During this 12-Day Gorilla Trekking And Wildlife Tour In Uganda you will explore Uganda’s most popular National parks and be assured of the great wildlife encounters. These will include Gorilas of Bwindi, Chimpanzees of Kibale, Impala and zebra herds of Lake Mburo, tree climbing Lions of Queen Elizabeth and Giraffes and Elephants of Murchison falls National park.
ARRIVAL
DAY 1:PICK UP FROM ENTEBBE AND TRANSFER TO LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
You will be picked up in the morning from your hotel in Entebbe or airport for your 12-Day Gorilla Trekking And Wildlife Tour In Uganda and depart for Lake Mburo National Park. The drive takes 4-5 hours with stopovers at the Equator for an opportunity to stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres at the same time.
You will continue through the Savannah grasslands dotted with human homesteads, banana plantations and several herds of local long horned Ankole cattle endemic to this part of the country. You will have lunch at the lodge reserved for you after which you will go for a Boat ride on Lake Mburo, rich with a variety of water animals such as hippos and crocodiles and bird species. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Rwakobo Rock
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 2: GAME DRIVES IN THE ZEBRA AND IMPALA PARADISE
After breakfast, you will have an early morning game drive with packed Lunch or you might come back to your accommodation for lunch.
In the Game drive you will find wildlife like zebra, hippos, crocodiles, eland, antelope, impala and a variety of birds. Later in the evening take a guided Nature walk. This walk takes you to the salt lick area which offers a chance to see at least four different species of animals at any one point while they lick the salty soil. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Rwakobo Rock
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 3: TRANSFER FROM LAKE MBURO TO LAKE BUNYONYI
After an early breakfast, you will set off for the south western part of the country. Heading to Lake Bunyonyi. This lake is said to be one of the most beautiful places in western Uganda. It is the second deepest lake in Africa [900 meters deep] and also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim.
The landscape around the lake is made up of terraced hills protruding from the water’s edge. Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of bird life around the lake. Check in your room before taking a Canoe ride. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Bunyonyi View Resort
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 4: EXPLORE THE TREASURES OF LAKE BUNYONYI AND LATER TRANSFER TO BWINDI
After an early breakfast, you will set out for a Boat ride at Lake Bunyonyi. After the Boat ride you will be trasferred to Bwindi National Park for Lunch.
Post Lunch you will do a Batwa cultural experience, You will go through their villages to have an experience of how they go about their daily routine activities and be amazed by the way they skilfully cultivate the hill sides and how they care for their animals (cows) that are a prime source of pride. Later check in at the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Gorilla Mist Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 5: GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI AND TRANSFER TO ISHASHA OF QUEEN ELIZABETH
After breakfast, you will head to the park headquarters for briefing by park ranger guides, depart with picnic lunch boxes to start Gorilla trekking– the activity can last up to 4 hours trek or more to find the Mountain Gorillas as you hike up and down the slopes with dense mist covered vegetation. Hence you will have packed lunch for this activity. This active quest will eventually bring you to the face of one of the most sought after creatures-the mountain Gorillas.
Upon reaching them, you will have a full hour with them while observing and learning their behavior as you take photos. You will later transfer the Ishasha sector in the Southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park, arriving in the evening. You may do an evening game drive in the Ishasha sector. Later check in at the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Topi Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 6: MORNING GAME DRIVE AND AFTERNOON BOAT CRUISE
After your breakfast you will be taken to Ishasha Sector, famous for the tree climbing lions lounging in the tree branches while keeping a close eye on herds of Uganda kob, their favorite prey. You could have a chance to spot some tree climbing lions after proceed to your lodge.
In the afternoon you will take a Boat Cruise along the amazing Kazinga channel to see, at close range, the water animals to include Hippos, Buffalos, Crocodiles and elephants bathing on the channel banks. There is also a variety of bird species on the water banks especially the famous Shoebill, pelican and Jacana. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Pumba Safari Cottages
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 7: MORNING KYAMBURA GORGE TOUR AND EVENING CRATER DRIVE
After breakfast you will take packed lunch and head for another rewarding nature walk in the Kyambura gorge of Queen Elizabeth National. You will be rewarded with an impressive hike and you will experience the tranquility of a true tropical jungle and the soothing River beneath – it’s a rejuvenating walk!
On a lucky day, you will see the chimps play on trees as they get down and up which offers you heaven short lived on earth. They will make a lot of hooting which makes it very easy to locate. Later in the evening, have an opportunity to have a scenic archeological view of the crater lakes zone. The huge round basins scattered across the equator are evidence of the Albertine Rift’s bubbling volcanic activity in times. You will have a chance to go to the salt lakes as well. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Pumba Safari Cottages
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 8: MORNING GAME DRIVE AND TRANSFER TO KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast you will take packed lunch and head for a another rewarding game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to increase your wildlife animal view counts and see Africa’s highly famed “Big 5”, Bush Bucks, Giant Hogs, Antelopes, Waterbucks and plenty of birds.
Later in the afternoon you will be transferred to Kibale Forest National Park famous for Chimpanzee trekking and also referred to as the “Primate capital of the world” as it’s a habitat to not only Chimps but also other primates as you will encounter them during the treks. Later check in at the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Isunga Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 9: CHIMPANZEE TREKKING AND EVENING WALK IN BIGODI SWAMP
After breakfast head to Kibale Forest. The activity begins at 8.00 am with a briefing of the rule for trekking the chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. Kibale Forest National Park, it boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to spot them!
An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking in the morning. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will spend an hour with them and then head back to the accommodation for Lunch.
Post Lunch you will be taken for Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk. This is a guided swamp walk that takes you closer seeing primates mostly monkeys, birds and butterflies. The wetland is a birder’s paradise with about 138 species and is best known for being home to the Great Blue Turaco. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Isunga Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 10: TRANSFER TO MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast you will be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park which is a 7-8 hour drive. Head straight to tour the Top and bottom of majestic falls, where the Nile crashes through a 7 metres gorge and then falls 45 metres. Numerous scenic viewpoints are a photographers’ delight, The most impressive view is of the foaming waters rushing into the gorge with a deafening roar, You will have dinner and overnight at the lodge inside the park. You will check in at the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Pakuba Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 11: MORNING BIG GAME SEARCH AND AFTERNOON BOAT CRUISE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FALLS
You will set off at 6:30 am, cross to the northern bank of River Nile and head for a sunrise game drive to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, warthog and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile.
You will return to your lodge for lunch and some relaxation before setting off in the afternoon for a Boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls. En route you will see hippos, crocodiles, water buck and a wide variety of birds. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” for pictures to be taken of the photogenic and majestic Murchison Falls. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.
- Accommodation:
- Pakuba Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
DAY 12: TRANSFER TO ENTEBBE VIA ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY
After breakfast you will check out and set off for the drive back to Kampala. Along the way you will make a stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where Rhinos are being reintroduced to the wild in Uganda so that you have a complete feel of the African Big five mammals as it is the Rhinos, out of the big five that are missing in Murchison Falls National park. Here you will go for a trek around the sanctuary on foot. You will have lunch at the sanctuary and some relaxation for an indefinitely short time and embark on an exciting road trip to Entebbe to be dropped at your point of call e.g. home, resort, airport, hotel etc.
- Meals & Drinks:
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THE COSTS INCLUDE:
- Transport in a 4×4 Safari Vehicle
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Guide fees
- Park fees
- Gorilla tracking permit
- Chimpanzee permit
- Government taxes
- Drinking Water on board.
THE COSTS DO NOT INCLUDE:
- Tourist insurance
- International flights
- Money for tips and anything of personal nature
- Beverages