12 day KENYA - UGANDA GORILLA/CHIMPS TREKS TOUR
Welcome to the Pearl of Africa Africa's biggest Primates Gorilla and Chimps live up in the Rain Forests of Eastern Africa. There are estimated 800 remaining Gorillas in the world and half of them are found in the Bwindi Forest Park in Uganda. The best season to visit is in ...
Read Full Description- Destination:
- Nairobi, Kenya; Nairobi Area, Kenya
- Trip Length:
- 12 days
- Price Range:
- From $5905 to $7500 (Single Room Supplement - $ 1,015 per person Christmas and New Year supplement will be advised ) per person See what this includes and what this excludes
- Best Time to Go:
- January, February, July, August, September, October
- Recommended for:
-
Adults (18 - 20)
Adults (21 - 24)
Adults (25 - 29)
Adults (30 - 39)
Adults (40 - 64)
Seniors (65+)
Adventure-seeker, Eco-friendly
Birthday Celebration, Group Retreat, Romantic Getaway
Detailed Trip Description
Welcome to the Pearl of Africa Africa's biggest Primates Gorilla and Chimps live up in the Rain Forests of Eastern Africa. There are estimated 800 remaining Gorillas in the world and half of them are found in the Bwindi Forest Park in Uganda. The best season to visit is in the dry season of July -October and January-February. Its also important to note that during this period, Gorilla permits are on high demand and are sold on 'First come first served basis', therefore guests are advised to buy this packages early enough to enable us obtain Gorilla permits. Availability dates/days vary and its vital to first confirm availability of the permit before buying the tour. However GUARANTEE Gorilla permits for any client buying this package 45 days in advance irrespective of the dates of travel. For those buying this tour on short notice or less than 30 days before actual travel day we recommend that they first check with us permit availability dates.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 - Nairobi
Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to The Stanley Hotel for an overnight. Overnight: The Stanley Hotel B
Hotel
Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to The Stanley Hotel for an overnight.
Overnight: The Stanley Hotel B
Day 2 - Nairobi Area
You will be picked from your hotel early in the morning and travel to Masai Mara Game Reserve.
Adventure
Masai Mara is an extension of the great Serengeti plains and is generally thought to be the most magnificent game viewing spot in all of Kenya. Here, you may see plenty of lions, giraffes, zebras, elephants and other wildlife as they exist in their habitat. Afternoon game drive is included returning the lodge as the sun sets.Dinner and overnight: Mara Simba Lodge or similar (B, L, D)
Distance: Approx. 290 kms.
Day 3 - Nairobi Area
After breakfast, you will depart with packed lunch/picnic boxes, from the lodge and proceed on for a full day game drive including visits to Mara River, Kenya Tanzania Border Post and a great
Adventure
chance to view the “Big Five”. Enjoy the Great Migration if lucky! You will return to your lodge late in the afternoon.
Dinner and Overnight: Mara Simba Lodge or similar (B, L, D).
Domestic Flight
Check out for a long drive back to Nairobi. Driving through the vast wheat and barley farms and arrive in time for your memorable African Barbeque lunch at Carnivore Restaurant, Vegetarian menu available. After lunch, with our English speaking Airport Representative, you will be transferred airport for your flight to Entebbe – Uganda. Upon arrival in Entebbe, you will be transferred to Kampala City Hotel for an Overnight. Dinner and Overnight: Sheraton Kampala or Similar. BLD
Distance: Approx. 290 km – flying time 1 ½ hrs
Adventure
Check out early after breakfast and drive south-westwards, with a stop at the equator, to Lake Mburo National Park. This is the only park in Uganda with an entire lake, from which it derives its name. Game drive and canoe ride on Lake Mburo. Dinner and overnight at the Mihingo Lodge, FB.
Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) is a very special place; every part of it is alive with variety, interest and colour. LMNP contains an extensive area of wetland. The park harbours several species of mammals including zebras, impalas, elands, topi and buffaloes. Its sculptured landscape with rolling grassy hills and idyllic lakeshores has a varied mosaic of habitats: forest galleries, rich acacia tree valleys, seasonal and permanent swamps which all support a wealth of wildlife. The park is only 370sq km and the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks. Its mosaic habitat: dry hillside, rocky outcrops, bushes, thickets, open and wooded savannahs, forests, lakes and swamps are home to a surprising diversity of plants and animals.
Location: Lake Mburo National Park is situated in Mbarara district. It is about 3.5 hours drive from Kampala. The park is accessed from the Masaka-Mbarara road; turn left to Nshara gate (13kms past Lyantonde) or alternatively turn left at Sanga trading centre (27kms past Lyantonde) which brings you through Sanga gate. Both junctions have clearly marked signposts. It is about 13 km from Sanga trading centre to Sanga gate and 8 km from the main road to Nshara gate. It is about 20 minutes drive from either gates to Rwonyo park headquarters.
Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) is a very special place; every part of it is alive with variety, interest and colour. LMNP contains an extensive area of wetland. The park harbours several species of mammals including zebras, impalas, elands, topi and buffaloes. Its sculptured landscape with rolling grassy hills and idyllic lakeshores has a varied mosaic of habitats: forest galleries, rich acacia tree valleys, seasonal and permanent swamps which all support a wealth of wildlife. The park is only 370sq km and the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks. Its mosaic habitat: dry hillside, rocky outcrops, bushes, thickets, open and wooded savannahs, forests, lakes and swamps are home to a surprising diversity of plants and animals.
Location: Lake Mburo National Park is situated in Mbarara district. It is about 3.5 hours drive from Kampala. The park is accessed from the Masaka-Mbarara road; turn left to Nshara gate (13kms past Lyantonde) or alternatively turn left at Sanga trading centre (27kms past Lyantonde) which brings you through Sanga gate. Both junctions have clearly marked signposts. It is about 13 km from Sanga trading centre to Sanga gate and 8 km from the main road to Nshara gate. It is about 20 minutes drive from either gates to Rwonyo park headquarters.
http://www.mihingolodge.com/
Mihingo Lodge is a peaceful and luxurious retreat adjacent to Lake Mburo National Park. The Lodge has ten rooms which are built on wooden platforms and stilts, covered by a thatched roof. Suspended under the thatched roof is a spacious and comfortable tent equipped with en-suite bathrooms, including hot and cold running water, showers, and flush toilets. Each luxury tented room is nestled on a private piece of the lodge’s property, enabling guests to enjoy the tranquil environment in complete seclusion. Placed in varied settings, some rooms are situated in a forest setting, some with a lake view, and some on rock outcrops.
Game Drives: The park has a number of tourist tracks that are used for game drives. Impala track exposes the visitor to a diverse species of animals. Impala is the most common species viewed along this track although one may sight a number of waterbucks, warthogs, topis and zebras.
Zebra track leads to harems of Burchell’s zebra (Equus burchelli) with other species like bushbucks, oribis and reedbucks. The zebra track leads to the junction of Ruroko track, a drive through a wetland basin and thick acacia shrub and woodland, with olive trees and euphorbia species. Kopjes (rock outcrops) found along the Ruroko track, are home to elusive klipspringers to which the rock is the best habitat.
The Kazuma track passes through wooded grassland where black-bellied bustards often patrol the area. For visitors to experience a real exposure of Lake Mburo National Park, they should climb Kazuma hill, which is high enough to enable them to see what they could have missed. The five lakes within the park and the rolling hills become more visible and attractive. Its better seen than read or heard!
Kigambira loop takes you through a wooded wilderness with scattered thicket and while you are here, look out for bushbucks and bush duikers.
The Lakeside track is specially designed to facilitate viewing of water plants and animals. The park has a diversity of water birds and woodland birds which can be sighted along these tracks.
Boat Trips: The presence of Lake Mburo within the park is a blessing. The lake is rich with a diversity of animal and plant species, which can only be viewed clearly while on a boat trip. These include crocodiles, hippopotami and birds like Pelicans, Black crake, Heron, Cormorant and Fish eagle.
The duration of each boat ride is 2 hours maximum, but arrangements for extra time can be made with management at an extra fee.
Adventure
After an early morning game drive we depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The park derives its name from its thick vegetation with an immense variety of evergreen trees, festooned with lianas, epiphytes, which reach great heights in their search for sunlight plus half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp, FB.
Gorilla Forest Camp is a permanent luxury tented camp nestled in the mist-swathed rainforest of a mountainside in the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Designed to blend seamlessly into the forest-clad mountains that protect this fragile eco-system, its accommodation is in double tents raised on wooden platforms, each with en-suite facilities, hot and cold running water and unusually – a bathtub looking out into the forest. Each tent has a spacious wooden veranda where guests can relax, enjoy a private meal and absorb the exotic mystery of the surrounding rainforest that provided the animation of Disney’s The Jungle Book.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in south western Uganda, on the edge of the Western Rift Valley (Albertine rift) and is shared by Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro districts. It is 331 sq km in size and on an altitude range of 1,160 metres (Ishasha gorge) to 2,607 metres (Rwamanyonyi Peak). The annual average temperature range is 7°C - 20°C with the coldest period being June and July.
Of the local people neighbouring the park, the majority are Bakiga and Bafumbira, constituting the most dense settlements in Uganda (350 people/sq km). A few Batwa are also found.
Species Diversity: Bwindi is home to 326 gorillas, almost a half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. There are also 346 species of birds and over 200 species of butterflies. This afromontane forest has dense under storey of fern, vines and shrubs. About 324 tree species have been recorded here, 10 of which occur nowhere else in Uganda.
Bird Watching: Bwindi is the bird watchers haven! It holds 346 species of birds and contains 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa and seven IUCN red data listed species. An experienced bird watcher can identify up to 100 species in a day! Visit Ruhija and Buhoma for this dream. Indicate your interest to the Park Management so that appropriate early morning departures can be arranged.
Gorilla Forest Camp is a permanent luxury tented camp nestled in the mist-swathed rainforest of a mountainside in the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Designed to blend seamlessly into the forest-clad mountains that protect this fragile eco-system, its accommodation is in double tents raised on wooden platforms, each with en-suite facilities, hot and cold running water and unusually – a bathtub looking out into the forest. Each tent has a spacious wooden veranda where guests can relax, enjoy a private meal and absorb the exotic mystery of the surrounding rainforest that provided the animation of Disney’s The Jungle Book.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in south western Uganda, on the edge of the Western Rift Valley (Albertine rift) and is shared by Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro districts. It is 331 sq km in size and on an altitude range of 1,160 metres (Ishasha gorge) to 2,607 metres (Rwamanyonyi Peak). The annual average temperature range is 7°C - 20°C with the coldest period being June and July.
Of the local people neighbouring the park, the majority are Bakiga and Bafumbira, constituting the most dense settlements in Uganda (350 people/sq km). A few Batwa are also found.
Species Diversity: Bwindi is home to 326 gorillas, almost a half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. There are also 346 species of birds and over 200 species of butterflies. This afromontane forest has dense under storey of fern, vines and shrubs. About 324 tree species have been recorded here, 10 of which occur nowhere else in Uganda.
Bird Watching: Bwindi is the bird watchers haven! It holds 346 species of birds and contains 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa and seven IUCN red data listed species. An experienced bird watcher can identify up to 100 species in a day! Visit Ruhija and Buhoma for this dream. Indicate your interest to the Park Management so that appropriate early morning departures can be arranged.
Back-Packing
This is the day you may think seriuosly about a porter to help.
This is it; the day you have been waiting for. Get up for an early breakfast and off you go on your adventure, after the gorillas. Imagine coming less than 5 metres close to these primates. It won’t be easy but it certainly will be worth it. Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp, FB.
Gorilla Tracking: This is the major activity in Bwindi, with four gorilla groups currently available daily for tourists. Mubare group (10 gorillas, 1 silverback) was opened for tourism in 1993, Habinyanja group (18 gorillas, 1 silverback) opened in July 1998, and Rushegura group (10 gorillas, 1 silverback) was opened in July 2002, while Nkuringo group (19 gorillas, 2 silverbacks) was opened for tourism in April 2004.
Book at least 6 months (but not more than two years) in advance to ensure that requested dates are available.
Gorilla tracking in Bwindi can be challenging, therefore ensure fitness. The tracking experience starts at 8.30 am local time and can last from a few hours to a whole day! Registration at the gate commences at 7.45 am.
What to bring:
• Wear jungle shoes suitable for steep muddy slopes and carry a rain jacket because the park is often wet.
• Put on ear plugs for those who feel uncomfortable with jungle sounds.
• Carry rain gear, sunscreen lotion, a hat (as the weather is unpredictable) and insect repellent.
• Carry a packed lunch.
For conservation reasons, visits to the gorillas are tightly controlled. The following rules apply and must be strictly adhered to:
• No one with a communicable disease (e.g. flu, diarrhoea) is allowed to enter the park.
• Stay together in a tight group while with the gorillas, don’t surround them.
• Don’t get closer than 7 metres (21 feet) to the gorillas.
• Don’t eat or smoke when with the gorillas or within a distance of 200 metres from the gorillas.
• Turn away from the gorillas if you have to sneeze or cough. Cover your nose and mouth in the process.
• Burry all human feaces a minimum of one foot deep and ensure that the hole is properly covered.
• Don’t leave litter. All litter must be carried out of the park and disposed off properly.
• No person under 15 years is allowed to track gorillas.
• Don’t spit on vegetation or soil when in the park; use your hankie or other garment.
• Your group must not be more than 6 tourists and must all be over 15 years old.
Adventure
After breakfast depart to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check into your lodge and relax for the rest of the day. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.FB.
Mweya Safari Lodge is located on a peninsula within the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park. A safari lodge compared to no other with sumptuous accommodation, breathtaking views from every room, an abundance of game and some of the best bird watching in East Africa. Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) together with Kyambura and Kigezi Wildlife Reserves form one of the most diverse ecosystems in Africa. The melting glacier waters of the Rwenzori Mountains create a vast wetland system comprising of two main lakes, George and Edward, as well as the connecting Kazinga Channel. Thousands of hippos populate these lake shorelines. Open savannah dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees provide habitat for elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs and big herds of buffaloes. Ten primate species including chimpanzees are present. Among the many animals frequently seen are giant forest hog, waterbucks, topi, hyenas and crocodiles. The park boasts of more bird species than any other park in Africa.
Adventure
We shall go for an early morning game drive, thereafter, return to the lodge for breakfast. After lunch, we shall go for a boat ride along the Kazinga channel. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge, FB.
Game Drives: This is the act of driving through the park for the purpose of viewing animals. This is best done in the early morning and late afternoon hours. Over 200 km of well-maintained tracks give visitors access to the park’s game. Some of the tracks pass through large mating grounds of great herds of Uganda kob.
Hungry lions can often be seen searching for prey. The legendary giant forest hog is visible roaming the bush. When it is hot, large herds of elephant make their way down to the water. Buffalo and bushbucks can be found on the Channel track and adjacent circuits. The warthog is a hallmark sight on the Mweya Peninsula. The outstanding scenery along the Crater track brings visitors to volcanic craters at the foothills of the misty Mountains of the Moon (Mt. Rwenzori). The drive is a breathtaking experience. Our friendly staff will assist in planning for a game drive.
Launch Trip on the Kazinga Channel: A boat trip along the hippo crowded banks of Kazinga Channel gives visitors a unique unequalled wildlife experience. Eye to eye with yawning hippos and surrounded by vast numbers of migrant and resident water birds, the boat puts one right in the heart of nature. Many buffaloes rest in the water while the big herds of elephant enjoy themselves drinking and playing along the Channel banks. Crocodiles have become a common sight and occasionally leopards may be seen.
Game Drives: This is the act of driving through the park for the purpose of viewing animals. This is best done in the early morning and late afternoon hours. Over 200 km of well-maintained tracks give visitors access to the park’s game. Some of the tracks pass through large mating grounds of great herds of Uganda kob.
Hungry lions can often be seen searching for prey. The legendary giant forest hog is visible roaming the bush. When it is hot, large herds of elephant make their way down to the water. Buffalo and bushbucks can be found on the Channel track and adjacent circuits. The warthog is a hallmark sight on the Mweya Peninsula. The outstanding scenery along the Crater track brings visitors to volcanic craters at the foothills of the misty Mountains of the Moon (Mt. Rwenzori). The drive is a breathtaking experience. Our friendly staff will assist in planning for a game drive.
Launch Trip on the Kazinga Channel: A boat trip along the hippo crowded banks of Kazinga Channel gives visitors a unique unequalled wildlife experience. Eye to eye with yawning hippos and surrounded by vast numbers of migrant and resident water birds, the boat puts one right in the heart of nature. Many buffaloes rest in the water while the big herds of elephant enjoy themselves drinking and playing along the Channel banks. Crocodiles have become a common sight and occasionally leopards may be seen.
Game Drives: This is the act of driving through the park for the purpose of viewing animals. This is best done in the early morning and late afternoon hours. Over 200 km of well-maintained tracks give visitors access to the park’s game. Some of the tracks pass through large mating grounds of great herds of Uganda kob.
Hungry lions can often be seen searching for prey. The legendary giant forest hog is visible roaming the bush. When it is hot, large herds of elephant make their way down to the water. Buffalo and bushbucks can be found on the Channel track and adjacent circuits. The warthog is a hallmark sight on the Mweya Peninsula. The outstanding scenery along the Crater track brings visitors to volcanic craters at the foothills of the misty Mountains of the Moon (Mt. Rwenzori). The drive is a breathtaking experience. Our friendly staff will assist in planning for a game drive.
Launch Trip on the Kazinga Channel: A boat trip along the hippo crowded banks of Kazinga Channel gives visitors a unique unequalled wildlife experience. Eye to eye with yawning hippos and surrounded by vast numbers of migrant and resident water birds, the boat puts one right in the heart of nature. Many buffaloes rest in the water while the big herds of elephant enjoy themselves drinking and playing along the Channel banks. Crocodiles have become a common sight and occasionally leopards may be seen.
Adventure
Optional early morning game drive again. After breakfast depart for Ndali Lodge and Kibale forest. Arrive for lunch. Spend the afternoon at leisure or take a walk around the Crater Lake, swim, fish etc. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge, BLD.
Ndali Lodge is set stunningly amidst the Bunyaruguru craters lake region of Western Uganda, 24 kilometres south of Fort Portal, lying at the centre of 1000 acres of privately owned fertile farmland still cultivated in a traditional style. It is perched on the rim of an extinct volcano which, since its demise, has filled with water to become the breathtaking Lake Nyinambuga – 250 acres in size and 300 metres deep. The lodge has cottages providing luxurious accommodation and offer a panoramic view of the spectacular ‘Mountains of the Moon’.
Adventure
Early morning walk in Kibale Forest to track the habituated chimps which are the major attraction. These delightful apes are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in trees and are closely related to humans than any other living creature. Using the network of shady forest trails provides much delight to botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species recorded. After lunch, we shall go for another walk through the Bigodi Swamps in the afternoon before returning to the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge, BLD.
With lush tropical rainforest and fascinating diversity of animals, Kibale National Park (KNP) is one of the most beautiful and stunning forests in Uganda. Kibale forest is certainly worth protecting as it is home to the largest number (in Uganda) of our closest living relative, the ENDANGERED chimpanzee, as well as the THREATENED red colubus monkey and the rare L’hoest monkey. The forest has one of the highest diversity and density of primates in Africa totalling 13 species including the black and white colubus, blue monkey and grey-cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkey, bush babies and pottos. The park also hosts over 325 species of birds including the yellow spotted nicator, yellow rumped tinker bird, littlegreenbul, green breasted pitta, African pitta, crowned eagle and the black bee-eater. There are a number of impressive mammals including forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, duikers and bats. A keen observer may see some of the reptiles and amphibians as well as a colourful variety of butterflies. Furthermore, over 250 tree species have been recorded.
The most famous inhabitants of Kibale National Park are the chimpanzees with over 1,450 individuals protected within the park. At Kanyanchu, a community of chimpanzees has been habituated since 1991, allowing visitors the unique opportunity to view these great apes in their natural environment (with more than 90% chance of viewing).
Primate Walk: This starts from Kanyanchu River Camp at 8:00am or 3:00pm. It lasts for 2-4 hours and is the most popular walk, highlighting the diversity of different animals and plant species within the forest. Chimpanzees are the main attraction, of which five groups have been partially habituated to human contact.
The guided walk is along well marked tracks and a distance of 3km to 5km is covered. This walk is restricted to four groups of four persons each, in the morning and the same number in the afternoon.
For the ultimate prize encounter, the park also offers the chimpanzee habituation experience which allows visitors to spend time from de-nesting in the morning through to bedtime with the chimps.
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