Wild Wonders of Western Uganda

At 07h00, your driver will meet you, either at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport.  Together, you will depart by road for the 5-hour journey to Kibale National Park in western Uganda.  The journey includes a short stop for lunch in the town of Fort Portal.  On arrival, you will be shown to your lodgings in or near the Kibale Forest. Once settled, you head out for a guided walk in the Bigodi wetlands, an area populated by several species of primates.  The tour includes a visit to a local community to learn about the culture and traditions of the area.

Kibale National Park was set aside to protect the rainforest and its inhabitants, notably a large population of chimpanzees and other primates, in 1993.  It covers 766 square kilometres (296 sq mi) in size, ranging between 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) and 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) in elevation.  Kibale’s climate is consistently moist and temperate throughout the year, with temperatures averaging 26°C/79°F by day, dropping to about 16°C/61°F overnight.  While rain occurs year-round, it is driest in January/February and June/July.  During April and from September to November, the area sees its highest rainfall figures.  Waterproof clothing is recommended.

Enjoy a delicious meal before bed in anticipation of an exciting day ahead.

• Accommodation at your camp or lodge
• Overnight stay inside Kibale Forest National Park
• Lunch and dinner, not breakfast
• Drinking water, other drinks are extra

Today starts with an early wake-up and breakfast before 07h00.  You will then be transferred to Kibale National Park to meet your chimpanzee trek guides.  After a short briefing, you will set off in their company in search of one of the habituated chimpanzee troops.  Please bear in mind that you will be walking through some challenging terrain, so you will need to wear the appropriate clothing and comfortable hiking shoes.  A reasonable degree of fitness is also recommended.

Roughly 1500 chimps live in various troops throughout the forest.  Once located, you will spend a maximum of one hour in their company, observing their day-to-day behaviour.  Chimpanzees are classified as an endangered species, largely due to habitat loss, poaching and susceptibility to human diseases.  They live in social groups ranging from 15 to 150 individuals, essentially dominated by an alpha male but with numerous sub-hierarchies in place.

After your allocated time with the chimps, you will return to your lodge for lunch.  Afterwards, you’ll check out and depart for your next destination: the Queen Elizabeth National Park.  The southward journey should take under two hours to complete.  On arrival, you’ll have some leisure time before dinner and bed.

• Accommodation at your camp or lodge
• Overnight stay inside Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
• Drinking water, other drinks are extra

Once again, after rising early, you’ll be served a tasty breakfast before heading out on a morning game drive.  While the temperatures are still cool, wildlife is still active.

Queen Elizabeth National Park spans an area of 1,978 square kilometres (764 sq mi), including Lake George and the eastern shores of Lake Edward.  The landscape mostly comprises sweeping grassland, but also incorporates rainforests, swamps and volcanic crater lakes.  These diverse habitats are home to four of the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo (with rhino absent).  In addition, there are healthy populations of general game, including Uganda kob, defassa waterbuck, bushbuck and topi.  Uganda is world-renowned for its diversity of birds, of which over 600 species are found in the park.  Most notable among them are the prehistoric-looking shoebill storks, pink flamingos and squadrons of pelicans.

You will return to your lodge for lunch.  Later in the afternoon, you’ll board a comfortable boat for a water-based safari in the Kazinga Channel, which links Lakes George and Edward.  The channel is populated with many hippos and crocodiles, while numerous animals are spotted on its banks.

You’ll return to your lodge for an evening of leisure, tasty food and good company.

• Accommodation at your camp or lodge
• Overnight stay inside Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Breakfast, picnic lunch, and dinner
• Drinking water, other drinks are extra

Unfortunately, all too soon, your Ugandan adventure is drawing to a close.  After breakfast and checkout, you’ll board our vehicle for the return journey to your departure point.  En route, your driver will stop at the Equator, where you can take some photos of yourself in both the northern and southern hemispheres.  Lunch will be provided.  On arriving in Entebbe/Kampala, it is time to say goodbye to your guide.  In closing, we paraphrase author Suzanne Evans: “We hope you had an experience that alters the course of your life because, after Africa, nothing has ever been the same”.

• No accommodation, this is the final day
• Breakfast and lunch, no dinner
• Drinking water, other drinks are extra