5 Days Bwindi and Mgahinga Primates tour and Lake Bunyonyi Safari : Mgahinga gorilla national park is the second home to mountain gorillas in Uganda with only one habituated mountain gorilla group called Nyakagezi gorilla group and also at the same time home to the Golden monkeys in Uganda. Golden monkey tracking is another exciting primate activity to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park, golden monkeys are classified as endemic species only found in the Virunga volcano range and two other forests in Central Africa. These beautiful creatures get their name from the colour of their fur which is a good feature to marvel about. Mgahinga national park is gifted with both the Gorillas and Golden monkeys hence it is called the place “where Silver meets gold”.
This 5 Days gorilla and golden monkeys is designed to offer visitors a combination of experiences such as gorilla trekking in Uganda, and Golden monkey trekking and blended with other experience such as Batwa community tours however with the opportunity to explore Bwindi Impenetrable national park mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable national park is home to half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world offering gorilla trekking experiences in the deep forested sector of the park while the other half are found in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga National park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bwindi national park has the highest population of mountain gorillas that can be found in the 4 sectors of the park, we also find both habituated and non-habituated mountain gorillas and visitors can get the visit both habituated and semi-habituated gorillas.
Lake Bunyonyi is Uganda and East Africa’s deepest lake with estimated depth of about 44meters to 900 meters deep and a width of about 7 kilometres to 25 kilometres wide. Visiting Lake Bunyonyi is the best way to end your gorilla trekking safari as a way of relaxing before you return to your final destination.
With this package, travellers also have an option of starting the trip in Kigali- Rwanda. This is because compared to the long hour drives from Kampala/Entebbe which is 8-9 hours, we can arrange transportation to start in Kigali city with an airport pick. It takes about 4-5 hours driving from Kigali to Mgahinga national park via either Katuna or Cyanika borders.
Highlights
- Day 1: Pick-up and transfer to hotel in Kampala
- Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
- Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 5: Return to Entebbe – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick-up in Entebbe (8-9 hours’ drive) /Kigali (4-5 hours’ drive) and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Depending on your location in Kigali or Entebbe, you will meet Elephant Whispers Safari representative and safari guide for a briefing and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park with en-route lunch, check-in your accommodation and spend the afternoon at leisure. Dinner will be served at your convenience and overnight stay in your room.
- Luxury options: Chameleon Hill Lodge/ Nkuringo Safari lodge/Clouds Safari lodge/Four Gorillas lodge
- Mid-range option; Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Icumbi Gorilla lodge
- Budget option: Rushaga Haven Lodge
Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience – Nkuringo/Rushaga sector
Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for briefing by the ranger guides and later head into the forest for your trek. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. These primates roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day. On finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to view and take photos of these gentle primates, enjoy your lunch packs and meet your driver / guide and transfer back to your lodge. The time after trekking can be spent on a village tour or lazing off at the lodge as you savoir the memories of your gorilla trek in Bwindi and prepare for the next day. Dinner and overnight at Lodge as above
Day 3: Golden Monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
On the 3rd day of your 5 Days Bwindi and Mgahinga Primates tour and Lake Bunyonyi Safari, wake up early to transfer to Mgahinga national park, after breakfast, you will drive to the park headquarters in Mgahinga National Park for briefing about the Golden monkeys with your trekking gears. After briefing, your ranger guides will lead you into the forest to search for the Golden monkeys. On finding them, spend an hour viewing them while taking pictures and videos.
After Golden Monkey Trekking ;have lunch in Kisoro town then proceed to Kabale district where you will connect to Lake Bunyonyi. This is the deepest lake in East Africa and its Bilharzia from for human to use the water for different activities. Upon reaching the lake, connect to your accommodation for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at
- Luxury option – Bunyonyi BirdNest lodge/Bunyonyi Safari Resort
- Mid-range option – Bunyonyi Eco-Resort/Bunyonyi Arcadia Cottages
- Budget option – Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Day 4: Full day excursion at Lake Bunyonyi
On the 4th day of your 5 Days Bwindi and Mgahinga Primates tour and Lake Bunyonyi Safari, wake up for breakfast, meet your guide and connect for a boat experience on Lake Bunyonyi and visit some of the interesting islands on the lake. Return for lunch at the lodge and spend your afternoon in company of the community while on your nature walk around the area or stay relaxing at your lodge with great memories of your safari. Before nightfall, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above
Day 5: Transfer back to Entebbe/Kigali – Departure
After breakfast, check-out form the lodge to embark on your return to Kigali or Entebbe with en-route stops to refresh and lunch breaks. Depending on which direction you take, upon arrival at either Entebbe or Kigali, you will proceed to Entebbe/Kigali airport for drop off. End of Uganda Safari
