UGANDA GORILLA TREKKING SAFARIS

7 DAYS UGANDA AT A GLANCE SAFARI – 2022

$2,690.00

Description

7 DAYS UGANDA AT A GLANCE SAFARI – 2022

HIGHLIGHTS

Destinations: Entebbe airport,Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth,Ishasha, Bwindi, Lake Mburo national park

Activities:    Chimpanzee tracking, Game drives, boat ride, Gorilla trekking, nature walk.

 

ITINERARY

 

Day 1Arrival in Uganda. Drive to Kibale Forest national par

Arrive  at Entebbe airport in the morning. After clearing with emigration formalities, you shall exit the airport to be received by your guide. After an early lunch you will depart to Kibale Forest national park. This drive will last 6 hours. It will lead you through the green countryside with some rough road surfaces. Along the way you will enjoy spectacular views of tea plantations. You may stop at any of them for photo moments and also to interact with the tea pickers. Later you will check in at your accommodation near Kibale Forest national park.

Accommodation options:

Budget:          Kibale Forest Camp: https://naturelodgesuganda.com/kibale-forest-camp/

Midrange:       Turaco Treetops Lodge: https://www.turacotreetops.com/

High end:       Papaya Lake Lodge: https://papayalakelodge.com/

Meal plan:     Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 2:Chimpanzee trekking. Drive to Queen Elizabeth national park

After breakfast you will embark on the search for chimpanzees inside Kibale Forest national park. You will be led by experienced ranger guides who will provide detailed information, not only about primates, but on all the forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable. The tracking lasts approximately 3 hours. You will spend an hour photographing the chimps before concluding and returning to the lodge.

After lunch you will Proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Ruwenzori Mountain ranges for much of the journey.  Upon arrival into the park, you may choose to do an evening game drive which might be rewarded with spotting of antelopes, elephants, buffaloes and sometimes lions.

Accommodation options:

Budget:          Simba Safari Camp

Midrange:       Kasenyi Safari Camp

High end:       Elephant Plains Lodge

Meal plan:      Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 3: Experiential predator tracking and afternoon boat ride    

Early in the morning in the company of conservationists; you will set off for an experiential predator tracking game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park. This activity gives you an opportunity to follow Lions with the help of tracking devices. You will be able to have up-close photography opportunities and vast information about the cats from the researchers. Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Along this game drive, you will also be able to see leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kobo, Topi and bush buck.

In the afternoon you will enjoy the unique 2 hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and many animals may be seen drinking at the water’s edge. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing.

 

Accommodation options:

Budget:          Simba Safari Camp

Midrange:       Kasenyi Safari Camp

High end:       Elephant Plains Lodge

Meal plan:      Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 4: Drive to Bwindi via Ishasha Sector Queen Elizabeth

After breakfast you will drive to Ishasha Area of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will have game drive in search of the famous tree-climbing lions and the large herds of game. You will be led by a ranger guide to assist you track the location of the big cats.

Afterwards you will drive through the “Switzerland of Africa” area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi. You will proceed to your accommodation located in the foreground of Bwindi impenetrable national park – The home of Mountain Gorillas in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants. More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects more than 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.

Bwindi impenetrable national park was declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in 1994.

Accommodation options:

Budget:          Buhoma Rest Camp

Midrange:       Haven Lodge Buhoma

High end:       Mahogany Springs Lodge

Meal plan:      Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park.

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters from where you shall be briefed and grouped for the Gorilla trekking exercise. You will be led by experienced ranger guides and guards off into the tangled and mist-shrouded forests with trackers that assist in locating the gorillas by finding the nest the family had used the previous night. The search for these majestic animals goes through thick untamed rainforest and it can be arduous at times, but the encounter is worth the effort. Tracking gorillas on average takes 3 – 8 hours depending on how far the animals have moved. Watching gorillas in their natural habitat is a memory that will last a lifetime. The experienced ranger guides will willingly share with you a lot of information about history and lifestyle of the Gorillas. You will spend an hour following, observing and photographing the Gorillas as they feed, play and groom each other. After the experience you will exit Bwindi Forest and rest at your accommodation.

 

Accommodation options:

Budget:          Buhoma Rest Camp

Midrange:       Haven Lodge Buhoma

High end:       Mahogany Springs Lodge

Meal plan:      Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 6:Drive to Lake Mburo National Park, evening game drive

After an early breakfast, you will and drive to Lake Mburo National Park. You will have a stop in Mbarara town where you shall have a COVID-19 test and lunch. Enjoy an evening game drive on your way into the park. Drive along the Lake and stand chance to see herds of zebra, Cape buffalo and eland. Birdwatchers will enjoy some of the 250 species of birds found in Lake Mburo including Papyrus Gonolek, Brown faced Lapwing, Carruther’s Cisticola and White winged Warbler.

Accommodation options:

Budget:          Eagle’s nest Lodge

Midrange:       Rwakobo Rock Lodge

High end:       Kigambira Safari Lodge

Meal plan:      Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 7: Morning nature walk, return to Entebbe and departure

Early in the morning you will proceed for a morning nature walk under the escort of an armed ranger. Enjoy the sights of animals including close encounters with herds of Zebra and antelopes. You will return to the lodge for breakfast and later depart for Entebbe where you will take your flight to your next destination. There will also be time to stop at the equator for photographs.

Meal plan:                  Breakfast, Lunch, –

 

PRICES

Group size Price per person
  Budget Midrange High end
1 pax: $4,735 $5,250 $6,845
2 pax: $3,380 $3,780 $4,845
3 pax $2,990 $3,335 $4,450
4 pax $2,875 $3,240 $4,250
5 pax $2,765 $3,120 $4,130
6 pax $2,690 $2,980 $3,980
Single room surcharge $300 $350 $800

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes

  • The prices are based on per person sharing a twin/ double room. A single room surcharge shall apply for every client staying in a single room.

 

Price Includes:

 

  • Accommodation in the mentioned lodges
  • An experienced English-speaking Safari Guide
  • All activities mentioned as part of the itinerary
  • Transportation in 4*4 Safari vehicles to and from the areas indicated. Each safari Landcruiser shall accommodate a maximum of 7 clients.
  • 1 Gorilla trekking permit per person in Bwindi impenetrable national park and 1 chimp tracking in Kibale Forest per person.
  • Fuel and meals as indicated on respective days.
  • All Entrance Fees and relevant government Tax.
  • Mineral Water on the entire Safari.
  • Amref emergency evacuation cover.
  • Administration fees.

Excludes:

  • Drinks, Tips, Souvenirs, any personal purchases
  • All activities indicated as optional in the itinerary.
  • Visa fees and International flight costs
  • All kinds of travel insurance

Kindly note that to book Gorilla permits is subject to availability and payment. For cases of lack of availability in a requested Gorilla group, we shall suggest an alternative and communicate any changes in the program.