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Travel Experts to Uganda

Home > Africa > Uganda

GENERAL INFO

• Introduction
• Country Quickfacts
• Best Time to Go
• Things to know before you go

TRAVEL IDEAS

• Essential Uganda, 10 days
• Gorillas, Wildlife & Chimps, 8 days
• Gorilla Forest Camp
• Gorillas & Chimpanzee Express, 6 days

RELATED IDEAS

• Gorilla Encounter, 14 days (Kenya)
• Okavango Delta, 7 days (Zimbabwe)
• Chobe Elephants, 5 days (Zimbabwe)

Uganda Independent Travel Idea

Essential Uganda

10 days

This excellent 10 day safari has been implemented due to demand for an experience that includes chimpenzees in Kibale Forest, as well as Chamburu, Ngamba, game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park and of course Gorilla tracking in Bwindi.

Day 1. Arrive Entebbe.
Arrive Entebbe airport, preferably in the morning to have time to visit Ngamba Island for a half day trip, you will be met by a Goway representative and transferred to your hotel.  At 12h45 we will transfer you to the pier for the boat trip to Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary.  Home to over 40 orphaned chimpanzees.  This worthy cause also supports the endangered wild chimpanzees throughout Uganda.  You will be able to take time to learn about the plight of wild chimpanzees in the Visitors Centre on the island, as well as watching the orphaned chimps as they come in from the forest for their food.  This evening, you will receive a short pre-trip briefing at the hotel.

Entebbe is a small town, located on the edge of Lake Victoria.  Depending on your time of arrival, you may like to spend some time exploring the town on foot, or you can take a taxi in to Kampala and visit the craft and curio markets there, the Kasubi Tombs and Museum. In Entebbe there is the Wildlife Education Centre, and you can see close up the large slow-moving Shoebill Stork, or you can try your hand at golf on the local 9-hole course.

Gately Inn or Boma Hotel or  similar

Day 2. Lake Mburo National Park.
From Entebbe we head towards Lake Mburo National Park, approximately 5 hours drive from Entebbe.  Which is a lovely stop over en route to the gorillas from Entebbe.  Afternoon game drive and/or boat cruise in the park exploring this lovely, peaceful haven. Lake Mburo, 260km2 was gazetted in 1982 as Uganda’s fourth national park. It is composed primarily of grassland, wetland, and acacia woodland habitats. At the centre of the park lies Lake Mburo, which together with 14 other lakes in the area forms part of an extensive wetland system. The park has topi, eland, kilpspringer, zebra, buffalo, oribi, sitatunga, leopard, an excellent variety of water and acacia savannah bird species, like crested crane, marabou stork and bronze-tailed starling. BLD

Mantana Tented Camp

Day 3. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest .
Via Kabale today we head onto the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which is in the Uganda Highlands - the Switzerland of Africa - with great views and vistas of this lush green area.  This is a 6-7 hour drive and we stop for lunch en-route. The park is located in South-western Uganda, covering parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale Districts. It is situated in a hilly countryside, which, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary, constitutes an important water catchment area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region. This is the richest forest in Uganda, in terms of the number of plant species, as the area is one of the few large expanses of forest in East Africa where lowland and montane communities merge. The valley bottoms contain a dense ground cover of herbs, vines, and shrubs with only a few trees hence its name, the impenetrable forest. This is one of the richest faunal communities in East Africa. There exists about one half of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas. There are also several endangered species of birds with limited ranges. Gorilla tracking began on 1st April 1993. It is advisable to make reservations at least 3-6 months before your intended date of visit. BLD

Buhoma Lodge (2 nights)

Day 4. Gorilla Tracking.
You will be escorted to the National Parks headquarters to meet your guides for your gorilla tracking experience. An early morning trek into the forest on the slopes of the volcanoes, led by experienced trackers will bring you amongst a family of Mountain Gorillas. These massive primates are extremely rare, only approximately 650 remaining.  You will get within metres of the family, and be privileged to spend time amongst them. The trekking may be fairly strenuous; up to six hours or longer is not uncommon – at relatively high altitude.  Mountain Gorillas are wild animals, as such sightings cannot be guaranteed, however the success rate is well over 90%. BLD

Day 5 & 6. Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Today you will have the option of a second Gorilla Trek or Forest Walk in Bwindi.  Please inform at the time of booking. Thereafter we will head in a northerly direction to the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National park, from Bwindi approx 3 hours drive, to be welcomed to our established tented camp nestled under trees alongside a river.  On a clear day views from the area stretch to the ice-capped Rwenzori Mountains to the north, and the Virunga volcanoes to the south, there are few places on earth to rival the scenery in this park.  ‘Birders’ wont be disappointed with the enormous range of species in the area. The park spreads over an area of 1978 km2 in the western arm of the Great East Rift Valley. It is a home to a variety of wildlife including elephant, lion, hippo, buffalo, and Uganda kob, baboon, and birds, all typical of riverine and savannah habitats. In the southern part of the park is the Ishasha are with tree climbing lions and the Maramagambo, one of the largest surviving natural forests in Uganda. The northern part of the park is traversed by the equator and is dominated by the scenery of crater lakes with lots of flamingos on some of them. A launch trip from Mweya along the Kazinga channel, which joins Lake Edward and Lake George, provides one of the most memorable experiences of the park.

Ishasha Wilderness Camp (2 nights)

Day 7. Queen Elizabeth National Park.
From Ishasha, we drive approx 2 hours to the Mweya region of Queen Elizabeth National Park.  During your visit here you will have time to enjoy game drives, a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and an opportunity to trek chimps in Chamburu Gorge (subject to permits being available and group size).  Located on a peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel on one side and with spectacular views towards the Ruwenzori Mountains on the other, this upgraded and renovated lodge provides some of the best accommodation and service facilities in Uganda.  BLD

Mweya Lodge

Day 8. Kibale Forest
Today you will travel on a 2-3 hour drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park (north) on good roads.  On a clear day you may get views of the Rwenzoris in the distance.  Two nights spent in the area to allow time for chimpanzee tracking in the forest, (permits must be pre purchased).  You can also do a forest walk (guided) during your stay, or simply enjoy the area and perhaps visit the Bigodi Swamps, or the Vanilla Farm close to Ndali.  Kibale, 766 km2 is one of Uganda’s enchanting forested parks. Here, you can hike in the park for hours observing the drama of life in a rain forest. The park contains pristine lowland tropical rain forest, montane forest, and mixed tropical deciduous forest. In addition to forest, you will also notice areas of grassland and of swamp. The forest is rich in wildlife. It is most noted for its primate population. Some of these are red-tailed monkey, diademed monkey, olive baboon, chimpanzee, black and white colobus. Some of the other mammals you might see are bushbuck, Harvey’s red duiker, blue duiker, bush pig, and African civet. More difficult to spot are buffalo, waterbuck, hippo, warthog, and giant forest hog. Herds of elephant once travelled back and forth through the area. These elephants have become more and more rare, and now are seldom seen. The birdlike in the forest and grasslands of the forest is abundant. There are almost 300 species, which have been identified here. One particularly worth noting is the endemic to Kibale forest. There are 144 species of butterfly in the park and a diverse population of moths and other insects. A system of trails has been developed within the park, and tour guides are available to guide visitors. BLD

Ndali Lodge or similar (2 nights)

Day 9. Chimpanzee Tracking
This activity will generally take place in the morning.  You will either be driven or walk down to the Kibale Forest National Parks’ headquarters to meet your guides for your morning’s chimp tracking experience (depending which lodge you are staying at).  The forest is alive with noise and you should be lucky enough to see the habituated chimps during your trek.  BLD

Day 10. Depart
After an early breakfast for the drive back to Entebbe, stopping for curio shopping on the roadside and a quick photo stop at the Equator.  Arriving back in Entebbe, late afternoon. Rest of the day is at leisure.  (Departing flights to be booked to depart for after 8pm) B

Departures:

2013
11 January / 08 February / 24 May / 19 June / 12 July / 16 August / 13 September / 11 October

Price includes:

Meet & greet service, airport transfers to Entebbe/return, accommodation, meals as indicated by BLD, services of driver/guide, all park entry fees, excursion to Ngamba Chimpanzee Island by boat & entrance fees.  Forest walk Bwindi or Rwanda, game drives in Lake Mburo and either guided walk or boating excursion.   Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park & Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

Price excludes:

Visas, permits, drinks, travel insurance, items of a personal nature. Gorilla & Chimp tracking permits.