Primates Watching Tour Uganda Apes

Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park

You will start on your journey to Murchison Falls National Park after a briefing from your guide that you will meet after your breakfast in the morning. Murchison is Uganda’s largest national park and therefore its one place where you can find the feral African savannah Flora and fauna which is very common along side river Nile and the park was named after magnificent Murchison Falls, where the world’s longest river plunges through a narrow gorge in the Rift Valley escarpment. Wildlife populations have largely recovered from the poaching of the 1980s and therefore you will be able to sees the elephants, buffalo, giraffe and a variety of antelope during your game drives although the lions are not often seen. The southeast, Rabongo Forest is home to chimps and other rainforest creatures. The Victoria Nile has the highest population of hippos and crocodiles and variety of water birds including the world’s most accessible wild population of the rare shoebill stork. You will have your dinner and spend a night at

Luxury; Paraa safari Lodge/ Nile Safari Camp

Moderate; Sambiya River Lodge

Budget; Red Chillis camp

Day 2: The launch cruise along the River Nile

After a cup of coffee or tea to warm up for the morning, you will go for a 3-5 hours game drive on the northern Bank of the Nile River. You will have an opportunity to see the Rothschild Giraffe, Jackson Hartebeest, Elephant, Lions, Waterbucks and a variety of Savannah woodland birds.

You will go back to the lodge at mid morning for breakfast and lunch in the afternoon after which you will go for an afternoon launch cruise on the Victoria Nile. The boat ride takes you to the bottom of the fall from where you encounter hippos, crocodiles, and much other savannah wild life taking water. For the bird lovers, you will encounter lots of them; watch out for the legendary shoe Bill stork if you are lucky and many other bird species. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight will be at your lodge.

Day 3: Another game drive and chimpanzee tracking at Kaniyo Pabidi

Early morning game drives on the northern Bank will give up a chance to see Elephant, Lion, Cape buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffe, hartebeest, Waterbuck, Oribi, Bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard with the help of your guide. You may take photos after which you will return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch, in the afternoon you will head to Kaniyo Pabidi to do Chimpanzee tracking. The rangers you will have will help you search for these chimps as they also give you information about the other primates that you will en counter. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4 .To Fort portal / Kibale National Park

You will transfer to Kibale National park immediately after breakfast which is the most accessible of Uganda’s major rainforests and yet home to remarkable 13 primate species, like the famous red colobus and Lhotse’s monkey. You will be tracking the habituated chimps which are very delightful apes and most close to human race than to any other living creature, they are very interesting to watch as they bicker and have fun in fruiting trees. A network of shady forest trails provides much to glee botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for fragility with 335 species recorded. There are also elusive forest elephant which are smaller and with more hair than its savannah counterpart, budges seasonally into the industrial part of the park, while other earthly mammals include buffalo, giant forest hog and a half dozen antelope species. You will have dinner and sleep at either;

Luxury; Ndali Lodge /Mountains of the moon Lodge

Moderate- Rwenzori view guest house/ Ataco

Budget –Chimps nest

Day 5: Kibale National Park Uganda

After breakfast, you will go for chimpanzee tracking with your ranger, you may spend half of the day searching for chimpanzees and 10 other primates’ species like the l’hoestes, red colobus, blues, red tailed and gray-cheeked mangabey. The ranger will provide detailed information about them and all the forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable. This walk is excellent for viewing bird life and seeing primates at close quarters. After your lunch in the afternoon, you will go for a swamp walk in Bigodi swamp a community owned incentive. Retire for dinner and overnight your lodge.

Day 6: TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NP

Take breakfast and then transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. A game drive en route may be rewarded with views of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, hyena and a variety of antelope species. Check in and relax as you wait for time for a 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. The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous with well over 550 resident species. Dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury Mweya safari lodge/ Jacana safari Lodge/ Kyambura wildlife lodge

Moderate Hippo hill Camp

Budget Albertine River camp

Day 7: The game drive.

You will wake up early in the morning, take your breakfast and then go for a game drive to search for the early riser animals and be sure to encounter as many as possible given the fact that Queen Elizabeth National Park has got diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to plenty of wildlife. Game drives in this park will give you excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Topi and bush buck. These two game drives and the boat trip are a memorable ways of discovering the variety Ugandan wildlife. Dinner will be at your lodge.

Day 8: Visit the Kyambura Gorge

Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse Eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. An early morning walk in the spectacular Kyambura Gorge provides excellent opportunities to see chimpanzees, l’hoestes, red colobus, black and white colobus and more. After lunch which will be packed lunch, you will go for another interesting game drive in the Ishasha sector where you will see the tree climbing lions before you can go back to your lodge fro dinner and sleep.

Day 09: To Bwindi National Park

You will leave for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park passing through Ishasha the seasonal southern sector of Queen Elizabeth. You lunch will be at the Ishasha River and try to find the famed Ishasha tree-climbing lions before continuing to Bwindi, home to the few remaining 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. Your night will be at either at;

Luxury accommodation package- Buhoma Homestead (FB)./Gorilla Resort camp/ Gorilla Forest Camp

Moderate accommodation package- Lake Kitandara Luxury tented camp

Budget; Buhoma Community Bandas.

Day 10 Gorilla tracking.

Immediately after your breakfast, you will meet a representative from AA safaris and tours, he will brief you about your trip and then drive you to Bwindi national park which is the home for Gorillas, as well s thousands of bird species in that Montane Forest, with also about 23 of the 24 Albertine Rift endemics and the African Green Broadbill, Bar Tailed Trogon. It is situated in south-western part of Uganda about 530km from Kampala and it can also be reached by road using different routes. Bwindi was originally a Forest reserve and it was gazette in 1942 Overnight then later in 1992 it was declared as a national park and then the world’s heritage site in 1994. You may be able to take a nature walk upon your arrival in the evening. During the nature walk, you will have the opportunity to see the different tree species, the different wild birds and also see a few primates like the monkeys and so many other wild animals while they move around the forest in search for what to eat. After your nature walk, you will proceed to your lodge (the one of your own choice) and which ever you may chose, you will sleep to the sound of the birds in the mountain rainforest. You can spend a night at;

Budget- Buhoma Community bandas or Bwindi View bandas or Nkuringo campsite tents or Virunga Hotel or Nkuringo safari centre

Moderate- accommodation package- Lake Kitandara camp or Nkuringo camp site or Wagtail Eco lodge or similar

Up market; Engagi lodge or Buhoma lodge or Gorilla Resort camp or Traveler’s rest camp or Silver back lodge/ Gorilla safari lodge/clouds lodge

Luxury accommodation package- Gorilla Forest Camp or Clouds Lodge or Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge, or Volcanoes Bwindi safari Lodge

Day 11: Forest walks in Bwindi and later transfer to Lake Mutanda

After breakfast, you will proceed on a forest walk to see more of what Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has to offer. Later travel to Kisoro for dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury Nkuringo safari lodge /Clouds lodge

Budget Nkuringo safari Centre

Day 12: Hike the Gahinga-Transfer to Rwanda- Perc des Volcanoes

You will have to hike the Gahinga and Virunga. Then later transfer to Rwanda. Lying in the northern part of Rwanda Parc National Des Volcano are looms up to almost 15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest. Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda the most notable amongst these is the “the Virungas”, and is inhabited by Rwanda’s most prized endowment- the endangered mountain gorillas. Half the world’s population of gorillas can be found in these mountains .The 1994 genocide and war greatly hurt the tourism sector of the economy, however due to diligent work by the government this has first become the leading industry.

Dinner and overnight at;

Luxury – sabyinyo silver back lodge

Moderate-Gorilla nest lodge, mountain gorilla view

Budget – Kinigi /Muhabura lodge

Day 13: Gorilla tracking

You will go for gorilla tracking in Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda. After your breakfast, you will be briefed by the ranger at the headquarter before you go fro tracking. The ranger will guide you through the jungle as he will have an idea where the gorillas may be since he knows where they were the day before. You will have chance to stay with them for an hour before you go back to your lodge.

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

You will drive to kabala to Lake Bunyonyi a place with lots of bird species which can be seen on the Lake Bunyonyi thus the name which means bird translated from the local language. You will have shortened on your distance back to Lake Mburo and you will have your dinner and sleep at either.

Budget Bushara Island Camp

Moderate- Arccadia cottages

Luxury; Heritage lodges at Habuharo Island.

Day 15: Bird watching in Kabale.

You will have to wake up very early so that you can see the bird for those who are bird lovers; you will go fro a boat ride on the lake to Muko where there are also lots of birds and also have the opportunity to see the various island in the lake. You will later return to your lodge for dinner and sleep.

Day 16; Lake Mburo National park

After an early breakfast, you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Enter the Park through the nearest gate. Afternoon game drives along the Lakeshore track. With its own system of game trails and cleared walkways the “Kigambara Loop” offers interesting guided lakeside walks. Find here herds of zebra, Cape buffalo and eland. Oribi and topi are easily approached. Along with a game drive, many visitors enjoy a boat trip on Lake Mburo. Self-guided nature trails are also available. Birdwatchers, will enjoy the more than 250 species of birds found in Lake Mburo including Papyrus Gonolek, Brown faced Lapwing. Retire for dinner and overnight at

Luxury; Mihingo Lodge/Mantana luxury tented

Moderate; Arcadia cottage

Budget; Rwonyo

Day 17: Game drive and Canoe Ride along Lake Mburo

After breakfast, you will for a game drive or a safari walk under the escort of an armed ranger. In Lake Mburo, you can expect to see lots of zebras although there are so many other animals like the antelopes among others. After lunch, you will go for the boat ride on Lake Mburo and get a close look at the crocodiles and hippos given the fact that this is the only park where you are not entirely imprisoned in a vehicle so you can move freely. Dinner and Overnight at your lodge.

Day 18: Transfer to KAMPALA

After breakfast, go for one more game drive. After lunch, drive back to Kampala and you may stop at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers and see the ceremonial drums being crafted using methods passed down through generations. There will also be enough time to stop at the equator for photographs. Proceed to Entebbe where you will sleep at either

Up market; Imperial Botanical Beach hotel

Moderate; The Boma Guest house

Budget; Central Inn Hotel

Day 19: Transfer to Ngamba

We will transfer you to the pier for a boat ride to Ngamba Island for a half day excursion to see orphaned Chimpanzees being fed. Visit the Uganda Wildlife Education centre. Before taking your 09:00am boat, you will be driven to CSWCT offices in Entebbe for briefing. Here they have replicated some of the country’s conservation zones such as savannah, wetlands and tropical forest. The boat takes about 45 minutes across to Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary, crossing the Equator en-route. On arrival at this home to 39 orphaned chimps, you will be given a short introduction and briefing on the sanctuary. After which, the chimpanzee feeding time will come! Watch these primates from the visitors’ platform whilst they are feeding. It is fascinating to watch the chimps intermingle with each other and with their keepers. You will realize that most of them have different characters just like Man. Whereby some are very greedy others aren’t. This is fascinating!! 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. Clearly, the superlative 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. Later transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home.

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Primates Watching Tour Uganda Apes