12 Days Primate Safari Uganda & Rwanda

This morning you will be met by your expert guide and vehicle and drive to Kibale Forest. You will pass through the historic town Fort Portal, forest and tea plantations. After your long journey, you will relax at the lodge.

Proceed early morning at 6:30am for full day chimpanzee habituation experience, you will spend the entire day with Chimpanzees following them from nest to nest, the beauty of the Chimpanzee habituation is that if you feel you have had enough you can back out.

Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the Ruwenzori Mountain Range. You will visit crater area of the park and Lake Katwe. You may be rewarded with a view of the beautiful Ugandan kob, elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion and leopard. In the afternoon at 5:00pm, take a cruise on the Kazinga Channel, this flow between Lakes Edward and George. Kazinga Channel is home to one of the greatest concentration of hippo in Africa and herds of elephant, buffalo and other animals come to drink at the water’s edge. The channel is a magnet for water birds, with great flocks of pelicans and others birds on the shore, and a great spot to see African fish eagle.

Early morning head out for a game drive in the Kasenyi plains. These plains are excellent for sighting lion and large herds of Uganda kob. The Mweya peninsula offers excellent game drives with magnificent views across the water to the Rwenzori Mountains. Mweya is one of the best places to look for leopard, which live in the dense, scrubby thickets. After this we travel to the remote wilderness of Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, an area famous for abundant wildlife and most notably, a unique population of the tree climbing lions. This part of the Primate Safari Uganda shows you Africa at its best; a perfect blend of magnificent scenery and abundant wildlife. Expect to see elephants, buffalo, topi, Uganda Kob, and tree climbing lions, among other species.

Conduct another game drive in Ishasha and then depart for Bwindi Impenetrable forest, home to the endangered mountain gorillas. Bwindi is a forest of enormous hardwood trees, giant ferns, tangled undergrowth and hanging vines - the quintessential equatorial jungle. The size and altitudinal range of montane and lowland forests at Bwindi support more species of trees, ferns, birds and butterflies than any other forest in East Africa. It is also the only one which contains both chimpanzees and gorillas. In the afternoon, your private Primates Safari Uganda Guide could take you for a community walk to discover Batwa people. Retrun to the lodge to relax and prepare for dinner.

After breakfast, you will embark on your gorilla trek. Your guides will lead you through the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas. The word “Bwindi” means “darkness” and taking a hike in this magnificent forest will certainly unveil to you the reason why the forest was named so. The trek can take anywhere from half an hour to 7 hours. A reasonable degree of fitness is required of you. The trek may require climbing steep terrain and a sturdy pair of walking boots is essential. Experience the extraordinary feeling of sitting in the dense rain forest and knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas; sadly enough, there are only about 880 of these beautiful creatures left in the world. You are allowed exactly one hour with the gorillas before returning to the base station.

After an early breakfast you will be transferred to Kisoro and onwards to Rwanda via Cyanika border. After clearing with customs you will be transferred to your lodge situated adjacent to Volcanoes National Park.

On the tenth day the primates safari explores Rwanda's primates begining with Volcanoes National Park. This is one of the world's truly memorable experiences. The mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park are part of a worldwide population of just about 800 individuals. The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. Experienced guides will accompany the encounter. Many of them have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorilla's habits and information from the previous day to locate the groups' whereabouts. Because of this, the time required to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as one hour. A look into one of these magnificent creature's eyes brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that our presence here contributes to ensuring their continued survival.

The Karisoke Research Station where the famous primatologist Dian Fossey initiated her studies into the lives of mountain gorillas. The research of this species continues and you will get the chance to meet with some of the researchers who continue Dian's legacy. In the afternoon we shall enjoy the cultural delights of this part of Africa by visiting the Iby Iwachu cultural group for cultural dancing and an informative experience about traditional medicine. This cultural group was formed by ex-poachers and pygmies. We shall listen to their side of the story after abandoning the illegal practice of poaching animals in Volcanoes National Park.

This morning brings the end of your Uganda and Rwanda adventure. Make your way to Kigali and learn about Rwandan history at the Genocide Memorial before heading to the airport and beginning your journey home.