8-Day Uganda Great Apes Safari

You arrive at Entebbe International Airport, located on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Victoria – the largest fresh water lake in Africa, where a representative or a driver/guide from Uzuri Uganda Safaris will welcome you to Uganda and transfer you to the Airport Guest House in Entebbe.

Main Destination:

Kampala (City)

Accommodation:

Airport Guest House

• Mid-range guest house located in or near Entebbe

Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

At 7.00am, with your breakfast out of the way, you will be met by your driver/guide who will brief you on what to expect as you transfer to Kibale Forest National Park – the number one primate destination in Africa. With your bags packed and already in the safari van, commence your transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. The journey will take you through the lush green countryside on the Mityana-Mubende road to Fort portal. In the afternoon, you will visit the crater region and then in the evening, complete your transfer to Kibale Forest National Park for overnight stay at Kibale Forest Camp.

Main Destination:

Kibale Forest National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)

• Mid-range tented camp located just outside Kibale NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Today you are in for some real monkey business! After breakfast, head to the park HQ at Kanyachu. You go on a guided nature walk in the tropical rain forest in search for the chimpanzees and many other primates. The guides and rangers provide detailed explanations on primates, forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable.

Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will spend an hour in their presence. After the mandatory 1-hour is finished, you are led back to Kanyachu and on to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you visit the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary – a community project run. The swamp offers visitors a platform to see more primates, swamp and forest birds. The walk is 4.5 kilometres in length and lasts 3 hours and should not be missed by birders. Money generated from the activities in Bigodi is used to fund community projects including a school and a clinic. Later, return to the lodge (Kibale Forest Camp) for dinner and overnight stay.

Main Destination:

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation:

Kibale Forest Camp (Camping)

• Just outside Kibale NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

You wake up at leisure and enjoy breakfast. Then check-out and commence your transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – a short but beautiful drive with the Rwenzori Mountains in the backdrop as you lose altitude to arrive in or around the park. Later arrive and check-in at the Bush Lodge. Enjoy lunch and relax in and around the lodge. In the evening, head to the Katwe Crater Lake where locals have mined salt through the ages. This lake – situated just north of the impressive Mweya peninsula, is far too salty to support any wildlife. However, since the 16th Century, it has ensured the survival of the Katwe locals, who spend their days under the equatorial sun, harvesting salt from its milky waters. The salt is sold to traders from across Uganda, and as far as Congo and Rwanda. Later, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Main Destination:

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation:

The Bush Lodge (Banda)

• Mid-range banda located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After your breakfast, at 6.30am, head out for the mating grounds of the Uganda Kobs. We search for the lions in their natural habitat, elephants, buffaloes etc. before returning for lunch. After your lunch, at 3.00pm, you will embark on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel – a major highlight of the safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

On the boat cruise, you will have the opportunity to view great numbers of wildlife including elephants, crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes and large numbers of birds like eagles, kingfishers, sparrows, doves, weaver birds, eaglets and sun birds converging at the channel waters to enjoy a sip of the natural waters. On the cruise abundant bird life is sighted and perhaps the highest concentration of hippos in Africa – there are 1500 hippos found along the channel. Elephant herds that can number 50 in the dry season, buffalos, and crocodiles can all be seen during the boat cruise. Dinner and overnight at the Bush Lodge.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

The Bush Lodge (Banda)

• Mid-range banda located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

You are up early and enjoy your breakfast. At 8.00am, you start the drive to the Ishasha sector. The drive, which will serve as our morning game drive will last between 2-3 hours. Have your eyes peeled for more game. On arrival in the Ishasha sector, search for the famous and unique tree-climbing lions. If it is a hot day, be sure to find them atop the sycamore fig trees or the acacia trees that dominate this part of the park.

There are about 4 Prides of lions in the area numbering more than 40. Look out for the males with their black mane, which is a notable attribute. Also, there are about 1000+ elephants present in the area and you normally see large numbers. There are Topi and Uganda Kob antelopes in large numbers. You complete this game drive and exit the park headed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. We arrive in the late afternoon or early evening and check-in at Engagi Lodge.

Main Destination:

Lake Bunyonyi

Accommodation:

Engagi Lodge

• Mid-range lodge bordering Bwindi NP without fences

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

You are up early and enjoy your breakfast. You are transferred to the Buhoma or Ruhiija sector where rangers of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) will brief you on what to expect on the trek. With packed lunch in your carry-on, you will be allocated the Gorilla family. After the briefing, you will commence your gorilla trek. When you finally locate the family that you are tracking, take in everything as you watch the gorillas feed and generally go about their day.

Take lots of pictures (and a selfie if you happen to have a gorilla in your selfie frame) and a video as the one-hour will be over before you know it. It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest with the knowledge that you are in the presence of the few remaining wild mountain gorillas. After the mandatory one hour is up, the rangers will lead you back to the starting point where you will find your guide to commence your transfer to the picturesque Lake Bunyonyi. Dinner and overnight at Birdnest Resort.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

BirdNest Resort

• Mid-range resort located in or near Lake Bunyonyi

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Today you wake up at leisure and enjoy your breakfast. After your breakfast, you commence the 7-hour drive to Entebbe with a lunch stop in Mbarara town at the Igongo Culture Centre & Museum. After your lunch, you continue towards Entebbe with a stop at the Equator Crossing. At the Equator crossing, you can take some fun photos and you can buy a souvenir/crafts that will be pride of place on the mantelpiece in your house to remind you about this trip. From the Equator Crossing, you will continue onto Entebbe International Airport where you will be dropped off in time for you to check-in for your onward flight home.

Main Destination:

Entebbe International Airport (Entebbe)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.

You’ll be dropped off at the airport.

This 8-day Great Apes safari will take you to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary offshore, Kibale Forest National Park, considered the primate capital of the world, Queen Elizabeth National Park and finally the home of the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – all the time enjoying forest and Savannah scenery.