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Uganda - The Great Apes Tour

Length: 8 Nights and 9 Days
 

Day 1

Arrival – Kibale Forest National Park

In the morning, you arrive at the newly refurbished and modern Entebbe International Airport, where we will meet you for a welcome drink and a briefing. We then drive southwest to the Kibale Forest National Park. We pass through Ugandan villages, catching views of the Western Rift Valley as we go.

This afternoon we arrive at our lodge.

Overnight: Primate Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 2

Kibale Forest National Park Primate Lodge

This 766-square-kilometer tropical rain forest is the natural habitat for an amazing 12 primate species, and contains the highest primate density of an area on Earth. Here, on a guided forest walk, you may find families of Chimpanzees and Red Colobus Monkeys chattering and swinging through the ancient forest trees. Some of the trees are 50 to 60 meters (150 to 180 feet) in height, and provide a majestic canopy for the profusion of rain forest life, including 325 bird species. Even though you may only rarely see them, the park is home to the largest population of Forest Elephant in Uganda, and is also home to Buffalo, Uganda Kob, Genet, Civet, Waterbuck and Bushbuck. This morning we take a guided walk through this fascinating forest, following the well-marked trails. After lunch we visit a nearby forest swamp that is excellent for viewing more primates and other forest animals.

Overnight: Primate Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 3 and 4

Kibale Forest National Park - Queen Elizabeth National Park

This morning we drive to Ishasha in the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Ishasha

Ishasha – a much more remote and less-traveled part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, but one which has a sense of exclusivity and remoteness. The game densities here are high, and this region has reported some of the largest herds of Elephant anywhere in Uganda, as it is the main migration corridor between Uganda and the DRC. There is prolific plains game here - primarily Topi and Uganda Kob, Buffalo, Hippo and of course Elephant. There is plenty of smaller plains game and a number of primate species and this of course means that predators are in attendance. Spotted Hyaena is a common visitor, and Leopard is occasionally sighted. However, a prime attraction for Ishasha is that is has a large lion population, and the frequency of sightings for this magnificent animal is higher here than anywhere else in Uganda. An added bonus is that they have learned to climb trees to escape the midday heat and insects, and one is usually rewarded by the slightly surreal sight of anything up to six lions relaxing high up in a Sycamore Fig, Arbisia or Acacia. These are the only other lions apart from those in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara National Park known to exhibit this behaviour.

Overnight: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5

Queen Elizabeth National Park-Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Gorilla Forest Camp

After breakfast, we travel further south to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This is a leisurely drive, taking most of the day. We climb out of the Rift Valley at first, and then travel through the Kigezi Highlands of South-Western Uganda. The scenery gets increasingly breathtaking as we switchback up and down the hills. Thirty kilometers (18 miles) before the end of our journey, we see our objective – the mist-swathed mountains of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. On arrival, we are welcomed to the luxurious Gorilla Forest Camp with hot towels and a welcome drink. We retire to our enormous tents for a hot shower (or a hot bath if you prefer), and meet later around the campfire to recount the day’s activities. After dinner, we retire for the night, lulled to sleep by the sounds of one of Africa’s most incredible natural environments.

Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 6 and 7

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

These two days activities may be amongst the most exciting and challenging of our entire expedition. The Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi are part of a worldwide population of just 600 individuals. The gorillas we are allowed to track belong either one of two habituated family groups. For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild.

The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts.

Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before one returns to camp. Once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a look into one of these magnificent creatures eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. It also brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that our presence here contributes to ensuring their continued survival. The hour is often over all too quickly, and we slowly make our way back to camp to recount the day’s adventures.

Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 8Mihingo Lodge

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Lake Mburo

Today we will travel eastwards to Lake Mburo National Park. After lunch in Mbarara, we drive to the park and check in to our camp. We enjoy an evening game drive to view the parks plains game species and birds, followed by a return to the camp to freshen up for dinner.

Overnight: Mihingo Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 9

Lake Mburo - Entebbe

After an early morning game drive, we return to Entebbe, where we will check in to our hotel and prepare for our evening flight out. We will arrive in time for lunch, with the afternoon at leisure.

Imperial Resort Beach Hotel/Boma

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch

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