Encounter Uganda – 10 days

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel.

Entebbe is a small, quiet town located on the shores of Lake Victoria and is easy to explore on foot, boda bodas (local motorbikes) or taxis. Soak up the local markets filled with clothes and crafts, shop for souvenirs in curio shops, or explore the Botanical Gardens on Lake Victoria. Enjoy the wide variety of restaurants serving many different cuisines as well as several bars and clubs where you can sample the local beer, catch a game of football and chat with the local Ugandans, known for their open, friendly nature.

Transfer from Boma to the domestic airport for your scheduled flight to Kihihi airstrip, which is located between Bwindi/Queen Elizabeth National parks.

The flight takes just over an hour. Transfer to Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The drive to the lodge is through local villages and mountain roads – lovely scenery and very interesting en route!
Guests will have the opportunity for two days of gorilla tracking (pre-booking essential). Other optional activities that may be enjoyed in and around the park include forest walks, visits to a local school or orphanage or Batwa pygmy village, and curio shopping.

Bwindi National Park, located in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, is considered the most diverse forest in Uganda. Home to over 120 mammals, 345 species of birds, 200 species of butterflies, and 160 species of trees, Bwindi is one of the richest ecosystems in East Africa. The park contains almost one half of the world’s population of the endangered Mountain Gorilla, making it an extremely valuable conservation site. Situated on the slopes of the Forests of Bwindi, this intimate lodge offers uninterrupted views of the pristine rain forest canopy. It’s the perfect, tranquil base from which to visit Bwindi.

Today will be a lifetime experience! Coming face to face with mountain gorillas is a rare wildlife encounter.

Experienced guides and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the dense rain forest on the mountain slopes. The opportunity to come within meters of these magnificent apes, sharing in their daily lives and experiencing their day-to-day activities, is an experience you won’t soon forget! Mountain gorillas are extremely rare with only an estimated 880 remaining in the wild. Please note that gorilla tracking may be fairly strenuous with treks ranging from 30 mins up to six hours or longer, at high altitudes. Also, mountain gorillas are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, viewing success rates are over 95%.

Those with pre-purchased permits will depart for a second gorilla tracking experience following breakfast at the lodge. Depending upon individual itinerary schedules, guests not tracking gorillas may wish to enjoy other activities available in the area such as a forest walk, a visit to a local school/orphanage/hospital, or Batwa pygmy village, and some local curio shopping.

This morning we depart Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and travel (2-3 hours) to Ishasha in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Time permitting, we may visit a Community Project enroute. Here the local people allow you to enjoy some time in their homesteads, as well as see some of the crops and curios they produce, and visit the local elephant trench project – which stops elephants coming into the village and raiding crops. Afternoon game drives will be enjoyed in the Ishasha area, looking for the huge herds of buffalo, elephant, Uganda kob and of course the famous tree-climbing lion typically found in the area.

Spend the day enjoying game drives in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park and visit the Ishasha Community Project. Enjoy scenic sundowners with drinks/ snacks included

Today we depart Ishasha to the ‘Mweya’ sector of the National park to enjoy a leisurely boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Kazinga’s shores are a haven for numerous birds, including many migratory species as they make their way south to warmer climates. The cruise also provides a spectacular view of the beautiful Mweya Peninsula and life in local fishing villages set along the banks.

This morning we will travel early to the Kyambura Gorge to enjoy Chimpanzee trekking.

The forest is alive with noise – chimpanzees can be quite active and may move quickly through the forest canopy… or, if you are lucky, you may find them resting or eating near the forest floors. It’s an exhilarating walk, in beautiful scenery. Sightings cannot be guaranteed even though they are habituated to humans.

Kibale Forest – is a 2-3 hour drive from QENP (north) on good roads. Two nights will be 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 nearby.

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. Overnight at Primate Lodge

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. Arrive back in Entebbe, late afternoon.