A 5 DAY PRIVATE SAFARI ITINERARY TO BWINDI AND QE NP
Day 1
Depart from Kampala by road and head south-West to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will have a short stop at the Equator an informative talk as well as a photographic opportunity. We will continue to Mbarara where were we will stop for lunch. Your drive will take you through Uganda rolling green hills through the highlands, also known as the ‘Switzerland of Uganda’. Your road will then head even higher to where you can see the triangular peaks of the Virunga volcanoes of Rwanda and the Congo. We then drop down into a valley, to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home of the mountain gorilla. Tonight you will sleep to the sounds of the mountain rainforest.
Overnight at Gorilla Resort/Buhoma Community Bandas (Full Board)
Day 2
You will have a heavy breakfast to give you the energy needed for gorilla tracking. Report to the ranger station for registration before 8:00 am and a talk to one of the rangers; the guides will then take you through the bush pushing your way through the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas. (The trek covers from half an hour to 5 hours – a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes) Sit in the forest among the gorillas, listening to them grumble to each other, and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male; the silverback. It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas. It’s incredible to think there are only over 650 of these beautiful creatures left!
If you have the energy this afternoon, take a guided walk on the Munyaga River trail, which is an ideal short walk. This trail leads to three delightful crystal clear waterfalls, and there is a profusion of tree ferns, epithytic ferns, orchids and Bwindi’s colorful array of butterflies. Here you may also see birds and primates from the forest edge.
ALTERNATIVELY If you have the afternoon free, how about a guided village walk – see how the Ugandans live!
Overnight at Gorilla Resort/Buhoma Community Bandas (Full Board)
Day 3
After break fast, we will depart early with our packed lunch for Queen Elizabeth National Park. We will drive through the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth known as Ishasha, famed for its tree-climbing lions. Ishasha is a remote and beautiful extension of Queen Elizabeth National Park. We will see buffalo, topi and hippo among other species. It is a fabulous sight to see the lions draped from the trees and nowhere in Africa do you stand a better chance of seeing this than in the large low-limbed fig tree of Ishasha.
After checking in and having some time to relax, we will head for a late afternoon game drive. We often spot Elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, hippos and others.
Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge/Institute of Ecology (FB)
Day 4
This morning we will leave for the 08.00am chimp trek in Kyambura Gorge. These delightful apes, more closely related to humans than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees. We will return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippo’s huff and spray mere feet away from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others. After this wonderful afternoon, a slow drive back to Lodge.
Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge/Institute of Ecology (FB)
Day 5
We will return back to Kampala after breakfats stopping en-route for lunch arriving in the late afternoon.
Quoted price includes;
The cost of all ground transportation and Fuel
Full time safari guide and his associated expenses
Gorilla Permit
Park entrance fees
Chimpanzee tracking
Game drive
Boat trip
Accommodation and meals
But it excludes; Items of personal nature like Laundry, Beverages, Beers, Beverages and tipping of staffs at the lodge.
