5 Days Classic Chimpanzee Safari and Gorilla Habituation

Relaxed Mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Credit: BucketListly.blog

Overview:

The 5 days classic chimpanzee safari and gorilla habituation offers you the best safari experience. Enabling you track chimpanzee in Kibale Forest National Park, with a birdlife and butterflies experience in Bigodi wetland sanctuary. This is also combined with gorilla habituation safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, making it the most exciting safari in Uganda.

After Kibale experience, you’ll drive to Bwindi for your gorilla habituation safari. Here, you will spend up to 4 hours with the gentle mountain gorillas. Your safari to Uganda will be amazing, so, taking on this safari program as your choice shall give you the most memorable Uganda safari this year.

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Itinerary:

Day 1: Kampala – Kibale National Park

You’ll leave Kampala after breakfast for a fascinating drive through papyrus swamps and thick jungle of the Nile delta to Kibale National Park, just below the Rwenzori Mountains. Get on an afternoon guided walk in the crater lakes area for outstanding views.

Meals and overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge (luxury facility) or Primate Lodge/Forest Cottage (mid range) or Chimpanzee Guest House (budget facility). All with stunning location overlooking a dramatic crater lake and the fabled “Mountains of the Moon”. Meal plan: L & D

Other Optional Activities

Tea Estate Walk
Villa Farm Visit
Canoe ride on Crater Lakes
Cycling around the Craters
Community and orphanage center visit

Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Kibale

Habituated chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, to be experienced on a chimpanzee safari and gorilla habituation tour — Habituated chimpanzees in Kibale Forest

After early breakfast, report at Kanyanchu Tourist Centre where tourist activities begin and set out to track chimpanzees in Kibale forest. Chances of viewing the chimps are over 90%, but not a guarantee.

The forest walk will be guided to provide information not only on chimpanzees and primates but also on other species, thus making it interesting. This walk will also reward you with other primates like; Grey cheeked Mangabeys, Colobus monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys and L’Hoest’s Monkey.

After lunch, you will visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary from where you will take on a guided walk around the swamp. This walk will provide you with the opportunity to see a wide range of flora and fauna, and also view a variety of butterflies, bird species and other insects.

You will also have a tour of the crater region around Ndali lodge, and may make a stop over at any tea plantation along the road if you wish.

Meals and overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge (luxury facility) or Primate Lodge / Forest Cottage (mid range) or Chimpanzee Guest House (budget facility). Meal plan: B, L & D

Note: For visitors that wish to do Chimpanzee habituation will need to add US$ 70.00 per person. Chimpanzee habituation gives you an opportunity to spend the whole day with the Chimpanzees

Day 3: Kibale – Bwindi Forest National Park

Begin your morning with a visit to the Nyakasura Falls (Amabeere ga Nyinamwiru) in Fort Portal, and thereafter drive to the south into Bwindi Forest. This is the lushest highland rain forest on earth, filled with primates and exotic birds, valleys, hilltops and papyrus swamps.

Dinner and overnight stay at Clouds Gorilla Lodge (high end lodge) or Chameleon Hill Lodge (Mid range) or Gorilla Valley Lodge (Budget facility). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Bwindi Gorilla Habituation Experience

Still on the classic chimpanzee safari and gorilla habituation safari, you’ll begin the day with breakfast ready for trekking. Trekking begins at 8:00 am with briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority staff.

Ensure to carry along with you, a rain jacket, drinking water, snacks and jungle boots among other required gear. Join the researcher and guides who will lead you inside the jungle to see the shy primates for a group you have been booked for.

Do not forget to take your lunch boxes and all the necessary gear to track the rare mountain gorillas, meeting them for up to 4 hours. Perhaps one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on earth. The Habituation experience will take a day but it’s well worth the effort.

Dinner and overnight stay at Clouds Gorilla Lodge (high end lodge) or Chameleon Hill Lodge (Mid range) or Gorilla Valley Lodge (Budget facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Bwindi-Kampala/Entebbe

After your morning breakfast, you will drive back to Kampala using Mbarara – Masaka highway. You will make a first stop over at Igongo Cultural Center, for a lunch break, and then proceed to the Equator crossing. Then continue to Kampala where you will be dropped off at a place or hotel of your choice or at Entebbe International Airport for your outbound flight back home.

Alternatively, you can opt to fly from Kisoro at an additional fee of US$ 340.00 per person directly to Entebbe Airport, in just 2 hours.

Meal Plan: B & L