PRIMATES OF UGANDA & RWANDA

Semliki, Queen Elizabeth National Park,
The Impenetrable Forest and Parc Des Volcans

Mahale Chimpanzee baby

 

Day 01: Semliki Reserve
After your arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be met by your guide and driven to Semliki Wildlife Reserve. Semliki is situated in the basin of the Western Rift Valley, and is one of the most diverse habitats in Africa with wonderful examples of Riparian forest, gallery rain forest and borassus palm forest, as well as short and high grass savannah.
The Semliki Lodge is a beautiful & intimate private lodge situated on the crest of the Wasa river valley. The rooms are tented with large four-poster beds, Persian carpets & en-suite bathrooms.
Today, dinner will be followed by a night drive where you may spot big cats as well as the smaller genets and serval cats. Unusual nocturnal dwellers may show themselves, such as the white tailed and slender mongoose or the standard and pennant winged nightjars.
Overnight: Semliki Camp

Day 02: Semliki Reserve
Rise early this morning for you’re morning tracking wild chimpanzees – this can be done at dawn and dusk, as they tend to go into hiding during the day. The Chimps at Semliki stay in gallery rainforest, and if you are lucky you may be able to observe them as they leave their nests or feeding amongst the forest. You may also spot the black & white colobus monkey as well as the red tailed & blue monkeys. An afternoon game drive followed by sundowners and perhaps another night game drive will end this perfect day.
Overnight: Semliki Camp

Day 03: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda’s most popular National Parks.
The Luxury Mweya Safari Lodge overlooks the Kazinga channel, famous for its large hippo population. This afternoon, you will enjoy a boat ride on which you will be able to observe hippos, elephants and buffalo’s closely, as well as a large number of other mammals.
The shores of the Kazinga channel are also home to a number of bird species such as pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfisher, African Jacana and saddle billed stork – to name just a few.
Overnight: Mweya Safari Camp

Day 04: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Rise early morning for another Chimpanzee tracking experience. There is an isolated chimp population in the Park’s Kyambura gorge of about 30 individuals. The gorge itself is spectacular, and you may encounter mammals such as elephants during your walk.
For those who do not wish to track the chimps today, a game drive in the Kasenyi area is proposed.
Overnight: Mweya Safari Camp

Gorilla

Day 05: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today will take you to Bwindi National Park, the ‘Impenetrable Forest’ of Uganda, home to the endangered Mountain gorillas. Tonight you will stay in a comfortable permanent tented camp – Gorilla Forest Camp.
Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 06 & 07: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla tracking on both days! Report at 08.00 each day to the ranger station where the guides will take you through the bush, slashing at the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track the Gorillas. The trek can take from one hour to eight hours – a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes. Sit in the forest among the gorillas, listen to them grumble to each other, and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male, the silver back. Amazing to think that there are only 650 of these creatures left in the World.
Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 08: Ruhingeri Highlands
A drive through beautiful scenery of highlands will take you over to Rwanda, which borders Uganda to the south. Your simple but comfortable lodge, Kinigi Lodge, is situated in the Ruhengeri Highlands, where your Rwanda Gorilla trek will start from.
Overnight: Kinigi Lodge

Day 09 & 10: Ruhingeri Highlands
Gorilla tracking on both days! Drive to a selected point from which you will start tracking the Gorilla group to which you would have been allocated earlier in the morning. All the Gorilla groups of this region reside in the Virunga Volcanoes, which Dian Fossey helped make famous. It remains one of the most mysterious places on earth.
Overnight: Kinigi Lodge

Day 11: Kampala
Leave Rwanda this morning and drive back through the border to Kisoro, where you will board your charter flight for Kampala. Lunch will be in one of the best restaurants in town. In the afternoon, you can choose to visit this bustling city’s markets and galleries, or simply relax in your hotel.
Dinner on own in the restaurant of your choice.
Overnight: Hotel Sheraton

Day 12: Home
In the morning, depart on your international flight.