East Africa’s busiest chimp-trekking destination, Kibale protects a 766-sq-km tract of tropical rainforest in the far west of Uganda. Home to around 1,000 chimps, this popular park has been dubbed the primate capital of East Africa, thanks to its rich diversity of monkeys. Indeed, I’ve quite often seen the 6 most common species – L’Hoest’s monkey, red-tailed monkey, Ugandan red colobus, black-and-white colobus, olive baboon and the endemic Uganda mangabey – in the course of one forest walk.

But the main attraction at Kibale is twice-daily chimp tracking excursions to a large community that was first habituated in the 1990s and often offers great opportunities to see the apes up close.

Pros: The success rate of chimp trekking at Kibale stands at well above 90%, the highest of any comparably accessible venue. You can also expect to see a wide variety of monkeys and colourful forest birds, particularly if you do a guided walk at the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary bordering the park.

Cons: On the other hand I think Kibale is to some extent a victim of its own popularity. Permits might be difficult to obtain at short notice, and the forest can feel uncomfortably crowded when – as often happens – several trekking parties converge on the same few chimps. To avoid the worst of the crowds I’d advise you go for an afternoon trek, as it’s generally quieter than the morning excursion.