Primate World Safari

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport Meet and greet by the company driver guide. He will transfer you to your hotel in Entebbe. Overnight 2Friends Beach hotel .BB

Depart Entebbe after breakfast and drive to Fort Portal through verdant countryside passing through traditional homesteads and farms. Fort Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. The drive takes approximately 5 hours. After lunch and a brief rest, visit the crater lakes in the Kibale in the afternoon. Overnight at Crater Safari lodge FB Crater Safari lodge comprises of seven ultra-luxurious double/twin cottages and two larger cottages each with two rooms to sleep up to four. These family cottages are ideal for larger groups or families. All the cottages have en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water as well as solar lighting, internet access, individually designed furniture and stunning scenery around Lake Nyinabulitwa. Amenities at the lodge include a restaurant, bar, lounge, crafts shop, mobile spa facility and campfire area overlooking the Crater Lake.

After breakfast at 0700, visit Kibale Forest National Park where the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa is exceptionally represented. Go tracking the most famous of its 13 species, the Chimpanzee, also known as ‘the delightful ape’. It is also a home of species like the rare I’Hoest’s monkey, the black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey, Olive baboon among others. The walk takes 2-3 hours. After lunch proceed to Queen Elizabeth National park. As you go through the game park you might spot some animals like the Elephant, Buffaloes, bushbucks, and Uganda Kob, Antelopes, Warthogs, among others. Dinner and over-night, Mweya Safari lodge. FB.

This National Park covers 1,978 sq km and lies north and south of the equator in southwestern Uganda. From open savannah to rainforest, from dense papyrus swamps and brooding crater lakes to the vastness of Lake Edward, it is little wonder that Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world. Almost 100 mammal species and a remarkable 606 bird species makes this superb safari territory, with elephant, a profusion of hippos, the elusive giant forest hog and handsome Uganda kob all regularly sighted around the tourist village on the Mweya Peninsula – which also boasts a marvelous waterfront setting in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains. Bird species include the martial eagle, black-rumped buttonquail, Verreaux’s eagle owl and African skimmer to name but a few. This morning at 6.00 am go with a driver for game drive in the park. The park has excellent game viewing opportunities for buffalo, elephants, kob, topi and other species of antelope. Return to the lodge for a late breakfast. In the afternoon, after lunch, take a boat ride on the Kazinga channel which connects Lake George and Edward. This will allow you to experience wildlife up close where hippos huff and spray mere feet away, buffalo linger in the shallows and a tremendous variety of birds grace the grasses on the river’s edge. Amongst those you will see are the malachite and pied kingfishers, great white and pink-backed pelicans and the open-billed stork. With some luck you will even spot elephants on the river banks coming for a drink and a bath. Dinner and overnight – Mweya Safari Lodge.

Today exit the park via the southern sector of the park, known as Ishasha. This remote and beautiful extension of Queen Elizabeth National Park is famed for its tree-climbing lions. It is a fabulous sight to see the lions draped from the trees and nowhere in Africa do you stand a better chance of seeing this than in the large low limbed fig trees of Ishasha. You will carry a picnic lunch with you to have at a place of your choice before continuing to Bwindi, home of the mountain gorillas, where you will arrive late afternoon. BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK: The journey offers excellent views including mountain lakes and the triangular peaks of the Virunga Volcanoes of Rwanda and this rainforest is said to be 25.000 years old, making it one of Africa’s most biodiverse habitat. The altitude of this mountain park ranges from 1200 – 2600 meters. Five rivers and a high annual rainfall make it rather humid. Besides its mayor attraction, the mountain gorillas (gorilla gorilla berengeri) the National Park is also home to an amazing 120 mammal species, 350 species of birds, 202 species of butterflies and over 200 species of trees. It is believed that about 350 gorillas remain in several stable groups in the park. The great protection over the last years has led to a steady increase of the population. Although best known for its mountain gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest also attracts spectacular birds. There are 23 of the 24 Albertine rift endemics including the African green broadbill, bar tailed trogan and other beautiful forest species. Check into the Mahogany lodge late afternoon. FB. Mahogany Springs Lodge offers privacy and serenity blended with optimal comfort in a spectacular setting. With some of the most luxurious accommodation in East Africa the feeling that you will experience when staying here is beyond compare. At Mahogany Springs it is the little touches that make the big difference, from the tiny details in the design of the lodge through to the unrivalled service levels provided by the highly trained management team. It is the perfect base from which to begin you Gorilla Tracking or Bird watching adventures. With more bird species per square kilometre than anywhere else in the world Bwindi is often described as bird watchers paradise and the fact that Mahogany Springs is set back on an open piece of land by the river ensures we have many rare species visiting us every day

Get up early for breakfast a 0070 to give you the energy needed for your gorilla trek. Before 0800 am report to the ranger station for registration and a talk by one of the rangers; the guides will then take you through the bush pushing your way through the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas. The trek can take from half an hour to 7 hours – a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes. Once you are close to the group the guides will advise you to leave behind your bags as no food items should be carried close to the gorillas. Just take your cameras with you as you are about to meet the gentle giants! Sit in the forest amongst the gorillas, listening to them grumble to each other and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male; the silverback. It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas – sadly enough there are only about 650 of these beautiful creatures left. You are allowed exactly one hour with the gorillas before returning to the base station. Please note: please listen to the instructions of the local rangers at all times. It is forbidden to approach the gorillas closer than 5 meters, to feed them or to use flash photography. Likewise for your and their safety! You will be accompanied by armed guards which guarantee your safety in an area where wild buffaloes are sighted. While walking, please feel free to ask guides to slow down if they are going too fast and if you need a rest. There is the additional option to hire porters on site. The Uganda Wildlife Authority does not allow a trekking when you are sick as gorillas are very susceptible of human diseases. Should you feel sick the day of the trek we urgently advise you to abide this rule. In order to receive a 50% refund of the permit cost you MUST get a doctor’s report that day (please ask your guide to arrange this for you). We must also stress that, while you have a very good chance of seeing gorillas, success is NOT guaranteed. They are wild creatures with no fixed routine and finding them requires the skills and experience of your tracker sand guides, as well as luck. The trackers and guides have helped to habituate the gorilla groups and know them intimately. They will take you to the area where they left the gorillas the day before. Before leaving they may be able to suggest how long the hike might be. Over-night, Mahogany Springs – FB.

This morning after breakfast at 0600 proceed on your drive back to Entebbe international airport. It is a long drive and you will carry a packed lunch from the lodge to have at a suitable spot and stretch before carrying on your journey. Please note that check-in for international flights should be done 3 hours prior to departure of the flight. In the departure hall (after check-in) you will find a small restaurant, a sitting area and several duty-free shops for your convenience.