Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda

Those on the group flights arrive in the morning and we depart on the drive

to Kibale Forest. The length of the drive does depend, in large part, on

traffic in Kampala but should take approximately 7 hours. Upon arrival at

Kibale Forest we can relax at our lake-side eco-lodge. Kibale Forest National

Park is home to 13 primate species. There are 9 diurnal primates, including

Vervet, Red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, Red colobus, Black-and-white colobus and

Blue monkeys, as well as Grey-cheeked mangabey, Olive baboon and the most

famous of all, the chimpanzee. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed,

the odds of encountering them are very good.

Today we will explore the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary located in the Magombe

wetland. The sanctuary is a major eco-tourist attraction in the Kibale Forest

area and is operated by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental

Development (KAFRED), a local community based organisation. We will also go

on a forest walk in search of primates. Whilst trekking in the depths of the

lush green forest, you will be surrounded by bird song and can expect to see

at least 5 or 6 other types of primate, most probably the Grey-cheeked

mangabey and the Red-tailed monkey and of course the chimpanzee. The walking

is fairly easy due to the well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain.

The order in which we do these activities may vary.

There is the option of doing a second chimp trek this morning in order to

increase the probability of seeing them (due to limited permit availability

we recommend you pre-book the second chimp trek). In the afternoon, we drive

to Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP). The drive goes south along the

eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains, where, weather permitting, we can

see the glaciated peaks. We gently descend into The Great Rift Valley and

QENP. The park resides in a fertile, equatorial area and has beautiful

scenery. It is Uganda’s most popular and accessible savannah reserve, with

a total area of 1978 square kilometres. It is primarily associated with

grassy savannah plains, but this impressive park also includes within its

boundaries leafy rainforests, dense papyrus swamps and natural volcanic

crater lakes. As a result it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of

any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal

species and more than 610 species of birds.

This morning we will explore QENP on a game drive in search of wildlife

including elephants, lions, buffalo, leopard, hyena, jackal, topi, kob, bush

buck and various others. In the afternoon we have a boat trip of about two

hours along the Kazinga Channel to view some of the largest concentration of

hippo in the world (reported to be about 30,000) and other game with

excellent birding.

Today we drive through the park to the Ishasha region. We game drive in

search of tree climbing lion and other wildlife. This afternoon we head to

Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest, a World Heritage site, passing through

the scenic area known as 'The Switzerland of East Africa'. The driving today

is about 5 1/2 hours (not including game drives).

For many, coming toe-to-toe with a Mountain gorilla is one of the most

emotional wildlife experiences possible. Tracking these gentle giants can

take anything from under an hour to over six hours depending on where the

family is located. The number of permits allocated daily are limited so we

recommend early booking. Should the permits for gorilla families close to

where we stay be unavailable, there are more permits for another area of the

park, though this will mean a long drive to the starting point of the trek.

The trek itself can be along steep, slippery trails and through the bush so

you should be in reasonable physical condition, but the rewards of spending

an hour with our close cousins more than makes up for the effort of getting

to them.

Today is a free day and there is the option of getting a second gorilla

permit for this day, though due to the limited number of permits, this should

be obtained at time of booking. For those who choose not to go on a second

gorilla trek, there are other walks which you can do nearby or you can relax

at our lodge, reminiscing about the previous day’s encounters.



Please note that on some departures, due to the availability of permits, we

may have to swap these two days over with the free day (and optional second

gorilla trek) on day 6 and the included gorilla trek on day 7 or we may have

to split the group to trek with gorillas across both days.

Leaving the forests behind we head towards Lake Mburo National Park. En route

we will stop in Kabale near the Rwandan border for lunch. The drive time

should be about five hours (not including stops). Lake Mburo is the only

place in southern Uganda where you can see zebra, giraffe and impala and is a

great place to try and see leopards. It is also home to over 300 species of

birds and offers the possibility of game walks as well as game drives.

Today we go on a final game drive looking for plains wildlife. The park has a

network of game tracks in the eastern part of the park passing a variety of

landscapes; acacia woodland, wetlands, grassy hillsides, rock outcrops and

seasonally flooded valley floors. The early morning and late afternoon are

the best times to roam the park in search of wildlife.

There is also the option of tracking game on foot through the savannah and

going on a boat excursion, particularly good for birdlife. You have the

option of going on an early morning game walk this morning. Accompanied by a

ranger guide, you will walk to a salt lick where many animals are attracted

to the salty rocks. At this time of day you may encounter hyenas returning to

their dens and hippos retreating to the lake The lake itself is rich with a

diversity of animal and plant species, and these can be viewed clearly while

on a boat trip. These include crocodiles, hippos and birds such as pelicans,

Black crake, heron, cormorant and Fish eagle, but you may also see the rare

Shoebill stork if you are lucky.

Today is our final day and we make our way back to Entebbe and the shores of

Lake Victoria. The driving time will depend on the amount of traffic in

Kampala, but we will make regular stops to break up the journey.

En route back to Entebbe we will visit the Mabamba Swamp (Mabamba Bay Wetland

System), which lies about 40 km from Entebbe. This swamp is the perfect spot

in Uganda for watching the globally threatened Shoebill stork and the Papyrus

yellow warbler. The Mabamba Swamp is said to support over 190,000 birds.  

Our adventure ends in the afternoon in Entebbe. Those on the group flights

will return to the airport in time for their overnight flight.

Today is our final day and we return to Entebbe and the shores of Lake Victoria. The driving time will depend on the amount of traffic in Kampala, but we make regular stops to break up the journey. En route back to Entebbe, we visit Mabamba Swamp (Mabamba Bay Wetland System), which lies about 25mi (40km) from Entebbe. The swamp, said to support more than 190,000 birds, is the perfect spot in Uganda for watching the globally threatened shoebill stork and the papyrus yellow warbler.



We arrive into Entebbe in the early evening, if time permits, you guide will take you for dinner (own expense) before dropping you at the airport.