10 Days Uganda Primate Safari with Rhino Tracking
10 Days Uganda Primate Safari with Rhino Tracking
The 10 days safari is a road trip to Uganda’s home of Rhinos then a night at Budongo for Chimpanzee tracking and top of Murchison Falls before heading to Kibale for a habituation experience of Chimpanzees. Experience Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Big game and an hour with the mountain gorillas of Bwindi before a night at Lake Bunyonyi and your return to Kampala.
Day 1-Arrive at Entebbe
Arrive at Entebbe and meet your guide/representative. Drive to your accommodation for the night in Entebbe before heading north west of the city to Budongo Forest.
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Hotel
Day 2-To Budongo via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Today we drive to Budongo Via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Budongo Forest is part of Murchison Falls Conservation Area and it is one of Uganda’s largest tracts of tropical forests. It has various primates the top ones being Chimpanzees. But before check in, we shall visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary at Nakitoma for an encounter with these big land mammals. The sanctuary is home to now 40 of the southern white species of Rhinos. Arrive at the lodge in the evening.
Accommodation: Budongo Eco Lodge.
Day 3-Chimpanzee tracking (Visit the top of the falls)
Today, have breakfast and take on the guided walk into the lush forest to search for a habituated chimpanzee family or community. Your guide will lead you and explain about the ecology of these primates and other life you meet on the way like the Black and White Colobus monkeys, the different birds snd trees. The tracking takes 2-4 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees. Return have lunch and check out for the visit to the top of the falls and night at Sambiya River Lodge.
Accommodation: Sambiya River Lodge
Day 4-To Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is Uganda’s primate paradise. It is home to 13 species of primates and numerous birds, mammals and butterflies. Today, we shall drive to the park from Sambiya River Lodge, arriving in the later afternoon. Lunch will be had along the way and on arrival you can decide to check in and relax at the lodge or head out for a visit of the Bigodi Swamp, a community based project.
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Day 5-Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
To learn much more about chimpanzees and spend much time with these primates, you will engage in this experience. It is almost a full day experience starting early morning for people who are interested in much more than just chimpanzee tracking. Watch the chimpanzees wake up from where they nested, search for food, play and make nests again. Together with the Great Blue Turaco Project, that was initiated by Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Jane Goodall Institute that focuses on getting chimpanzees getting used to human presence. When you return refresh and relax at the lodge.
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Day 6-To Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today, have breakfast and we drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is a famous one and we shall have a game drive on arrival before we head to the lodge. The kasenyi plains are amazing and full of life. The game drive is an opportunity to catch us with the felines, grazers and later head to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon head out for the cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The channel is 40km long joining Lakes Edward and George. It brings together wildlife from different areas of the park, that come here to drink and beat the heat. It is a relaxed cruise full of game viewing.
Accommodation: Buffalo Safari Lodge
Day 7-To Lake Mutanda
Today we drive to Bwindi (Rushaga) from Queen Elizabeth National Park through Ishasha. Ishasha is a sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park famous for the tree climbing lions. We shall drive here in search of these lazy felines and then have our lunch at Topi Lodge before we drive to Rushaga.
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort
Day 8-Gorilla tracking
It’s a gorilla tracking day. Have breakfast and head to the Buhoma sector offices for gorilla tracking. The trek can be 2-8 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family that day and it starts after a briefing by the park ranger. Once you find it, you’ll be allowed an hour to stay, watch, photograph and learn about the gorillas before you return. The balance of the day you can visit the community or a group of the Batwa (pygmies) who were the inhabitants of the forest before the gorilla conservation project. Learn about their way of life and later back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Kisoro Traveler’s Rest
Day 9-Golden Monkey tracking and night at Lake Bunyonyi
A morning to search for the golden monkeys in the bamboo zone of the Mgahinga Volcanoes. These primates are vulnerable and endemic to the Virunga Ranges and about 4000 of them remain. You will receive briefing from the base of the park and rangers will lead you into the park on the search. After you return drive to Lake Bunyonyi for a relaxed night before the drive back to Kampala.
Accommodation: Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Day 10-Back to Entebbe
Last day of 10. Today have an early breakfast and by 7am we begin our journey to Entebbe for your exit flight or night in Entebbe. The journey is a long one but impressive as it goes through different districts and landscapes. It includes a stop for lunch, a stop at the Equator and maybe shopping in Entebbe for souvenirs depending on your flight schedule
.
Accommodation:N/A
Included
Gorilla and Golden monkey tracking permits
Chimpanzee permits
Airport transfers
Accommodation
Meals as indicated
Safari guide/drive
Safari vehicle and gas
Drinking water
Activities mentioned
Not included
Tips
Porter fees
International flights and visas
Personal expenses