Arrival at Entebbe International airport. After clearing with customs, you will be warmly welcomed by a representative from Private Journeys who will then transfer you to your hotel in Entebbe. 

2Friends guest house is on the beach of lake Victoria in Entebbe and offers wonderful service and great food. Relax by the swimming pool for early arrivals and enjoy dinner by the beach

After breakfast, proceed to Kibale National Park. This is one of the parks that protects a moist evergreen forest. It is home to 13 species of chimpanzees which are man’s closest relative. Kibale National Park is located south of the town of Fort Portal; its main characteristics are the lush impenetrable forest, and, in particular, the numerous species of primates that populate it including black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys and velvet monkeys. Expert guides & visitors on the trail report that the meetings are very frequent and extremely exciting. It is best known for having the highest concentration of chimpanzees; you will get to meet these fantastic primates in their natural environment, some are accustomed to the presence of man because researchers have studied their behaviour for over forty years.

Isunga Lodge is a home on the edge of the dense jungle of Kibale National Park. The lodge sits on an elevated position, with magnificent views of the rainforest, the majestic peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains, all the way to Queen Elizabeth and Lake George. Around 50 volcanic crater lakes can be also found in the surrounding area, making this the ideal base for sightseeing and activities such as chimpanzee and other activities like primate watching, birdwatching, hiking and mountain biking. They are approximately 20 minutes’ drive from the chimpanzee tracking start point at Kanyanchu.

Seven peaceful, secluded cottages are dotted over the hillside, and guests can enjoy wandering around through the large grounds that have returned to a wilder, more natural state with abundant bird life around. Perfect for nature-lovers.

After Breakfast, you will then depart to track chimpanzees. 

This can last 2 to 3 hours. Chimpanzees are the most sought after primate by visitors, but you should also look out for the black & white colobus, red tailed monkeys or the grey cheeked Mangabeys. The guides will be able to show you pittas & different bird species and will give details of the tradit of the plant species within the forest.

Chimpanzee tracking is a very fascinating experience. Chimpanzees as well as humans share over 98 percent of their DNA.

They are over 95% within the Kibale Forest, hence making it the most perfect destination in the whole of East Africa for chimpanzee tracking.

The average weight of an adult well grown male chimpanzee is between 35 and 70 kilograms, with a height of approximately 3 meters whereas an adult female chimpanzee weighs between 26 and 50 kilograms and a height between 2 and 4 feet.

A chimpanzee’s life expectancy is at 40 years whereas that for those living in captivity can extend up to 60 years.

In Uganda today, Efforts to actually conserve the chimpanzees are extensively acknowledged and well supported.  Actually The Jane Goodall Foundation has played a major role in the overall conservation of not only these Chimpanzees but the Gorillas as well found in Uganda. By going for chimpanzee tracking, you directly contribute to the conservation efforts.

Chimpanzees are Sociable, intelligent as well as communicative and among their very fascinating traits is the ability to utilize tools like rocks for crushing nuts, emptying pods for hollowing out water plus sticks for capturing termites from their holes. These skills are for long been passed on from one generation to another and researchers say that different troops have specialist tasks, basing on their habitat as well as diet.

Chimps stay in groups of 10–100 members. They can babysit each other’s young, kiss, groom one another and even hold hands. The young chimps become independent at the age of 4. Nonetheless, chimps can be aggressive and unsociable, mainly if disturbed.

Although they spend some time on ground, they normally feed and do make their sleeping nests up in the trees. Their diet varies comprising of leaves, seeds, fruit plus flowers.

Overnight at Isunga Lodge (LDBB) “OR similar”

After breakfast, you will set off for Queen Elizabeth National Park. This park was named after Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. This is the second largest park in Uganda after Murchison Falls National Park. This park boasts of some of the most magnificent views in the Western arm of the Great Rift Valley, it gushes with a remarkable variety of ecosystems, from semi-deciduous tropical forest to green meadows, savannah, swamps and a rare set of tree climbing lions at Ishasha.

Mazike Valley Lodge, the former Kyambura Game Lodge, a small, private and exclusive lodge has undergone an extensive refurbishment and rebranded to the NEW Mazike Valley Lodge.

Perched up on the walls of Queen Elizabeth National Park (Q.E.N.P), the opulent cottages of the lodge offers breath-taking views of the vast Q.E.N.P, the Maramagambo Forest and the Kazinga Channel in the horizons.

The cottages are spacious with king or twin beds, elegant dug in bathtubs, showers, flash toilets, vanities and wash basins with hot water throughout the day.

Wake up to the sound of wild life, after a delicious breakfast, drive off for an interesting game drive. After lunch, you will get to experience a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel that connects both Lake Edward and Lake George. 

Overnight at Mazike Valley Lodge (LDBB) “OR similar”

After Breakfast, you will set off for Bwindi National Park. Bwindi National Park is the fifth largest park in Uganda and is home to about 330 mountain gorillas, almost half of the entire world population of this species.

The Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge is 2161m ASL on the Nteko ridge overlooking a beautiful swath of the World-renowned Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The ridge provides a superb vantage across the Kashasha River Valley to the forested hill known as ‘Nkuringo’ and the surrounding swathe of trees of the Bwindi Forest. 

This section of forest is home to the three Nkuringo Gorilla families of Mountain Gorillas from where the Lodge provides a prime access point to the start of the amazing activity. The Lodge has panoramic views of the majestic volcanoes of the Virunga chain, across the escarpment into the Albertine Rift Valley within the DRC Congo.

This lodge will be our base for the walking safari for the next day.

This facility  is built out of local material, using locally sourced papyrus for ceiling and wooden floors with a touch of volcanic rock. The idea is to keep your stay in harmony with nature.

Overnight at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (LDBB) “OR similar”

Today, after an energizing breakfast, you will embark on your Gorilla Trek. Before 8 am, you will be driven to the ranger station for registration and briefing by one of the rangers. The guides will then lead you from there.

The trek can take anywhere from half an hour to 7 hours – a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking boots. It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas – sadly enough there are only about 650 of these beautiful creatures left. You are allowed exactly one hour with the gorillas before returning to the base station.

If the time allows, you will have the pleasure of visiting the Batwa community. These are another endangered tribe that live right outside the forest. The forest was their original home. Enjoy the cultural dance and music with the Batwa, visit the women and learn how to weave beautiful baskets.

Overnight at Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge. (LDBB) “OR similar”

In the morning on this day, you will have breakfast and thereafter you will drive eastwards to Lake Mburo National Park a home to large numbers of antelopes, and other animals like Buchells Zebras, hippos, warthogs, buffaloes, and birds, leaving the spectacular Kigezi highlands behind passing via Mbarara town which is home to the long-horned cattle.

You will have lunch along the way, later arrive at the park, check in at the lodge and have an evening game drive. Have dinner and Overnight at Rwakobo rock Lodge (LDBB)

Lake mburo national park is blessed with forests which act as a habitant to animals in the park but also help in the influence and formation of rainfall that provides water. This helps to complete tasks that need water at the park like, it acts as drinking water for the animals hence improving their well being and out look. The park is rich with acacia trees, valleys, grass lands with different types of grass that fed on by the wild animals. It also has both seasonal and permanent swamps where papyrus grows which the community harvests an earns a livelihood.

In the afternoon, we will take a boat cruise on the Lake Mburo.

The cruise on the lake equally guarantees one a view of the amazing flora and founa at the national park alongside wildlife such as crocodiles, hippos and bird species such as African fish eagles, pelican, king fishers, herons, cormorants, rare shoe bills and hammer kobs. It’s also realized that during the dry seasons, some wildlife also are frequent habitants o the water areas some of which include buffaloes and antelopes.

Rwakobo rock lodge “OR similar”

Rwakobo is nestled on a scenic outcrop with breathtaking views. Animals such as zebra, warthog, impala and bushbuck abound around the lodge and often congregate at the water hole beneath the dining area. At night the sounds of bush come to life and allow your imagination to run wild

After your break fast, we take a morning game drive as we make our way back yo Entebbe. We will have a stop over at the Equator in Masaka for the equator experiment and lunch