Uganda Highlights Small Group Safari

Arrive Entebbe

On your arrival into Entebbe you will be met and transferred to your hotel. This afternoon you have a trip across to the Jane Goodall Institute on Ngamba Island. This is a project of the Chimpanzees Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), established in 1997 by the Born Free Foundation (UK), International Fund for Animal Welfare (USA), the Jane Goodall Institute (Germany and Uganda), The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Trust (UWECT) and the Zoological Board of New South Wales (Australia) it provides orphaned chimpanzees with a secure home, since a return to their natural habitat is not possible, while educating visitors and local communities about their remarkable species and the importance of conservation.

Entebbe - Bwindi

This morning you will be transferred to Entebbe Airport for your flight to Bwindi. Upon arrival you will be met and driven to your lodge. You will have the rest of the afternoon to relax at the lodge and enjoy the views across the forest or explore the local area on foot.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The mountain gorillas in Bwindi are part of a worldwide population of just 700. The gorillas you are allowed to track belong to one of three habituated family groups. For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild. The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild. Experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of whom have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas' habits and information from the previous day to locate the group's whereabouts. Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to 9 hours.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Today you have a second opportunity for gorilla tracking, with pre-purchased permits subject to availability at an additional cost. If you decide not to track the gorillas for the second time, you have the chance to enjoy a morning nature forest walk passing tree ferns, epiphytic ferns, orchids and a colourful array of butterflies. This trail leads to 3 scenic crystal clear waterfalls in the middle of the tropical rainforest.

Bwindi - Ishasha

In the morning we will drive in a northerly direction to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Passing through farmlands and small towns and villages, you will have the opportunity to see rural Uganda and the vivid green beauty of the country and also, if weather and road conditions allow, we may enter QENP from the Ishasha side of the park where excellent game viewing can be conducted en-route. You will also have the chance to visit a local community project today.

Overnight: Ishasha Wilderness Camp (B, L, D)

Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park

Today you will explore Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, considered by some experts as one of the most alluring game viewing area of East Africa. We wake up early, of course, since this is the best time for observing nature. You start from the southern circuit in search of the elephants and we will drive over the plains of Ishasha in the open savannah. Near to the swamps of the southern circuit you might see even leopard. We continue and drive to the northern circuit which is the area near the main road known for its tree climbing lions.

Overnight: Ishasha Wilderness Camp (B, L, D)

Ishasha - Mweya

Today, you will head to the Mweya Section of Queen Elizabeth National Park, for a cruise along the Kazinga Channel. The elephants, buffalo, topi, kob, hippos and crocodiles all come down to the water to relax in the shallows or quench their thirst. You also have the chance to go to the Kyambura Gorge to track a troop of 20 semi habituated chimpanzees. On arrival, the rangers will give you a briefing before descending into the depths of the gorge. The nature walk takes a few hours and lunch will be served at Kyambura Fig Tree campsite before heading to your camp for the rest of the day.

QENP - Kibale Forest

From the Queen Elizabeth National Park you continue north along the Ruwenzori Mountains to the Kibale Forest National Park, home to the largest number of primate species in East Africa. There is an optional forest or swamp walk in the afternoon.

Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast you leave for Kibale Forest renowned for the greatest variety and the highest concentration of primates in East Africa. At the visitors centre the rangers will brief you before heading into the forest to track the chimpanzees. Like the gorilla tracking the amount of time spend with the chimps is limited to 1 hour (add USD $600 per person for the gorilla permit). This is to prevent the spread of disease, but also to allow the chimps to have a normal life in the forest. This afternoon you have the rest of the day at leisure to reflect on the last few days.

Kibale Forest - Depart

From Kibale Forest National Park you head back to Entebbe which takes between six and seven hours, stopping for a lunch en-route. Time dependent, you will have a chance to visit the Kampala markets and stalls for some last minute souvenir shopping. Finally, you are transferred back to Entebbe and on to Entebbe International Airport (EBB) in order to meet your onward international flight. Do not book a flight out until earliest 20.00.