25 DAYS PRIMATE SAFARI UGANDA AND RWANDA

25 DAYS PRIMATE SAFARI UGANDA AND RWANDA

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO YOUR HOTEL

A tour guide from AA safaris and tours will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in either Kampala or Entebbe or your desired accommodation according to your budget. Depending on the time of arrival, you are advised to change your money into Ugandan Shillings for use in your safari. You can then take part in a Kampala city visit some of Kampala’s historical sites or the Kabaka’s trail. The historical sites trail will lead you to places like; The Parliament, the museum, mosques, churches, markets while the Kabaka’s trail will take you to Buganda’s rich heritage, shaped by the region’s kings and their descendants.Much more than just sight-seeing, the trail gives you a chance to learn about the hidden and forgotten history of Buganda, as well as to experience an authentic, traditional culture — with dance, music, craft-making, spiritual healing and story telling. This Track links a sequence of cultural sites, all of which are within easy reach of Kampala. Each can be visited on its own or as part of the whole Trail— encounter the rich and genuine culture, learn about forgotten times and come face-to-face with ancient traditions and ceremonies. Kasubi Tombs, Wamala tombs, Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, Buganda Museums, The Kabaka’s palace and craft centres.Dinner and overnight at

Budget – Holiday Express Hotel / Tourist Hotel

Standard - Speke Hotel / Cassia Lodge

Luxury Kampala Sheraton Hotel / Kampala Serena Hotel / Grand Imperial Hotel

Kasubi tombs

Day 2: TO MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

Take your breakfast and head to Murchison Falls National Park. You will drive through Luwero or Hoima then to Masindi from where you will connect to Murchison Falls Np. Visit the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary before reaching the park. After luch, proceed to the park.

Budget – Red Chillis

Standard - Sambiya River lodge or Budongo Eco lodge

Luxury – Paraa Safari Lodge or Nile Safari Camp

Murchision Falls National Park

Day 3: Chimp tracking in kaniyo pabidi and visit the top of the falls

After breakfast, go for Chimpanzee tracking in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest. This is an undisturbed area of natural forest within Budongo Forest Reserve where you can walk beneath mature mahogany and iron wood trees. Chimpanzee tracking is the most famous activity. You will definitely see many forest birds, including the chocolates-backed Kingfisher, the white-thigh hornbill, the chocolates-backed Kingfisher and puvel’s illadopsis found nowhere else in East Africa. Have Lunch and transfer to the top of falls. Dinner and overnight at your previous lodge

Day 4: Game drive and launch cruise

After a cup of coffee to gain warmth, you will be transferred to the northern part of Murchison falls National Park for a game drive. The guide will explain more about each encounters like Giraffes, Elephants, Buffaloes, Bushbucks, Lions, and a variety of bird species. Return to the lodge a mid morning breakfast before you proceed for an afternoon launch cruise to the bottom of the falls of the mighty Murchison falls where menacing water escapes from the narrow gorge, an opportunity to see the amazing hippos, crocodiles, water birds along the river banks enabling a wonderful birding safari. Overnight at your lodge.

Launch cruise in Murchison Falls National Park

Day 5: KIBALE NATIONAL PARK

Have breakfast then depart with our packed lunch to Kibale National Park. This scenic drive takes 8- 9 hours. We will pass via the Albertine escarpment. On a clear day, the view on the top of the Albert rift is fantastic. Have lunch en route and arrive Fortpoartal in the late Afternoon. Dinner and overnight at a

Luxurious Ndali Lodge/ Primates Lodge NDALI LODGE NDALI LODGE

Mid range Rwenzori View Guest House

Budget Kanyankyu Ecological Bandas (FB)

Day 6: CHIMPANZEE TRACKING

We will wake up early and depart to Kanyankyu tourists centre for clearance and briefing from the Ranger guides before we head to the forest for our next activity Chimpanzee tracking. This is the most popular walk of Kibale’s walks and it starts at 0800 hours and lasts for 2-3 hours depending on the time you take to encounter chimpanzees. Though you will be searching for these habituated chimpanzees, you will encounter other primates like the Black and white Colobus Monkeys’ Chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees while they hunt for monkeys to prey on. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, go for Bigodi swamp walk. Dinner and overnight at your lodge

Chimpanzee in Kibale National Park

Day 7: TO SEMLIKI WILDLIFE RESERVE

Wake up very early in the morning and leave for Semliki Wildlife Reserve; this scenic drive will take you down the eastern side of Lake Albert. Semliki reserve is situated in the basin of the Western Rift Valley. It is one of the most diverse habitats in Africa with wonderful examples of borassus palm forest, Riparian forest, gallery rain forest and short and high grass savannas. Semliki is one of Africa’s most biodiverse forest. It is particularly well known for its varied bird population. It is one of Africa’s most ancient Forests popular because of having survived the dry conditions of the last ice age 12-18000 years ago with Bwindi when most of the forests shrank and that is how it managed to protect some species that like the arid apocalypse until they eventually managed to emerge to re colonize a better wetter world. After dinner go for a night drive. This is the only place in Uganda where you can do a spot lit night drive. You never know what you may see. Often the big cats are sighted as well as the diminutive genet and serval cats. Unusual nocturnal dwellers also show themselves, such as the white tailed mongoose and slender mongoose, standard and pennant winged nightjars depending on the time of year. There are always surprises on the night drives. Dinner and overnight at

Luxury: Semliki safari Lodge

Day 8: Game drive IN SEMLIKI NATIONAL PARK

An early morning rise, tea at your camp, and then you will go down into the gorgeous gallery rainforest to track wild chimpanzees. Chimps are tracked by researchers in Semliki at dawn and dusk, as they tend to disappear in the middle of the day. There are also a number of bird species which are found in this picturesque forest. You will return to the lodge for lunch and the chance to relax by the pool and enjoy the tranquility of the Lodge. In the late afternoon you will go for a game drive, stopping along the way to watch the African sun dip below the horizon. Overnight at your lodge

Hotspring in Semlik National Park

Day 9: TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Depart to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will pass through the crater Valley with beautiful lakes and rich grasslands which are set deep. This is truly the most magnificent scenery in the park. Queen Elizabeth hosts a large variety and volume of wildlife. It boasts one of the highest bio diversity ranging from the open Savannah to Rain forest, dense swamps and beautiful crater lakes to the vastness of Lake Edward. Almost 100 species that include Hippos, Buffaloes, Lions, Leopard, Spotted Hyena and the elusive giant forest hog. There are over 606 species of birds found here including the martial eagle, Verreaux’s eagle owl, black-rumped buttonquail and African skimmer among others. The primates include Chimps, Blue Magabeys, Black and white Colobus Monkeys, Black Faced Red Colobus, and Red Tailed monkeys and Olive Baboons. After checking in and having lunch, you will head for an evening game drive and spot Elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, hippos and others. Dinner and overnight at

Budget – Albertine Camp

Moderate – Hippo Hill Camp

Luxury – Mweya Safari lodge/ Jacana safari lodge

Hippos and birds along the Kazinga channel

Day 10: CHIMP TRACKING IN THE KYAMBURA GORGE.

After a cup of coffee, this morning we will leave for the 08.00am chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge. Expect to see various primates most especially Chimpanzee, Black and white Colobus monkeys primates like the rd colobus monkeys, blue Mangebeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others. This gorge is a home of very many bird species. After lunch, visit the crater lakes. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

DAY 11: GAME DRIVE AND LAUNCH CRUISE ALONG THE KAZINGA CHANNEL

Take a cup of coffee and go for an early morning game drive in this park, provide excellent opportunities to see Lions, Cape Buffaloes, Giant Forest Hogs, Leopards, Elephants, Defassa Waterbucks, Uganda Kobs, Topi and Bush bucks and many more. After lunch, enjoy the unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of Hippos and many animals may be seen drinking at the water’s edge. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing, ideal for the Uganda safari .The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous with well over 550 resident species. Dinner and Over night at your lodge

Elephants in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 12: TO BWINDI NATIONAL PARK

In the morning after breakfast, leave for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest through the Ishasha Sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth. Have lunch by the Ishasha River and find the famed Ishasha tree-climbing lions before continuing on to Bwindi, home to the endangered mountain gorillas. Bird life and primate life in Bwindi is quite superb, and there is an incredible variety of flora. Bwindi is the Bird watchers haven! It holds 348 species of birds and supports 24 of 26 Albertine Rift Endemics that occur in Uganda; and seven red data book species. Once continuous with the forests of the Virunga Volcanoes (Dian Fossey’s stomping ground), Bwindi is now an ecological island, surrounded by cultivation on the rich volcanic soils. Dinner and overnight at

Budget accommodation – Buhoma Community Bandas or Bwindi view Bandas or Virunga Hotel in Kisoro

Mid range accommodation – Lake Kitandara camp /Engagi lodge/ Travelers’ rest hotel in Kisoro

Standard accommodation – Buhoma Lodge / Silver back lodge / Gorilla Resort Camp/ Nkuringo camp site cabins in Kisoro / Gorilla Safari Lodge.

Luxury accommodation – Gorilla Forest camp or Clouds lodge in Kisoro

A silver back gorilla in Bwindi

Day 13: Gorilla Tracking

You will rise relatively early for a jovial breakfast to give you the energy needed for gorilla tracking. Report to the ranger station at 08.00 am where the guides will take you through the forest, slashing at the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track gorillas. This trek can take from half an hour to five hours therefore a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes. You sit in the forest among the gorillas listening to them grumble at each other and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male, the silverback. It is amazing to think that there are only 650 or so of these creatures left in the world! If you have the afternoon free, you will take a guided village walk to see how the Ugandans live. Dinner and Overnight at your lodge

Day 14: Transfer to Rwanda

After breakfast, drive across the Uganda -Rwanda- Cyanika Border. Have lunch en route and arrive at your lodge. You will check in and retire for dinner and over night at

Budget – Kinigi Guest House / Muhavura Lodge

Moderate – Mountain Gorilla Nest Lodge / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge

Up Market –Virunga Volcanoes Lodge

Day 15: GORILLA TRACKING

An early morning breakfast is followed by a drive/ walk to Kinigi park headquarters for briefing , group allocation and orientation. This is followed by a drive to the trailheads where hiking and trekking up the hills to the bamboo zone begins. Hiking, trekking and tracking gorillas may take 3-10 hours. Sight and stay with the Gorillas for one hour. Dinner and over night at your lodge

A gorilla in Parc des Volcanos

Day 16: HEAD TO L. BUNYONYI

After breakfast, leave for Lake Bunyonyi. This large and inconsistently shaped lake lies at an altitude of approximately 2000m, where it follows the curves of the hilly terrain that detaches the towns of Kabale and Kisoro. It is a very lovely spot, dotted with small islands and banded by steeped terraced hills. The Lake gets its name Bunyonyi from the fact that it harbors diversity of birds. Dinner and over night at

Up market: Habuharo Island camps

Mid range: Arcadia cottages

Budget: Bushara Island Camp.

Lake Bunyonyi

Day 17: Canoe ride

Visit the Kabale museum and have a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi to view the different bird species and the islands. Dinner and Overnight at your previous lodge.

Day 18: TRANSFER TO L. MBURO

Take break fast and depart for Lake Mburo National Park. We will drive through some of Uganda’s premium scenery. Lake Mburo National Park is an extension of the Tanzanian plains with big herds of zebra, impala, eland and other ungulates (clove hoofed animals). For birders, this is one of the best places to find African fin foot, papyrus bush shrike and the legendary Shoe bill. We will check in at the camp and relax for a little while before going in a dug out canoe on the lake. Dinner and overnight at

Luxury Mihingo Lodge/Mantana luxury tented

Moderate Arcadia cottage

Budget – Rwonyo

Day 19: NATURE WALK TO THE SALT LICK

Go for an early morning game drive in search for animals and birds. This home of zebras in Uganda has over 310 bird species have been recorded in Lake Mburo National Park. It is probably the best place in Uganda to see Acacia associated birds and also of special interest to birders, are the swamps. The swamps are home to the highly localized Papyrus Yellow Warbler recorded nowhere else in Uganda. Have lunch and then in the evening, you will take a guided nature walk to the salt lick area where most animals in this park go to lick salt. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Impalas at the salt lick

Day 20: HEAD TO JINJA

After morning breakfast, take a brief game drive and then we will leave for Jinja the re-known source of the Longest River in Africa. Before Kampala we will take a stop over at the Equator for a pictorial opportunity as well as an informative talk from guides illustrating proofs that that is the Equator. On arrival in Kampala, we will have lunch then head East passing coffee, Tea and Sugar plantations and the colorful roadside fruit/vegetable markets. The first stop is the Mabira Forest; here you will be able to see the primates, birds and butterflies in a brief nature walk. Then continue to the source of the Nile. This is a spot where John Speke first discovered the source of the Nile River. Dinner and overnight at

Luxury: Jinja Nile Resort /King Fisher lodge
mid range: Gately on the Nile/
Budget: Sunset hotel

Water rafting on the source of the Nile

Day 21: TO SIPPI FALLS

Take break fast then leave Jinja for a full day excursion at Mountain Elgon National Park. Mountain Elgon has been an extinct volcano that first erupted more than 24 million years ago. With the largest surface area of any extinct Volcano in the World (50Km by 80Km), the mountain ranks fourth amongst the highest mountains of East Africa. A day hike area will allow you to explore Mount Elgon’s diverse mountane forest. The popular forest exploration center trail loop site (Sipi trailhead) can make one enjoy the cool mist at Chebonet falls, Kapkwai cave, the talking tree as well as a spectacular view point, which lies just beyond.

Dinner and Overnight at

Luxury: Sipi River lodge

Mid range: Lucum Lodge

Budget: Sipi falls rest camp

Sipi falls

Day 22: TO KAMPALA

Take break fast and drive to Kampala. On arrival in Kampala, your safari guide will transfer you to your hotel. You will check in your lodges. Freshen up and relax after a long safari. If you are interested, the guide will help you around some craft centre like the gallery at the National theatre among others so that you can shop souvenirs. Dinner and overnight at

Upmarket Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel/ Imperial Botanical Beach hotel

Moderate The Boma Guest house

Budget Central Inn Hotel

Crafts at the National Threatre

Day 23: NGAMBA ISLAND

Having taken breakfast, you will be Visit UWEC (Uganda Wildlife Education Centre) the former Zoo and then after briefing and checking from Ngamba Island staff, walk to the shores of Lake Victoria to meet your 9.00am launch. The boat takes about 45 minutes across to Ngamba Island, crossing the Equator en-route. On arrival at the island, home to 39 chimpanzees, you will be given a short introduction about the history of the site. Then after, you will go to the feeding stand of where you will view while chimpanzee will be Fed. The characters as they struggle to get food are totally similar to man! In the relatively short amount of time you are there you will be able to see such different personalities amongst the group, with some whistling for food and others clapping, others collecting food for their children, while others will be scrambling to get food that they will keep . These apes feed twice in a day. Obviously the ideal option would be to re-introduce these orphaned chimpanzees to the wild however this is not possible for a number of different reasons and the sanctuary is not bad for second best. Dinner and overnight at luxury: G and C camp (FB)

Mid range: Ngamba Island tented camp

A chimpanzee on Ngamba Island

Day 24: THE FOREST WALK

Take breakfast and if you had medical inoculations have been approved to render you fit for the Forest walk, together with the guide , you will walk into the forest for a another rare experience with the chimps. The playful chimps climb on you, pull your hair, or just walk along holding your hand! (Clients must have specific up to date vaccinations for this activity, which is restricted to three people at any one time, and should ask for further details before booking with us). Dinner and overnight at your lodge

Day 25: BACK TO ENTEBBE.

After breakfast, you will return to the main land where you will meet your safari guide who will transfer you to Entebbe International Airport to meet your flight back home.

GORILLA SAFARI PRICE PER PERSON / ACCOMMODATION TYPE	1 PERSON	2 pax	3 persons	4 Persons	5 person	6 person
Budget	17120.05	11582.8	10174.05	9141.925	8587.05	8328.3
Mid range	17658.25	11850.75	10532.083	9409.875	8777.95	8596.25
Standard accommodations	21229	14116.3	13232.667	11675.375	10943.4	10861.75
Luxury	25139	16656.6	16229.6	14215.725	13403.48	13402.1

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25 DAYS PRIMATE SAFARI UGANDA AND RWANDA