Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is a forested island on Lake Victoria, about 23 km south-east of Entebbe. It is a sanctuary, not a zoo or a wild park: its main work is caring for orphaned chimpanzees rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Since 1998 it has been run by the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (the Chimpanzee Trust), a Ugandan conservation charity.

Why go

The island is home to about 50 orphaned chimpanzees, most of them taken from the illegal pet and bushmeat trade and handed to the Trust as babies. Most of them can never return to the wild, so the island forest is their safe, lifelong home. It is the closest chimpanzee experience to Entebbe, and a strong conservation story: your visit helps pay for the chimps’ food and care.

What you can do

• The boat ride across the open lake, a small adventure in itself.
• Feeding time, watched from a raised platform as the chimps come out of the forest, call to each other and catch fruit.
• A talk by a caregiver about each chimp’s story, and how the Trust works with schools and villages to protect wild chimps.
• Birding: more than 150 species have been recorded on and around the island.
• For overnight guests: a sunset cruise, catch-and-release fishing and a night in the island’s tented cottages.

The people side

Overnight guests can enjoy evening drumming and dance by local groups. The Trust’s education work with schools and villages around the lake is part of every visit’s story. Back on the mainland, Ngamba pairs well with a people day close to Entebbe, such as Ewaffe Cultural Village or a morning with the community canoe guides of Mabamba Bay.

Best time to visit

Ngamba is open all year. A morning boat usually means calmer water. In the wetter months, March to May and October to November, afternoon storms can build over the lake.

Getting there

Speedboats leave from Entebbe and take about 45 to 50 minutes; a slower motorised wooden boat takes about 90 minutes. From Kampala, add about 1 hour by road to Entebbe. Visits must be booked in advance.

Good to know

This is a sanctuary, not the wild: you watch feeding from a raised platform, with the chimps across a fence line, and visitors never touch the chimps. The lake crossing can be bumpy, and life jackets are provided. Young children, and anyone with a cold or flu, may be refused to protect the chimps’ health. The 2027 international rack rate for a speedboat day trip, including the boat, entrance, feeding, guide and a souvenir, runs from USD 137 per person in a group of five or more to USD 524 for one person travelling alone.