9 Days Uganda Special Big 2 Apes & Big 5 African Mammals

Wake up early and take a walk along the shores of the lake to enjoy the morning sun as you wait for your breakfast. After breakfast, you will be taken for canoeing and a visit to the different islands on the lake. The birdlife within and around the lake is amazing. Some of the islands are breeding grounds for several species. While on the islands, you will be taken to visit the fishing villages, schools and medical centers. You can interact with the local people and learn about how they survive in the island.

After 3 to 4 hours of enjoying the beautiful lake, the driver will start the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which take only 2 hours of driving. Once you reach the park, you will be taken to your hotel for check-in and refreshment. In the late afternoon, the driver will take you to visit the local Batwa community.

The Batwa pygmies originally lived in Bwindi forest as hunters and gatherers for thousands of years. When Bwindi became a national park, the government decided to evict them from the forest. Unfortunately, their resettlement was not wholly successful. They have never fully adapted to life outside the forest. They were forced to adapt to new and unfamiliar neighbors, way of life and economic activities. Poverty is the order of the day and their young men have resorted to alcoholism. During your visit, you will hear from them about the kind of life they lived in while in the forest compared to the reality of today. Some of the Batwa have moved on and are now farmers or cattle keepers.

Accommodation: Mahogany Springs Lodge/Buhoma Lodge, Haven Lodge, Wagtail Forest camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

The briefing for gorilla trekking in Bwindi starts at 7:30am. It is important to wake up earlier and take your breakfast. You should get your packed lunch ready before going out for the briefing. The briefing is carried out by the park Rangers and Warden. They will share information about the forest, the gorilla families in the particular sector, what to expect and how to conduct yourself while with the gorillas. Gorilla groups in Bwindi will be allocated based on your overall fitness and age. If you wish to go for an easier or harder trek, inform the Rangers about it during the briefing. Only 8 people can track a particular gorilla group in a day. After the briefing, visitors set off in different directions to look for the primates.

Gorilla tracking will expose you to thick tropical forest with opportunities to see smaller primates, birds, butterflies, rare plants, waterfalls, streams, rivers, valleys and large mammals. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi can take between 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on which gorilla group you are assigned and their location on the day of your trek. Each gorilla family offers a different experience.

Some gorilla families may have more babies or silverbacks hence offering a more interesting experience. Watch as the family members feed, groom, rest, mate and play. The dominant silverback is always alert and observant. Do not do anything surprising that might be taken as a threat. Keep your distance and avoid direct eye contact. Never touch a gorilla even when they pass in your midst. Do not touch a young gorilla as tempting as it is.

After spending one hour with the primates, you will be led back to the starting point and given your certificate of participation. The company Guide/Driver will be waiting for you at the starting point to take you back to the hotel for lunch, refreshment and checkout before starting the journey to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness camp, Ishasha Jungle Lodge, or Bullbush River Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

After breakfast, the company Guide will take you for your first game drive at the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This sector is less explored but is home to the largest group of tree climbing lions in the world. The sector also has the largest population of the Uganda Kob. The main objective of the game drive is to find the tree climbing lions of Ishasha but with opportunities to catch sight of many of the mammals in the park. The lions love resting on the large fig trees which are common in the sector. It is difficult to say with certainty why the lions in Ishasha love climbing trees compared to lions in other parts of the park. One theory is that there are specific bugs/insects in Ishasha that bite them while resting on the ground.

After spotting the lions and many of the other park creatures, you will go back to your hotel for lunch and refreshment. The driver will then take you to the Kazinga channel for the afternoon launch cruise

The Kazinga channel is a body of water which connects Lake Albert to lake George. It has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in East Africa. Expect to spot crocodiles, buffaloes, hippos, elephants and an amazing collection of birds (flamingos, malachite kingfishers, papyrus Gonolek, pink backed pelicans, red chest, shoebill stork, water thick-knee, yellow crown and yellow-billed stork). The Kazinga Channel is where most of the park animals gather to drink and bath – especially during the dry season. During the dry season the experience can be amazing for lack of a better word.

Accommodation: Katara Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge, Twin Lakes Safari Lodge, Bush Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

Wake up early and head for the second game drive at the Kasenyi sector. This game drive is even more rewarding than the first because of the high concentration of wildlife and striking scenery. Expect to spot crater lakes, lions, elephants, hyenas, warthogs, Uganda Kobs, Defassa Waterbuck, Topis, Cape buffaloes, black and white Colobus.

The game drive goes all the way up to the shores of lake Edward were you can spot birds like the black bee-eater, broad billed roller and Cassin’s grey flycatcher.

After the 3 hour game drive, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park with en-route lunch. On arrival at Kibale forest, you will be taken to your hotel for check-in before heading for a tour of the Bigodi wetlands sanctuary. This sanctuary is home to 12 species of primates and is one of the most visited birding sanctuaries in Uganda. Expect to spot over 300 recorded species as well as butterflies.

Accommodation: Kyaninga Lodge/Primate Lodge, Turaco Treetops/ Isunga Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

Wake up early once again and take you breakfast as you wait for the company Guide to pick you up from your hotel. It is important to come with packed lunch as you will have a very long day out in the forest. Chimpanzee habituation starts earlier than normal chimpanzee trekking with a briefing at the Kanyanchu visitor information center. The plan is to follow a chimpanzee group from the time they wake up until they make their nests later in the evening. During the activity, you will have opportunities to spot many of the smaller primates including Red Colobus, Red-tailed monkeys and Grey cheeked Mangabeys among 10 other species.

Before heading out to the forest, the experienced Park Ranger will brief you on what to expect while ensuring that the whole activity is very informative and more of a learning experience. If you are interested in birds and butterflies, you will enjoy hiking in the forest.

Of all the birds, look out for the beautiful Great Blue Turaco, olive long tailed cuckoos, superb black bee eaters and the joyful greenbul. Kibale has a population of about 1500 individual chimps. Kibale National Park is the best place to spot chimpanzees in the world because the chances of seeing them is very high. Unlike chimpanzee trekking which allows only one hour with the chimps, the habituation experience allows you over 4 hours with the primates excluding the time taken tracking them and heading back to the starting point.

Accommodation: Kyaninga Lodge/Primate Lodge, Turaco Treetops/ Isunga Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

Wake up and take breakfast at your leisure. The Driver will pick you up after breakfast to start the long journey to the Murchison Falls National Park via Fort Portal, Hoima and Masindi. Enjoy the beautiful landscape, Mount Rwenzori and the countryside with several small towns and trading centers. Lunch will be taken along the way. Once you reach the park, the driver will take you straight to visit the top of the falls. Here you will be able to witness the river Nile force its way through a 7-meter gorge before falling 45 meters before continuing with a mighty roar. The area around the falls has incredible natural beauty and is excellent for photography.

Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge, Pakuba Safari Lodge, or Fort Murchison Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

The morning game drive in Murchison falls is designed to allow visitors spot the early rising animals and those retreating back to their dens after hunting at night. This is the best time to spot leopards, lions, hyenas and other predators. The driver will begin the game drive at 6:30am. The game drive goes through the northern banks of the great river Nile all the way up to the Nyamsika plateau. Along the way, you will spot the Uganda Kob, cape buffaloes, hartebeest, Bohor reedbuck, Rothschild’s giraffes and waterbucks. Other animals to look out for are the Bohor reedbuck, bush duiker, bush pigs, bushbucks, oribi, sitatunga and warthogs. Expect to also encounter small primates inside the park including the common baboon, vervet monkeys and Colobus monkeys.

After the morning game drive, the driver will take you back to the hotel for lunch and refreshment. In the afternoon, you will be taken for a boat cruise along the river Nile. The section of the Nile right after the falls has one of the largest concentration of wildlife in Uganda. Expect to spot countless hippos and crocodiles. Birders should expect to spot over 300 species including bee- eaters, cormorants, Egyptian geese, goliath heron, hornbill, kingfishers, pelican, shoebill stork and saddle-bill stork. The boat cruise ends close to the waterfalls in a place known as the “Devil’s Cauldron”. Take as many photos of the waterfalls before disembarking and walking up to the top of the falls where the driver would be waiting.

Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge, Pakuba Safari Lodge, Fort Murchison Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

This will be your last day of the tour. Wake up at your own time taking into consideration your flight details. The driver will come to pick you after breakfast and as soon as you are ready to begin the journey back to Kampala.

As you head back to Kampala, the drive will stop for two hours at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary. You will be received by the chief Ranger who will brief you about the Centre. Uganda once had over 1000 Rhinos roaming some of the national parks. They were hunted down by poachers for their valuable horns until less than 10 remained in Murchison Falls National Park.  The Ziwa Rhino sanctuary was created to protect the remaining rhinos and help in breeding until their numbers are enough to allow for reintroduction to the wild. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is also a leading Rhino research Centre funded by several international wildlife conservation Agencies. Drive direct to Entebbe international airport via Kampala.

Meal Plan: Half Board

End of Tour