Uganda Safari Gorillas and Chimps – USG7
Explore premier game parks on your Gorillas and Chimps itinerary. Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are included on this stunning tour of Uganda. Witness spectacular displays of nature as you get close to some of half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Track chimpanzees through the forest, and cruise along a lake greeted by plentiful hippos, elephants and crocodiles. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts a litany of wildlife species such as 350 recorded bird species, 310 species of butterflies, 51 reptiles, 200 tree species, 88 moths and a remarkable 120 mammal species including 10 primate species. Among the ape residents are Chimpanzees, L’ Hoest’s, red tailed and blue monkeys, black & white colobus monkeys, baboons, and the highlight of the primate-world “The Great Mountain Gorillas”. 7 days Kampala to Kampala.
Itinerary
Day 1 Kibale Forest National Park
Take a scenic ride to Kibale Forest National Park, for approximately 8 hours. The panoramic route takes you via Mityana and Mubende to Fort Portal town. Enjoy a late lunch at your lodge or camp and explore the Kibale Forest as time permits.
Meals included: Lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Lodge, cottage or tented camp
Day 2 Chimpanzee Tracking Kibale Forest National Park
Following breakfast, we head off for a guided trek through Kibale Forest in search of chimpanzees. Sharing 98% same DNA, the chimps are considered man’s close cousins. Spotting these chimps is not guaranteed, although chances are over 95% within Kibale Forest. Watching these creatures in their natural habitat feeding and playing is a fascinating experience. Keep an eye out for other primate species, including black & white colobus, red tailed monkey or the grey cheeked mangabey. The forest is also home to an incredible array of birdlife, some of 400 species. In addition to the chimp trek, you will also visit Bigodi Swamp to find other primates.
After dinner, undergo a briefing by the ranger-guide. With strong torches and night vision gear, follow your allocated guide on a night forest walk. Look out for bush babies, galagos and eagle owls among other animal species.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Lodge, cottage or tented camp
Day 3 Queen Elizabeth National Park
After an early breakfast, follow the Rwenzori Mountain Range to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Access the park via Kabatooro gate and visit the Queen’s Pavilion for a panoramic view of the park. An en-route game-drive leads you to your lodging facility. Watch for lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, hyena and a variety of antelope species on the way. Break for lunch and have a rest before your late afternoon game drive in the park. The park’s diverse ecosystems, including savanna, humid forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands make it idea habitat for big game, ten primate species over 600 bird species. Drive time is approximately 5 hours.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Lodge or tented camp
Day 4 Queen Elizabeth National Park
Get your heart racing on an early morning game drive. Scout out lions, leopards, elephants, warthogs, bushbucks, cape buffaloes and waterbucks. After lunch, transfer to Kazinga Channel, a thread of water that joins lakes George and Edward. Kazinga Channel is habitat to Nile Crocodiles, and arguably the highest concentration of hippos on the planet. The boat cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. Watch for herds of buffalo and elephant. The prolific bird life is colourful and stupendous. Species include Egrets, Goliath Herons, and Saddle-billed Storks, African Fish Eagles, Egyptian Gees and Cormorants.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Lodge or tented camp
Day 5 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Watch the sunrise over the panoramic lakes George and Edward, and proceed on a game-drive as you head to the Ishasha section of the park. We shall employ a network of trails in the southern circuit to create viewing avenues of the rare tree climbing lions hanging in Fig and Acacia Trees. Following a picnic lunch, continue along meandering routes to the famous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Settle-in for the evening as you prepare for your gorilla adventure next day. Drive time is about 7 hours.
Meals included: Lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Lodge, cottage or tented camp
Day 6 Gorilla Tracking, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
A chilly and misty morning greets you as you prepare for your gorilla tracking adventure. Grab your packed lunch, water and rain gear before attending the briefing session by the head ranger. The rain forest offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense. Your trek’s time and terrain vary according to the movements of the marvelous mountain gorillas. Tracking these gentle giants is rated as one of Africa’s best wildlife watching opportunities. Bwindi Forest is an ancient forest with a diversity of flora and fauna for you to see, feel and experience. Other mammals may include the rare golden monkey, buffalo, elephant, black-fronted duiker, bushbuck, leopard, and giant forest hog. Avid birdwatchers relish the diversity of birdlife that Bwindi supports. On sighting of the gorillas, keep calm and watch them feed, play, and swing from one branch to another. After one hour with the gorillas, return to your lodge for the evening. If time and energy permit, it may be possible to visit a Batwa Community.
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodations: Lodge, cottage or tented camp
Day 7 Depart
Bask in your last moments in the domain of the gentle giants, and join your driver guide on a long picturesque drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. Break for lunch and a quick museum visit at Igongo Cultural Centre. In addition, we will take a brief stop at the Equator for a photo opportunity and shopping for curio items. Finally, you will be dropped off at a hotel in Kampala or Entebbe, or at the airport for your onward flight back home. This marks the end of your Uganda safari.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner
