To track chimpanzees in Kibale

Kibale National Park, a gorgeous stretch of lush tropical rainforest, has the largest population of primates in Africa. Its thirteen species include black-and-white colobus monkeys and mischievous grey-cheeked mangabeys, but everyone comes to see the chimps. On a day-long Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, you'll swing through the jungle with a troop of yelling and hollering chimpanzees, gathering in the trees to play, nap, or feast on figs. For a long time, Kibale has been the focus of chimp trekking. The trails are deemed ideal for tourists in any physical condition, and the area has the highest density of chimps in the world. Finding a chimp family may take either a few minutes or up to 6 hours of trekking.

You may even pick how long the walk should be based on how many people want to see the chimps that day. The monkeys descend as the noon sun sears through the higher canopy, sliding down vines and walking right past you. If such a close contact doesn't give you shivers, the sound of the males signaling each other will: they drum with such vigor on the buttress roots of enormous fig trees that the earth around you shakes. The Primate Lodge Kibale is located in the heart of the park, just a few minutes from the beginning of the tracking trailhead. The swanky restored cottages face out onto a forest wall, and there's a tree house for the brave.