Mountain Gorilla Safari Holiday, Uganda and Rwanda

7 DAYS CHIMPANZEE AND GORILLA TOUR. (UGANDA & RWANDA)

DAY 1 TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NP

With a warm welcome and pick up by the tour guide, set off to south western Uganda to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The journey is quite long has will include stops at the equator crossing for a few refreshments, snacks and photos; you’ll have sight of long horned Ankole cattle grazing by the grassland and backdrop views of intensely terraced foot hills. Stop by a hotelmen-route for lunch and then continue on to the park.

Arrive in time for and evening game drive with beautiful views of the rift valley lakes of Lake Edwards and Lake George, and the Kazinga Channel.

Accommodation is available from Institute of Ecology and Simba safari lodge fro budget packages, Hippo Hill Lodge and Ihamba Lodge for moderate and Mweya safari lodge, Jacana safari lodge, Katara Lodge or King Fisher Resort for luxury options.

DAY 2 GAME DRIVE AND LAUNCH CRUISE

Take early morning game drives, south of the park where trails are spotted with lions, buffaloes, kobs, the Python, Elephants , hyenas, warthogs, antelopes, impala, zebras and many other animals. Return to the lodge for breakfast or lunch and then set off on an afternoon launch cruise/ rode that last for some incredible hours of water adventure.

Sail through schools of hippos yawning in the sun, buffalos wallowing in the shallows, crocodiles gaping as though asleep and birds aimlessly tossing about the boat and on the waters. Some of the common bird sights include pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others Albertine rift migrants. The cruise is then concluded by the sun that set on the serene waters, giving way to an African night with croaks, and sounds of crickets in the swamps.

DAY 3 CHIMPANZEE TREK IN KYAMBURA GORGE AND TRANSFER TO BWINDI

Enjoy your morning breakfast and then visit nearby Kyambura wildlife reserve found on the high gorge, south of Lake George and east of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The reserve is a home to a tropical rain forest, Kyambura river, a riverine swamp on the river mouth and both saline and fresh water lakes; Bagusa, Nshenyi, Maseche and Lakes Kararo, Kinera, Chibwera and Kyamwiga respectively.

The gorge has wide open caves where thousands of bats hide and big snakes like pythons and Cobras enjoy this abundant prey. The reserve and Queen Elizabeth park have no road connection but the animals in the north east cross to the park via the shallow river during the dry season.

Drive through the steep terraced hills of Ishasha, south of the park, visiting the river Ishasha and the tree climbing lions, a major attraction. Have a lunch break en-route and proceed for Bwindi Impenetrable forest.

Have an evening enjoy the abundant birdlife of Bwindi forest, over 300 different birds and with 24 of the 26 Albertine rift endemics. The undergrowth is packed with unique tree species, blossoming plants and overhanging vines and wild fruits. You’ll find over 100 butterfly species, frogs, snakes, lizards, chameleons and golden monkeys on your nature/ forest walk. Dinner and overnight is available from Buhoma Community bandas, Bwindi View bandas, Nkuringo campsite tents, Virunga Hotel for budget campsites. Lake Kitandara camp, Wagtail Eco lodge, Engagi lodge, Buhoma lodge, Gorilla Resort camp, Traveler’s rest camp  and Silver back lodge for standard/ up market facilities. Luxury accommodation packages include Gorilla forest camp, Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge, clouds Lodge and Bwindi Safari Lodge.

DAY 4 Bwindi Gorilla Trekking

Take and early breakfast and go to the ranger station for briefing and then head into the forest behind an expert tracker, making your way through the thick bushes and look for gorilla trails from the previous night. The trekking can take up to 2-9 hours of intense tracking but you have one hour with the giant creatures as you watch them feed and then take their pictures. The forest runs to the Virunga Volcano ranges that make Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. The mountains are gifted with some of the last remaining gorilla families in the world, a total of around 800 survive to this date.

DAY 5   TO RWANDA – VOLCANOES NP

Cross over to Rwanda on the border, clearing with the border agents and reach the town of Musanze, a tourist town popular with gorilla trekking tourists and guides. From here you can have clear views of 5 of the peaks of the Virunga volcanoes; Bisoke, Muhabura, Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Karisimbi. Guided hikes to this peak are a common adventure with the highest Karisimbi in 4 day climb and Bishoke for easy one day hikes.  Kinigi Guest House, Moutain Gorilla Nest Lodge, Mountain gorilla View Lodge and Hotel Gorillas offer cheap and standard accommodation. Volcanoes Lodge and Sabinyo Silver Back lodge have luxury accommodation and spectacular dining.

Day  6 GORILLA TREKKING AFRICA

Begin your Gorilla trekking expeditions in Parc National des Volcans after breakfast. At Musanze, you’ll be briefed and given a tracker/ guide for the day trip. Although long hours of tracking are involved, the reward comes with the one hour you are given to stare and take pictures of the amazing gorilla family.

Return to Musanze town for a late lunch, happy to have been part of this rare experience. Board your tour van back to Kabale for dinner and overnight. Accommodation is available from Bushara Island camp, Bunyonyi overland resort, Arcadia cottages and Habuharo Island.

DAY 7 L. BUNYONYI- KAMPALA

Wake up to a delightful breakfast that is followed by a relax tour of Lake Bunyonyi, famous for its abundant bird species from which it derives its name. Sail across the lake on a dugout-canoe or boat to some of the islands, watching different birds like pelicans, kingfishers, fish eagles, saddle-billed storks and other which nest around the lake shore.

Return to your lodge for lunch and then get onboard for transfers to Kampala and Entebbe for late departures.