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Arrive in Kampala, Uganda’s colourful capital city, and check-in to hotel. This afternoon you have some free time and the opportunity to visit the national museum (optional), or the Kasubi Tombs.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Today we head west as we drive through Uganda’s stunning and lush scenery, past coffee, tea and banana plantations via Fort Portal to the Kibale National Park. Today is a long drive.
Overnight Standard Camping (C+) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we set out on foot into the jungle to search for chimpanzees and other primates. Chimps are more closely related to man than to other apes and show extreme high intelligence. They have been seen to manipulate tools, using a stone and anvil to crack nuts or a stick to dig out termites. As social animals, they live in troops which can number from 10 up to 120. As well as chimps, other animals in the Park include blue monkey, vervet monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, bushbuck, forest duikers and the sleek black-and-white colobus monkey which lives mainly in the tree canopy and can jump an amazing 30 metres or more! As chimp troops travel over extensive areas of forest in search of seasonal fruiting trees, sightings can never be guaranteed. We shall also take a swamp walk through Bigodi Wetlands, a haven for birds such as the Great Blue Turaco, as well as monkeys.
From Kibale we head south along the eastern foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains and cross the equator. We descend to the savannah plains and reach our campsite situated near to Katwe just outside Queen Elizabeth National Park, Hippo Hill Camp is scenically situated looking out towards the Mweya Peninsula and Lake Edward. It backs on to a crater lake often frequented by colourful flamingos and other wading birds and on a clear day, the jagged peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains can be seen. After an afternoon of game viewing you can relax around a campfire, listening to the night sounds of the African bush and the grunts of the resident hippos who feed along the lake shore.
We spend the morning on an early morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park before we take a late afternoon motor launch trip on the Kazinga Channel, a channel of water joining Lake George and Lake Edward. Often a ‘high point’ of any trip to this National Park, we hope to have several close encounters with hippo and crocodiles. If we’re really lucky we may even see elephants bathing! Birdlife is particularly abundant along the water’s edge with fish eagles, pelicans, herons and storks most commonly seen.
Our scenic route today takes us on some rough roads via Ishasha through the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, allowing more opportunity for game viewing. Eventually we reach the small village of Buhoma, just outside the boundary of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and settle into our campsite. At night we’ll experience the magic of the African rainforest and hope to hear the distinctive night sounds. Should you require assistance on the gorilla trek, porters can be hired for approximately US$20 per day.
During the next three days our group may split into three smaller groups as the gorilla tracking is limited to a daily maximum group size of eight people for each habituated gorilla family. On one of our days here we expect to catch sight of gorillas in the wild. Although wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed, the fact that the family groups are tracked daily means that locating them is not usually a problem and so sightings are approximately over 90%. Our group will be accompanied by a local tracker/ranger who is skilled in recognising the tell-tale signs of gorilla movements. Gorillas live in small bands with several females and their young led by a single dominant male. Unfortunately, mountain gorillas (as opposed to lowland gorillas) are one of the world’s most endangered species. The entrance and gorilla tracking fees revenue generated from tourism in protected parks such as Bwindi, offer them their only chance of survival. Distinct from their cousins who live in the open spaces and lowland forests of West Africa, mountain gorillas are found at an altitude of between 1520m and 3650m. Gentle giants and vegetarians, they are normally peaceful unless provoked. Finding them in the dense mountain undergrowth is not easy and may involve steep climbs through thick untracked vegetation. Our groups have been rewarded with the thrill of quite close encounters.
During our other two days here, there is the opportunity to follow a choice of five nature trails from Buhoma which vary in duration from 1 to 8 hrs through one of the richest biodiversity reserves in East Africa. A popular trail with our previous groups is one that meanders through the local village of Buhoma. Here you will get an insight into the lives of the local people by seeing local village life. Wandering through the traditional bandas you can enjoy some singing and dancing performed by the local Batwa people, visit the village medicinal healer, learn about banana brewing and visit a local school. Alternatively, if available, you may like to visit the Batwa Development Project which provides an introduction to the Batwa people and their traditional culture.
Note: Should your group all track gorillas in two days, not three, an extra night may be spent at Lake Bunyonyi or similar instead of at Bwindi.
Todays activities will depend on the allocation of permits and walks taken on previous days. Your Tour Leader will co-ordinate and advise the options available to you.
From Bwindi we drive south to Lake Bunyonyi. This corner of Uganda is made up of steepsided mountains either covered with a tangle of green vegetation or sculptured into a mosaic of swirling terraces. After a short crossing by motor boat, we reach our fixed tents on Bushara Island. It is a mystical setting, where it’s not unlikely to hear the sound of distant drums drifting across the tranquil water.
Overnight Comfortable Camping (C++) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Our time here is loosely structured with plenty of opportunity to relax. The lake is dotted with other small islands; many of which are cultivated and inhabited. It may also be possible to visit a local school.
Today we drive to Lake Mburo and take a game drive in the national park. This is the best place in the country to see the gigantic eland antelope, as well as zebra, topi, impala and several acacia associated birds.
Overnight Basic Camping (C) Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Travelling east we see how green and fertile this central part of Africa is. Uganda is primarily an agricultural nation and grows all the food it needs for its population. Important cash crops are sugar cane, coffee, tea, cotton, pineapples and tobacco. We arrive at Jinja and the Bujagali Falls where the River Nile flows over a series of drops in spectacular fashion. Nearby is the source of the Nile which we will also visit. We camp near the Falls, an ideal spot for bird watching and, at times, giant bat watching!
Today you may like to book a full day or halfday white water rafting trip on the White Nile, surely one of Africa’s most evocative rivers. You’ll receive a thorough safety demonstration before your guide takes you over gentle rapids and eventually onto the stronger, more exhilarating ones. There are also ‘float times’, enabling you to absorb the stunning views and enjoy the bird life here. Lunch is included on the banks of the river. Non-rafters can spend their time exploring the banks of the river with their incredible wealth of plants and birds on foot. Visits to these establishments have been described as a truly rewarding and inspirational experience by previous Explore clients.
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