Have a once – in – a – lifetime journey into the lush hills of Uganda and Rwanda where you will have the opportunity to encounter the great apes in the wild.
On this safari, you will search for chimpanzees with a primatologist in forests of Kibale National Park and track mountain gorillas in the jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.
11 DAYS GREAT APES OF UGANDA AND RWANDA SAFARI
DAY 3-4: KIBALE NATIONAL PARK
DAY 5-6: KIBALE NATIONAL PARK/QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
DAY 7-8: BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
DAY 9-10: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA
DAY 11: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – KIGALI CITY
ITINERARY
DAY 1-2: ENTEBBE, UGANDA – NGAMBA ISLAND
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, meet your driver – guide and transfer to your hotel for an evening of rest.
The next day, you will head to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary situated on Ngamba Island for an encounter with the chimpanzees, this Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in association with the Jane Goodall Institute as a habitat for rescued and orphaned chimpanzees in Uganda. Read more about Ngamba Island
After spending time with the chimpanzees watching them go on with their life, feeding and grooming each other. You will head back to Entebbe by boat, meet your guide and head to Uganda Wildlife Authority where you see will see various animals including chimpanzees, giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs among others. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay. Read more about Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 3-4: KIBALE NATIONAL PARK
Fly from Entebbe to Kasese – After breakfast, you will meet your guide and drive to Entebbe International Airport for your domestic flight to Kasese Airstrip then connect to Kibale National Park on a drive.
In the afternoon, you will go for a guided walk in the Bigodi Swamp where you will see various species of primates such as olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys and many bird species such as purple breasted sunbird, Abyssinia, the African pitta, collared apal, ground thrush, crowned eagle, black-capped apalis, kingfisher, weavers, cuckoos, green breasted pitta, papyrus gonolek, flycatchers and hornbills among others.
The next day, you will wake up early for breakfast and head to the park’s headquarters for briefing about chimpanzee trekking and be assigned a chimpanzee family to trek. In groups of 8 people, you will head into the forests of Kibale in search for chimpanzees. The trek normally takes about 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees, lookout for other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed and blue monkeys and many forest birds.
When you locate the chimpanzees, you are allowed to spend one hour in their presence watching them groom each other, play on tree branches, collect fruits and leaves which they eat among other great moments you can capture by your camera.
Return to the park’s headquarters and return to your lodge, spend the rest of the afternoon resting at the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Kyaninga Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 5-6: KIBALE NATIONAL PARK/QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Have breakfast at your lodge, checkout and head to Queen Elizabeth National Park on a drive of 2-3 hours, when you arrive in the park you have en-route game drive as you head to your lodge for check-in and lunch.
In the afternoon you will go for game drive in search for elephants, lions, Ugandan kobs, giant forest hog and spotted hyenas among other.
The next day, your head to the park for a full day game drive after breakfast, you will have a morning game drive in the Kasenyi plains of the park where you will see huge numbers of Ugandan kobs and predators such as lions, leopards, wild dogs among others.
After lunch, you will have a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel for sights of huge schools of hippos and crocodiles in the waters of the channel, large herds of elephants, buffaloes, warthogs and various species of water birds along the channel. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Kyambura Gorge Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7-8: BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with en route game drive in Ishasha Sector renowned for the tree climbing lions, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population and is the best place to see mountain gorillas in the world.
The next morning, you will have an encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas. Have early breakfast and head to the park’s headquarters for briefing about the right way to conduct yourself while with mountain gorillas, be assigned a gorilla family to trek and in groups of 8 people, you will head to the starting point with armed ranger guides.
The trek through Bwindi Forest takes between 2 to 6 hours looking for the mountain gorillas, when you locate the gorillas, you will have 1 hour of observing these gentle giants, watch them groom each other and take amazing pictures. Return to the park’s headquarters, meet your guide and return to the lodge.
Accommodation: Four Gorillas Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 9-10: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA
Cross into Rwanda with border crossing at Cyanika Border, proceed to Volcanoes National Park with en-route lunch, check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
The next morning, you will have early breakfast and head Volcanoes national park’s headquarters in Kinigi for briefing about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking, head into the jungle with your armed rangers looking for mountain gorillas. Spend one hour with the mountain gorillas giving you an insight into their life in the forest, watch them play with each other, pick fruits and leaves which they eat and take amazing pictures for memory purposes.
Return to the park’s headquarters, meet your guide and head to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you will head to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Center to learn about the ongoing Conservation efforts. Have dinner and stay overnight.
Accommodation: Virunga Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – KIGALI CITY
Have early breakfast, head to the park’s headquarters for briefing about the right way to conduct yourself and the dos and don’ts on golden monkey tracking experience, the trek takes you to the bamboo forest where you will encounter the playful golden monkeys, watch them play on the bamboo trees, watch them munch on bamboo shoots and taking amazing pictures as well fruits.
After lunch, you will travel to Kigali International Airport for your flight home.
END OF 11 DAYS GREAT APES OF UGANDA AND RWANDA SAFARI
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Transfers upon arrival and departure
- Transportation provided on-trip
- Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Daily activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
- All gratuities except for the Expedition Leader
- Airfare to and from destination
- Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
- Visas when applicable
- Alcoholic beverages
- Expedition Leader gratuities
