Ultimate Uganda: Primate Quest and Classic Safari

In flight

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our representative and taken to your hotel. Relax after your long journey or spend some time exploring Entebbe independently. This small, quiet town on the shores of Lake Victoria is easy to navigate on foot, by local transport known as "boda boda"(motorbikes), or by taxi. You might wish to visit one of the local markets or the National Botanical Gardens on Lake Victoria, where you can walk among the beautiful trees, watch monkeys moving through the canopy above, and spot many native bird species. Entebbe also has a wide variety of restaurants serving many different cuisines, as well as several bars and clubs where you can sample Ugandan beer, catch a soccer game, and chat with the locals. This evening, gather at the hotel for an orientation by your guide, followed by a welcome dinner.

This morning you'll be taken to the Entebbe domestic airport for your scheduled flight to Kihihi airstrip, near the Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. The flight takes just over an hour, depending on the plane used. Please note the baggage allowance is 30 pounds per person. Upon arrival, a representative will meet you and you will board your comfortable, spacious 4x4 vehicles. The vehicles are custom-built for wildlife-viewing; large windows offer 360-degree visibility, and each passenger has their own window seat. The vehicles are also specially equipped with inverters for charging cell phones and camera batteries. Begin the scenic drive through local villages and mountain roads to Buhoma Lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Located in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, Bwindi is considered the most biodiverse forest in the country, making it an extremely valuable conservation site. Most notably, the park contains almost half of the world's population of endangered mountain gorillas. Additionally, more than 120 mammals, 345 species of birds (including several threatened species like the Shelley's Crimsonwing, Chapin's Flycatcher, and Grauer's Broadbill), 200 species of butterflies, and 160 species of trees have been recorded here. The forest also acts as an important catchment area for many rivers, supplying water for agriculture in the surrounding region. Your group will have the opportunity for two days of gorilla treks; one day is included in the program cost and the second day is optional, at an additional cost of $800 per person, paid in advance. Also included during your stay at Buhoma Lodge is one complimentary massage per person, in the lodge's spa treatment room - perfect for relaxing after a day of trekking.

Walk down to Bwindi National Park Headquarters this morning to meet your guides for the day and begin your gorilla tracking experience. Only 8 guests may track one gorilla family at a time. Only one trek per day, per gorilla family, is permitted. Guests are divided at the pre-trek briefing into suitable groups for tracking each family of gorillas. Experienced guides and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the rainforest on the mountain slopes. The sometimes-challenging journey through dense foliage and up steep, muddy climbs is abundantly rewarded with the incomparable experience of viewing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. You will have an opportunity to be within meters of these magnificent apes, sharing in their daily lives and experiencing their day-to-day activities. Mountain gorillas are extremely rare, with only an estimated 880 individuals remaining in the wild. This is an experience you won't soon forget! Following the trek, return to your accommodation and have time to relax and savor your experience. Please note: Gorilla treks may be fairly strenuous; it is not uncommon for treks to last up to six hours, at high altitudes. Also, mountain gorillas are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, viewing success rates are over 98%.

Today, those who have pre-purchased the optional, second gorilla trek permits will depart for another gorilla tracking experience. For those not tracking gorillas, embark on a community walk through the local villages surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Activities may include visiting a traditional home, orphanage, or school, a banana beer brewing demonstration, or meeting a traditional medicinal healer. After lunch, walk through Bwindi's tropical rainforest with experienced wildlife guides. Enjoy scenic views, the sights and sounds of the rainforest, ample opportunities for birding, and glimpses of the park's many monkey species as they move through the forest canopy.

This morning, depart Bwindi and travel two to three hours to the southern Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. If time permits, stop en route to visit a community project on the park's border. Meet Agartha, a local craftswoman, tailor, and organic subsistence farmer who will welcome you into her homestead and share with you how the women of the Bakiga tribe prepare their local food. During the visit, Agartha weaves in stories of life as a Bakiga wife while encouraging you to taste what you have prepared together. Continue to your accommodations at Ishasha Wilderness Camp in this unspoiled, remote sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Situated in a wooded area beside the Ntungwe River, each of the 10 spacious, framed canvas rooms is comfortably furnished and has its own private en-suite bathroom with running water, hot "bush" showers, and eco-friendly flush toilet. This afternoon, set out on a wildlife-viewing drive in search of herds of African buffalos, elephants, Ugandan kobs (a type of antelope), and the area's famous tree-climbing lions, which can sometimes be spotted resting in the branches of large fig trees. Return to the lodge and enjoy a sunset cocktail alongside the Ntungwe River.

Depart for the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, with wildlife-viewing en route. Elephant Plains Lodge is perched atop the stunning western escarpment of the Albertine Rift and offers breathtaking views stretching over open grasslands to Lake George. After lunch, enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George to Lake Edward. Along the banks of this waterway it's possible to spot hippopotamuses, African buffalos, crocodiles, elephants, and numerous water birds, including the unusual Shoebill Stork. Lake George is recognized as a Ramsar site (#394); its wetlands serve as important wintering grounds for migrating water birds as well as a number of native species. Afterward, attend a lecture, "An Introduction to Queen Elizabeth National Park," followed by dinner.

Spend the day enjoying morning and afternoon wildlife-viewing drives in the Mweya area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. In addition to the abundant wildlife, take note of the vast numbers of Euphorbia, or candelabra trees. The many nearby crater lakes and mountain ranges also provide a beautiful backdrop for your journey.
*Optional Kyambura Gorge Chimpanzee Trekking today $125.00 - must be booked in advance.

Depart Queen Elizabeth National Park for Kibale, a drive of approximately four hours, with lunch en route. Arrive at Primate Lodge, located in the heart of Kibale Forest, an extensive national park that protects a large tract of tropical rainforest. This is one of the most accessible and best-studied forests in Africa, and has been the site of several long-term primate projects. The park harbors the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa with an incredible 13 species, including the L'Hoest's monkey and the localized ashy red colobus. Kibale's major attraction, however, is the opportunity to track habituated chimpanzees - these delightful apes are more closely related to humans than to any other living creature. The park is also home to 400-plus bird species and other wildlife like African forest elephants, leopards, servals, antelopes, and warthogs. Settle into your accommodations, which consist of safari tents with grass-thatched roofs and en-suite bathrooms, set on raised wooden platforms. This afternoon, visit a local tea plantation to learn how this important export crop is grown, harvested, and processed. Attend another lecture, "Chimpanzee Ecology and Behavior." After dinner, take a walk with your guide to search for nocturnal wildlife. Be on the lookout for nightjars, pottos, bush babies, and tree hyraxes.

Today's highlight is the chimpanzee trek in the forest. The trek is expected to take a full morning. Seeing chimpanzees is not guaranteed, but in general the efforts pay off and visitors are delighted to watch these amazing animals in their natural habitat. This afternoon, spend time hiking in Kibale Forest with a focus on endemic plants or head out for an optional guided swamp walk in Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. This is considered one of Uganda's best locations for birding, with target species like the Great Blue Turaco, Papyrus Gonolek, Eastern Yellow-billed Barbet, White-spotted Flufftail, and more. Bigodi's rich ecosystem also makes it a spectacular venue for viewing numerous primate species in their natural habitat. This two- to three-hour walk can be tailored to your individual schedule and interests.

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. In the late afternoon arrive to your hotel, where day room accommodations have been arranged. You'll have the afternoon at leisure to rest, repack luggage, or explore Entebbe before being transported as a group to the international airport for flights home later this evening.

Arrival back in U.S.