14 Days Uganda Primates Luxury Safari

DAY 01:  Arrival at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to the Hotel for overnight

Today is your first day of this amazing Luxury Safari in Uganda, after arrival and check-out of Entebbe International Airport you will be transferred to your lodge for overnight in Entebbe.

Accommodation: Karibu Guest House or No5 Hotel

Meal Plan: Half Board

DAY 02: Boat trip to Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary for an encounter with the orphaned chimpanzees

After breakfast at your lodge you will drive to the pier on Lake Victoria for a boat trip to Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary for an encounter with the orphaned chimpanzees. The boat trip takes approximately 45mins to 1 hour each way. While at Ngamba you will have a chance to feed the chimpanzees, learn about them and experience the guides interacting with them by sound calls and plays among others. On this trip you will also see various bird species and experience the sights and sounds of Lake Victoria.

Accommodation: Karibu Guest House or No5 Hotel

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 03: Drive to Lake Bunyonyi for overnight via a stop at the Equator

Today after breakfast at your lodge you will drive to southern Uganda to Lake Bunyonyi. You will have a stop visit at the Equator for Equator experience, coffee and photographs after you will proceed arriving at your lodge in the afternoon for lunch, relaxing as you view the lake and later dinner and overnight. Lake Bunyonyi is known for its many beautiful historical islands and various bird species that you will have a chance to see on a canoe.

Drive time: 6-7 hours

Accommodation: Bird nest Resort or Acadia Cottages

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 04: Morning canoe boat ride on the lake and transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After breakfast at the lodge you will go for a private canoe boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi to visit the historical islands, sightseeing and bird watching. After you will do any optional activity and then drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park arriving in the evening for dinner and overnight. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a unique park for most adventure travelers and tourists given it is the only national park in East Africa where you will see golden monkeys and mountain gorillas, due to this it was tagged “Where Gold Meets Silver” in the same park you have a chance to go for hiking given it is located within the 3 volcano mountains that is Gahinga, Muhavura and Sabinyo.

Drive time: 2-3 hours

Accommodation: Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge or Lake Chahafi Resort

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 05: Golden Monkey tracking and Batwa cultural trail experience

After breakfast at the Lodge you drive to the park headquarters for briefing after you will start the trek into the forest to search for the Golden monkeys, the trek involves hiking and walking through cleared trails with the park rangers who will guide you all through the trek once you find the golden monkeys you will have a one hour encounter with them and walk back to meet your driver guide, depending on the time you finish the trek and how fit you will be, you will be able to go for the Batwa cultural trail experience.

Accommodation: Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge or Lake Chahafi Resort

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 06: Gorilla tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to the park headquarters for briefing from the Uganda wildlife Authority ranger guides who will allocate you a gorilla family group you will trek that day. In a group of 8 tourists, researchers and ranger guides you will set off into Gahinga montane forest to start your search for the endangered rare species of Mountain Gorillas. The gorilla search always continues from the place where they were last seen the previous day. Upon reaching the area where these famous species are, you will only be allowed to interact with them for one hour. You are allowed to take photographs and so on after you will walk back to the main point for your certificates and your driver guide will be waiting for you to drive you back to your lodge.

Accommodation: Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge or Lake Chahafi Resort

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 07: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for overnight

You will have an extended rest at the lodge if you wish so that you can drive to Bwindi after lunch or visit the local community including schools which you can give various gifts and motivate the scholars.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge or Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 08: Gorilla Habituation/tracking Experience in Bwindi Forest

After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to the park headquarters for briefing from the Uganda wildlife Authority ranger guides who will allocate you a gorilla family group you will trek that day. In a group of 4 tourists, researchers and ranger guides you will set off into the thick impenetrable forest to start your search for the endangered rare species of Mountain Gorillas. The gorilla search always continues from the place where they were last seen the previous day. Upon reaching the area where these famous species are, you will only be allowed to interact with them for four hours and you should always keep maximum silence while with these Gorillas. You are allowed to take photographs and so on. In the evening, you may go for community walks in the nearby Batwa community, where you will be entertained and given tales of their unique culture.
Gorilla habituation involves hiking/walking through Bwindi Forest in search of the mountain gorillas, this can sometimes be strenuous depending on the trek that day which is normally determined by weather and the movement of the gorillas in the forest but given the fact it is very well organized activity you have 99% chances of seeing the gorillas on your trek. The trek is guided by advanced trackers who monitor the mountain gorilla movements all day in the forest with this they will know where they nested for the last night and that’s where you start from looking for them. The 2 ranger guides will lead you all through the trek clearing trails, creating new trails and sharing with you information about the mountain gorillas and Bwindi forest. After the trek you will retrieve back to the starting point to pick your certificates as a sign of successful tracking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge or Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 09: Visit Lake Mutanda for relaxing and do various optional activities

After breakfast at the Lodge you will depart to Lake Mutanda for the experience at the Lake, you will enjoy a canoe boat ride on the lake where you will spot various bird species. Traditional dugout canoes will be waiting for us to embark for the Mutanda section of the journey from the pontoon at Sheba’s campsite to Rwajenge landing site. Lake Mutanda is a home to many common birds including Hadada Ibis, Crested Cranes and Black headed herons. The land area is dotted with small homesteads where villagers are to be seen cultivating their fields and attending to livestock. Potato cultivation is prolific in the dark volcanic soils, where cabbages, green beans and peas are all also to be seen farmed on what appears to be impossibly steep gradients. After the canoe boat ride you will you will have lunch at the campsite and then relax. Later you will drive back to your lodge for overnight.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge or Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 10: Hike Nkuringo to Buhoma trail

Today after breakfast you will check out of your lodge and put your luggage in the vehicle, you will only remain with a small back pack for items to use during your walk. Your guide will drive you to the starting point of the Nkuringo to Buhoma trail after he will proceed to Buhoma where you will find him waiting for you to drive you to your lodge. On the walk you will have a national park ranger guide to escort you all through to the national parks Headquarters at Buhoma.
Nkuringo to Buhoma trail is comprised of two walking trail routes that is the Ivy River and Kashasha River trail routes. Both trails offer visitors a close up experience and encounter of the natural wonders within Bwindi Forest including various bird species, primates, rivers, waterfalls and tree species. The Kashasha River Trail is 4 to 5 hours between Nkuringo and Buhoma or 6 to 7 hours between Buhoma and Nkuringo while the Ivy River trail it takes 2 and 1/2 hours walking. From the Ivy river to Buhoma walking through the forest takes 4 hours. Total journey time 6 1/2 hours. Both trails are adventurous and great let us know and we will book for you accordingly.

Accommodation: Buhoma Community Havens Lodge or Buhoma Community Rest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 11: Relax at the Lodge and later in the afternoon go for Batwa cultural Experience

Today you will relax at the Lodge then in the afternoon you will go for Batwa cultural experience.

Accommodation: Buhoma Community Havens Lodge or Buhoma Community Rest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 12: Drive to Kibale Forest National park via Queen Elizabeth National Park for an en-route game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

On an en-route game drive some of the animals you will see include are elephants, large herds of buffalos, leopards, lions, bushbucks, kobs, antelopes, bushbucks and more. You will drive to Mweya peninsula for hot lunch, relax and go for an afternoon boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel, this boat safari is something worth it and considered as a highlight of your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park after you will drive to Kibale Forest National Park with a stopover for lunch enroute on your way to the National Park. Kibale Forest National park is home to 13 species of primates and over 335 bird species making it a popular destination for birders and primates lovers.

Accommodation: Turaco Tree Tops Lodge or Isunga Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 13: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi wetland walk

Subsequently you will have an early breakfast with that you will be guided to Kanyanchu head offices for a briefing about the track that you will be carrying out in a couple of hours. From there you will start the Chimpanzee tracking but that is not the only species you will be seeing today, you will be able to see 12 other different primate species like vervet monkeys, gray cheeked mangabeys and baboons.

Accommodation: Turaco Tree Tops Lodge or Isunga Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

DAY 14: Visit the top of the world, crater lakes and after drive back to Entebbe for your departure flight out to mark the end of the 14 Days Uganda Primates Luxury Safari

Today after breakfast you will bid farewell to the lodge staff after driving back to Entebbe for your flight out or drop off at the Hotel to end the Luxury Safari.