hi
what are the rates from bulago island pineapple bay to the chimpanzee sanctuary and does it include the tour cost?
Written 18 April 2016
Chimpanzee Trus... N
Entebbe, Uganda
Hope this mail finds you well,
Hope this mail finds you well,
Thank you so much for the contacting Ngamba Island,
The costs depend on the number of people on board.Please contact 0758221880 for more details.
Written 26 April 2016
Chimpanzee Trus... N
Entebbe, Uganda
Yes,send your application to our Human Resource Manager,Chimpanzee trust.We are sorry the interns have already been short listed for the next training. Thank you.
Written 26 April 2016
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