8 Days Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife Wanderlust

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe with an to option Mabamba Swamps

Arrival in Entebbe as per your international flights and transfer to Papyrus Guest House by a reliable Luxury Gorilla Trekking Safari driver.

In the afternoon, departure from the hotel must be at least 14.30/ 15.00 hours a car and local canoe to Mabamba Swamp, one of the finest places for spotting the rare shoebill storks. Of course, some fortune is needed but seldom does one leave the swamp without seeing one! Many other water birds have preferred this area as their home so birding is continuously very interesting. Enjoy a soothing sundowner on Lake Victoria and then return to the Guest House.

Accommodation: Papyrus Guest House

Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast basis; Lunch & Dinner on own’s account

Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

After an early morning breakfast at Papyrus Guesthouse, start your Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife Wanderlust safari with countryside road trip to Western Uganda across the beautiful landscapes of central Uganda, hundreds of miles of flat land, rolling hills and cultivated terraces, a sight you’ll very much want to savor.

Stop-over en-route at Mpambire, to watch the make of African musical instruments, especially the African drum, made using old traditional methods. You’ll also stop over at the Uganda Equator line in Kayabwe to have that equator experiment experience of standing in both north & south earth’s hemispheres.

Arrive at Rwakobo Lodge in time for lunch. After lunch, take an afternoon African savanna game drive in the park and 1-hour boat ride on Lake Mburo.

Lake Mburo National Park has a good variety of wildlife; several antelope species can be seen, including Bohor reedbuck, topi, duiker, oribi and klipspringer. Elephant are absent, but herds of buffalo are quite common, and Rothschild’s giraffe can now be seen ruling the park’s sky bushes and trees. A healthy population of leopard is present, though mostly seen at night. Hippo and crocodile can be found in the lake. The savanna game drive takes about 5-7 hours.

Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge (Cottage) on the edge of the national park

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Have your breakfast at the break of dawn in Lake Mburo NP, check out your room and get into your Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife Wanderlust safari truck for an early African savanna game drive in the park on your way out of the park.

Head onto the south western highway via Mbarara city and head towards Kabale’s undoubted exquisiteness. Twisting roads like Switzerland, hundreds of acres of tea plantations, valleys, hills, forests and fresh water lakes, a blanket of green towards the grand chain of Virunga Volcanoes that some travelers’ have considered the most stunning part of Africa.

You’ll pass via the towns of Mbarara, Kabale and Kisoro before reaching Nkuringo, on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. With lunch enroute, you’ll arrive with plenty evening time to spare before sundown.

The drive takes about 5-7 hrs.

In the afternoon, opt in for a stroll down to the Buniga Forest Trail Walk, an informative project run by USAID and the local Batwa community. Continuation of the walk through the community to visit the traditional herbalist and the black smith.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Private Cottage)

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 4: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After a sumptuous breakfast, at around 7:45 am, with packed lunch and drinking water, your private Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife Wanderlust Safari driver will transfer you to the gorilla Park Head Quarters trail head for the briefing on the gorilla trekking dos and the don’ts. After the briefing, you’ll be escorted by a guide and ranger with 7 other travelers into the African jungle for your gorilla escapade.

The exquisiteness of this rain forest is remarkable and the area offers a dramatic, steeply forested scenery and is extremely dense, but traversed by plentiful animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the topography vary as per the movements of these great primates.

Hiking through the misty jungle, encountering different animal and plant species on the trail will keep you on the edge till you finally find the gorilla family. You’ll be allowed one valuable hour with the gentle giants, this is why you are there, make sure you taste every second in that jungle because a lot of sentiments will be generated.

The tracking will be done at Nkuringo or at Rushaga (1 hr drive from Nkuringo), as per the gorilla permits gained.

After your Gorilla encounter and out of the jungle, relax at the lodge and, for those who like, at 5.00 pm either wander through the natives community center or drive up to the “Top of the World” – the name given to the football field, high up in Nkuringo which offers astonishing 360 views over the peaks and forests around Nkuringo. A great way to stretch your legs after the gorilla tracking and to relish a sundowner.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Private Cottage)

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5: Hike Across Bwindi & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After an early breakfast, start your unforgettable jungle hike (19km – 7-9 hours) directly from Nkuringo Lodge, following the Kashasha River Trail.

This is a full day walk where there would also be the opportunity to visit the Munyaga River Falls, unseen in the forest. However, if you prefer, you can also opt for the shorter jungle hiking and in this case, you will be taken by vehicle along the Nteko Ridge till the junction of the Ivy River Trail with the forest (7 km) and they then start their hike from here (13km – 4-5 hours).

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a vast unique natural reserve – monkeys, duikers, bush pigs and some of Bwindi’s world-renowned bird species plus many butterflies can be sighted. If you are very lucky you may even encounter gorillas! Once part of a much larger forest that included the Virunga Volcanoes in neighboring Rwanda, the park is nowadays an ecological island within a sea of villages and farmland, its conservation importance is vast.

The importance of this activity is for your walking guide to share his information of the forest with you, it is not simply an A to B hike. The trail is also a vital footpath for local people, particularly on market days, travelling from Nkuringo and Nteko to Buhoma, on the northern boundary of the park.

There is no road through Bwindi so vehicles driving between the two locations have an incredible 170 km bone jarring journey taking 6 to 8 hours.

On arrival at the park headquarters in Buhoma (the northern Bwindi side), meet with the Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife Wanderlust safari driver who will transfer you to Queen Elizabeth National Park for your African savanna escapade experience.

As you enter the southern part of the savanna park, view from the window to catch sight of some evening savanna occupants. The southern area of Ishasha is particularly recognized for its resident ‘tree climbing’ lions that are an extraordinary attraction and one of the highlights of all African safaris taken within the park. The lions can be spotted hanging on branches of huge fig trees while the Uganda Kob (which is the main food to these lions) scrape on the plains below.

The drive takes about 4 hours (182kms).

Accommodation: Kasenyi Safari Camp (Safari Tent)

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park

The morning enthusiastic to game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and to the boat trip on the Kazinga Channel – the 36 km watercourse which connects Lake George and Lake Edward which allows distinct viewing of game and birds on the river banks, as the boat passes through pods of hippos. Crocodiles have only lately been seen in the Channel, they disappeared for 8,000 years after they were eradicated from Lake Edward by poisonous ash from local volcanoes.

QENP is one of Uganda’s oldest parks being formed formally in 1952. The Park was initially known as ‘Kazinga National Park’ before it was renamed in 1954 to honor a visit by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. QENP hosts 95 species of mammals, more than any other park in Uganda, and 619 bird species, the second highest of any park in Africa – the sixth highest of any park globally.

In the afternoon continuance to the lodge in Kibale National Park via the town of Fort Portal. Time allowing late afternoon trek to the ‘Top of the World’ to enjoy eccentric views of the Rwenzori Mountains, tea plantations, crater lakes and local villages.

The drive takes about 3hours (180kms)

Accommodation: Primate Lodge (Luxury Cottage)

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

The morning chimpanzee trek where the compactness and assortment of primates in Kibale National Park is the highest in the whole of Africa. The most well-known of its 13 species are the chimpanzees, our closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 chimpanzee population of this endangered primate is Uganda’s biggest. Furthermore, Kibale is home to the unusual I’Hoest’s monkey as well as East Africa’s biggest populace of the threatened red colobus monkey. The black & white colobus, blue monkey, red tailed monkey, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboon, bush baby and potto are amongst the other primates.

There is an afternoon jaunt to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a great example of a community-based approach to the natural resources management which can be of good monetary benefit to the local residents living within this area and to the tourism industry. This sanctuary is a ecstasy for bird watchers and skilled birders can spot up to 50 new species on a bird list. At today 138 species of birds have been known within the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, among which the Great Blue Turaco. Bigodi is also frequently visited by a varied number of primate species from the nearby national park.

Accommodation: Primate Lodge (Luxury Cottage)

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 8: Transfer to Entebbe

After a relaxed breakfast departure back, with a lunch break en-route. In the afternoon continuance to Entebbe where arrival is anticipated around 17.00. Transfer to the airport in time for the evening flight out. End of trip.

The drive takes about 5 – 6 hours (315 km).

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch; Dinner on own account.

End of the 8 Days Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife Wanderlust

Accommodation

• Papyrus Guest House
• Rwakobo Rock Lodge (Cottage)
• Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Private Cottage)
• Kasenyi Safari Camp (Safari Tent)
• Primate Lodge (Luxury Cottage)

This is a private safari that can be tailored to suite your needs and preferences and is available upon request. Accommodations/ Lodges mentioned in the itinerary can as well be changed to the ones of your preference. Kindly contact us with the dates you want to come, number of people in your group and we can check availability of rooms and permits hence send you a quote.