The fascinating Ngamba Island - Home to orphaned Chimpanzees

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Ngamba Island is a magnificent and an astonishing island on the third largest lake in the world, Lake Victoria. The island is among the koome islands of nsadzi, damba, bulago,kiimi and koome its self. Its located 23 kilometers south east of Entebbe and it consists 100 acres of land of which the 98 acres are forested and fenced with electricity and are separated away from the human camp. One acre of the island is now use as the island headquarters while the remaining acre located between the viewing platform and the forest is used as a feeding ground of the chimpanzees during day.

Ngamba Island provides a beautiful forest habitat for mainly chimpanzees but never the less other wildlife species like the monitor lizards, bats, spiders, fish eagles, otters are also situated in the forest.


How to reach there; there different types of boats catering for different groups with different budgets and they can be booked through the Ngamba island reservations office. The speed boat from Entebbe to the island is 45-50 minutes then if you opt for the traditional motorized canoes, it will take you about 0ne and half hours to reach the island. Regardless of the travel channel you have used, the pre-paid entrance tickets from ngamba reservations office must be shown on your arrival to the island.

An island as small as ngamba cannot hold a lot of chimpanzees because they require a lot of nutritious requirements and therefore the chimps at the island are fed properly to have balanced diet. The feeding from the visitor plat forms is at 11:00am and 2:30pm daily so you are required to arrive at the island at least 30 minutes before the feeding time to have a full glance at these fascinating creatures and receive an introduction briefing from the island staff. In other wards you need to manage your travel time very well.

Now the most amazing bit of it are their names, If you thought that only human being s are the only ones that possess names then your mistaken coz you will be surprised to find, Africa, Asega, bahati, baluku, baron, becky, bill, bwambale, cindy, coco, ikuru, indi, kalema, katie, kazahuhire, kikyo, kisembo, kyewumyo, maisko, mawa, megan, medina, mika, minnie, nagoti, nakuu , namukisa, Natasha, ndajira, nkuumwa, okech, pasa, peace, Rambo, Robbie, rutoto, sally, sara, sophie, tumbo, umugenzi, umutama, yoyo. All these are citizens on the island and you will get to interact with them.

However, to enjoy your stay on this island and interact with your fellow friends (chimpanzees), you must have the required vaccinations and health requirements since these animals are your closest colleague, which means they can also get infected with what you can be infected with. These chimpanzees undergo health check up every year and they are proved healthy and even negative from the H.I.V virus and you may be having an infection that you can pass on to them. This is not done in bad faith but just to ensure that these animals are also there for the future generation to also have the experience.

To avoid inconveniences at the island please try to attain theses health checkups from you health consultant or doctor two weeks prior to your visit or scan your health results and send them to the island headquarters or the travel consultant working on your visit to the island.


Please note that you will not get access to these animals if you fail to provide the required health requirements but why should this prohibit you, just get everything as required and have yourself a memorable experience at this astonishing and fascinating island.

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Photos

The fascinating Ngamba Island
Visitors viewing the chimps feeding