5 Day Gorilla, Chimpanzee Tracking, Glorious Wildlife and Lake Bunyonyi

They may be double our size, covered in fur, and walk on all-fours, but humans and Mountain gorillas are more similar than you think! Did you know, we share around 98% of our DNA with these fascinating beasts. This tour will enable you encounter these beasts & a tour of Lake Bunyonyi-one of the most beautiful places on earth with about 30 islands connected like dots! Take a boat ride to “Punishment Island” and discover some magical myths, see the tree climbing lions & local culture!

 

ITINERARY

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DAY 1: PICKUP AND TRANSFER TO FORT PORTAL

Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe International Airport, you will be transferred to Fort Portal town. The journey takes you through the cool undulating tea plantations along Fort Portal town also known as Uganda’s Tourism City with lunch enroute.

On arrival check in at your accommodation for dinner and overnight at:

Budget Accommodation

• Kalitusi BackPackers

• Prunus Hotel

• Night Rose

• Green Village Apartments

Mid-range Accommodation

• Mountains of the Moon Hotel

• Fort Motel

• Kalya Courts

Luxury Accommodation

• Nyeika Hotel

• Kyaninga Lodge

 

DAY 2: CHIMPANZEE TRACKING AND TRANSFER TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

After an early morning breakfast, your driver will take you for chimpanzee tracking activity which takes about 3 hours in Kibale Forest National Park where you will view a variety of monkeys, birds, butterflies in the tropical rain forest. 

After Chimpanzee tracking, you will be transferred to Queen National Park. On arrival have lunch at your hotel and after lunch go for an afternoon boat cruise for 2 hours at Kazinga Channel where you will view buffaloes, Crocodiles, Elephants and a variety of bird species.

After the boat cruise you go for an evening game drive as you head back to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Budget Accommodation

• Tembo Safri Lodge

• UWA Banda's

• Lions Track Over land

Mid-range Accommodation

• Kasenyi Safari Lodge

• Engiri Lodge

• Bush Lodge

Luxury Accommodation

• Mweya Safari Lodge

• King Fisher

 

DAY 3: ISHASHA MORNING GAME DRIVE AND TRANSFER TO BWINDI

Have an early morning breakfast and depart to Ishasha sector to search the tree climbing lions in the fig trees as well spot elephants, topis, water backs, kobs and buffaloes. After a 2 hours game viewing, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On arrival, check in at your accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Budget Accommodation

• Ruhondeza

• Ruhija Community Rest Camp

Mid-range Accommodation

• Gorilla Friends

Luxury Accommodation

• Rushaga Gorilla Camp

 

DAY 4: GORILLA EXPERIENCE AND VISIT LAKE BUNYONYI

Early morning after breakfast you will be transferred to the UWA offices for a briefing about Gorilla tracking experience in the thick tropical rain forest of Bwindi. After briefing, embark on a 3 hour trek in the jungle searching the Gorilla family, when you find the family your tracking, you will spend an hour with these might apes as you learn more about them and take memorable life tie photos.

Later after tracking the gorillas, head to Lake Bunyonyi, a place that some travelers have with tears described as the most beautiful on earth. The hilly landscape, the about 30 islands connected like dots in the Garden of Eden should leave you breathless!

You can choose to take an optional local boat ride to “Punishment Island” and see where myth has it that non virgins were left to die several decades ago as punishment. Listen to tale of this place as you savor the scenery, the beauty of the most beautiful place on late afternoon, depart Bunyonyi and spend the night in Kabale town.

Optional tour of Kabale museum for some beautiful Bakiga folklore.

Budget Accommodation

• Lake Bunyonyi ECO resort

• Itambira Island

Mid-range Accommodation

• Lake Bunynyi Eco Resort

Luxury Accommodation

• Overland Hotel

• Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort

 

DAY 5: TRANSFER TO ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WITH A STOPOVER AT IGONGO CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA/EQUATOR

After breakfast embark on a 7-8 hour drive to Entebbe Airport via Mbarara - Masaka high way with a stopover at the Equator at this imaginary line that dives the world into two hemispheres (Time for photo shoot & and a practical compelling experiment of seeing water swirl in two different directions.

You will have lunch at Igongo cultural museum and a detour of the museum for a true cultural extravaganza from the great stories, artefacts etc. Across the road from the museum, visit and climb the imposing iconic “Biharwe Eclipse" monument, which was dated by astronomers and historians to have taken place in the year 1520 AD. 

This was the only scientifically dated event in the early history of the Great Lakes region, the eclipse, which was acknowledged in the legends of Bunyoro, Buganda and Nkore, became the key benchmark that was used by historians to determine royal genealogies of those kingdoms.

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Price: Due to the customizable nature of this trip, and varying group sizes, all prices are given as quotations in consultation. Please contact us with ideas about what your dream safari might include, and we'll prepare a quotation just for you! 

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