Day 1; – Transfer to Ngamba Island
A tour Guide will AA SAFARIS AND TOURS will pick you up from your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala and transfer you to the pier . You will take a Boat to Ngamba Island crossing the Equator and then you will arrive at the site . On arrival, you will be briefed about the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee sanctuary and you will be briefed and then later escorted to the Chimpanzee viewing plat form. You will view mans’ Closest Cousins the Chimpanzee feeding; it is amazing to see that these apes behave just like man – when they scribble and scrumble for food just to feed them selves, their children and keep or even hide some food for later. You will later go for lunch in thee dining area. Dinner and over night at G&C Luxury Tented Camps.
Day 2- Forest walk holding hands with Chimpanzees. ( Subject to T&C )
Guest to Ngamba can partake in the incorporation program of the chimpanzees by taking part in the exterior area integration or the forest walk program. As part of the team going out in the field with the infants, you will give them prop by holding them, as they may require when they are instituted to the elder folks. They are also often showed different parts of the forest to orient and make them feel safe and secure after having passed through a lot of insecurity. You will be among several chimpanzees aged between 5 – 9 years and will have direct contact as we orient them to a new life in the forest. Or a possible future release program back to the wild. The forest walk is indeed enjoyable and an exhilarating experience that one may not miss when doing a primates safari in Africa. You will later return and take your boat ride to the main land from where an agent from AA safaris and tours Ltd will meet with you and transfer you to your lodge or hotel for dinner and overnight
Day 3- Transfer to Lake Mburo
Wake up early enough and take your breakfast. A tour guide from AA safaris and tours ltd will pick you up from Kampala and drive you south westwards. Take a stopover at the equator and then later transfer to Mbarara. You will then proceed to Lake Mburo NP. Have lunch, Indulge in an afternoon Canoe Ride and then in the evening, go for a nature walk to the salt lick area. The salt lick is where most animals in this park come to lick salt. Viewing is aided by a timber watching platform.
You will retire for dinner and over night at either ;
Budget – Rwonyo UWA bandas
Moderate- Arcadia Cottages
Luxury – Mihingo Lodge / Mantana Luxury tented camp
Day 4- Game drive and then transfer to Kibale Np
You will indulge in a game drive in Lake Mburo Np and then later transfer to Kibale Np. Located 26km at the south-east of Fort Portal town Kibale National park is home to over 14 species of primates that include the Colobus monkeys, Chimpanzee, the blue mangabeys, red tailed monkeys, baboons to mention but a few. You may stay at either Fort portal town or in Kibale National park.
Dinner and over night at
Budget – Chimps Nest camp / Rujuni Guest house/ Primates Cottages
Standard – Nyinabulitwa Country resort or Rwenzori view Guest house/ Kibale Forest Lodge
Luxury – Primates Lodge cottages/ Kyaninga lodge / Ndali lodge / Mountains of the moon Lodge
Day 5 – Chimpanzee Tracking- Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Wake up early in the morning and assemble at Kanyankyu tourist centre for briefing . You will later go for Chimpanzee trekking. Along the trek, you may encounter birds, animals like an elephant which is hairy and smaller than its savannah counterparts. The rangers will explain all the details about flora and fauna found in Kibale Forest. Later, you will encounter chimpanzee in the forest . Return and transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP . On arrival at Queen Elizabeth NP, you will take a tour around the crater lakes region after which you will transfer to your lodge for dinner and over night at ;
Budget- Simba safari lodge / Bush Camp
Moderate – Ihamba Lodge / Hippo Hill camp
Luxury- Mweya Safari Lodge / Jacana safari lodge / Katara Lodge / Kyambura Game lodge
Day 6- Game drive and launch cruise in Queen Elizabeth NP
Wake up early in the mornings and take cup of tea or coffee. Go for a game drive along Kasenyi track to search for Buffalos, Elephants, Warthogs, the elusive leopard, hyenas and Lion. The search may take 3-4 hours . Return to the lodge for mid morning breakfast. After lunch, a two-hour launch cruise along the Kazinga channel proffers visitors a unique opportunity to encounter at close quarters hippo and a variety of bird species common to the park. The prolific bird life is colorful and astonishing with well over 550 resident species. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 7 – Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge – Transfer to Bwindi Np –
Wake up for breakfast and then later convene at the Kyambura Gorge to start the chimpanzee trek. The Kyambura gorge is situated south of Lake George and east of Queen Elizabeth National Park where the Kazinga Channel separates from the lake, flowing to the Lake Edward side. Even though it has an alike ecology with QENP, the ordinary blockades shaped by the Kyambura Gorge and Kazinga Channel make it likely to handle the area as a secede entity. Kyambura gorge is shock absorber for the north-eastern part of Queen Elizabeth Np. There is no land link between the reserve and the park, animals simply cross the Kyambura river where it is shallowest during the dry seasons to move between the protected areas. The river gorge manacles a high-canopy humid forest which scores to a swamp-forest and papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) marsh near the moth of the Kyambura river. The eastern border go after the Buhindagi river from Lake George, south-east to Kasyoha-Kitomi Forest Reserve (a damp semi-deciduous forest not presently included within the IBA) where the boundaries of the Forest and Wildlife Reserves adjoin. The Kyambura reserve is a home to both fresh and salty volcanic lakes. The most important salty lakes include; Lake Bagusa, Lakes Nshenyi and Maseche while Lakes Kararo, Chibwera, Kinera, and Kyamwiga have fresh water and more to see.
You will leave for Bwindi Forest National Park. If weather allows, you will drive through the seasonal southern sector of Queen Elizabeth – the Famous Ishasha Sector- renown for tree climbing lions . The Ishasha sector gets its name from the Ishasha River from which was named locally . The word Ishasha means intensively cultivated steep sided hills. The river flows intensively and as a result carries a high runoff load from the fields. Have a game drive in the Ishasha sector and later drive to Bwindi, home to the legendary mountain gorillas! Avian and primate life in Bwindi is excellent and there is an implausible variety of flora. Bwindi is the Bird watchers paradise! It is a home to 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 plodding ground), Bwindi is now an ecological island, delimited by nurturing cultivation on the rich volcanic soils. Dinner and overnight at
Budget accommodation package- 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
Upmarket accommodation package- Engagi lodge or Buhoma lodge or Gorilla Resort camp or Traveler’s rest camp or Silver back lodge
Luxury accommodation package- Gorilla Forest Camp or Clouds Lodge or Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge , or Volcanoes Bwindi safari Lodge
Day 8; Gorilla Tracking Safari
Take breakfast and later go for briefing from rangers . Start your trekking gorilla in Africa. You will then be led through the forest pushing your way through the bushes, parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas. (This trek can take from 1 hour to 10 hours and a rational amount of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of hiking boots). On encounter , you will stay in the forest among the gorillas for 1 hour , eavesdropping to them grouse to each other and wonder at the sheer size of the dominant male- the silverback! It is an amazing feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas in the World. It’s astonishing to think there are only about 650 of these gorgeous beings left. Overnight at your lodge.
Day 9; – To Rwanda – Volcanoes Np – Time changes to GMT+02:00 Uganda is GMT+03:00
Wake up early for breakfast and then later have a Kabale city tour before you proceed to the south western corner of Uganda where Ruhengeri lies. You will clear visas at the border. Note that you must check with your Rwanda embassy or consulate in your country to ensure that you get a confirmation letter of your Rwanda visa before you travel to any border because without the letter, you may not be allowed entry or visa to Rwanda . Later enter Kinigi . Lunch en route.
Dinner and over night at
Budget accommodation in Muhabura Lodge / Kinigi guest house
Moderate accommodation in GORILLA NEST LODGE /Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/ Le Bambou Lodge / Hotel Gorillas Ruhengeri
Up market accommodation in Volcanoes Lodge / Sabyinyo Silver back lodge .
Day 10; gorilla trekking in Rwanda
Take breakfast and report at 0730hrs to the Parc National des Volcans Headquarters in Kinigi office for registration, briefing and formalities. (your driver-guide will take care of all the formalities ). He will then drive you along the brim of Parc National des Volcans. Thereafter, you will start gorilla tracking through the park .The time taken to look out for these gentle apes will vary with how close they will be and it is unpredictable because the search is in their natural habitats. The gorilla safari here commences at about 2000 meters above sea level in the up most slopes of the Volcanoes. After tracking and encountering your assigned group you will spend one hour in their company before tracking your steps down the volcanoes. An en-counter after a strenuous walk is worthwhile! If gorilla tracking ends early, visit of the Iby’Iwacu traditional village (a community based tourism scheme set by the local people to display their traditional ways of living).
Take lunch and then transfer to Gisenyi one of the districts on shores of Lake Kivu. The drive takes about one hour and a half. Have fun at the magnificent Lake Kivu surrounding! (B-L-D)
Dinner & Overnight at either;
Standard – Malahide Paradise
Luxury – Kivu Serena Hotel
Day 11; – Boat ride on Lake Kivu to Kibuye.
You may choose to indulge in a one hours boat ride in Lake Kivu back to Gisenyi or a Boat ride to the Napoleon Hut in Kibuye. Note that the boat ride to the Napoloen hut take 4-5 hours and this will mean that your tour guide will have to drive to the other side( Kibuye) of Lake Kivu before you board the board so that he reaches on time to pick you up. This can be arrange according to your own choice and the prices for both boat rides are different.
Note that there is also a genocide memorial church in Kibuye where over 4000 people where killed.
You will later be transferred to Kigali for dinner and over night at
Budget – Hotel Chez land o
Moderate – Umubano Hotel / Hotel Gorillas
Luxury – Hotel des Mille Collines or Kigali Serena Hotel
Day 12- Transfer to The airport .
Transfer to Kigali or Entebbe for your next flight back home .