DETAILED ITENERARY

 

Day 1: Meet in Entebbe or Kampala (at your hotel), Drive to Bwindi National Park ( daily flights available)

 

Meet and greet with our local guide in Kampala/ Entebbe at 07:00hrs before starting on your drive heading to southwestern Uganda. En route, there is a local community popular for making local drums and crafts and a fruit market. Stopover, admire and buy yourself souvenirs. Proceed to the Equator line taken as one beautiful scenery in Africa - the pathway of the sun and take photographs. Pass by mountains, tropical rainforest and bamboo forest during the nine-hour journey.

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While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles for over 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list.

This includes 310 species of butterflies, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 species of mammals including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L'Hoest's, red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.

Bwindi is a prime destination for bird- watchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics – species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.

Accommodation options

Up-market: Chameleon Hill Lodge (or upgrade to Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge)

Moderate: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge

 

Day 2: Our exclusive (4-hours with) Mountain Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Our uniquely exclusive researcher-led gorilla habituation project - 4 hour permit.

We have an early morning entry into the mountain gorilla’s sanctuary. Our intimate gorilla experience allows you to accompany the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Bwindi gorilla habituation team for the entire day, allowing you to have a minimum 4 hours in the presence of a mountain gorilla family.

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Since regular permits only allow 1 hour, this is 4 times the amount of time spent up close with gorillas – more than any other safari operator! During this time you will be able to experience the gorilla family as they wake up, hunt, patrol, play, fight, copulate, and breastfeed until they build their nests at bedtime.

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The thrill of spending time with and observing these gentle giants is a rare and moving adventure that will leave you with long lasting memories. Spending more time with them than the norm means you are assured of the best possible experience, with 4 full hours for better photography, researcher access for more questions, and enough time to experience more intimate and unusual behaviors. The gorillas are shy and peaceful animals and it is an unforgettable experience to watch and photograph them as they interact with each other.

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The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. Once the gorillas are sighted, you will be guided to within 6 meters of the gorillas, and be able to sit all around them while gazing into their big round eyes as the researchers note health, behavior and other characteristics.

Up-market: Chameleon Hill Lodge (or upgrade to Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge)

Moderate: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge

 

Day 3:  Return to Kampala-Entebbe

Early breakfast before embarking on our return to Kampala, driving down the grassed and terraced escarpments of southwestern Uganda while taking in the breathtaking sights of the hills of the region dubbed ‘the little Switzerland of Africa’. This area is a rows.

Not to miss as we traverse Mbarara are the impressing longhorn Ankole cattle. A remarkable highlight of this journey is the Equator line and surely you will cross it as we have a brief stop here. We will be in Kampala in the evening before for your flight back home.