The 9-day Uganda gorillas & wildlife safari explores the wilderness of Bwindi Impenetrable & Queen Elizabeth National Parks
9 DAYS
USD $$$$
Type
Tailor-made
Activity
Physical
Overview
Fly across the intriguing rugged landscape to the Bwindi Impenetrable National and spend three nights in an idyllic forest cottage with out-of-this-world views.
Track the mysterious mountain gorillas, spend an hour close to them, and watch their antics and complex social behaviors. This African jungle adventure occurs in an ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site, Uganda's last stronghold of almost half of the endangered mountain gorillas.
Hike across the rainforest jungle using one of the oldest walking trails on the continent. The guided walking safari adventure will put you right in the center of pure wilderness for an authentic forest bath. An incredible array of wild animals and plants have lived there for thousands of years. If you're fortunate, you'll meet some prominent ones, like chimps, forest elephants, monkeys, birds, and butterflies.
Take a game drive on the northern tracks of Queen Elizabeth National Park and watch some of the savannah game favorites like lion, elephant, buffalo, hyena, antelopes, and leopard. Get closer to the game animals like Hippos, Crocs, and Elephants, on a boat safari cruising the Kazinga Channel.
Price includes/excludes
- Local English-speaking guides/driver
- Tourist Visa (apply online at visas.immigration.go.ug)
- Accommodation & Meals as indicated in itinerary
- Trekking permits & park fees (worth USD 745 pp)
- Land transport in 4x4 safari truck with fuel
- Return Flight (Entebbe-Kisoro) availability holds - 542 USD pp
- Activities & excursions as shown in itinerary
- Extra meals, snacks, gratuities, souvenirs, service tips
- AMREF evacuation cover, and government taxes
- Travel Insurance
Detailed Itinerary
Spend 9 unforgettable holidays in Uganda on a gorillas & wildlife safari. The package is planned to give you the best of Africa's wilderness experience on a private trip to a small country unknown to most world travelers. Spend 4 nights equally in two cottages at different ends of the ancient rainforest, boasting enchanting views across the Virunga mountain. And three nights in a savannah bush camp close to uninterrupted game viewing.
The journey begins in Entebbe and flies you across southwestern Uganda's enchanting rugged landscape to a small town outside the park. From Kisoro town, you get down a village track walking through rural villages, terraced gardens on the mountain slopes, to the quant volcano lake for a canoeing experience with local fishermen in dug-out canoes.
You'll track gorillas in the south of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, cross the impenetrable jungle to the north sector, meet the mountain gorillas again, dance with the Batwa forest people, meet with the local skills women, and drive north for a 3-day wildlife viewing adventure.
Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a kind of safari experience similar to private conservancies in Kenya or South Africa, but it's larger and has animals for show. You could have the whole game track to yourself at one time. So you will spend here 3 days searching for game and finding the time to lay back and breathe the African air.
Take a look at the detailed itinerary for a broad look at the Uganda gorillas and wildlife safari package. Ask for a quote.
Our driver will pick you up from Entebbe International Airport (15 minutes) and check you in at your hotel within Entebbe. You'll meet with your trip specialist for a briefing just before dinner.
Otherwise, there are optional activities around Entebbe for those who arrive early and want to stay active. For example, bird-watchers can visit the world-renowned botanical gardens or Mabamba swamps to meet the prehistoric shoebill. You can take a quiet walk to the local markets or shop at the modern malls.
You'll stay at: Boutique Hotel Number 5 (Luxury) or Papyrus Guesthouse (Comfortable)
You'll catch an early morning domestic flight from Entebbe to Kisoro to kick off your short gorilla safari in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The one-hour flight goes over Lake Victoria, beautiful central plains, into the rolling hills of the southwest region with cultivated terraces, tropical rainforest, bamboo forest, and the majestic chain of the Virunga Volcanoes. Our driver will pick you up from Kisoro Airstrip and transfer you to the lodge.
In the afternoon, you can walk the Batwa Forest Trail in Buniga Forest, a pocketed forest close to the lodge. The Batwa people showcase their ancient cultural tales, hunting and survival skills on the trail.
Alternatively, from Kisoro Airport, join our walking safari guide in Kisoro Town for a community walk, canoeing excursion on Lake Mutanda, and nature hike through communities & cultivated garden trails.
It is an immersive off-the-beaten-track walking adventure connecting you with the local people and environments. It takes you to some of the most incredible scenes of rugged southwestern Uganda. The walking safari takes about 4-5 hours to Lake Mutanda, where the driver will pick you up for lunch before continuing to your night's stay at Nkuringo.
Staying at: Nkuringo BWindi Gorilla Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
It will be an early start of your adventure day; you must be up by 7:00, have breakfast, get your packed lunch-pack, and check your gear. Your private driver will have you at the briefing point before 7:30 am. gorilla trekking starts at about 8:00 am; respectful of the weather and group size.
You may take almost part of the day in the jungle, definitely more time tracking the mountain gorillas than watching them. You have about one hour to watch the dark-fared giant beasts about 10 meters away. But sometimes they come closer, and you must follow the rules of the jungle.
The time you spend with the great apes will greatly compensate for all the jungle hiking that challenges your health and fitness. I recommend you work out for a few days before you come.
You'll be out of there relatively by 2:00 pm; you'll have your lunch somewhere in the jungle and get back to your cottage for the evening. Don't the after-dinner talk in the lounge.
Staying at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.
You'll get on the trail at about 8:30 am after a short briefing with your walking safari guide at the lodge. You must hit the trails in the misty early morning hours so that the intense afternoon sunrays find you under the jungle canopy. You'll travel with a local guide and two gun-bearing rangers for security. Go light; just your backpack with lunch, a camera, and walking. It takes about 4-5 hours to walk the trail.
Two trails meet somewhere in the jungle and meander down to Buhoma town; you'll have to select one. The longer one takes about six plus meanders along the Kashasha river and over several ridges. The shorter one starts at Kashasha River, down Nteko valley, and meanders along Ivy River. You must drive about 15 kilometers to Nteko village to start the Ivy River Trail. However, both trails deliver the same jolt of adventure for intrepid travelers.
The richness of this UNESCO Worl Heritage site and the benefits of walking in an untamed rainforest to your health is just enough to lure you to this Uganda gorillas & wildlife safari package. The local guide will be your connection to this impenetrable jungle, with occasional sightings of prominent inhabitants like chimpanzees, forest elephants, birds, monkeys, and butterflies.
On the other side, you'll check in a forest cottage in Mahogany Springs Lodge, in the spring valley overlooking the Bwindi, now a penetrable forest.
Staying at: Mahogany Springs Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.
This day, we allow you to pick something you can do that matches your physical ability and interest, considering you tracked gorillas the previous day.
Some travelers prefer trekking gorillas for the second time. Besides, it's a different trekking sector, a different experience. Yes, it's possible. But you must have booked your trekking permit before the beginning of the trip.
The second option is to visit with the Batwa forest people on their time-lapse cultural trail. Check out the medicine man, and dance to their ancient tunes. From the trail, you can walk through local markets or check out some rural development organizations.
Another optional activity is to visit the Ride 4 A Woman Charity Organization. The charitable organization was established to support Bwindi women struggling with poverty, HIV, and domestic violence. Take a walk around the campus and learn a few creative skills like local basket weaving, sewing, and pottery.
Staying at: Mahogany Springs Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.
This morning, you leave the mountains, and the rainforests, and the gorillas behind and drive down the rift valley to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will drive through the Ishasha sector, a Tree-climbing Lions' territory. You may see these lazy giant cats lounging in fig tree branches if you're fortunate.
As we traverse to your safari camp on the edge of the sector, you could encounter some savannah favorites like antelope species, elephants, buffalo, and maybe an occasional leopard.
Staying at: Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.
Get chance to reach close to Africa safari’s big game players on an early morning or evening game drive and a boat safari on Kazinga Channel, famous for hosting the largest population of hippos.
While on a game drive on Kasenyi tracks, you will encounter animals like enormous herds of elephants and buffalo. You’ll also spot many interesting antelope species such as Uganda kob, topi, and bushbuck. The giant forest hog is unusually easy to spot. Search around the Kasenyi tracks for the elusive leopard.
On the Kazinga Channel boat safari trip that will set off at 14:00, you’re able to catch sight of elephants, buffalo, waterbuck, Uganda kob, and large hippo pods daily. Keep an eye open for the enormous water monitor lizard, which is common in the riverine scrub, as well as crocodiles. You’ll also see the giant forest hog, leopard, and lion. The odds of seeing predators and other nocturnal creatures coming to drink are highest in the late afternoon.
You'll stay at: Elephant Plains Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (Packed), Dinner
This Africa safari doesn’t get any better with a third day in the African savanna plains: what a vacation.
After an early morning hot cuppa or caffeine fix, your safari guide will whisk you off in his 4x4 truck into the misty light to catch the golden sunrise over a live lion hunt and morning rise for most animals.
Along the Kasenyi tracks, you may sight lions, cape buffalos, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, spotted hyenas, Mangoose, kobs, and with much luck, the sneak leopard is often spotted.
After the morning game drive, have breakfast at the camp and stay in the rest of the day to take in the African air.
You'll stay at: Elephant Plains Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (Packed), Dinner
After breakfast proceed to Mweya Penisular for scheduled flight to Entebbe – relax at Papyrus Guesthouse and later transfer for evening flight. End of the Classic Primates & Wildlife Safari.
Accommodation (Optional): Papyrus Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed)
Local experts
Moreen
Cathy
Our safari specialists work with customers to prepare a journey that will deliver the best subjective experience. We understand that most guests will be travelling to unfamiliar places and dealing with mind-boggling logistics that require skilful guidance from local experts. These local safari specialists will help you plan this gorilla safari in your own way!
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