These 7-Days Uganda Primates Safari Tour gives you a chance to encounter with Shoebill of Mabamba Swamp, the Chimps of Kibale Forest National Park and Gorilla Trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Golden Monkeys of Mgahinga National Park.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport/Transfer to your Booked accommodation for the Overnight.
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by a professional Soul Treat Safari guide/driver who will welcome you to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will be transferred to your booked accommodation in Entebbe.
Main Destination: Entebbe
Accommodation: This Can Be Arranged
Meals & Drinks: Drinking water
Day 2: Morning Shoebill Trek/Transfer to Kibale National Park
You will have your Breakfast served by 6:00am and thereafter you will embark on your Journey to Mabamba Swamp in Entebbe for Shoebill Trek.
The swamp is a major breeding site and prides itself as one of the locations with the highest concentration of Shoebills anywhere in the world. This protected area will almost guarantee a sighting of this prehistoric bird in its natural Wetland. This leisure boat cruise will go around waterways in the swamp with a chance of sighting many different bird species and the endemics that live around Lake Victoria. This will take you 2-3hrs.
After the Shoebill Trek, you will straightaway Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park with a stopover for Lunch on the way and proceed in the view of the Rwenzori Mountains. Dinner and overnight stay at Bigodi.
You will reach and do little but check into your accommodation where you will have dinner and the overnight rest.
Distance Travelled: 5-8hrs
Main Destination: Kibale Forest National Park
Accommodation: Luxury: Chimpundu Lodge
Meals & Drinks: All Meals and drinking water
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk/Transfer to Bwindi National Park
Have breakfast and head to the trekking point where you will receive some briefing on the dos and don’ts during chimp trekking. Thereafter, you will proceed to trek the chimps in the Kibale Forest. An experienced ranger guide will take you chimp tracking and you will be marveled by the sights of primates here. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will have a full hour with them. Return to your accommodation for some rest time and lunch. Later go out for the Bigodi swamp walk. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a fascinating area, located in Magombe swamp.
This area is recognized for its extensive array of biodiversity among which are several primates’ species like the baboons, black & white colobus monkeys, vervet monkey and the L’Hoest monkey. The Bigodi is also a paradise for bird watchers. Among the major bird species within the sanctuary is the grand Blue Turaco.
You will then Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for Dinner and Overnight stay.
Approximate Distance: 3-5hrs
Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
Accommodation: Luxury: Mahogany Springs Lodge
Meals & Drinks: All meals included//Drinking Water Throughout
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Cultural Experience/Transfer to Mgahinga National Park
Today is the big day… Prepare yourself for an encounter with one of Bwindi’s gentle giants: the rare Mountain Gorilla. For most people this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a highlight for many visitors as this is where they will be visiting the home of the gentle giants.
The park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests lies on the mist-covered hillsides. This magnificent forest dates back over 25,000 years, even surviving the last Ice Age (most forests disappeared). Bwindi forest has an incredible diversity of flora and fauna and is the only forest in Africa which can make claim to host both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.
In fact, half the worlds’ population of gorillas live here divided over nine habituated family groups. Also 5 other primate species, 120 species of mammal, over 220 butterflies and 360 bird’s species call Bwindi home. When you spot a Gorilla Family, you will spend 1-Hours in their presence.
This is the place to see the critically endangered mountain gorillas up close for your very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ moment.
After the Batwa Cultural Experience, you will then be transferred to Mgahinga National Park for Golden Monkey Tracking the next day. You will reach to relax, dinner and overnight.
Distance Travelled: 2-3hrs
Main Destination: Mgahinga National Park
Accommodation: Luxury: Mutanda Lake Resort
Meals & Drinks: All Meals and drinking water Throughout
Day 5: Golden Monkey Tracking
Today you will leave your lodge after an early breakfast and your driver guide will transfer you to the briefing point where the golden monkey trekking starts. A ranger guide will receive you and offer you a briefing with information on what to expect while in the park as you search for the golden monkeys. After this short brief, you will then start your hike up in search of the golden monkeys, which are only in the Virunga Volcanoes. You are encouraged to take with you a porter because the hike can be steep in some areas and they will be helpful.
You will be joined by enforcement officers to help in case you meet the wild buffaloes and Elephants which can be dangerous. The golden monkeys are generally more active than the gorillas and you will follow them as they move all over the place and feed.
Just like gorilla trekking, you are only allowed to spend 1-hour with the golden monkeys before you start your descent back to the starting point and your lodge. They love feeding on bamboo shoots among other foods like fruits, vegetation, and sometimes ants. Thereafter, return to your Lodge for Dinner and Overnight.
Main Destination: Mgahinga National Park
Accommodation: Luxury: Mutanda Lake Resort
Meals & Drinks: All Meals and drinking water Throughout
Day 6: Gorilla Tracking at Mgahinga NP/Transfer to Mbarara City for the Overnight
The gorilla trekking in Mgahinga follows the same model as in Bwindi. Treks depart in the morning at about 9am. The length of the trek before you make contact with the gorillas depends on the location of the gorilla family. Contact lasts for one hour, during which you will be about 7 meters from the gorillas.
You will return to relax for a few Minutes, have lunch and later transfer to Mbarara City for the Overnight to reduce on the distance of travel the next day.
Main Destination: Mbarara
Accommodation: Luxury: Emburara Farm Lodge
Meals & Drinks: All Meals and drinking water Throughout
Day 7: Transfer to Entebbe/Shoebill Trek at Mabamba Swamp/Departure Entebbe Airport
You will have packed Breakfast by 6:00am and thereafter you will embark on your Journey to Entebbe with en-route stop over for Shoebill Trek. You will be transferred to Mabamba Swamp for the Shoebill Trek within Entebbe.
The swamp is a major breeding site and prides itself as one of the locations with the highest concentration of Shoebills anywhere in the world. This protected area will almost guarantee a
sighting of this prehistoric bird in its natural Wetland. This leisure boat cruise will go around waterways in the swamp with a chance of sighting many different bird species and the endemics that live around Lake Victoria. This will take you 2-3hrs.
After the Trek, you will transfer to your Booked accommodation in Entebbe for relaxation, Dinner and Overnight.
Main Destination: Entebbe
Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks: Breakfast and Lunch//Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Here you will also say your last Goodbyes to your Guide-Driver.
End of this Tour!
Tour Rates Includes;
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- Two Gorilla permits (One per person, non-resident).
- Chimps permits (One per person, non-resident).
- Shoebill Treks at Mabamba Swamp
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade).
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation in 4×4 Jeep (Unless labeled as optional).
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section).
- 4×4 Jeep in an open Roof Top
Tour Rates Excludes;
- International flights (From/to home)
- Accommodation before and at the end of the
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, )
- The government imposed an increase in taxes and/or park fees
