12 days Uganda Rwanda Congo gorilla safari is an 11 nights/12 days Uganda Rwanda Congo gorilla trekking tour, chimpanzee tracking & wildlife viewing safari is an extended combined safari package featuring destinations of Kibale National Park for Chimpanzee trekking, Queen Elizabeth National Park for wild game viewing including four of the Big five except Rhinos and Kazinga Channel Boat cruise, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for Mountain Gorilla Trekking, Lake Bunyonyi for recreation, Volcanoes National Park for second Mountain Gorilla trekking, Virunga National Park for Nyiragongo Climbing and Kigali for Gisozi genocide tour. It is a blend of primates, wildlife, and adventure.
Day 1: Arrive in Uganda & drive to the lodge.
Day 2: Transfer to Fort Portal then Kibale National Park.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking & Bigodi wetland walk.
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth Park, game drive upon arrival.
Day 5: Morning Game drive, Kazinga Channel Boat cruise & evening game drive.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi through Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi & connect to Lake Bunyonyi.
Day 8: Do a sunrise boat cruise and connect to Volcanoes National Park.
Day 9: Gorilla Trekking in Volcanoes Park and transfer to Gisenyi for relaxation
Day 10: Connect to Congo’s Virunga National Park & undertake Nyiragongo Volcano hiking
Day 11: Descend from Nyiragongo Mountain and connect back to Gisenyi
Day 12: Transfer to Kigali, visit the Gisozi Genocide Museum and depart
Your arrival at Entebbe International Park – the main gateway to Uganda is marked by the expanse tropical water mass of Lake Victoria – the largest in Africa with a very soothing fresh environment. Our representative will be right there to a meet and greet after which you connect to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Kampala Sheraton Hotel / Lake Victoria Serena Resort, Mid-range / Standard: Cassia Lodge / Boma Hotel Entebbe, Budget / Basic: Airport Guesthouse / Banda Inns
Embark on the drive to Fort Portal Area 300km approximately 5 hours drive from Kampala after breakfast at your place of stay. You enjoy the views of the countryside marked by unique features like Mubende Inselbergs, Lake Wamara, and the lush tea estates near Fort Portal. You arrive in Fort Portal town for lunch after which you connect to Amabere g’Nnyinamwiru caves where the breast-like features are believed to be breasts of Nnyinamwiru a daughter of Bukuku – the self enthroned King of the Bachwezi who is noted to have denied the daughter to breastfeed her son as he had been foretold that the grandson would take over his throne. The seasonal Nyakasura River flows over the caves forming beautiful falls and sightseeing experiences. From the caves, you embark on the hike to the Crater field enjoying the views of the explosion hollows and lakes not forgetting the Rwenzori Mountains at a distance. Hiking Kyeganywa Hill is also thrilling. Retreat from the activity & connect to Kibale National Park for relaxation, dinner, and overnight
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Primate Lodge – Luxury Cottages, Hydrangea / Standard: Kibale Forest Camp – Safari Tents, Budget / Basic: Rwenzori View Guesthouse
At 8 am, you congregate at Kanyanchu Tourism Center for a briefing about Chimpanzee trekking encounters. The Uganda Wildlife Authority Park rangers guide you through the lush tropical forest noted to have survived the last ice age and thus with great biodiversity including 375 species of birds, 351 species of trees, and 13 primate species. The Chimpanzee trekking experience lasts 2 – 5 hours but for conservation purposes, the actual viewing is limited to one hour. The views of Chimpanzees as they forage, much fruit, copulate, patrol, jump from branch to branch and from tree to tree coupled with those of other forest offers like Black and White Colobus monkeys, Red Colobus Monkeys and birds combine to generate lasting experience. You undertake Bigodi wetland walk in the afternoon offering likely sights of Great Blue Turaco, lush vegetation, and the swamp-dwelling Sitatunga antelope. Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Primate Lodge – Luxury Cottages, Mid-range / Standard: Kibale Forest Camp – Safari Tents, Budget / Basic: Rwenzori View Guesthouse
After a relaxed breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park 157km about 2 – 3 hours. You branch off from the main road at Kasese and connect to Ruboni Community on the foothills of Mount Rwenzori for an extensive community exploration that lasts about 3 hours. You learn about the traditions and way of life of the Bakonzo that have thrived in this area for over 300 years past. The view of the Rwenzori Mountains is also fascinating. Upon return from Ruboni, you visit the Rwenzori Art foundation to explore a range of sculptures on display and the casting process its self since this is the only bronze casting place in the whole of Africa. From here, you proceed on the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park and do an evening game drive before connecting to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge, Mid-range / Standard: Enganzi Game Lodge, Budget / Basic: Pumba Safari Cottages
You wake up for an early morning breakfast, and connect to the park to do a game drive at 7 am in the Savannah stretches of Kasenyi lasting 3 – 4 hours gaining likely possibilities of viewing a range of wild game including; Elephants, Buffaloes, Topis, Deffasa Water-buck, Lions, Leopard, Uganda Kobs among others. The drive an open roof safari vehicle offers good touring and photographic opportunities. In the afternoon, you gather at the Mweya jetty for an afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward lasting 2 hours amidst amazing sights of Hippos, birds like Great Cormorants, and African Skimmers not forgetting Nile crocodiles. The boat starts at 2 pm and by 4 pm, you are back. The evening is spent doing a game drive along the channel track to explore more game as you connect to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge, Mid-range / Standard: Enganzi Game Lodge, Budget / Basic: Pumba Safari Cottages
Following breakfast, connect to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with an en-route Ishasha sector game drive in the quest for the tree-climbing lions. The lions in this part of the world tend to climb trees in the mid-morning sun and a drive through the area offers their likely views as they rest on the branches of the fig trees. The sights of other wild game like Elephants, Deffasa Water-bucks, Topis, and Uganda Kobs among others may not be missed. Proceed to the northern sector of the park for relaxation and overnight
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge, Mid-range / Standard: Gorilla Mist Camp, Budget / Basic: Broadbill Forest Camp
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a minimum of 400 Mountain Gorillas making Uganda the country with the largest Mountain Gorilla population in the world. Gorilla trekking starts at 8 am from the respective gorilla trekking region with a briefing by the Park rangers after which you head to the mist in quest of these world’s critically endangered Apes. The walk takes you through the hilly forested landscapes, traversing the narrow valleys, slippery slopes, and dense forest tracts before getting in contact with the Gorillas. The one hour of direct viewing generates a lasting impression as you view them forage, young ones play and the Silver-back administering. The unlimited picturesque opportunities are available to your advantage. From the activity which takes 2 – 8 hours, you drive to Lake Bunyonyi enjoying the fascinating view of Kigezi Highlands, and spend the evening at leisure.
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Birdnest @Lake Bunyonyi Resort, Mid-range / Budget: Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Do a boat ride at the sunrise on the lake of a thousand Islands exploring its beauty where the calm waters are intercepted by series of Islands that number to as many as 29 and surrounded the magnificent Kigezi Highlands. Retreat from the encounter, settle for breakfast and then embark on the transfer to Volcanoes National Park 120km about 3 hours drive passing through the most scenic road section in Uganda Kabale – Kisoro road. You settle for lunch in Kisoro, cross the border post at Chanika and spend the evening at leisure at the lodge.
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Mid-range / Standard: Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Budget / Basic: Muhabura Hotel
Tracking Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park presents another experience with the Gorillas but in a varying habitat generating a different tracking experience. Volcanoes feature relatively short vegetation compared to Bwindi which in turn offers a relatively open Gorilla viewing encounter. The trek itself is not so demanding compared to that of Bwindi and can at times be short since the gorilla groups tend to dwell at the lower layers of the Mountains. The trekking commences at 8 am with briefing but an earlier arrival offers an encounter with the traditional Kinyarwanda performance while sipping a cup of Rwandan coffee. Ten Habituated gorilla groups are always available for tracking daily each taking 8 people. From Volcanoes, you drive to Gisenyi Lake Kivu for afternoon beach relaxation with options of swimming and sunbathing before retiring for overnight
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Resort, Mid-range / Budget: Paladis Malahide
Connect to Goma very early in the morning before gathering at Kibati Patrol post to embark on the Nyiragongo Volcano Climbing commencing at 9 am. Nyiragongo is one of the eight (8) Virunga Volcanoes and is gifted with the world’s largest lava lake that is also most violent on a similar scale. The Nyiragongo Trek offers remarkable views of the surroundings and lasts 4 – 6 hours to reach the summit of 3470m. The overnight in the Mountain Shelter is available and the night view of the lava lake is very amazing.
Accommodation: Mountain Shelter
You descend down the Volcano enjoying the panoramic views of Lake Kivu, Goma, and Gisenyi towns and the lush equatorial jungle of the Democratic Republic of Congo which is only second to Amazon on a world scale. Connect back to Kibati Patrol Post and get into your vehicle to drive back to Gisenyi and relax at the beach
Accommodation: Up market / Luxury: Lake Kivu Serena Resort, Mid-range / Budget: Paladis Malahide
You transfer from Gisenyi to Kigali 358km around 3 hours drive exploring the Rwandan hillsides. Upon arrival in Kigali, you tour the Gisozi genocide memorial a living testimony of the 1994 tragic ethnic conflict that left 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead. The museum features body remains writings and audio presentations that will guide you in understanding the cause and effect of the conflict in detail.
Airport transfers Transportation by safari van Accommodation and meals as per itinerary Gorilla permits, one per person to be paid in advance Driver allowances En-route lunches Visit the equator and Igongo cultural Center.
personal nature expenses of excludes: laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, Air fare, Visa, drinks, personal insurance, personal shopping bills and cigarettes.
Cate
Samuel
Robert
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