Description
Highlights of this safari:
- Enjoy the spectacular chimps of Kibale Forest
- Hike through the dense rainforest of Bwindi
- Interact with the Batwa tribe
- Face to face with the impressive silverback gorilla
Short overview:
- Day 1: Entebbe
- Day 2 & 3 – Kibale Forest
- Day 4 & 5 – Bwindi National Park
- Day 6 – Bwindi Na
- Day 7 – Entebbe Departure
Program & Route:
Day 1 – Kampala, Serena of Cassia Kampala. Bed and Breakfast included
Upon arrival at the Entebbe International Airport you will be met by our guide this morning. Having passed immigration and luggage collection, please exit the arrival hall and look out for your guide who will be holding up a signboard mentioning your name. Transfer to Entebbe hotel for the first night.
Day 2 & 3 – Kibale Forest, Kyaninga Lodge. Full Board
Early morning breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred this morning to Fort portal for a lodge stay near the forest. Drive time is about 6 hours. Arrive in time for lunch.
After lunch, hike around the community with one of the community guides. Walk through local crop lands and get acquainted with the local Batooro tribe people. Late afternoon you can relax.
On the third day, early after breakfast we drive to Kibale Forest National Park. You will be in the forest for the day accompanying Kibale’s researchers in their habituation activities. The research group is limited to four people. It is one thing to spend an hour with the chimpanzees, another to experience them all day! Over 1450 chimpanzees make Kibale Forest home. The forest has the highest concentration of chimpanzees of any forest in Uganda and is considered the best place in Africa to track chimpanzee.
The day starts by trekking to the area that the chimps built their nests the night before. You will observe and follow the chimpanzees as they go about their daily activities, feeding, and grooming. The researcher knows these chimps well and by being with him you will gain more knowledge about their behavioral patterns. You’ll be in the forest for the day and as the day ends the chimps will begin to build their nests for the night.
Day 4 & 5 – Bwindi National Park, Silverback Lodge of Gorilla Resort Lodge, Full Board
Today you will continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for two nights. Home to over half of the World’s mountain gorilla population. We will transfer through Queen Elizabeth Np and the Ishasha area. Interacting with these gentle giants is one of the most moving experiences that Africa has to offer and should not be missed! The ancient rainforest of Bwindi spans 321 sq km and boasts 90 mammal species including a range of primates, as well as 23 Albertine Rift endemic bird species, including the African Green Broadbill, the Bar Tailed Trogon and many others.
The next morning you set off for your gorilla trekking. Hiking through the thick, verdant, rainforest to eventually come across the gorillas in their natural habitat, is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Actual trek times can vary; these are wild animals after all. If time permits there are a diverse range of activities which are unique to Bwindi which you can participate in during the afternoon.
Optional Activities:
Village walk: overlooking the imposing hillsides of Bwindi Impenetrable forest, with the mist swirling over the summits, this is one of the most dramatic settings for your cultural tour! Among others, meet a traditional healer, who not only treats the sick, but uses his knowledge to conserve and educate about the various medicinal plants.
Bwindi Community Hospital: Started by a Canadian doctor BCH revolutionized health care for the Batwa and the Bwindi community. This free hospital tour provides insight into the region and issues that the local community member’s face.
Waterfall walk: walk along the Congolese border and Bwindi to see the magnificent waterfalls and the incredible scenery.
Day 6 – Bwindi, Silverback Lodge of Gorilla Resort Lodge. Full Board
Early morning after breakfast, we drive to experience the Batwa Culture as you follow the “Batwa Trail”. The trail brings you to the dense forests at the foot of the mountains that were home to the Batwa people. They were hunter-gatherers and fierce warriors who depended on the forest for shelter, food and medicine; thanks to ancient knowledge passed on for generations.
A visit to the Batwa trail permits visitors to discover the magic of the indigenous peoples’ old homes while partaking in nature walks and learning about the group’s cultural heritage. During this cultural encounter tour, the Batwa demonstrate hunting techniques; gather honey; point out medicinal plants and demonstrate bamboo cups. Proceed in time to check in at your lodge to dinner and overnight. Watch out for the sceneries as you drive, they are photogenic.
Day 7 – Entebbe, Vertrek
Early morning departure for Entebbe (approx 9 hours drive) lunch will be enroute at any point of convenience in Mbarara Town. Later drive to Kampala with a stop at the Equator for souvenirs and photography then to Entebbe Airport. Our representative will be there to say goodbye and to wish you on our company’s behalf a pleasant flight home, taking back unforgettable experience memories of “The Pearl of Africa”- Uganda.