Track gorillas & chimps in the spectacular rainforests of Uganda on a 7 day tour

• Enjoy game drives, boat journeys and walking safaris plus Africa’s best birding

• Meet colourful local communities, traditional villages and a visit a local school

• Using comfortable wildlife lodges, the tour includes a local charity donation

Uganda is a green oasis in the heart of Africa, where the plains of the eastern savannah meet the

Congolese rainforest against a backdrop of spectacular scenery. This tour is designed to explore

this hugely diverse habitat and the dazzling array of wildlife found here in small groups of only 8

people.

From the world famous silverback gorillas and chimpanzees, to traditional game viewing

including tree climbing lions, leopards and elephants, walking and boat safaris along with some

of the best birding in Africa, Uganda has it all.

From open savannah, snow-capped mountains, semi desert and of course mountain rainforest,

Uganda can offer some incredible wildlife experiences but also the chance to meet the colourful

Ugandan communities in a number of traditional villages. Our most popular Ugandan wildlife

tour and with good reason!

Day-by-day itinerary

Day

1

Briefing on the start of your safari in Entebbe, before heading towards for Fort Portal via

the town of Mubende set in rolling hills. Picnic lunch en route and continue to Kibale. This

is around a 6 hour drive, including stops for lunch, but the views are fantastic and will

provide some wonderful photo stops. Arrive late afternoon to relax at lodge or the lodge or

explore nearby crater lake. O/N: Primate Lodge (FB).

Day

2

This morning will be an early start as you head into Kibale forest with the Research Team

and hopefully enjoy your first encounter with the chimpanzees. Depending on where the

chimpanzees nested the night before, it may take anything from ten minutes to over an hour

to reach the nesting site. You can expect to watch silhouettes of chimpanzees waking in the

trees as dawn breaks, often a noisy affair, with a dawn chorus of contact calls and pant

hoots! After a packed lunch you can then enjoy an afternoon walking through the Bigodi

Wetland Sanctuary and surrounding forests – an area well known for its excellent birdlife

and up to 6 other different species of primates. The sanctuary itself is run by the Kibale

Association for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED) and all money raised

from tourism here is used to help fun local community projects, including a small local

library and a new secondary school. You then return to the camp in the evening.

Alternatively, you will be able to either relax by the lodge or enjoy another chimpanzee

walk on payment of a supplement. O/N: Primate Lodge (FB).

Day

3:

This morning you can either enjoy a days walk in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains,

or depart south and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to Uganda’s highest

number of mammal species including large elephant herds, the Uganda Kob, (an endemic

antelope), buffaloes and the famous tree climbing lions. Here, you can enjoy a game drive

in this largely open and scenic park, before driving to your safari Lodge, Kyambura Gorge

Lodge. This is an exciting brand new Lodge with 8 grass roofed bandas with ensuite

shower rooms and spectacular views across the gorge. O/N: Kyambura Lodge (FB).

Day

4:

Today you will go chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge, which lies on the eastern side of

QENP. The steeply forested walls of Kyambura are home not only to chimpanzees but also

to the red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus, giant forest hog and many bird species.

A half day walk down to the Gorge is a rewarding experience, not only for seeing

chimpanzees but also to explore the beautiful river valley. A walk along the top of the

Gorge gives a wonderful aerial view of the valley itself, with the Rwenzori Mountains as a

backdrop. After lunch in the afternoon, you can enjoy a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel,

allowing you to get close to many of the larger animals as they come down to cool off in

the afternoon, as well as hundreds of wetland birds. O/N: Kyambura Lodge (FB).

Day

5:

This morning you will enjoy a traditional game drive, passing through the Ishasha area

looking out for the famous tree climbing lions, before heading on to Bwindi Impenetrable

National Park, a drive of around 4 – 6 hour, depending on conditions, across the equator

and through scenic savannah, dotted with giant Euphorbia trees. Bwindi itself is one of

Africa’s last true remaining rainforests and arriving at the comfortable Bwindi Eco-Lodge

you will be rewarded with great views of the forest and be thrilled to be in the midst of the

domain of the gorilla. As well as being home to slightly more than half of the world’s

mountain gorilla population, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is regarded by many

as one of the most biologically diverse forests in Africa. A true rainforest, spread over a

series of steep ridges and valleys that form the eastern edge of the Albertine Rift Valley,

Bwindi is an exceptionally rich and varied ecosystem with 350 species of birds, 324 species

of trees and 120 species of mammals including 10 species of primates. O/N: Bwindi Eco

Lodge (FB).

Day

6:

Today you will track one of the three habituated Gorilla groups, Mubare, Habinyanja, and

Rushegura. Naturally the gorillas move around these steep hills, so to track them you will

have to do the same - be prepared for a challenging and arduous day’s trek in the dense

jungle, along muddy paths and with rain possible at any time. However the effort is well

worth it - the excitement of being on the trail of the gorillas is electric and coming face to

face with the great primates is truly an amazing experience. Though age is no barrier, good

health and fitness is a necessary requirement to enjoy this privileged wildlife experience.

O/N: Bwindi Eco Lodge (FB).

Day

7:

This morning after an early breakfast, you say goodbye to the staff at the lodge and retrace

your steps back to Entebbe, stopping en-route for lunch. Whilst this is a very long drive

(typically 8-9 hours) you will stop for breaks, lunch and the many scenic spots en-route,

before heading back to Entebbe to either catch your flight home, or a nights

accommodation (both of which we are happy to arrange). (HB).