This 9 Days Uganda Primates and Batwa Experience takes place in Kibale Forest National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is referred to as the primate capital of the world. The gentle giants known as mountain gorillas call Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which lies outside Queen Elizabeth National Park, home. After meeting the gentle giants, you will go to Mgahinga, which is located by Lake Bunyonyi, to participate in a cultural experience with the Batwa “pygmies.” A visit to the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary marks the end of the journey.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival – Entebbe Airport.
When you arrive at Entebbe International Airport our company representative will welcome you and transfer you to a hotel booked for you. You shall have dinner and stay the night.
Accommodation: Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Kampala Serena Hotel, Cassia Lodge.
Meals: (Dinner).
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Your driver/guide will meet you this morning after breakfast and take you to Fort Portal Town. You will travel to Fort Portal along the Mityana-Mubende road through a beautiful, green rural area. You will tour the crater area in the afternoon and then finish your transfer to Kibale Forest National Park in the evening, where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Following breakfast, you’ll travel to Kibale Forest National Park, which is home to the largest variety and densest population of primates in all of East Africa. During a guided nature walk through the tropical rain forest, you will look for a variety of animals, including black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and wild chimpanzees. The forest’s animals and flora, in addition to primates, will all be thoroughly explained by the guides and rangers, guaranteeing that your tour is both educational and pleasurable.
You will get to spend an entire hour up close and personal with the chimps after you’ve found them. Following the required one-hour duration, you will be escorted back to the park headquarters by your guides/rangers, where you will begin your transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, stopping for lunch along the way. Following lunch, you descend to reach Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing near the Rwenzori Mountains as you enter or pass through the park. You arrive at Bush Lodge and check in. After settling down, unwind inside and around the lodge. You will have dinner later and spend the night at the lodge.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge – Boat Cruise along Kazinga Channel
Head to the Kyambura Game Reserve headquarters for a briefing after breakfast at 6.30 am, and then start your chimpanzee hike in the stunning gorge. On the morning walk into the forest to see wild chimpanzees and numerous other species of primates in their natural habitat, your group will be accompanied by knowledgeable guides and trackers. The closest relatives of humans, chimpanzees, are critically endangered; there are about 5,000 or so left in Uganda. Please be aware that tracking chimpanzees can be somewhat taxing due to their high level of mobility as they forage throughout the forest for food.
After your journey through Kyambura Gorge with the chimpanzees, you’ll get back to the resort in time for lunch. One of the highlights of your safari will be an afternoon boat excursion on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lakes Edward and George and is thought to be the world’s biggest natural channel for game viewing and bird watching. Your voyage will begin at 3 p.m. after lunch. During the two-hour boat ride, keep an eye out for families of warthogs, big groups of hippos, crocodiles, and herds of elephants, buffalos, and antelopes. A wide variety of birds, including many migratory species, find refuge along Kazinga’s shoreline. A breathtaking view of the lovely Mweya Peninsula is another feature of the cruise.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge, Bush Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 5: Game Drive via Ishasha – Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable National Park
Enjoy your meal and get up early. We depart the Mweya (north) section of the park around 7:00 am and go south to the Ishasha region. We will use this as our morning game drive, and the drive should take two to three hours. Keep an eye out for other games. When we go to the Ishasha region, we look for the renowned and distinctive tree-climbing lions. Make careful to locate them on top of the sycamore fig trees or the acacia trees that rule this section of the park, especially on hot days, as December always brings. In the region, there are roughly four prides of lions, totaling over forty. One distinguishing feature of the males is their black mane, which should be noted.
Additionally, the area is home to over a thousand elephants, and significant numbers are typically observed there. Antelopes like as Topi and Uganda Kob are abundant. It’s a great chance to shoot tonnes of photos during the drive. You finish your transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (the southern sector) after this journey, which ends the park. You will arrive at the lodge in the late afternoon or early evening, where we check in for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 6: Gorilla Tracking Experience in Bwindi.
Rise really early and eat breakfast to fuel your energy for tracking the elusive mountain gorilla in the mists of Bwindi. Your guide will transport you to the ranger station around 8:00 am, where you will register and receive a briefing from a ranger. Bring your packed lunch in your backpack. The guides will lead you through the jungle, pushing your way through the foliage to track the gorillas after explaining the protocol of what to do and not do when monitoring the gentle giants. The walk might take anywhere from 30 minutes to five hours; appropriate physical preparation and supportive footwear are needed.
When you come across mountain gorillas, sit in the forest with them, observe their grousing, and be amazed by the enormous stature of the dominant male, the Silverback. Sitting in the thick rainforest with a few of the last mountain gorillas alive is an incredible experience. It’s significant to remember that there are currently just 800 of these exquisite animals remaining in the wild. Your guide will be waiting to take you back to the lodge once you reach the starting location.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Gorilla Valley Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 7: Transfer to Mgahinga – Batwa Trail Experience
After breakfast this morning, start your journey to Mgahinga National Park to witness the Batwa “Pygmies” path. Among the oldest populations in Africa are the Batwa. They hunted with bows and trained dogs, and they wandered the woodlands in search of fruits and honey. The population of Batwa people decreased when the Bantu people cleared the forests. By taking nature hikes and learning about the cultural legacy of the indigenous people, visitors to the Batwa Trail can experience the magic of their ancestral home.
In this engaging cultural exchange tour, the Batwa show off their hunting skills, collect honey, identify medicinal plants, and make bamboo cups. Finally, visitors are taken to the hallowed Ngarama Cave, which was formerly the residence of the Batwa King. There, the ladies of the tribe sing a melancholy song that reverberates hauntingly throughout the dim cave, leaving visitors with a profound and poignant impression of the richness of this dying civilization. For guests interested in learning about the traditional culture of the indigenous people, this is a genuinely unique opportunity. There will be a trip to Lake Bunyonyi following this activity.
Accommodation: Birdsnest Bunyonyi.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 8: Transfer to Entebbe
Following breakfast, you have the choice of starting your drive to Entebbe via Kampala with a lunch stop in Mbarara town, or you can take a quick tour of some of the stunning islands in Lake Bunyonyi. Following lunch, you go on to Kampala, making a second stop at the Equator crossing to enjoy some enjoyable photo ops and a tour of the crafts village.
Accommodation: Boma Hotel Entebbe, Lake Victoria View Guest House.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 9: Visit Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary – Departure
You will be taken to Entebbe’s Water Front after an early breakfast, from where you can board a boat to the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. The chimpanzees’ duty carer will greet you when you arrive at Ngamba Island. Daily 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. prearranged supplemental feeding periods bring the chimpanzees to within metres of the elevated walkway, which is especially made for comfortable viewing and offers fantastic photo opportunities. You’ll take a boat ride back to Entebbe after lunch. In order for you to make it to your flight to your next location, your guide will drop you off at the airport.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch).
End of the 9 Days Uganda Primates and Batwa Experience.
The 9 Days Uganda Primates and Batwa Experience includes;
- 1 Gorilla Permit per person.
- 1 Chimpanzee Tracking Permit per person.
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary.
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle.
- Wildlife Game Drive in Murchison Falls National Park.
- Batwa Cultural Tour.
- Services of an English-speaking tour guide.
- Park Entrance fees.
- Bottled Water in the vehicle.
- Tour guide allowances.
- Government Taxes.
However, the tour cost excludes; Visa fees, international airfare, personal travel insurance, personal shopping bills, telephone bills, tips to local guides, items of personal nature such as cigarettes, laundry, souvenirs and items not listed as included in the cost.